vegan views, what are yours?

jennifermads1
jennifermads1 Posts: 37
in Food and Nutrition
I know a few vegans from university. Interestingly another student who is a veggie said she found vegans too extreme and aggressive in their views. I must admit I have been shocked a few times by what my vegan friends have said one example being.
" I don't think I could be best friends with someone that eats meat because I would always think they are stupid". Also my sister in law who is vegan has similar views she chooses to only be friends with other vegans which I find strange. Am I missing a point? Surely one of the great things about life meeting different types of people?

Replies

  • RM10003
    RM10003 Posts: 316 Member
    I'm going to sound like such an old lady.... but that's the kind of thing you say when you're in university, whether it's about being vegan, or drinking alcohol, or whatever. When you're young everything is so black and white. Once they get a bit older and have a bit more life experience, perhaps they'll realize that people with differing perspectives on life are people too....

    In the meantime, don't let it bother you. Their loss, not yours.
  • didiseriouslyjusteatthat
    didiseriouslyjusteatthat Posts: 9 Member
    Whilst some vegans are like that, they aren't all. I'm a vegan and the rest of my family and friends are complete carnivores and it doesn't bother me at all.

    Everyone is going to have a strong opinion about one thing or another. But honestly if people are only going to choose to be friends with people that have the exact same opinion as them then the world would be a very sheltered and boring place.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    There are extreme vegans as there are extreme meat eaters. Making generalisations about any one makes you look rather small minded I'm afraid.
  • IslandDreamer64
    IslandDreamer64 Posts: 258 Member
    I don't give a rat's *kitten* about what anyone eats or what their views are on what I eat. I do my thing, you do your thing, end of story.
  • Josedavid
    Josedavid Posts: 695 Member
    I always loved red meat, and diaries, and all that stuff... i am transitioning to vegan now. But is not easy living in Saudi Arabia where meat is the base of the food and where is not easy to get vegan products or well labelled products or because vegan could mean healthy (not for us but for them) and they are not really into healthy lifestyle. So... my view is mostly ethical. Of course i love meat but no thank you... i dont want to promote that industry. If i can choose... i prefer to spend the money in veggies. And to be more considered feeding people than feeding animals to produce meat.

    Now i am in a business trip in India and... wow! this is vegan paradise!!!
  • OwneyB
    OwneyB Posts: 7
    There is a joke about vegans.... How can you tell someone is a vegan? Don't worry they'll tell you!

    Some vegans fall into this category and some don't. As with anything, there are always going to be those people who go to the extreme side of any cause.

    My family and I eat vegan and try our absolute hardest to buy vegan too. We do it for many reasons, health and environmental, but we never try to push it on others. We have many wonderful friends and family who do not follow our life style choice and we love them just the same.Unless raised vegan, most vegans made the choice to change their lifestyle, which means at some point they too were meat eaters! I believe that judging others because of there lifestyle choice/choices is wrong and stupid!

    I think everyone should try there best to live honestly and be true to themselves.
  • kristinadalba
    kristinadalba Posts: 21
    January of 2012 I went to Barnes &Noble and picked up this book called "Skinny *****es" on a whim.It was about society and their food we intake.It truly was a page turner and got me to switch 100% vegan...let me say I was a meat and more meat kinda girl.I felt so amazing in a month Nd dropped about ten lbs too, my hair nails etc were glowing.I did find it very difficult to maintain so I slowly regressed into old habits.During the time I did practice vegan I got a lot of negative and bias input from friends and family...mostly about protein intake etc.I found myself in that short time consumed by the hype I read .fast forward to now and I drink soy milk still.I find myself eating mostly chicken for my meat and sometimes it's still hard to swallow after the book.Besides that I went back to eating normally,but now about a month ago I started juicing basically full time,but will eat a little solids when I desire .long story revised....I commend vegans for their discipline and I even took the info overboard,but mostly from the negative feedback...I was defensive Hope this helps lol
  • HappyElizabeth
    HappyElizabeth Posts: 231 Member
    I'm a vegan, but could care less what my friends and family eat. That's an absolutely silly generalization.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    Vegans are the militant terrorist group of the food world. I have yet to meet a full on vegan who didn't look down on nor miss the opportunity to berate me for eating meat or dairy.

    Humans have canine teeth for a reason... and it ain't to eat lettuce.
  • ghhosstt
    ghhosstt Posts: 112
    I hold no bias against vegans; I've met several and like any other group of people there are all sorts of personality types involved. Just as any other lifestyle view concerning ethical/moral beliefs or views, I just ask for a mutual respect to be given. I'm always open to learning more from a good conversation or debate, but there's a line to be drawn in regards to trying to push those beliefs on other people.
  • robinschwalb
    robinschwalb Posts: 58 Member
    Yes we do have canine teeth !!!
  • sunshinestater
    sunshinestater Posts: 596 Member
    I'm personally striving to go vegetarian. I know I could never do complete vegan but I did switch over to almond milk. I number both carnivores and hard core vegans among my friends, and everyone respects everyone else's choice. I do what I do for my own reasons (don't agree with factory farms), and I'll tell those who are interested, but I really feel it's a personal choice on what you put into your body. I don't judge others for what they do and don't eat.
  • Josedavid
    Josedavid Posts: 695 Member
    Vegans are the militant terrorist group of the food world. I have yet to meet a full on vegan who didn't look down on nor miss the opportunity to berate me for eating meat or dairy.

    Humans have canine teeth for a reason... and it ain't to eat lettuce.

    Such a nice, full of sense and friendly message dude... :)
  • Coquette6
    Coquette6 Posts: 158 Member
    As long as other people don't comment on my omnivorous diet, I don't comment on their vegan/vegetarian diet. I'm in vet school, we have a few animal rights people in the class and plenty of people who grew up on beef farms, chicken farms, and pig farms. We have a pig roast every year, but there's plenty of vegan options there. As long as neither side is proselytizing or mocking, we all get along just fine.
  • potatocar
    potatocar Posts: 250 Member
    I don't really understand vegans (who are vegan for ethical reasons) who have absolutely no problem with carnivores. I'm vegan because I think what the human race is doing to all the other creatures on the planet is horrific. So when I change my eating habits because of it, I don't make much of a difference. But that's usually all anyone can do - change themselves. When enough people do that, then there's a difference. That's why I can't say I don't "give a rat's *kitten* about what other people eat". It's like not caring if all my friends beat their wives, because I don't beat mine. That's not good enough.

    Also, no, everyone doesn't have the right to do whatever they want. They have that right when they are not in any way harming anyone else. So many times we've decided that rule only includes the akin. Only YOUR gender, only YOUR race, only YOUR nationality, only YOUR species. When an alien life lands on our planet, lets all just lock ourselves into our houses and pray helplessly to whatever gods that the aliens' morals, unlike ours, include other species.

    And to all of you "we have canine teeth" and "it's unnatural" people, here are just a few thoughts I find make a good point (the points you're all very welcome to dispute):

    "If we cut up beasts simply because they cannot prevent us and because we are backing our own side in the struggle for existence, it is only logical to cut up imbeciles, criminals, enemies, or capitalists for the same reasons."

    "If a group of beings from another planet were to land on Earth -- beings who considered themselves as superior to you as you feel yourself to be to other animals -- would you concede them the rights over you that you assume over other animals?"

    "The brute animals have all the same sensations of pain as human beings, and consequently endure as much pain when their body is hurt; but in their case the cruelty of torment is greater, because they have no mind to bear them up against their sufferings, and no hope to look forward to when enduring the last extreme pain."

    "Why should man expect his prayer for mercy to be heard by what is above him when he shows no mercy to what is under him?"
  • jennifermads1
    jennifermads1 Posts: 37
    I'm going to sound like such an old lady.... but that's the kind of thing you say when you're in university, whether it's about being vegan, or drinking alcohol, or whatever. When you're young everything is so black and white. Once they get a bit older and have a bit more life experience, perhaps they'll realize that people with differing perspectives on life are people too....

    In the meantime, don't let it bother you. Their loss, not yours.

    you might be shocked to hear that the 3 students at uni are aged 42, 35 and 27 :)
  • jennifermads1
    jennifermads1 Posts: 37
    some good and bad views, I think a few people have missed the point though. I am not judging anyone I have a variety of friends as my job relies on it. I was just shocked at what their views were.
  • JessiBelleW
    JessiBelleW Posts: 831 Member
    I *personally* feel some vegans are super extreme and give other less extreme vegans a bad name (like the ones you mentioned). I know a couple of vegans who are just super chilled people. One girl who I know went vegan after going vege and she is pretty laid back about vegan-ism (unless you ask her to talk about it!).


    I feel the same could be set about almost all subsets of the human population. We all have that one friend/ know that one guy/girl who is just super over the top about their views be that religion (or lack of), pollution, consumerism or vegan-ism. I feel the best thing to do for my sanity is to avoid these people
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,000 Member
    I agree with the people that say there are all different types of vegans, and everything else. To the original poster, it sounds like you just met some extremes. Sorry for your experience.

    I am not vegan or vegetarian, although I admit I eat that way about 90% of the time. I just happen to really like vegan food and I frequent the restaurants. I happen to find the people there not very judgemental at all.

    Here is an interesting observation though, since this is a diet board. Having gone into numerous vegan restaurants, aside from the people that were obviously dragged there by a vegan eater, they are really thin people in general. Sure there are a few exceptions, but in general walk into a vegan restaurant and look around, then compare the average weight to people in a large chain restaurant, like Chilis or something. The difference is telling.

    Oh, and technically we are not carnivores, but omnivores. Dogs are carnivores, and they digest meat completely different than humans. It is much more difficult for our bodies. And while a little meat once in awhile is ok, in general americans way over do it, and for diet purposes and general health, it's not good.
  • Emma_altpeter
    Emma_altpeter Posts: 16 Member
    I am a vegan, and of course I care about what other people are doing to the environment and the animals, does that give me the right to berate them- No. I am not going to make someone be more open to learning about other dietary options by making them feel bad about what they enjoy, it will just make them get pissed off at vegans and vegetarians and put us in that nice little box of crazy extremists.
    That being said, I will have a discussion about other options, like "hey would you be down to try this nice little vegan restaurant, I know you eat meat, but they have some great veggie burgers" or "Have you tried free range chicken, it may be more expensive but look at how happy those chickens are, they are way healthier, making them healthier for you, I hear they taste way better too!" or even suggesting a vegetarian day of the week, like every Wednesday do vegetarian, even just one day is going to reduce your carbon foot print!

    Of course it makes me so sad to know that people are killing these amazing creatures to eat, but I am not going to stop them, so I go for harm reduction.
  • RM10003
    RM10003 Posts: 316 Member
    you might be shocked to hear that the 3 students at uni are aged 42, 35 and 27 :)

    Whoops! See there I go, being old and grumpy again. ;)
  • jennifermads1
    jennifermads1 Posts: 37
    you might be shocked to hear that the 3 students at uni are aged 42, 35 and 27 :)

    Whoops! See there I go, being old and grumpy again. ;)

    no my bad I should of said :)
  • stefa711
    stefa711 Posts: 196 Member
    I am a vegan and can tell you that I do not share those views. My best friend just so happens to be a vegetarian transitioning into veganism, but that has nothing to do with our friendship. I will admit it's pretty awesome to have a friend so close that shares my beliefs, but if she didn't, I would love her just the same.

    To me, being vegan is like religion. It's something I practice because I don't believe animals were put on this earth for human consumption. I don't preach it to people, but if someone asks me about it, you better believe I can go on and on about it all day long! I try to keep preachiness to a minimum, but it's something I am truly passionate about.

    I don't judge others for not being vegan. Do I wish they would give it a chance? Yes. But I don't push it on them. I believe that a lot of people, if educated on factory farming, the meat industry, and the health benefits of being vegan, would convert. Unfortunately in our society (especially the souther US) being vegan is "bad", "weird", and "extreme" so no one wants to give it a chance and risk being labeled "malnourished" or "freak".

    It is surprisingly easy to be vegan, despite all of the stigmas associated with it.
  • jennifermads1
    jennifermads1 Posts: 37
    yes I agree its easier to become vegan then people think. I live in the UK and there are a lot of options for people as Indian food is very popular here and at proper Indian restaurants the food is vegan. I eat meals from 'You are what you eat' book and most of this is vegan. I just find it surprising people are willing to close themselves off to others.
  • MynameisRay
    MynameisRay Posts: 3
    I am a vegetatarian and happy being so , but my children have chosen to eat meat which is really up to them to do as they please . When i was younger (much younger) and at college i was a vegan , I found it was the meat eaters who seemed to have a problem with my food choises than i did on theirs . I became vegan/vegetarian firstly as i wasnt happy with the way we were producing food and caring/transporting livestock ,but i must say it really is a healthy way to live . But it is the choise of everyone to live as they wish and no one should be attacked for their veiws .... but saying that we are human beings and judgement is one of our downfalls .... Happy dieting everyone :smile:

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