I’ve been vegetarian for most of my life, strictly vegan for a few solid years, and now eat like 99% plant-based (sans the occasional social pizza slice). While I’ve never struggled internally with my choices to not consume animal products, I’ve definitely faced a bunch of external pressures from people outside of this lifestyle. Why does veganism make people so defensive? And why do we get so much hate when the vast majority of vegans you’d encounter in your everyday lives mind their own business? Simply mentioning veganism sparks such strong reactions, and I think I’ve come to the conclusion that it challenges peoples’ beliefs and habits in a way that is uncomfortable– but in my opinion, necessary.
In my experience, the people who ultimately act defensive about my plant-based diet are often the ones that encouraged me to talk about it in the first place. 100% of the time, I will turn down a slice of cake at a party with a simple, “I’m okay, thank you!” and never take it a step further to “I just don’t eat eggs, or really dairy either” unless prompted by the usual “Come on, why not?” or “Just a slice, it’s really good!” Just leave it at the “no thanks” if you don’t want to know! Additionally, people allllwaaayyyyysssss pull the awkward, “So, why are you vegan/vegetarian?” I say awkward because it’s rarely an innocent question and is often loaded with defense mechanisms that will deploy to protect their own morality the second you start explaining your own personal preferences.
Meat wasn’t hard for me to stop eating; I’ve always been grossed out by the thought of it and haven’t been able to separate the image of the animal from what’s on my plate. Cutting out dairy and eggs at fifteen was a lot harder for me, but I decided that, for me, taste and convenience weren’t worth the suffering animals experience. I do understand that loving animals as pets while eating other animals is normalized, and I don’t outright judge others for participating in such an ingrained practice in our country as that. I will say that I don’t agree with it, because I don’t see a fundamental difference between your dog and a cow in the beef industry other than it’s just become socially and culturally accepted that there is one. That being said, I would never assert that somebody loves their dog less than I love mine because they eat other animals and I don’t, but people always react with defensiveness– as if I’m personally attacking their love of animals. Just because something is historically accepted or “natural” doesn’t mean that the way it functions in contemporary society is justifiable and right, and that’s how I feel about eating animal products– it’s not only (or even mostly) about “being an animal lover” for me.
Animal agriculture has so many environmental consequences. It requires unfathomably vast amounts of agricultural land, involving both growing crops to feed animals and housing said animals. Research shows that a more plant-based food system could substantially reduce agricultural land requirements by up to 75%. This discussion also raises issues like deforestation, biodiversity loss, and wildlife extinction that shouldn’t be overlooked– I don’t want to waste time on how much someone thinks humans were “made to eat meat,” because the ethical argument of, like, hunting and gathering is a completely different conversation from the current commercial meat, dairy, poultry, and egg industries. Even industrial fishing creates enormous additional problems, including bycatch and the deaths of marine animals. My take is this: Even if you’re still going to eat meat, we gotta acknowledge this! That’s the bare minimum.
Another important point is related to the health and financial aspects of eating plant-based, as there are some common concerns and misconceptions people have about veganism. Veganism does not inherently lead to consuming less protein, B12, or any other essential nutrients. Eating a well-planned plant-based diet can provide just as much of these things, as well as fiber and calcium, while potentially reducing the risk of certain health conditions like cancers and heart disease. Of course there are risks of micro and macronutrient deficiencies, but this is true of any diet– you must be intentional about what you consume. There are plenty of vegan athletes and bodybuilders whose diets meet and exceed their nutritional needs to live such an athletic lifestyle. Also, it doesn’t have to be more expensive! You don’t need the newest Impossible or Beyond imitation, foods like beans, lentils, soy proteins, nutritional yeast, rice, and vegetables can be extremely inexpensive staples. Some research has even shown that plant-based diets can cost less than meat-heavy diets. Let me emphasize: Eating plant-based does not have to mean expensive products or sacrificing good health; it can be both healthy and affordable when built around simple, whole foods.
When people ask me why I eat plant-based, I think of all of these reasons, and I picture the images that haunt me. Images from documentaries that depict commercial industries wherein female cows have their babies ripped away from them to be stripped of their milk, chickens are fattened so quickly that their legs break under the weight of their own bodies, and all types of animals spend their entire time on this earth stuffed with chemicals, barely seeing the light of day, bathing in their own excrements, and living stacked on top of each other in captive spaces so that we can maximize our profits. This isn’t an emotional appeal by vegans, this is literally just what’s occurring in our country under our noses every day. It’s not the type of society I want to participate in– I don’t want to facilitate the oppression of other animals any more than I do for other humans. We all have to share this earth, and we should do our best to respect each other.
So, I think that people react so negatively to vegans because deep down they maybe feel like our choice is the morally right one, but they’re not ready or willing to confront that that would mean their own choice isn’t. You’re not a terrible person for eating meat, and none of us think that– making any change is difficult, and it does vegans a disservice not to accept that tradition, culture, and convenience can make a lifestyle switch seem impossible. That’s why I will always advocate that not everyone has to be perfect– clearly, as you’ll see me eat a slice of pizza. Any effort to reduce one’s animal intake is beneficial, and reducing unnecessary animal suffering is still a meaningful goal. Please question the institutions in our society and your own habits before hating on vegans, because I am not judging you. My diet is about me, not you, and I will only encourage you to share in it or even just to think and reflect on it, not shame you for not doing so already. If I can avoid causing unnecessary suffering, why wouldn’t I try?
