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What average people think of Vegans... I always wonder...


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http://www.hulu.com/watch/56607/the-real-housewives-of-orange-county-vegan-lunch

 

I always wonder what the other side thinks of vegans.... I guess I was just more open minded and I kinda had a thought that vegans were hippies who ate beans ... kinda kinda really skinny and treehugging. But never thought of them as creapy weird people... Now Vegan I have a whole different perspective that I never got from the outside. What do you think people or have you heard from people think vegans are? Their perspective?

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Even when I was an omnivore, I had a great amount of respect and admiration for vegans. I had never met any and at the time I just thought that I didn't have the strength they had. Now I've proven myself wrong and I'm so glad.

 

I have never had any negative feelings about vegans, ever.

 

Although, the food served in that clip is unlike any I've ever had before. I think most omnivores would be surprised at how similar my meals are to theirs.

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A lot of people think I eat nothing but vegetables. Like there are only two food groups out there....meat and vegetables. They ask me what I eat and I say everything and start listing off some of my favourite dishes and they're usually pretty shocked.

 

Also when I bake things and give them to omnis they always seem SURPRISED that it tastes good...just because I'm vegan doesn't mean I like to eat gross tasting food! I like yummy dishes as much as the next person!

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I've always understood what veganism is and what it entails, so I was initially surprised at the silly questions everyone has. Things like, "No meat? What about chicken? Fish?" Or, "No dairy, but can you have butter? Eggs?" Now I'm used to them.

 

However, now that I'm around vegans more, I see that a very vocal minority is actually stranger than I thought with respect to diet. I'm thinking specifically of the blood-type eating, pH eating, monoeating, vibrational food, etc fanatics. Even some of the raw food people, but only a few. I just didn't expect so much bad science. I'm accustomed to a certain level of ... rigor regarding scientific claims.

 

On animal rights, though, everyone seems to be pretty sensible. Very, very few PETA-level crazies. Instead, people are tempered and intelligent about the issue. I don't think others understand that we're not all out there picketing Bloomingdales and breaking into animal testing labs (not to say that I'm strictly against the latter).

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I'm not too surprised by the stupid things some people ask, many just don't seem educated about food. Even as a vegetarian I didn't know all that I do now (of course I was pretty young went I went veg.)

 

I am surprised at some of the really stupid questions I've heard. for example I made choco. PB cookies for my husbands office party and one of his coworkers asked him where I find PB made without butter.

I have found recently though more support for veganism than before. I was wearing my Vbb shirt in class earlier this week and had some one ask me if I was vegan (duh) when I said yes all she said was, "that's awesome" I think it's in peoples faces more (and in a "normal" way of life kind of way) At the gym the other day I saw the mention of veganism in 2 magazines (Shape and Self)

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I find your equating of activists with crazy people a bit odd.

Fair enough. Note, not all crazy is bad and not all activism is bad. For instance, spay/neuter and abandoned/homeless animal activism are great, as are lobbying and petitioning against Monsanto. But picketing department and fur stores just pisses people off, as do many other PETA actions. It's a bit bad-crazy.

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I have found recently though more support for veganism than before. I was wearing my Vbb shirt in class earlier this week and had some one ask me if I was vegan (duh) when I said yes all she said was, "that's awesome" I think it's in peoples faces more (and in a "normal" way of life kind of way) At the gym the other day I saw the mention of veganism in 2 magazines (Shape and Self)

It certainly helps that you're in shape and not wasting away. You're showing everyone that you can be vegan and still strong and fit. That really makes people reconsider their preconceptions.

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Like I mentioned around here before... I think you can't have one without the other. Veganism for me consists of being healthy and caring for animals equally. Your a walking diplomat for the cause so what you look like and act like is representing vegans world wide even if that is not what you intend. That is why I think Vegans need to try a little harder to be positive, healthy and talk about caring for animals as normal not some hyper sensitive individual. I would like to hear more talk about awesome animal encounters that one has on a daily basis. I know this is a fitness board but I think things go hand and hand.

 

For example I am on my rush hour commute driving on the highway and I notice this little green insect on my windshield. I was like poor guy he is holding on for dear life.... He actually made it through the whole trip in one piece and did not fall off. I was cheering for him to make it to my destination alive. Silly as that sounds ... I feel a profound relationship with living creatures. I really respect them.

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For example I am on my rush hour commute driving on the highway and I notice this little green insect on my windshield. I was like poor guy he is holding on for dear life.... He actually made it through the whole trip in one piece and did not fall off. I was cheering for him to make it to my destination alive. Silly as that sounds ... I feel a profound relationship with living creatures. I really respect them.

 

That must be why you didn't feel any need to inconvenience yourself by taking 30 seconds to pull over and send him on his merry way.

 

As far as vegans needing to be in shape, I don't see why we should have to work so hard just so that people don't create their own false impressions. Vegetarians/vegans are in far better shape than the general population - 1% overweight vs 66% overweight in America - yet people STILL have this ridiculous notions of vegans being fat and unhealthy. I've seen so many places on the Internet people say, "Every vegan I've met has been pale (who says pale is unattractive anyway? It just means white and untanned.) and fat/scrawny." It makes me wonder how many vegans that person has actually met. Is it none and they just heard the statement somewhere else and are thus repeating it? Because I've actually never met a vegan who meets that description, which is pretty weird considering how many vegans I know and how many times I've heard that statement. I've met plenty of out of shape omnivores though.

 

When people see a fat omnivore, why don't they say, "Oh my God, look, that omnivore is fat. That proves that an omnivore's diet is unhealthy" like they do if they happen to see even one vegan who doesn't look like Arnold Schwarzenegger?!

 

Going vegan is a step in the right direction but it isn't a cure all, nor does it change your genetics, and of course there are going to be SOME vegans who just eat oreos and pizza all day and never exercise. It really gets to me that people make such broad statements based on so little actual knowledge/experience (but then again, they tend to do that with everything, not just vegans).

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For example I am on my rush hour commute driving on the highway and I notice this little green insect on my windshield. I was like poor guy he is holding on for dear life.... He actually made it through the whole trip in one piece and did not fall off. I was cheering for him to make it to my destination alive. Silly as that sounds ... I feel a profound relationship with living creatures. I really respect them.

That must be why you didn't feel any need to inconvenience yourself by taking 30 seconds to pull over and send him on his merry way.

I don't see a need to be snarky. Rain is one of the most sincere people on the forum.

 

As far as vegans needing to be in shape, I don't see why we should have to work so hard just so that people don't create their own false impressions. Vegetarians/vegans are in far better shape than the general population - 1% overweight vs 66% overweight in America - yet people STILL have this ridiculous notions of vegans being fat and unhealthy. I've seen so many places on the Internet people say, "Every vegan I've met has been pale (who says pale is unattractive anyway? It just means white and untanned.) and fat/scrawny." It makes me wonder how many vegans that person has actually met. Is it none and they just heard the statement somewhere else and are thus repeating it? Because I've actually never met a vegan who meets that description, which is pretty weird considering how many vegans I know and how many times I've heard that statement.

Perception is reality as far as the masses are concerned. As you mention, society has a preconception about vegans. We want to fight those preconceptions so that more people will feel comfortable with a vegan diet and lifestyle. Of course, most of us probably believe, at least for ethical reasons, that it's better to be vegan and out of shape rather than omni and fit, but vegan and fit seems like the best choice overall.

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Most people I meet either don't know what vegan is or have met a few other vegans who usually don't look healthy, are jerks, or are sxe or ar activists or some other (for lack of a better word) subgroup and folks think they have to sign on for as well. Generally people are extraordinarily surprised to find out I keep a vegan diet and that I've been doing it for 8 or so years.

 

-a

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For example I am on my rush hour commute driving on the highway and I notice this little green insect on my windshield. I was like poor guy he is holding on for dear life.... He actually made it through the whole trip in one piece and did not fall off. I was cheering for him to make it to my destination alive. Silly as that sounds ... I feel a profound relationship with living creatures. I really respect them.

That must be why you didn't feel any need to inconvenience yourself by taking 30 seconds to pull over and send him on his merry way.

I don't see a need to be snarky. Rain is one of the most sincere people on the forum.

 

He may be, but if I saw a bug on my windshield holding on for dear life, I'd pull over and help him out.

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Most people I meet either don't know what vegan is or have met a few other vegans who usually don't look healthy, are jerks, or are sxe or ar activists or some other (for lack of a better word) subgroup and folks think they have to sign on for as well. Generally people are extraordinarily surprised to find out I keep a vegan diet and that I've been doing it for 8 or so years.

 

-a

I completely understand what you're saying.

 

I think being "mainstream" and vegan can be a very powerful thing. In fact, it's the only thing that's going to spread veganism en masse. Think of how the green movement is co-opting "mainstream society". There's pluses and minuses to it, sure, but in the end it's spreading a message to the most massive chunk of society that will promote the biggest change.

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He may be, but if I saw a bug on my windshield holding on for dear life, I'd pull over and help him out.

 

YOUR not him. Stop projecting your value system onto other people. It's narcissistic and judgmental.

 

(was that a judgment? )

 

I'm not projecting my value system onto anyone, in the way you probably do with rapists, kidnappers, thieves, and the like (narcissistic and judgmental, then, aren't you?). I'm simply making an observation.

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I actually can't think of anyone I know who doesn't know what veganism is. I'm pretty tickled that my dad really sticks up for me at restraunts, he usually asks the wait staff about vegan options before I do. I actually am usually more shocked when wait staff anywhere don't know what veganism is (granted I'm not an international traveler). I think these "average person" questions aim more at stereotypes than reality. It is worth talking about stereotypes vegans have of vegans vs. stereotypes that people you know have about vegans. I'm sure we can tease some funny quotes out of such a convseration. I think that across the board the most laughable is the strength issue. I'm sure we all have amazed people with our lifting abilities. Oh and one I got out of the dallas morning news years ago (which ran an article on the lifestyles of alternative diets which was like macrobiotic, vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian...maybe one other) the article had the popular mode of transportation. Vegetarians tend to bike and vegans like toyota corrollas. I don't know how they came up with that, but I was driving a corrolla at the time, i found it pretty funny however unrealistic. It's dallas, hardly anyone bikes as a mode of transportation (which is why I moved to Austin) .

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He may be, but if I saw a bug on my windshield holding on for dear life, I'd pull over and help him out.

 

YOUR not him. Stop projecting your value system onto other people. It's narcissistic and judgmental.

 

(was that a judgment? )

 

I'm not projecting my value system onto anyone, in the way you probably do with rapists, kidnappers, thieves, and the like (narcissistic and judgmental, then, aren't you?). I'm simply making an observation.

I don't have any problems with rapists or thieves, the only group I don't like are self-righteous vegans.

 

/sarcasm

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YOUR not him. Stop projecting your value system onto other people. It's narcissistic and judgmental.

 

(was that a judgment? )

 

I'm not projecting my value system onto anyone, in the way you probably do with rapists, kidnappers, thieves, and the like (narcissistic and judgmental, then, aren't you?). I'm simply making an observation.

I don't have any problems with rapists or thieves, the only group I don't like are self-righteous vegans.

 

/sarcasm

 

I've heard that disliking yourself is bad for your mental health, so you might want to work on that.

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He may be, but if I saw a bug on my windshield holding on for dear life, I'd pull over and help him out.

 

YOUR not him. Stop projecting your value system onto other people. It's narcissistic and judgmental.

 

(was that a judgment? )

 

I'm not projecting my value system onto anyone, in the way you probably do with rapists, kidnappers, thieves, and the like (narcissistic and judgmental, then, aren't you?). I'm simply making an observation.

 

You should go observe some windshields on the freeway. I heard there were a lot of bugs on them yesterday. It's summer, you'll be too busy for a while to come to an internet forum about vegan fitness and make people feel bad about not being holier-than-thou.

 

 

i agree with Aaron and Josh.

 

Most people are surprised that I'm vegan. They're also way more receptive to it when they find out and I just go about my business and i guess am an example instead of getting preachy about it. It's how I taught my kids to be, they've had good success with it too.

 

I think they're surprised because the loud preachy vegans are so loud and so preachy and quite often have a really visible nonmainstream look to them. And they're not very nice either, that turns a lot of people off.

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