Who hates it when....

[GRardB]

We've all had the question asked. For you guys, it's "Why are you vegan?" For me, it's "Why are you vegetarian?"

 

I hate answering this question because my views on humans being herbivores would create so many arguments with ignorant people that I just say "My parents were vegetarians so I became one too."

 

It's not even this question that I hate. It's the one that comes after it (if you don't give a very detailed answer). The question is: "What, do you just not like the taste of meat?"

 

I want to just answer "Yes, I hate the taste of every animal product. The taste of chicken, beef, pork, every fish, everything! I hate it! I hate how the gelatin alters the taste of Skittles and Pop Tarts! I hate how McDonald's French fries taste because of those little drops of beef extract! I hate how cookies taste because of that one egg they put in a huge batch! I just cant stand anything made from animals!"

 

But no, because some people would think I'm crazy. I probably wouldn't like meat even if I tried, but the rest has no effect on taste.

 

My question is: Have you ever had this question asked to you before?

 

Also: Do people think before they ask that question?

 

Sort of a rant, but it just gets me mad.

[SeaSiren]

They used to ask me. Now no one questions what I eat any longer. I guess "proof is in the pudding"

[Richard]

Well, if you don't like the taste of it, why not just say to them that you don't like the taste of it? I think that's something which most people can understand, more than an ethical explanation. I think the reason they ask "Do you just not like the taste of it?" is because they know the alternative; which is that you're a crazy hippy freak who cares about animals and stuff. So they phrase it that way to appear friendly, but they really want to know the opposite, they are fishing for you to say "no, I think it's wrong to eat animals" so they can spring into action with their BS defenses of animal cruelty, and why eating animals is 100% necessary to survival and blah blah blah. That's how it comes across to me 85% of the time. When people ask me "why are you vegan?" I usually say something like "because I care about animals" or "because I think what happens to animals is wrong" or "I want to avoid contributing to animal cruelty"

[Zack]

I got criticized by all my friends for being veg, but now after my dedicated training and physique changes nobody says a thing anymore. All my friends have been talking about my physique changes too. Some are shocked, some are amazed, and some are jealous....

 

I love it.

[Lean and Green]

i try to end the convo as quickly as possible when it gets annoying. I always find that people tend to ask the same question over and over in like 5 different ways. So aggravating.

 

It usually goes like: so wait, you don't eat dairy? no. So then you don't eat eggs? no. No milk either? no. No cheese? no. Wow, so wait then, you don't eat eggs?

 

I mean like WHAT THE HECK buddy? You just asked that same question 15 seconds ago. And since when did everyone just magically forget what things are considered 'dairy'????

 

Are people that dumb or is it just that unbelievable to them that they have to keep asking the same question over and over.

 

The same thing goes with the meat; i'm sure you get how that convo would go.........

[Richard]

Yeah, it's like they don't think I know what animal product means. They just go through the list... beef, chicken, fish, turkey, ham... then onto milk, coffee, tea, milkshake, icecream, cake... I think they go through that stuff because probably they don't know any other vegans, so they are just saying what is going through their head, as they haven't really considered it before, and so it's a discovery for them

[corbomite]

I just try and be humorous, I tell them I was attacked by plants at an early age and am getting my revenge. Or I tell them sometimes, I was only having a bowel movement once a day, and ever a perfectionist I decided, I bet I can double that number.

Basically if you joke around without sounding sarcastic they will come off like the worlds biggest douche bag if they continuously harass you.

[Mike]

You rock, MC Poop-a-Lot! I love those responses .

 

Mike

[hsorlando]

I'm just honest about it. I say that I do it for the animals, that I don't believe that in this day and age that itsneccessary to consume any animal products at all. And thanks to this website, and all the wonderful info on it, I now have some good nutritional info to give them when people shoot questions about proteins, amino acids, carbs, fat, etc. Of course being female and being a vegan is probaly easier than being a guy and explaining about the animals that suffer. I also have to say I have a friend who is actually coming around to a vegan diet. She still eats meat, but I heard her say something about seeing that it was a better, more compassionate way. I think my mouth must have dropped to the floor when she said that. She was being genuine because as she talked her eyes were beginning to tear up a bit.

[GRardB]

I'm glad people have similar experiences. I just hate when people act stupid. I know so many people that say "Oh I know this girl who's a vegetarian but she eats chicken." Ummm...what? I tell them that the girl is NOT a vegetarian if she eats any kind of animal and they're reply is either "But chicken isn't meat, it's poultry," or "No, but she only eats chicken, nothing else." I want to slap people who talk like this.

 

I even had a family member once tell me she knew someone who claimed to be vegetarian but ate chicken, sausage, fish, etc. My relative listed so many meat products that they ate and she goes "but he says he's a vegetarian. Is that true?" WHAT?!?!

 

I hate ignorance....

[Dr. Pink]

I mostly hate it when people say, Do you ever think of the veggetables? They can't even fight back. It's slaughter"

 

If I ever hear this again I am contemplating combing back with this

 

I don't give a F%^K about Veggies. I'll F$%K up a Carrot and break it's neck. I chop Tomatoes up man. Veggie Genocide. I'm a Vegan not a Fruitarian.

[Guest]

I actually love the question because it can allow people to understand veganism...and if not that...at least me. Its a very important question and I wish everyone on the planet would ask that question to every vegan they know.

[corbomite]

I actually love the question because it can allow people to understand veganism...and if not that...at least me. Its a very important question and I wish everyone on the planet would ask that question to every vegan they know.

gosh, just make everyone else feel bad about their posts why don't you

[Guest]

I just think its important to get rid of peoples misconceptions about veganism...otherwise nobody will ever become vegan...or at least it'll take them a lot longer to become one.

[Dr. Pink]

I think a few misconceptions a person might have( At least towards me ) is that I am a hippie obsessed with all things animal rights and will do a protest at the drop of a hat.

 

While I am for animal rights I also want to show that even though I am vegan it doesn't automatically make me a hippie. It's a steryotype really. Vegans come in all shapes, sizes and attitudes. Although I admit I've never seen a violently aggressive vegan I am sure that one exists somewhere.

 

I did however come up with a clever way to avoid people bringing up the question I stated above( The way people said that question to me was always in sarcastic undertones )

 

Just say that I don't eat anything with a central nervous system.

 

^ I read that response on a vegan myspace board before ultimately coming here.

[VeganDude]

I actually love the question because it can allow people to understand veganism...and if not that...at least me. Its a very important question and I wish everyone on the planet would ask that question to every vegan they know.

I agree. I like meeting people that have a bad view on veganism and show them different. First people think its weird but they can see I'm stronger and have lots of energy, after a while they realize I'm never sick. Also love it when I'm eating things they find strange and ask to taste it, then they love it and go out and buy some.

I haven't met anyone yet that after knowing me for a little while thinks vegans are malnourished, weak, sickly, etc.. They might have before.

[Kero]

I mostly hate it when people say, Do you ever think of the veggetables? They can't even fight back. It's slaughter"

 

I hear this a lot too, and every single person who says it seems to think that they are the first one ever to come up with this "intelligent yet funny (so they seem to think)" argument against vegetarianism. I just laugh at them and say nothing.

 

I have found that the best way to change peoples view on vegans is to not be preachy, fanatical and aggressive.

[Richard]

I actually love the question because it can allow people to understand veganism...and if not that...at least me. Its a very important question and I wish everyone on the planet would ask that question to every vegan they know.

 

I appreciate the question when it is brought up in such a way that they really want to learn about veganism. But I generally find that it's brought up so that they can mouth off about how good it is to eat meat, and how I am wasting my time etc. That's the frustrating part, not the fact that someone is asking a question

[DV]

I mostly hate it when people say, Do you ever think of the veggetables? They can't even fight back. It's slaughter"

 

If I ever hear this again I am contemplating combing back with this

 

I don't give a F%^K about Veggies. I'll F$%K up a Carrot and break it's neck. I chop Tomatoes up man. Veggie Genocide. I'm a Vegan not a Fruitarian.

 

Oh Pink, that's great!

 

My answer depends on the context of the question and the timing. If someone is serious and we're alone or have the time, I'll give a detailed answer. Sometimes I just say "hey, it works for me. Contact me later if you have any questions." I sense that some people are taken aback when I'm nonchalant because they might have been expecting a lecture or a debate.

[VeganDude]

But I generally find that it's brought up so that they can mouth off about how good it is to eat meat, and how I am wasting my time etc. That's the frustrating part, not the fact that someone is asking a question

I don't get those kinds of reply's anymore, maybe they are scared I would kick their a$$

[Richard]

Well, like I say it just sort of trails into them going on about eating meat and arguing etc, it's not like it instantly turns into a fight. Typically it goes:

 

Them: "So I hear you're vegan"

 

Me: "Yeah"

 

Them: "Do you just not like the taste of meat?"

 

Me: "Nah, I used to eat meat all the time when I was little"

 

Them: "So how come you don't eat it, if you like it?"

 

Me: "I just don't like how animals are treated, and don't want to support it"

 

And then, that's where they come out with crap. I generally don't argue these days, I just let it slide, but typically they will come out with one of the following:

 

"Well the way I see it, we're all part of the food chain"

 

"I don't think animals really know what they're doing"

 

"Well, I need my meat for the protein"

 

"I understand vegetarianism, but there's nothing wrong with milk since they don't kill the animals"

 

"There aren't any alternatives to meat, so it's not something which is possible"

 

"I need my meat!"

 

"We're meant to eat meat, because of our teeth"

 

And all that. If they ask further actual questions, I will answer, but I don't get into an argument about it, which is pretty much what most people want

[GRardB]

Also love it when I'm eating things they find strange and ask to taste it, then they love it and go out and buy some.

I haven't met anyone yet that after knowing me for a little while thinks vegans are malnourished, weak, sickly, etc.. They might have before.

Also love it when I'm eating things they find strange and ask to taste it, then they love it and go out and buy some.

I haven't met anyone yet that after knowing me for a little while thinks vegans are malnourished, weak, sickly, etc.. They might have before.

 

Man, you've got it lucky. It's probably because I'm still in high school, but almost everybody who eats my food says how ing it smells or tastes, probably because almost all of their diet (literally) consists of things like fast food, packaged snacks (like Rice Crispies, 100 Calorie Packs, etc.), soda, and basically every other terrible excuse for food out there. Kids' diets are so terrible that in my health class, we were forced to draw the food pyramid (and yeah, I had no choice but to put those two terrible groups on it. You guys know) and some kids were asking things like "A carrot is a vegetable right?" or "Is corn a fruit or vegetable?" It got to the point where my teacher said she didn't care if people put vegetables in the fruit section or vice versa.

 

Most people also think I'm malnourished which gets me extremely mad. I have a friend who's about 4'11" and probably not even 100 pounds and she said to me "Don't you need the protein from meat?" or something like that. "Yes, I am underweight and lack muscle at 5'9" and 180lbs. I'll try to get at your level." Meanwhile, I'm bigger than most people she knows.

 

Other people ask how I get vitamins and minerals and crap...as if meat has those things while plants don't? All herbivores must be lacking just about everything at this point.

 

Ehh, I'm done ranting. I just can't take this stuff because kids my age are so hard-headed that when I say "meat is bad for you" they snap back. When I tell them why, they tell me it's not true and that you need the protein and iron, etc.

 

I've given up lol.

Edited March 8, 2008 by GRardB

[Richard]

Dude, school is the worst for it. It has got a lot better for me now since I finished. But yeah, you will get a lot of crap coming out of people's mouths, because generally there are even more immature people around you at that point in your life. I would advise just not getting into the arguments. It might feel like a cop out, but you know they are not really interested in learning, more interested in getting you down.

[hsorlando]

It can be hard when people are cruel, and sinister about our way of living. When I meet these kinds of people I don't get into an argument I just lead by example. And leave it at that, and hopefully one day they'll get the bigger picture.

[offense74]

I've started to tell people is that I want to be bio-degradable when I die.

I'm just waiting for the day when my friends will start glowing in the dark from all the crap they eat.