People don’t tell you about the downside. They talk about the incredible health benefits, and the reduction of risk for heart disease and cancers. They talk about how it supports the planet because animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, species extinction, habitat loss, ocean dead zones and greenhouse gas emissions. They tell you about how you’re no longer contributing to the horrific torture, mutilation and misery in the everyday lives of innocent animals and the horror they endure in the slaughterhouse.
Granted. There’s no denying that.
So then being vegan must be awesome… right?!
This full article has now moved – CLICK HERE FOR RECIRECTION TO READ IN FULL.
The first thing you need to know about being vegan is that you’ve got to be tough. Mentally. And if you’re not, you’re about to get destroyed. So toughen up, buttercup.
Dinner
Let me paint a little picture here, to help illustrate. It’s Saturday night, and perhaps you’re about to do one of the following:-
- Some friends have invited you over for dinner at theirs. Michael is cooking his signature dish!
- You’re going on a date, and about to have dinner at a lovely new restaurant in town.
- You’ve been invited to a BBQ with your new colleagues from work.
You’re a little anxious, because at some point you’ve got to drop… the ‘V BOMB’.
Vegan is a dirty word. It would seem. So prepare yourself. There is also a possibility that your new friends/date/colleagues will write you off as soon as they even hear the V word. Not the decent ones, of course, but there are the odd few who will freak out and make a mental note that will allude to: ‘Oh God – not one of those! Won’t invite them out again. Weirdo extremist.’ You’ve got to develop a thick skin, and plenty of humour.
So… dropping the ‘V BOMB’. You have two options here, with four potential outcomes. When you’re asked ‘Why are you vegan?’ (N.B. You WILL be asked this, for the rest of your life, every time you go for dinner. Get used to it.) you can either:-
1) Lie about why you’re vegan, ‘cause it’s easier.
2) Tell the truth, despite it being intimidating more often than not.
When I was vegetarian, I used to lie when I was asked why I didn’t eat animals. I’d say “Oh I just don’t like the taste.” I learned that people were happy with that answer. I dreaded being centre of attention, and was already therefore hugely embarrassed to be vegetarian and not blending in with everybody else. So that answer was the easiest way to quickly get the limelight off of me. I was younger then, I cared too much about what other people thought.
But when you turn vegan, if you’ve done so because you’ve learned that the egg industry grinds up baby male chicks – alive – on day one of their life, simply because they are male… or because you’ve realised that cheese and milk have come from a cow that has been forcibly impregnated by humans shoving what is known as the ‘rape stick’ inside of her, over and over again, to keep her pregnant, so that she continues to produce milk for her baby calf, every one of which is then torn away from her shortly after being born, so that we can steal its milk – and then she collapses at a very young age due to physical exhaustion, and then shot, because she’s no longer of use… well then it’s really hard to lie. You don’t want to turn a blind eye. You want to tell everyone about what is happening to these poor animals. You want to tell the truth. The truth, however, will create wrath, anger and annoyance. It’ll make you a target. But fuck it – do it anyway.
If I’m out for dinner and I don’t want to get into a deep discussion, because I’m with people I don’t know very well, or I’m just hungry and want to crack on with eating my dinner, I’ll say “Well because I love animals and don’t want to support cruelty.” Though my standard response, and all vegans will develop one is: “I went vegan because I discovered that the dairy and egg industry were as horrifically cruel as the meat industry.”
It’s normally met by silence, so you can choose to quickly change the subject before all hell breaks loose, a suggestion would be “Anyway this place looks great – let’s order some wine!” or, you can use the opportunity for a discussion. You can have incredible conversations with people, and it’s a great way to raise awareness and speak up for the voiceless animals. And then other times… there’s no avoiding it – you’re going to be Public Enemy Number One. You’ll be singled out, cornered, and interrogated. Dinner, socially, will be fucking exhausting.
Jokes
Next up are the jokes. And wow… I mean… the jokes! I’m going to list some of them below, because you’re going to hear all of them, a lot of times, every month, for the rest of your life. I’ve had 28 years of jokes about being vegetarian and then vegan. And the people cracking them will think they’re the first person that’s ever said such a thing. If you’re knackered you can feign a half-hearted ‘comedy sigh’ and this generally placates their perceived delivery of original comical genius.
1) ‘Mmmm Bacon! LOL!’ – This is just said sporadically whenever you mention anything to do with being vegan. Witty and hilarious.
2) ‘How do you know if someone’s vegan? Don’t worry they’ll tell you!’ *snort-snigger-snort*
3) ‘What do you eat? Lettuce leaves?! Huh huh!’ – Honestly, my sides are splitting.
4) ‘What’s that? Rabbit food?! Paaaa!’ – That’s a cracker. Well done.
Trolls
Then there’re the trolls. For anyone not familiar with the term ‘troll’, these are basically sexually frustrated individuals with prepubescent mentalities that are desperate for attention. Unable to obtain this elsewhere, they’ll revert to targeting others online, to make themselves feel in some way more powerful. The reality of this sad situation is that the troll is probably not the happiest of human beings in real life, so you almost have to feel sorry for them. But as this article was entitled ‘the downside they don’t tell you about’ I’ll drop the gracious consideration momentarily and revert to summarising that trolls are just an irritant. Like an allergy you could really do without. Wikipedia defines a ‘troll’ as:-
‘In Internet slang, a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion, often for their own amusement. ‘
The troll says things they more than likely don’t mean, just to cause a reaction. It’s bravado. I have a troll. But I’ve grown quite fond of him. It can be a little stressful at first, so you do need to be prepared for that, but you just learn that like a gremlin… you don’t feed them. You never feed them. My troll just likes my attention. Bless him. Sweet.
Prejudice
As soon as you drop the ‘V BOMB’ and declare you only eat plant-based foods, there are some people who will automatically assume you:-
- are part of a cult
- always wear cardigans
- only eat lettuce
- are anaemic
- hug trees
- read books about grass
- have no strength
- have brittle bones
- only wear tie-dye
- smoke weed
- hate and judge everyone that eats meat
I reckon one of those apply to me, but the rest are completely alien, and yet… this leads me on to an awkward confession…
I thought that too. EVEN AS A VEGAN!
This socially ingrained image of what veganism is, is so strong, that even I was taken in by it. I’ve been vegan for about a year and a half now, and a few months back, having recently moved to a new city, a friend of mine suggested I join the local vegan meet-up group and honestly? I baulked at the idea. My instant reaction was ‘I couldn’t think of anything worse! They’ll all be weird. Oh no, it sounds dreadful. Not my thing.’
About a week later I was in a coffee shop that was offering free oat-milk coffee to anyone that wanted to try it. A girl walked in behind me. She’d come to try the oat-milk coffee too. We got chatting. Turns out she was also vegan. Her name was Alys. I’d not met many other vegans before so I was excited to chat to her. Alys asked me if I’d been to any of the local vegan meet-up groups. ‘Umm…’. She explained they were held on the first Wednesday of every month and that she’d met some really nice girls there and I should go along. She was nice, funny, intelligent, and cool. Who’d have thought it?! A vegan!
I left the coffee shop and walked around the city. About an hour later there were some people handing out leaflets. One was built like a brick shithouse, and he was wearing a black beanie that said ‘VEGAN’ in bold white letters. “Hello!” I said. “Are you vegan?!”. With a massive smile on his face he said “What gave it away?” and then laughed. I was kind of surprised, ‘cause he was so far removed from the stereotypical vegan vision. I mean.. a bodybuilder! Clearly not lacking in protein deficiency! I stopped and chatted to him and his lovely girlfriend and told them I’d just moved to the city. “Do you go to the meet-up groups?” they asked. “They happen on the first Wednesday of the month. Would be cool to see you there!”
What are the probabilities of meeting three vegans (all normal-friendly-funny and not a cardigan in sight), in the same city, on the same day, who all mention the same monthly meet-up that your friend had suggested you go to, just two days previous?! It was clear I was meant to attend. So I did! What it made me realise was that even I had prejudice about the label ‘vegan’, and if that was my perception, as a vegan… then there’s still clearly a long way to go.
In the meantime, check out these vegan weedlings: Ed Bauer, Mac Danzig and Mindy Collette:-
Anger
This is the last one, and for me, the toughest. Whether you like it or not, people are going get seriously angry about you saying you don’t want to support animal cruelty. Here are some of the comments you can expect:-
- You think you’re more superior than me?!
- What about lions?!
- We’ve ALWAYS done this!
- I only buy ‘humanely’ murdered animals.
- What about plants? They have feelings!
- We’re omnivores not herbivores! Look at these carnivorous teeth just ready to sink into flesh!
- What if you were on a desert island?
- Yeah I’ll kill my own dog if I was hungry!
- Protein though!
- Manly. Grrrrr. Kill stuff.
- You need to respect my choice.
I’ve heard people I really love make light of animal cruelty – and it kills me. I was listening to the radio a few days ago and someone quoted “To be casual about horrific things is a cover for fear.”
And so… with all of this in mind, the dinner distress, the jokes, the trolls, the prejudice, the anger.. it leads me back to my initial question…
… why the fuck AM I vegan?!
Well, I’ve thought about this, and it’s because there really is no contest. Yes I want to reduce my risk of heart disease and cancer. Yes I care about my health. Yes I want to support saving the one planet that we have to live on. But mostly…
… I’m vegan because I’ve learned and seen what actually happens to animals in the meat, dairy and egg industry. I was oblivious for a long time, but now I’ve seen, I can’t unsee, and I refuse to sit by and watch them suffer. I refuse to make excuses about why it’s okay to cause harm to others just so I can have a snack. I refuse to pretend that bacon from the supermarket didn’t come from a screaming pig that didn’t want to die, didn’t want to be sexually abused, didn’t want to have their babies taken away from them, didn’t want their tail chopped off and their throat slit, didn’t want to be hung to bleed to their mortal demise. I will not stand by and pretend that that is okay. I care more about the suffering of others than I do about my taste buds. I care more about the suffering of others than I do about occasional social awkwardness at the dinner table, cliché vegan jokes, attention-seeking trolls and ignorant prejudice. I will speak out about this unacceptable atrocity for the rest of my life. If I don’t – who will? What chance do they have when they don’t speak our language? Every single night they scream in terror and cry in pain, but unless they start speaking human, no-one will care, no-one will listen. So thank fuck for the vegans that will. If animals could speak our language – what do you think they would be saying?
P.p.s Also, I’d highly recommend this very sweary book. It’s utter genius combined with artistic wizardry and incredible humour! Massive shout out to the Vegan Sidekick! Follow him on Facebook at Vegan Sidekick .
P.p.s Here’s to Nicole: the vegan who inspired me to go vegan. To Chris: who went vegan after we became friends and talked about why the fuck I was vegan, and who then encouraged me to go to the meet-up groups. To Paul and Gemma: for being hench herbivores and magnificent cooking extraordinaires. To Penny: for starting up the vegan meet-up groups. And to Alys: I’m so glad I met you that day. A kindred spirit.
With love x
I actually had no idea that happened to baby chicks…thank you for bringing it to my attention!
LikeLike
I didn’t know this for a long time either, it’s not something the egg industry want people to know. It doesn’t matter if eggs are free range – the baby male chicks are still killed. It’s a very sad life 😦 Thank you for taking the time to read x
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have a huge internal struggle because I actually DO love animals, but I still eat them…I buy local and sustainable meat with reputable slaughter practices, but believe me, it’s a mental struggle.
I’ve been considering becoming a vegetarian/vegan for awhile now.
LikeLike
I understand that mental struggle. I loved cheese and eggs and milk! But you have to ask yourself whether there is any such thing as ‘reputable slaughter’? Is there a humane way to slaughter a human? And if not, how can we say there is a humane way to slaughter an animal? It’s great to hear you’re looking to become vegan, and if you’d like any help with it, I’d be happy to give you lots of tips! I went vegan a year and a half ago and it was the best decision of my life! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was so well written. I will let you know that, expressing how much meat is so unhealthy for you, tends to make people listen a little more. ❤️
LikeLike
Give me an afternoon of debate and you’ll be eating meat again. The real enemy is sugar consumption. Eating one serving of meat a day will stick with you much longer than any vegan diet. I tried the vegan thing. As a true lover of animals being vegan isn’t the answer.
LikeLike
Awesome post! Have you watched Vegucated (on Netflix)? Whenever someone becomes irrational (and they won’t stop badgering me with ridiculous questions) I always tell them to watch the documentary. It’s easy to watch and fairly amusing and FREE if you already subscribe to Netflix. Then I have them get back to me and BINGO! Mouths shut, and now they are ready to listen…. Check me out on Instagram @lovewhatswild or on here at lovewhatswild.wordpress.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much! I haven’t seen Vegucated but I do have Netflix, so I’ll add it to the list! Now following you! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t forget ‘Speciesism The Movie’. My favourite animal rights/veganism doc film. Speciesismthemovie.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes – that’s a brilliant documentary actually! I’ll add the link to tht too! 🙂
LikeLike
I agree – Vegucated made me start the journey to becoming a vegan. I was an omnivore until that movie. The pig part made me cry and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I couldn’t continue feeling one way and acting another way. 😦 I haven’t met any other vegans in real life, and I am feeling shy about it, because I feel like I don’t know enough to be around “real” vegans. But if there was a cool meetup in my city like you describe in this article, I would really want to go!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whereabouts are you Holly?
LikeLike
Fantastic post Anna, well written, amusing and oh so true! I’ll be sharing this… A LOT!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Mark! That’s really kind of you! I’m glad it resonated and you found amusing – you have to have humour in everything I think! Best way to live! I’ll be following your blog! 🙂
LikeLike
Brilliantly put!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brilliant! I’ve been vegan just under a month and like you, it is one of the best things I’ve done (apart from having my daughter). I’ve already been confronted with some these questions but it’s so worth it. My carnivore of a boyfriend is now also vegan and my daughter will too be vegan. It’s what should be the norm!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Phoebe! And yes, wouldn’t it be nice if a diet that meant you were healthier and compassionate was the ‘norm’ rather than the exception!
LikeLike
Great article! I’ve been vegetarian all my life and recently pescatarian but would like to be vegan, but totally relate to every point here – and v well said!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Mike, thanks for your comment and it’s great to hear you’d like to go vegan. It’s so much healthier too. Have you seen ‘Cowspiracy’ yet? I highly recommend it! 🙂
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Ribhu Vashishtha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for reblogging!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very well written 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
So… ‘Why The Fuck Did I Go Vegan?’ That’s a book in the making if ever I’ve seen one 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! Thanks Scott! I’ll get straight on it! 😀
LikeLike
Amazing post! I’m not vegan or vegetarian, for the simple reason I didn’t think I had the strength or the usual excuses like ‘I don’t have the time, it’s so expensive its effort blah blah blah’ I’m a veterinary nurse, and animals are my whole life, so this has always been a massive mental struggle for me! Ive been building myself up to start with meat, with the ultimate goal being vegan, and I think this post has just decided for me 🙂 amazingly written. Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is the best thing I’ve read today! I’m so happy when I talk to people who love animals, especially people who care for animals like yourself, who then make the connection. I promise you it will be the best decision of your life and you’ll feel amazing. Making simple swaps like using almond milk instead of cow’s milk, sunflower spread instead of margarine/butter. There are sooo many fantastic recipes online and your world will explode with exciting new tastes! I also recommend watching ‘Cowspiracy’ – this will also help you with that final step. If you want any help/advice please feel free to use the contact page on this blog and I’ll be more than happy to support you! 🙂
LikeLike
Good luck! I think you might find that most things you eat are already mostly plant-based – even something “meaty” like chilli is mostly onions, chillis, tomatoes, peppers, spices, beans and so on. You can often take out the meat or swap it with, say, mushrooms or more veg, and not really notice the difference.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The problem with being vegan is it doesn’t end there. Once you’re aware and made certain choices then the rabbit hole only gets deeper and you have to do something about it. Welcome to my world.
Also some of my best friends can also be complete twats when faced with the V argument.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dropping the “V-Bomb”, tell me about it!!! The little diagram was hilarious — but also quite true. Lovely (& funny) read 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks twofeetandasmile! Really appreciate that! 🙂
LikeLike
love this post! Im a born again Vegan…..was born and raised vegan, went vegetarian for a while and have recently returned to the Vegan fold. SO happy and healthy, people think Im ten years younger than I am, Im 42.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There was a documentary recently that talked about how the vegan diet can slow down the aging process and there was a guy on there who was 100, but only looked 70! Welcome back to the V GANG! Glad to have you back! 🙂
LikeLike
Great post. Seriously.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Lira!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great post. I’ve been vegan nearly five years now after six months of vegetarianism before that and it was because of accidentally learning about the dairy and egg industry while looking for cruelty free cosmetics online! I felt angry and stupid that I hadn’t known this years before. I live now in the far north of Scotland which is very much sheep and beef cattle farming country and even with the people who work at my local animal sanctuary where I volunteer, there is a huge disconnect between the animals they rescue and love and those they still eat because they grew up on farms and just don’t seem to make that connection.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Nicola! Thanks for your kind words. I too was completely oblivious about the cruelty of the dairy and egg industry. In fact, when I was vegetarian (for 27 years prior to going vegan) I couldn’t understand what the deal with vegans was. To me it seemed a bit extreme that they wouldn’t eat cheese or eggs – I mean, that wasn’t hurting animals! Or so I thought. I was horrified when I found out. It is hard getting people to make the connection, because we’re brainwashed by the whole process from a very young age. You’ll hear people cooing over the ‘cute baby lambs’ in the field – but then think nothing of having ‘roast lamb’ for their Sunday dinner. It’s complete disassociation. So it’s good to challenge people’s perceptions and talk about these things when the opportunity arises. Thank you for taking the time to read! I hope you’re having a great weekend in Scotland! 🙂
LikeLike
Strange how other people get so angry with what I decide to eat, or not. Recognised so much here, great read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah it’s a strange thing! Thanks Craig!
LikeLike
Absolutely amazing! Anna – do you have Instagram as I’ve screenshotted some of the article and want to credit you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Yazmine! 🙂 And yes I’m @bozify on Instagram. That’s very kind!
LikeLike
I love this post + look forward to sharing it on my FB page, Keep On Vegan On (100% of the profits on KOVO shorts sales go to Uplands PEAK Sanctuary, Indiana’s first and only farm sanctuary)! This is my first read of your blog, so I’m excited to read more!!
My first question… What’s your favorite vegan red wine? 🙂
Thank you for this post and all that you do! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much! I’ll look up your FB page now! I love so many red wines, but the Emiliana Coyam from Chile is a good one! 🙂
LikeLike
Great article! Sums up life as a vegan very well. I’m glad we’re at a stage where people from all walks of life are choosing to live vegan, hopefully the silly stereotype will be smashed then.
When people ask me ‘isn’t it hard being vegan?’ I normally reply ‘being vegan is the easy bit, its other people that make it difficult’ or I just wave my giant vegan chocolate cake in their face!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahahaha!! Thank you Leanne! Enjoy the giant vegan chocolate cake!
LikeLike
I am ashamed to say that I am not vegan or vegetarian. I try and buy vegan marge and almond milk but my hubby is very meat orientated so I end up slipping back into old habits. I really need to find some simple vegan recipes and freeze meals so I always have something at hand just for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Clara, if you want to drop me a message through my contact page, I’ll email you directly with some help on doing just that!
In the meantime some really simple meals I make are stir frys (get some rice noodles, bean sprouts and veg – and a nice stir fry sauce) takes all of 5 minutes to cook! Or you can make a vegetable pasta (dried pasta is vegan) with courgettes, carrots, onions, garlic, mushrooms, pour over a tomato sauce or just a tin of chopped tomatoes – done! Or last night I made a roasted butternut squash and asparagus risotto. I made loads of it so I have enough for another day. Other simple things are jacket potatoes with baked beans and salad! It’s really easy once you get used to it! 🙂
LikeLike
Loved this article. I could relate to everything you wrote. Well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! Really appreciate that and glad you enjoyed! 🙂
LikeLike
Excellent article, Anna.
I live in a rural area where many people live on or grew up on farms. For me the hardest things to respond to in the discussion of why I’m vegan are those people who live on or run farms to try to tell me about how clean and proper their facilities are, that they don’t mistreat their animals like factory farms do, and since they’re farmers they know first hand that the industry isn’t as cruel as we make it out to be, etc. It’s hard because, well okay, I don’t know how you do it at YOUR farm, sure. But then it comes down to, well I still don’t think there’s a “humane” way to slaughter (as you mentioned in a previous comment) and I’m really glad if you don’t mistreat your animals while they’re alive, but they’re still being raised specifically for humans to eat, or for their milk, which we shouldn’t be consuming anyway. It’s still a matter of controlling the lives of non-human animals for human animals’ benefit.
To this day my favorite wtf comment is from someone I lived with who would take any opportunity to tell me why I was stupid to be a vegan. One day they told me “I’ll stop eating meat when wolves stop eating meat.” … Wooow. 1) Don’t flatter yourself, you’re not a fucking wolf. 2) Wolves are facultative carnivores and also scavengers. Nothing about your diet resembles that of wolves’. (A wolf would never leave chunks of meat that their mom brought them to rot in the fridge, for one.) There is no comparison here.
Thanks for the article, Anna. =)
-C-
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Love this so much, tried Veganuary very successfully then lapsed back to dairy, then occasional meat 😢😢😢 you have inspired me to try again, thank you thank you thank you xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great list! Thanks you for sharing 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post, have shared it on Facebook. It says everything I feel. Thank you hope to meet and say Hi at the Meet up. Best Regards Andrew
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Andrew! Are you from Norwich?
LikeLike
Yes I am 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amazing post! I relate to this on so many levels. I find being vegan to be socially exhausting sometimes too, but you’re right. I would rather go through that than ever eat animals again and be a part of the cruelty. Well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you misscocoluna! This makes me smile so much!! 🙂 Thank you for reading!
LikeLike
I love this! Especially when going through middle school/high school as a vegan. Thinking back on how much other people’s jokes used to hurt me, it’s insane what I’ve had to go through just for my personal beliefs. I’ve figured out over the years my own ways of dealing with them but it is by far the only hard thing about being vegan
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this posts. It does have some good humor. What irks me is non vegans trying to be funny but they are being serious. That hurts. Or non vegan friends that eat out frequently and when they eat out with me they choose the one place that has no vegan choices.
I highly recommend the Liberation Pledge (Liberationpledge.com) My family took me serious when I gave them my Liberation Pledge letter. But I really want to give my friends my letter too. The only thing stopping me is that I don’t want to lose friends. Thinking my response after giving the letter will be that “we eat two different places” when eating out if they must eat flesh and disrespect animals cause it’s getting very tough to have dead animals at the same table.
Suggestions appreciated? And my favorite food/vegan movie is Food Matters also available on Netflix. It’s not vegan per say but shows that we need to drastically change our food system.
LikeLiked by 1 person
excellent articule. Something that I needed. Not so long time ago I’ve been attacked because of that reason and I think I need to build that strength inside of me because it wasn’t a pleasant experience. For many days I felt really bad and why? I think those angry people they are trying to explain their behaviour and make their conscience clear .. or they are just a douchebags
Thank you once again!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish vegan options were more prevalent within society (I also notice that such meals are not only few and far between at “normal” restaurants and often generic and boring dishes such as salads – feeding ignorant stereotypes). I find veganism appealing but find the society in which I live presents significant barriers to any dietary choice other than the norm.
Also, I am proudly straight edge (no alcohol or drugs) and find I am never the subject of the ignorance you have described vegans suffering (in fact often met with respect – even from drunk people at nightclubs), and I fail to understand how my lifestyle choices are any less extreme than veganism – perhaps someone can shed some light on why this may be?
Great article x
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this post! I really want to go vegan but I am a student and worried about being able to afford things such as almond milk as opposed to cows milk (though I suppose this is a part of it) / being able to find interesting meals to eat, (I’m not very good at cooking)! xxxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was absolutely beautiful! I can completely understand and relate to everything said in this post!
In fact, my husband and I were JUST discussing last night how it can be so challenging to go out to eat with new friends and such, as you mentioned. Because yes, you do have to drop the bomb! Often times I don’t use the word “vegan”, I simply state that I don’t eat animal products.
I have found that a lot of people who I consider my friends are genuinely good folk, I must be attracting the right ones. Often they are much more curious as to why and exactly how, and exactly what DO I eat. Usually I create my own dish off of a menu that doesn’t already have a vegan dish or a regular salad. Many find it so fascinating and wonder how they too can achieve this! Yes, ONE person can make A HUGE difference!
This post was just magical! Very honest and relatable! Thank you for being one of those who stand up for the other Earthlings we share this world with ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, this is really great, especially the flow chart! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
this is BY FAR thee best vegan article I have ever read. it is so bizarre to me at how many people don’t support my decision (family included). being vegan is the best thing ever. I’ve only been vegan for a little over a year but have been a vegetarian for 9 years. I always thought vegan was just “too far” and “too extreme” and that “I could never do that because CHEESE!”
I learned about veganism by accident by watching the “best speech you will ever hear” (literally – that’s what it’s called on YouTube). it raised a lot of guilt and questions for me. I educated myself slowly and weened of cheese slowly. I could never unknow what I know or unsee what I have seen. this is real life suffering that people ignore. and yes, even from “humane farms.”
the vegan jokes, torment, lectures, protein lessons are all annoying parts of being vegan and I’m happy you addressed it. you really do have to become tough. I was too nice and too quiet to speak up in my past but I won’t tolerate any bullshit comments now. even from family. why is that fair of them to disrespect me? it’s not. I don’t walk up to them eating meat and make comments over and over.
blah. anyways, thanks for the best article ever. I hope it reaches millions and they won’t be able to stop reading and maybe they can learn some things and possibly transition to the best lifestyle ever! 😉
love and light
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this article and will save it. I came to the conclusion that if I wasn’t going to go to a slaughter house, choose an animal, stun it, slit its throat and watch it bleed out, I wasn’t prepared to let someone else do my dirty work for me anymore. I could no more drag a baby calf away from its crying mum or put a baby chick in my food processor alive than I could fly to the moon. I don’t give a fuck what people think of my live choices. I just have one really big regret about changing to veganism and that I didn’t do it 40 years ago when I was 16 and could make my own decisions. And that guilt is something I am having a really hard time with. I am also an Atheist. But I live by one scripture, Galatians 5:14, ‘And in that one command the entire law is fulfilled, that you love your neighbour as yourself’. And if you ask who is my neighbour, it is every creature that can walk, run, swim or fly away. I even said to someone the other day, one tweak of the chromosomes on the evolutionary family tree and that could be your arse on that plate smeared with Bearnaise sauce! Think about that one when you take the piss out of my Chili NON Carne.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Absolutely spot on! This article articulates my thoughts and feelings perfectly! Well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for this it’s a great read and so accurate. I became vegan about 2 years ago (here in the UK) for health reasons. I lost over 40 lbs in weight in a few short months without trying, I have more energy now than I had 20+ years ago as I’m now 54. I no longer have the aches and pains I was getting through my old way of life, eating too much meat and dairy and no energy to exercise, I now run and cycle 3 to 4 times a week. I wish I’d done this years ago but you know what. I feel 30 again anyway so it doesn’t really matter! I honestly believe that being vegan is far more effective than any pharmaceutical drugs for so many of the western diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer and people just need to make the change before it’s too late. Plus the medical professionals need more training in nutrition especially here in the UK with our NHS.
Check out these films for inspiration if you are thinking about becoming vegan Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy and Vegucated they all inspired me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on iliketowritewhatithink.
LikeLike
Great blog post, but you know what? I don’t get why there even IS a vegan thing. I’m not gonna say this right but I’ll take my best shot.
I am probably what most people would call a ‘vegan’, but I also am not a really obsessive vegan.
What I am, is just a person who one day thought about our food choices and went to the trouble of digging a bit deeper. Once I found out what we do, I knew I couldn’t be part of that because I just don’t think it’s right.
The weird thing is that nearly everyone I know has a fair idea of what’s right too. But talk about changing your food choices because it’s wrong what we do, and all hell breaks loose. And you get to hear every last one of those stupid and utterly thoughtless comments. My wife even has her workmates poke fun at her ideas and food choices.
Why?
Really, there shouldn’t be a ‘veganism’. There should just be normal people who know what’s right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I totally agree with you Graeme. I often feel like I have to ‘confess’ I’m vegan when in fact… surely it should be the other way around?! I’ve recently stopped using the word ‘vegan’ and instead said that I’ve given up eating dairy, eggs and meat – or that I choose a plant-based diet. It’s an interesting social topic, one I see quickly evolving. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. 🙂
LikeLike
This post is everything!!
I’ve been vegan for 6 months now and I’ve experienced every single thing you’ve written about and GOD it can be hard and there’s a little part of you that just wants to give in because it’s ‘easier’, but YES to the positive vegan vibes and not quitting and knowing that this choice is the best choice I’ll ever make. For the first few months I didn’t want to use the V word because I felt embarrassed or like i’d be judged, but now I love it and embrace it (almost) wholeheartedly.
Thanks for being a totally normal down to earth vegan letting me know we’ve all go through this shit!
Jess x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brilliant.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why do every vegans have to use animal cruelty for an excuse of being vegan?
I’m a vegan due to better health. The positive side for animals is a bonus of being an vegan.
Eat your vegan diet and end the discussion with the reason that meat, milk and eggs mistreated your digestion. If you’re vegan just for saving the animals then you not fully aware of why people should be vegan. The body really works much better on a vegan diet.
LikeLike
Hi Ola, thanks for taking the time to read my article. My primary reason for being vegan was because of animal cruelty, it was when I saw what happened to innocent animals – I was heartbroken. So for me, better health is a positive bonus of being vegan rather than the other way around. There are three main reasons people become vegan. Some people do it because they care fiercely about the environment, some for the health benefits, and others – like me – because of discovering the horrific truth about the suffering of animals. It’s really good to understand that everyone is very different and if you can find out what motivates people most – it’s a good way to begin talking to them about changing to a plant-based diet. Whatever your primary reason, there are many positive and additional outcomes too. It’s a win win win! 🙂
LikeLike
Hmmm, now I’m wondering why I’m no vegan or “at least” vegetarian which would not be “enough” anyway … … wondering wondering …
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for writing this. It’s nice to see I’m not alone. It gives me hope that the world can change little by little. I get so angry and upset when people know about animal cruelty, but they just don’t care that animals are enslaved, beaten, raped, and ultimately murdered. It sickens me. I’m not confrontational, so I keep my frustrated thoughts to myself, but it makes me so upset how people just turn a blind eye to all that suffering like it’s nothing, and “that’s just the way it is.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting content. Keep up the good work 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person