TL;DR - I believe it's because humans tend to jump to conclusions before taking time to understand a culture (or lifestyle) that is different from their own.
I've noticed that vegans and vegetarians often get a bad rep from mainstream society. Why is this so? Well, there isn't really a definitive answer. If you type in Google's search box "Why are vegans a", you might find the first suggestion to say "Why are vegans annoying". Yikes! Personally, I'm not a vegan or vegetarian. However, in the past I have tried both for a few months. I've also known people in my life who practiced either veganism or vegetarianism. Both of these experiences have given me the ability to get a glimpse of what it's like to be part of these subcultures while also being on the outside looking in.
Here is my perspective on why I believe our U.S.American society give vegans and vegetarians a difficult time:
1. People tend to fear things they don't understand.
No, I'm not talking about fear as in, "AHH RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" I mean that subtle fear of "AHH THIS PERSON IS CHALLENGING MY THOUGHTS AND BELIEF SYSTEM!" We don't typically associate the latter as "fear" but...it is, what it is if you ask me. It's kinda similar to the whole "homophobia" issue. No, we aren't saying that the lgbtq+ community SCARE homophobes, but technically they scare homophobes. I can't relate, but I understand. The thought of someone living their best life while doing something that you were indoctrinated to believe wasn't normal is pretty scary. However, if they aren't causing you or others harm then mind your business. Ok, ok, I get it. Maybe it's harming your ego a little bit, but don't worry! A tiny ego death a day keeps the BIGOTS AWAY! Now, when it comes to veganism and vegetarianism we can kind of see the similarities. Many of us in the U.S.A have been indoctrinated to eat meat. We were told that meat is necessary to obtain protein. We were told that protein gives us muscles and makes us STRONG. Therefore, one could imagine why many meat-eaters are taken aback when they see someone deviating from the normalcy. However, I believe that practicing empathy and minding your business are two ways we can dismantle our fear of the lifestyles and cultures we may not understand.
2. People tend to attack the things they fear. It's a survival instinct.
Well, this survival instinct becomes complex when placed in a modern context. Back in the day...and I mean...way wayyy back. Think the stone age. Our brains needed to learn how to react quickly in the wilderness. Fast forward to today, many of us don't live in that type of environment anymore. Even if you don't live in a commercialized city, you still live in a modern world. However, our brains may have a tendency to believe that we still live in stone age. Yikes! That's a bit unsettling. However, it's a bit comforting to know that our society has (kind of) evolved to a place where it's impolite to attack someone just because they are different from us. We are way too sophisticated to do that. Instead, we notice a rise in a trend that deviates from normalcy, gather our like-minded meat-eaters...er....friends, and then we attack deviators with our witty insults and gossip. Poor vegans and vegetarian never stood a chance.
3. Humans tend to jump to conclusions before taking time to understand a culture (or lifestyle) that is different from their own.
Observe this conversation - "Hey, meat-eater! Did you know that meat production kills 17,900 humans a year by means of pollution?" ,said the zealous vegan. The disgruntled meat-eater replies, "You must think you are soo much better than us. Let me enjoy my steak in peace!" Astonished, the zealous vegan replies, "Well...I...I was only trying to help,".
Yikes! Looks like the zealous vegan was K.O'd by the disgruntled meat-eater once again. Honestly, it seems as though both parties jumped to conclusions here. The vegan's zealous approach, while admirable and informative...is a bit unpalatable for the meat-eater. However, the meat-eater's response to the death of thousands of humans a year was a bit brash. I understand both sides, though. I'm a meat-eater so I get it. We were indoctrinated to eat meat. Plus, who doesn't love a good seasoned steak (besides vegans and vegetarians). However, I do not want to partake in activities that lead to the deaths of thousands of fellow humans. Therefore, I go for a plant-based diet. Then, I do my best to find ethically sourced meat whenever I can. Trust me, it's not an easy task to accomplish within this capitalistic society. For me personally, It's better than doing nothing.
Look, nobody is flawless.
I'm not writing this to say that vegans and vegetarians are better than us. We should just strive to practice mindfulness in the way we interact with people who are different from us...the deviators. Our brains are still recovering from the stone age for crying-out loud. Let's practice giving ourselves and our neighbors some grace. We all share this planet together. All 7 Billion -- and counting -- of us. We all have the ability to perfect the way we communicate and share space with each other. Let's seek to find ways that we can be kind (not nice) to one another. LEAVE VEGANS (and vegetarians) ALONEEE!!!
If you've made it this far, thank you! If you have thoughts on this topic and wanna talk more about feel free to reach out to me.
Social Share Photo by Ivana Milakovic on Unsplash
-Jayye
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