Philosophical Vegan Forum

I thought about working towards Veganism, but I'm scared. I'm scared of not being able to enjoy eating with friends and family, I'm scared of all the judgement and constantly having to defend my position. I'm scared of being a hypocrite. I know these are probably bad reasons but they are valid fears to me. When I told a couple people that I was thinking about going vegan I was met with a lot of opposition. I'm not saying that I will never become Vegan, but for now I'm just not ready to take that step. =(

In the mean time I will try to be mindful of where my food comes from. As much as possible I will buy from local farmers, which is easy to do in Iowa.

AustynKersey wrote:I'm scared of not being able to enjoy eating with friends and family,

You don't have to be like some people and refuse to eat with others. And you'll learn to cook awesome vegan food to share with your friends and family; and you'll even inspire them to eat more veg. and more healthfully.

AustynKersey wrote:I'm scared of all the judgement and constantly having to defend my position.

You're braver than that, and you know it.

You'll find that when you go vegan, it's more people who are eating meat who are trying to defend their positions (without saying anything), because they know they're being inconsistent: Like you know you're being inconsistent when you choose to harm animals for food without need.

You don't have to be a preachy vegan. Generally speaking, most people you know don't even need to know. It's not a big deal. You've been much braver I can't even imagine. Most people don't even think twice about somebody being vegan today.

AustynKersey wrote:I'm scared of being a hypocrite.

Living your morals, and maybe screwing up now and then by accident, is not being a hypocrite. It's being honest, and trying your best. We all screw up sometimes, it's about trying. Not trying is being a hypocrite.
You couldn't possibly become more hypocritical by trying to be vegan.

AustynKersey wrote:When I told a couple people that I was thinking about going vegan I was met with a lot of opposition. I'm not saying that I will never become Vegan, but for now I'm just not ready to take that step. =(

Who did you tell? They should be more supportive of you.
They may be worried, because their heads have been filled with myths. Just educate them.

AustynKersey wrote:In the mean time I will try to be mindful of where my food comes from. As much as possible I will buy from local farmers, which is easy to do in Iowa.

Or just go vegan. Or go 99% vegan first. Why would you go out of your way to buy animal products?
There are lots of other options. Even if you're not perfect, being mostly vegan is a step in the right direction.

We're here to help you in any way you need. Just be brave. You'll find you worried a lot over nothing.

Why would you not be able to enjoy eating with friends and family? D: You don't need to argue with anyone about it. Just keep a cool head and don't tell others what to do or challenge them. If they ask why, just tell them you're uncomfortable with animals being hurt or killed, and you feel very guilty about it, and that you don't want to argue. If they ask you questions about certain foods and why you don't eat them (eggs/dairy), then feel free to explain to them what happens in the industry. If they're non-understanding... Then quite frankly, fuck them... Though, I understand it can be hard in a hostile environment, but even if it's difficult at first, it will die down. Nobody can be that sour for so long.

But, if you really think you can't deal with the possible flack emotionally, then that's fine. It's your choice. (:

I don't get the appeal of wanting to be another weak, mindless drone who stands for nothing. Personally I love being bullied and pressured by omnis. It's like a test of strength to see if I can fight the primal instinct to fit in with the group at all costs. If they make arguments, I shoot them down. If they mock me, it just makes me happy because they make idiots of themselves, and it means they know their position is piss poor. I really don't care about what morons think of me.

Thanks guys. I am going to choose whole grains, veggies, and fruit over animal products a lot more than I have been in the past. I may not be 100% Vegan but I will be eating a lot less animal products than I used to.

Brimstone, your comment has inspired me to cut down.

Animus wrote:I don't get the appeal of wanting to be another weak, mindless drone who stands for nothing. Personally I love being bullied and pressured by omnis. It's like a test of strength to see if I can fight the primal instinct to fit in with the group at all costs. If they make arguments, I shoot them down. If they mock me, it just makes me happy because they make idiots of themselves, and it means they know their position is piss poor. I really don't care about what morons think of me.

I wish more vegans had this attitude.

Jebus wrote:I wish more vegans had this attitude.

Me too.
Austyn, don't forget how many people you have here who are willing to help you out. It seems hard now, but you'll realize later that you worried too much. Like BrimstoneSalad said, it's nonvegans who are the ones that constantly need to rationalize their stance and reconcile with their inconsistencies.

Gary Yourofsky sometimes says that when nervous vegans speak to nonvegans, they should keep in mind that it's impossible for nonvegans to be correct on any arguments against veganism. As you gain experience, speaking about veganism will get easier and you'll notice how nervous nonvegans get when they hear you speak with consistent logic which they cannot match.

AustynKersey wrote:Thanks guys. I am going to choose whole grains, veggies, and fruit over animal products a lot more than I have been in the past. I may not be 100% Vegan but I will be eating a lot less animal products than I used to.

Brimstone, your comment has inspired me to cut down.

That's great. Don't forget beans!

Legumes are some of the healthiest things to eat on the planet. And the high protein in them will keep you full longer.

It's also perfectly OK to be a secret vegan, and just not tell anybody, if you're worried about people's reactions. If they ask why you ordered a veggie burger, just say you're cutting back on meat. It's true, even if that cutting back is a lot more than they might imagine.

What got you thinking about veganism?

I'd recommend watching earthlings if you haven't already. Whatever we have to put up with, what they have to face is incomparable so we should try to put in an effort for them.