Holy shit the South Park clip is such an accurate representation of what being a vegan is like. I'll keep it handy. Quite ironic that the scene is happening around a feasting on corpses and secretions...
But yeah, what you wrote I think is a quite common experience for ethical vegans. Earthling Ed talked about it in a video ("My struggles with veganism", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZM3WCQuTe4) and I wrote the following comment:
"My hardest parts about being a vegan:
- Ubiquitous visions of horror
- Misanthropy facing the immorality of the large majority
Thanks for the comment Raphäel! Yes, I had to give a wan smile at the irony of the clip in this context. But it was too perfect of a fit to pass up.
Veganism challenges us to be moral philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, and Buddhists, and thus often challenges us to have a great deal of maturity, patience, and thoughtfulness. Vegans must wrestle with existential and ethical questions the general population may not even grasp for decades. Sometimes I worry that the horrors and isolation carnism has created will cause misanthropy and cynicism in vegans, and lead some people to act and think from places of hatred rather than places of love. Not only do I not think this is not productive, but I think it also creates suffering within that person. I want people to be able to heal like I did, and remember that their deepest motivation is from a place of compassion and hope for animals, not hatred of or hopelessness in humanity. And I think finding the right community is critical for that.
As a non-vegan, I appreciate this post, as I found it very insightful. I’m sorry for the times in which my own lack of conviction for animal compassion have contributed to you struggling with the pain of feeling animal suffering alone.
Recently, I’ve struggled with letting go of certain foods due to being pre diabetic, taking the connection between nutrition and my fibromyalgia more seriously, and choosing to boycott companies that fund Israel’s military. A big reason is that I still have people around me who do not adopt these same eating habits, so viscerally, it can feel intensely selfish to reject ideas for places to eat / “not cooperate” / appear picky or to reject tokens of love in the form of food offerings. Even with no one else around though, I still have the voice of myself prior to being more ill trying to delude me of the seriousness of my current ailments and resolve emotional turmoil in the way she would have done (currently maladaptive emotional eating)
Somehow these restrictions alone have made me realize how deeply I’ve (and many of those around me) viscerally associated many foods with comfort, familiarity, and cultural/social connectedness, despite intellectually knowing very well they actively harm my own body or the lives of other people.
I will be very honest, I do find myself struggling to extend empathy and compassion to animals, as my reduced animal product consumption tends to happen more out of self convenience. But I suppose that some of my greatest successes have come from practicing despite not feeling motivation, and not taking an all or nothing approach to my progress. I am very thankful that you have continued to be there for me as a friend, and I really don’t think I would have been able to take the steps I have made to question and reduce my animal consumption if it weren’t for your encouragement and support.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment! I think you bring up things which I left out, so I appreciate your perspective. I think we are creatures of habit and we do find comfort in our habits and in eating together. It is tough to be the one to say no to all that, even if it’s for a really good reason. Tough, but not impossible. Changing a diet and an identity, like changing any other habit, usually takes effort across time. For most of us, it really is a journey, not the flick of a switch. I’m happy that you are walking that path at your own pace, and I hope I can continue to support you through your journey.
My isolation was not your fault, or anyone else’s for that matter. Rather, it was a product of cultural norms within which we were all raised. Even so, collective change begins with us individuals, which is why I’m really grateful for your open-mindedness and understanding. And I forgive you, even though in my mind there is nothing to forgive.
Holy shit the South Park clip is such an accurate representation of what being a vegan is like. I'll keep it handy. Quite ironic that the scene is happening around a feasting on corpses and secretions...
But yeah, what you wrote I think is a quite common experience for ethical vegans. Earthling Ed talked about it in a video ("My struggles with veganism", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZM3WCQuTe4) and I wrote the following comment:
"My hardest parts about being a vegan:
- Ubiquitous visions of horror
- Misanthropy facing the immorality of the large majority
- Weight of my immense responsibility
- Restriction to be authentic
- Social and cultural alienation
Easiest part about being a vegan:
- Eating vegan"
Thanks for the comment Raphäel! Yes, I had to give a wan smile at the irony of the clip in this context. But it was too perfect of a fit to pass up.
Veganism challenges us to be moral philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, and Buddhists, and thus often challenges us to have a great deal of maturity, patience, and thoughtfulness. Vegans must wrestle with existential and ethical questions the general population may not even grasp for decades. Sometimes I worry that the horrors and isolation carnism has created will cause misanthropy and cynicism in vegans, and lead some people to act and think from places of hatred rather than places of love. Not only do I not think this is not productive, but I think it also creates suffering within that person. I want people to be able to heal like I did, and remember that their deepest motivation is from a place of compassion and hope for animals, not hatred of or hopelessness in humanity. And I think finding the right community is critical for that.
As a non-vegan, I appreciate this post, as I found it very insightful. I’m sorry for the times in which my own lack of conviction for animal compassion have contributed to you struggling with the pain of feeling animal suffering alone.
Recently, I’ve struggled with letting go of certain foods due to being pre diabetic, taking the connection between nutrition and my fibromyalgia more seriously, and choosing to boycott companies that fund Israel’s military. A big reason is that I still have people around me who do not adopt these same eating habits, so viscerally, it can feel intensely selfish to reject ideas for places to eat / “not cooperate” / appear picky or to reject tokens of love in the form of food offerings. Even with no one else around though, I still have the voice of myself prior to being more ill trying to delude me of the seriousness of my current ailments and resolve emotional turmoil in the way she would have done (currently maladaptive emotional eating)
Somehow these restrictions alone have made me realize how deeply I’ve (and many of those around me) viscerally associated many foods with comfort, familiarity, and cultural/social connectedness, despite intellectually knowing very well they actively harm my own body or the lives of other people.
I will be very honest, I do find myself struggling to extend empathy and compassion to animals, as my reduced animal product consumption tends to happen more out of self convenience. But I suppose that some of my greatest successes have come from practicing despite not feeling motivation, and not taking an all or nothing approach to my progress. I am very thankful that you have continued to be there for me as a friend, and I really don’t think I would have been able to take the steps I have made to question and reduce my animal consumption if it weren’t for your encouragement and support.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment! I think you bring up things which I left out, so I appreciate your perspective. I think we are creatures of habit and we do find comfort in our habits and in eating together. It is tough to be the one to say no to all that, even if it’s for a really good reason. Tough, but not impossible. Changing a diet and an identity, like changing any other habit, usually takes effort across time. For most of us, it really is a journey, not the flick of a switch. I’m happy that you are walking that path at your own pace, and I hope I can continue to support you through your journey.
My isolation was not your fault, or anyone else’s for that matter. Rather, it was a product of cultural norms within which we were all raised. Even so, collective change begins with us individuals, which is why I’m really grateful for your open-mindedness and understanding. And I forgive you, even though in my mind there is nothing to forgive.