Vegetarianism?

Question

I was vegetarian for eight years. Whenever I mentioned this to somebody, eg for dietary requirements, I would be asked to justify myself. I didn't ask meat eaters to justify their reasons for eating meat so why should a vegetarian have to explain their decision?
PS: I now eat meat again, my reasons are personal and I've never been asked to justify my reasons, and quite rightly so.
I would like to hear other people's opinions.

Answer 1

Because most people are ignorant. They have been fed misinformation by their families, friends, the media (look at the number of meat ads on commercials), and even some doctors. Meat-eating has, wrongly, been accepted as the default way and the only healthy way to eat. It requires a lot of education from school age to change this perception. The good news is that it is changing, especially in cities.

There is nothing in meat that cannot be obtained in a vegetarian diet. There is Vit B12 in dairy products. As for vegans, they do have to take a B12 supplement.

To whoever says meat-eating is necessary, all I can say is:

500 million people in India can't be all that wrong!

Answer 2

I'm trying to think of a time when I was asked why I don't eat meat that it came across as a challenge, rather than honest curiosity. I just can't. I guess I've just been lucky!

If someone were to challenge me on my choice, I suppose I'd say "I thought about it for a long time and decided that this is the right thing for me." End of discussion, unless they choose to take a softer tone.

When people ask out of curiosity, I tailor my response to how well I know the person, and the situation at the moment. If asked over dinner, for instance, if the other person is eating/ordering meat, I only touch lightly (if at all) on the cruelty and health issues and focus more on the environment so as not to spoil the meal for them.

And really, most people know that meat farms and slaughterhouses are cruel; bludgeoning them with the details when they're not ready to face them won't win any friends and certainly won't change any minds. When my friends want to know the details, they ask me. Until then, I keep it light.

Answer 3

I was a vegetarian for two decades and I noticed the same thing. Even now, people still ask me for justification when I tell them about it, though I've been back on meat for a couple of years.

I think that there are a variety of different reasons:
1. it's outside the norm, particularly in America
2. people who've eaten meat for three meals a day their entire lives are often genuinely baffled by what the Hell vegetarians eat (the 'so, what do you eat? do you eat....? questions)
3. a lot of Americans associate vegetarianism with hippies, or PETA and other extreme groups, so they assume that you are going to try to convert them and take the offensive
4. subconscious guilt, many animal lovers feel that they ought to but don't have the discipline and so come across as a little defensive because they, consciously or not, think that you are judging them
5.some folks, mostly older folks, just think it's faddy and you ought to grow out of the phase soon or should have grown out of it long ago at your age
6. and of course, there's always a bunch who think it's just plain wrong, unamerican, unnatural, etc.

I'm pretty easy going, only lost my temper twice in two decades of 'why's' but it can be trying.

Answer 4

I agree with what others have said. America consists more of meat eaters than vegetarians, so I guess majority rules. However this is sad since some meaters believe that vegetarians are not healthy, yet they consistently order meals from McDonalds and other such restaraunts that have had more than enough proof of being unhealthy.
So I guess the next time you hear or run into someone making you feel as though you should justify yourself, maybe you should politely turn the question around and ask them to justify why they insist on eating junk food like McDonalds(or insert numerous other food chains.)
If they don't eat fast food, you could ask them to explain why they subject themselves to french fries which were proven to create a toxic poison when deep fried. Or you could ask why they consume numerous products that contain aspertame or splenda which were both proven toxic.
How bout soda or pop as you might call it which was proven to cause stomach cancer.
How bout diet soda that has the same ingredients as paint thinner?
I could go on here because we haven't even begun to tap into the environmental issues, animal cruelty, antibiotics, pesticides, pus, tumors, meat coloration to make it red at the supermarket....
Ask them to justify their medical problems or overweight issues which are undoubtedly caused by their diet.

The truth is, whether you are a meat eater or vegetarian we should all be questioning what we eat because we are all being subjected to unhealthy foods produced by mega manufacturers that do not care about what is in your body, only what is in your wallet.

Answer 5

It's because it's not the norm, I don't think they are ignorant just curious. I used to be a veggie but my bf converted me, lol. I didn't have much integrity did I! anyway. I think that being a veggie is better than being a meat eater, look at all the crap that is put into animals to make them big, the processed meat you can not trust, then there is cjd. I don't think we were made to eat meat, we just evolved that way. All the other carniverous animals in the world can kill an animal on it's own, for example, a shark has rather large teeth, so does a lion and a dog and whatever else. But we need implements to do it. We used to have a appendix for something but we don't need it anymore, it's all about evolution. But the answer is, because they do not understand it!

Answer 6

I think it works both ways... I have been a vegetarian and asked to justify why by meat eaters... but now I eat some meats I am asked to justify it by some vegetarians that I know. it may not be as common but either way I seem to have had to justify my choice to other people.
But then I have had people question me for eating junk food (cos it's not healthy) and people question me for eating healthy foods (because they think I need to put on weight).
I've had to learn not to worry about what other people think.. otherwise I would never eat anything!!!

Answer 7

It works for me , I don't feel ill anymore, My complexion is clear and I don't have the guilt thinking about the animals that are killed for my food. No-one should have to justify what they eat !! They should be aware of each other's choices and the World could do with being a bit more Vegetarian and Vegan friendly. We are asking people to understand that we don't want to eat meat. Why should we be treat like Leppers and Pariahs in the 21st century?

I notice some one trying to be clever about vegetarian restaurants. Why should they have a 'Meat option' when 97% of restaraunt in the UK are 'MEAT' restarants? Not having a go but think about this scenario
How EXACTLY would you feel if the situation were reversed and that most of the worlds population were either Vegetarians or Vegans? How would you feel if when you went to a restarant in this world?
Where they had to have a carnivore option and they had little choice and very poor dishes put together by people who knew nothing about cooking meat or how your food should taste? Say you could get faggotts in lard sauce at one. Tripe curry at another, Back bacon and blackpudding tower in another and brown chicken meat in a creamy low carb pasta sauce in yet another, Chitterling and chips and fried peas (in lard.) in another and in one restaurant you got asked "You mean you don't eat vegetables like everyone else' erm well chef can cook the quorn Tikka in lard if you like". You would be over the moon that there were some 'Carnivore only' Restarants that you could go to!!
Daft I know, but do you get my drift?

EDIT.

Hands up, who else thinks Mike (above) is FHG?

Answer 8

I have vegetarian friends and whenever I learned for the first time that someone I know was vegetarian, I express interest--but I never ask them to justify their reasons.

I never ask people to justify their reasons for being meat-eaters, in fact, I never ask them about it at all. Meat-eating is too common and usual in this world, compared to vegetarianism. I suppose that's the price people have to pay for "going against the flow" --which is sad, really. Peace.

Answer 9

I think everyone should mind their own business. I've eaten mean for the past 19 years and I am now deciding not to. I would like to try to be vegan and see what the outcomes are. You shouldn't have to justify why or why not you eat meat. Just because you eat mean doesn't mean "you rule". and Just because you DONT eat meat doesn't mean "you rule". I think it's a matter of your beliefs. We all don't have the same religion and we leave that alone. so why bother with what other people eat. Don't worry... i got your back! :)

Answer 10

You must mix with some weird people! No one has ever asked me to justify myself - I'm not vegetarian but I only meat if I know where it was grown and how it died - not mass produced abattoir stuff! So when we eat out etc I always ask for a vegetarian meal and no one has ever questioned this. I have seen people (in restaurants) become very apologetic when I ask them, for instance, if they have meat free hot plates but they have never questioned my right to want this!