Why do non-vegetarians/vegans feel so threatened by us?

Question

Is this how Neanderthal Man felt when humans began to evolve?

I read so many questions about why we are hypocrites and we are "lying" to ourselves and so on - get a grip.

If you want to hunt and kill your own food - go for it. Natural selection works for both the hunted and the hunter.

Let me rephrase: I'm a vegetarian, who wants to know why non-vegetarians are so defensive about why they eat meat.

Answer 1

For the ones who are so extremely defensive, I would imagine it it is a bit like watching others evolve.

Imagine if you were the one stuck basing your choices off of what you could only presume our evolutionary ancestors did, while another group was branching off to discover better ways to live that were more beneficial for the self, the planet and the sentient beings with whom we coexist.

Now imagine that while those other people were using research, critical thought and a perspective that branched far beyond themselves and superficial desires, the greatest thoughts you could come up with
"MEAT tastes gooooood"
"But plants have feelings too"
"Vegetarians kill microorganisms"
"But god said so"
and "Our ancestors ate MEAT."

Wouldn't you feel threatened?
And when even though you felt the need to seek out and insult those who have moved beyond you, when too much logic and critical thought get thrown in your way, all you could do was resort to name calling like "extremist", "preachy" and whatever else you could come up with...

...and when that wasn't enough, in order to never have to think critically about your own life and decisions, the best tool (next to name-calling) you possessed in your mental arsenal was to find any way possible to call those other people hypocrites.... Yes, of course you would be threatened. So the best we can do is to try to show some compassion and/or ignore those whom we've moved beyond.

Answer 2

Why are you even asking this question? Why should you care what other's think? It's like you are just on here to be antagonistic. If you feel good on a vegan/vegetarian diet why on earth do you care what other people say? The same could be said for the vegan/vegetarians that basically enforce what YOU said in your question above with your judgemtial views.

"If you want to hunt and kill your own food - go for it. Natural selection works for both the hunted and the hunter."

I think YOU feel threatened. You need to calm down. More power to ya if you fing a lifestyle and diet that keeps you healthy.

Answer 3

Only when you start murdering non christians like you have throughout history... the real threat though is the dumbing down that your beliefs lead to... right now we're at a point where it's an idiocracy and we're headed back towards the dark ages... Face it your religion has opposed almost every scientific, technological, and social advancement in the history of mankind at one time or another. Right now if it weren't for backwards xtian thinking we could all be living and thinking on a much higher level of consciousness basically what the heaven myth is all about.

Answer 4

1) Is this how Neanderthal Man felt when humans began to evolve?
We don't know if our ancestor is a Neanderthal Man. They got bigger head than us

2)I read so many questions about why we are hypocrites and we are "lying" to ourselves and so on - get a grip.
Is people choice to be a vegan or non-vegan after all is just a food choices, it doesn't effect 100% of their way of thinking

3)If you want to hunt and kill your own food - go for it. Natural selection works for both the hunted and the hunter.
because on modern days Supermarkets and grocery stores are provided, so theres no point for people to hunt or kill your own food.

Answer 5

I think there are certain types of people who don't question the world around them very much, don't decide on their own values or morals. They just accept whatever religion or social behaviors or eating habits are handed down to them, and I think most meat eaters that tend to be so mad at us fall into this category. I think a lot of the anger comes from a-the fact that we've logically examined the world where they haven't, and b-they find us pompous. I'm sure people found Mother Teresa pompous too, always running around, saving people and doing good deeds. Who does she think she is, a saint or something? The fact is, people never respond well when others are doing something good that they, themselves, are not doing.

Answer 6

(okay, so this is a bit long)
though i have a lot of respect for the vegan diet and try to eat most of my meals that way....when i get threatened reactions from non-vegetarians or vegans i think it's one of three things - 1) ignorance, 2) guilt/insecurity, or 3) intolerance.

Some people just can't handle the fact that their way isn't the only way and can't get off of their soapbox....others, often non-vegetarians, just don't understand the reasoning (health or otherwise) behind choosing a veggie diet and sometimes have diets that are so absent in balance they can't fathom a diet absent of meat. also, i think vegetarians sometimes make non-vegetarians feel like we're judging them inherently by existing rather than just accepting the fact that we eat and live differently. sometimes vegans, who are so used to defending their lifestyle and to being put on the defensive also start feeling a sense of insecurity, as if we're judging them by being as well. that junk about if we choose not to eat meat, why eat mock meats is coming from those places in my opinion. we're culturally raised to eat and behave in a certain way. it's hard to completely remove yourself from that. so, if i choose to eat a "fake" burger rather than a beef burger then that's my effort to lead a healthier, more environmentally friendly life. If I choose to eat ice cream and cheese, it doesn't make me a hypocrit, i can enjoy dairy and not want to kill cows at the same time...and I try to make proper choices when choosing my dairy as often as possible. besides, a vegan should be able to see that it's at least a step in the right direction in their playbook.

It really bugs me when someone tries to challenge my diet in an aggressive manner...rather than simple curiosity...or when people start preaching diet without being asked. vegans encounter these kinds of behaviors from non-vegetarians as often as vegetarians who still eat dairy/eggs do....but we get it from both sides. and yes...it's damn annoying. luckily, things are getting better. and when someone goes "i love meat! i love animals too but i just couldn't do it!" i say..."that's fine...this is just how i choose to live" ......or "ewwww, cow(milk)" (it's usually something less tactful than that), i say "i understand where you're coming from, but i enjoy having icecream. i'm willing to try other options, but for right now, i still enjoy it occasionally."

both responses seem to calm hostile food aggressors. but i have great friends who eat meat and who are vegan who can appreciate the beauty of it all and can deal with being around food of all types and making the most of it....so there's hope

Answer 7

They are simply hopeless-the anti vegetarian trolls that lurks around here, that is.
I know mostly meat eaters personally and they in no way behave like these fools do-, they are educated, mature-in other words-they have grown up!

Hey-I have a quick question:Who else thinks the anti vegetarian trolls that are hanging around here would be doing themselves a better service if they went over to the single & dating forum?

Answer 8

I think u are the one that feels threatened by your attitude. Who cares what other people think? If you don't want to eat meat that is fine. I admire vegans and vegetarians. They have more will power than I do. Calm down.

Answer 9

I eat meat... a lot of it actually. I have vegetarian & vegan friends I do not fell threatened by them at all. I just say withj tongue in cheek. Well thats more meat for Me if you do eat it.

Answer 10

Why in the world would anyone feel threatened by a vegetarian? Do you mean physically or mentally or emotionally or socially? I eat meat and love it, but I don't care if anyone else does or not, and I certainly don't feel threatened by anyone because they don't eat meat. Who cares what someone else eats?