Ever meet a vegetarian who was preachy about it?

Question

I've been vegetarian for about 23 years; I don't think I've ever been annoying about it. I don't even say anything about it unless somebody asks. Among the people I know, nobody seems to make a big deal out of it anymore. I just noticed some people on Yahoo Answers are hostile to vegetarians and I wondered why. What did they do to you?

Well, I don't like somebody to be pushy about anything, even if I agree with them. If I paid to go to a lecture, that's one thing, but when somebody just approaches you out of the blue and starts harping at you; yep, it's annoying.

Woodman: thanks for your honest answer. Yep, some folks are quick with that "bad answer" rating.

Pinwheel: Yes, I get tired of of people saying "you don't get enough protein." Like everybody thinks they are experts in nutrition.
A guy was eating meat in front of me once, and he said "eat it, it won't kill you." I said "yes it will, but it takes a long time. Would you like me to explain how?" He didn't answer, and he never said anything about it again.

Wonderment: I think you make a very good point--people are more likely to remember the bad experiences than the good ones. If one person of a certain group acts obnoxious, and one of hundred people from the same group are reserved and polite, the obnoxious person is the one that will be remembered. It's a funny thing about human nature, but it seems like it's easier to notice people's bad qualities and takes effort to find good qualities.

Frank: Thank you for your answer. That's true, if somebody declares himself to be somehow "different" he is likely to attract some negative attention.

Answer 1

I NEVER EVER preach to anyone. Not on here OR in the real world. I don't even mention it until I have to. If someone asks me to eat something I'll say "No thank you" politely like 20 times and not even say why unless they ask if I'm veg.

When you take a step into this forum, you find a ridiculous number of people who have no shame in spreading misinformation on a subject they have no passion for or knowledge of. It's then when I have nothing against explaining to them how ignorant they are. If you practice no caution while trying to "educate" people, you don't deserve a voice when so many are left without one.

When someone asks for help, I try to cover as much as possible. You can't really help prepare a new veggie in one paragraph(ask anyone who knows of me =P). One of the things I try to cover is this very subject.

If people REALLY, GENUINELY care about the animals, they should know better than to run their mouth constantly about the same thing. If they insist on interrupting someone's omni meal, it is just an indication that veg*nism is an outlet for their selfish and elitist attitude.

Trolls- Seriously, don't you have any clue that coming on this board and posting anti-veg BS just makes it obvious that you feel guilty about what you eat, but aren't educated enough to do anything about it.

Answer 2

I have met preachy vegetarians, but usually they are not to blame. It is usually the newbies who have discovered something new and wonderful and they feel like they should share it with everyone. They think that if only they could explain how they "got it" that everyone else would get it too.

I wouldn't say I was preachy about it at first, but definitely I was very excited. All of the personal improvements I had were just amazing, and it was a Pandora's Box of information -- from vegetarianism, to immunization, to cancer, to aids, to midwifery... and all the way to back room deals, conspiracies... I was like, "wow, all my friends should know about this sh*t that is going on right in front of our eyes" but I was treated no different than if I had "found God" and wanted everyone to come to church with me. But, guess what, people kept asking me question after question after question and on and on and on to the point that I had to keep reference books next to the phone -- Where do you get this or that vitamin from, what about this nutrient, what about this or that, what if, what happens when, ... was an endless barrage of Who, What, When, Where, and Why?s Hey, I'd already figured it out, but they wanted to know all the details. Most of the time I didn't a have an answer for them, so off to the library I'd go, then get the answers. This went on for years. It's basically what has made me so knowledgeable about food and diet etc. -- their continuous questioning. It eventually stopped.

Did any of them change their ways? No, they were just trying to stump me. It was just a game for them; I knew that, but I used them as incentive. It took my best friend 15 years to buy some organic milk. Ooooooh, BIG step!!

Answer 3

I'm vegan and I've never been preachy with any of my friends or people that I've met. The only person I've been preachy with was my boyfriend because me and him just argue sometimes and his only excuse was "meat taste good" even though he still cared about the animals. He's happily vegan now though.

I always meet people hostile towards vegetarians or vegans, not just on here but in person. They all seem to just be against vegetarians simply because we're not the same as them. In person, I usually just state my facts about why I'm vegan since they always say "Why are you vegan? It's so stupid!" Normally, after I've responded with why I'm vegan though, they all just say I was being preachy when all I was doing was explaining a question they asked.

I also always here this argument that vegans are snobs. However, normally if I'm at a social gathering, every meat eater seems to take pleasure in teasing me to the point where I usually go off somewhere alone to avoid it all. There's so many untrue stereotype about vegans and it's just not right. I suppose some of them might be preachy about this, but I guess I can't really blame them. If I didn't always try to avoid and ignore everyone that ridiculed me without trying to hear me out, I guess I'd be preachy too.

Edit:
Also, I've tried just going to places and not telling people I'm vegan. This seems to end up worse on my part because people get really offended and think I just don't like their food. It's a lose/lose situation for me unless I'm out with someone who is nice enough to respect my decision for being vegan.

Answer 4

Well, i agree with you.

We run a vegetarian guest house so meet about 5,000 vegetarians and vegans each year. Can't say i've ever met one that was preachy.

So, i conclude that the meaty-trolls who claim veggies are preachy are lying and its highly unlikely they have ever met any, or, they cause the veggies to respond by thier own actions ( as with Ashley above ) in which case, the meat-eaters deserve all they get.

Woodman: How can you leap to the assumption that you "get a thumbs down just because you are a meat-eater"...how on earth do you KNOW that. Perhaps people just plain and simply disagree with your comments ??? have a thumbs down from me, with pleasure, but not becasue you are a meat-eater, but because you lept to assumptions.

Answer 5

I actually HAVE met quite a few preachy veggies (simple vegeterian, and vegan), and those are the ones giving the rest of you a bad name (like certain religions are viewed poorly due to a few preachy people). While I'm not saying every vegeterian/vegan out there is preachy and annoying about it, there are enough out there to make those of us who differ in opinion about dietary habits have a general disdain for the culture at large (again, just the way there are people who have a general disdain for certain religions due to preachiness.) Sorry, but it's just aggravating to feel judged as evil for something that is generally speaking very natural. And thus, because enough of our interactions with veggies is tainted by this obvious judgement (and, honestly, even to the people who say "I'm not being preachy about it", there is a definite inferred, if not implied, judgement on those of us who happen to enjoy meat as a meal-plan when you are talking to us), yeah, we get a little hostile when you mention to us that you are a vegeterian. The same way you might get offended if a Fundementalist Christian came up to you and said "Well, I know Christ as my personal Savior."

Answer 6

Vegetarians didn't do anything to them. They come in here to try and get attention. Most of them have nothing better to do. I simply ignore them, report them, and block them. It works pretty well. Some people say that vegetarians are "preachy" as a way to try and make themselves the victim but in reality no one buys into that whole "I eat meat and eall the vegetarians picks on me" philosophy.

Answer 7

I don't have any problems with vegetarians, it's all a personal choice anyways. Most I meet are not preachy but there is one I know who is almost rude about it, but he's rude about everything so I've never thought much about it.

Answer 8

peoples try to be far from unusual things, thoughts and bhaviors.. it is a common reaction for all peoples in fact... a strange object or topic is a 'very' difficult business to discuss or to think about.. We can find those kind of tendencies easily inside of ourselves.. i mention here all of us.. anyone who has critics about your vegeterian behavior is strange for you also... human common reaction... at least at the beginning.. on the other hand to be different from community can give us a feeling like that ''i think i must have some skills or i must be smarter than other members of ordinary community'' ..Elegance... or a way of to be elegant... additionally to discuss with others to be a vegeterian is an entellectual relation that has many relaxing properties.. Majnun, please dont misundrestand me.. i am not against to you or to be vegeterian.. and i dont try to critisise your choises... but these are dynamics to explain inerpersonal relations... and true approaches without no suspicious or no places to discuss... an ideal behavior of us must be peaceful and friendly critics can be transferred daily life ... by joking or by ordinary words... no injury can be allowed here.. for your choises.. but a community in an increasing anxiety or anger may use that kind of conversations... if conflicts have an option to discuss to persons, members of the community, we must accept it as an incresing factor of our friendship for a peaceful world...

Answer 9

Try answering a vegetarian question as a meat eater. They tear you apart. I stay away from the vegetarian section for this reason. I answer with how I feel and my comments aren't derogatory and I'm still thumbs down simply because I'm not a vegetarian. Not always of course, but enough to make me think.

Answer 10

I think it is more common for a meateater to have a run-in with a preachy vegetarian than a quiet, keep-to-themselves type, because then they never know they are a vegetarian.