What do you say when someone asks you why your veg*n, but you don't want to start an argument?

Question

i was out to lunch with a friend and her mom and they asked why and i really didn't want to go into it because i know that everyone has different opinions and belifes under their belt so explaining something like veganism is always touchy. The mom also tried to tell me how there was a type of vegetarian that eats fish (i said no, there isnt but she insisted there was so i dropped it) how would you handle this?

we use veg*n as a shorter way of saying 'vegetarian/vegan'

Answer 1

i have trouble with this... you have a couple of options.

If your eating simply say you don't talk about it while people are eating, it never goes down well, and offer to take up the conversation later... if indeed it does come up later.

Or make a joke of it... I'm vegan because i hate plants, i'm gonna eat every single last one of those green leafy little... boil 'em mash 'em stick 'em in a stew!!

Or... i just don't eat anything that takes a dump! this could defuse the situation and lead the conversation else where.

i do find it weird how i have to explain my self now, i mean i don't smoke either, but no one gives me a hard time about that?

if i'm forced to give an answer this is my harmless stock answer...

"well up untill (whenever you turned) all the veggies i knew didn't seem to have real reasons for being that way, it was always more a squeemish phobia, but then i got talking to someone who had a real reason about how much food and water it takes to produce 1lb of meat and it kinda led from there... i looked into it, asked questions, read books, watched films and made a choice..."

after giving an answer like that you will have fulfilled any obligation to answer you may have had and wont feel bad about reserving other answers for when you've left the resturant... it's also clean of any uncomfortable truths and is personal to you so they will feel little impulse to persue it after you draw a line under it...

the ONLY bad thing about being vegan is other people! I swear.

Answer 2

I don't know why you became a vegetarian so I don't know if animal rights is an issue or not. You can just say you don't like meat or you've heard that farm animals are treated badly and you just don't feel right eating meat. As long as you remain calm and be friendly others won't feel defensive.

No, there are no vegetarians that fish, fish is meat, too. You did the right thing by dropping it if she was being insistent, after all it wasn't the sort of setting where you would want to get into an all out fight over fish.

Edit: Meant there are no vegetarians that eat fish, meaning that if you eat fish you are not a vegetarian.

TROLL ME: I see you've got your nit-picking knickers in a knot again:) Chastise??? lol Being a bit childish aren't you? Your rant makes no sense and I am not the one to define what a vegetarian is so whether you like it or not no true vegetarian eats fish! According to Merriam-Webster it is someone who practices vegetarianism and that is defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica as; the theory or practice of living solely upon vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts—with or without the addition of milk products and eggs—generally for ethical, ascetic, environmental, or nutritional reasons. All forms of flesh (meat, fowl, and seafood) are excluded from all vegetarian diets, but many vegetarians use milk and milk products; those in the West usually eat eggs also, but most vegetarians in India exclude them, as did those in the Mediterranean lands in Classical times. Vegetarians who exclude animal products altogether (and likewise avoid animal-derived products such as leather, silk, and wool) are known as vegans. Those who use milk products are sometimes called lacto-vegetarians, and those who use eggs as well are called lacto-ovo vegetarians. Among some agricultural peoples, flesh eating has been infrequent except among the privileged classes; such people have rather misleadingly been called vegetarians.

Answer 3

It depends on the level of familiarity the person has with you. If it's a friend's mom it's better to give a truthful but neutral answer like, " I just like the taste of vegetarian food and the feeling I get after eating it". When people remark that a type of vegetatrian eats fish, just say," Well. It's not for me. I prefer vegetables". If they persist with, " Yeah, but fish has omega fats", just reply with, "I'm sure it does but I prefer walnuts and flaxseeds". That should pretty much close that type of conversation off.

If the person is not a close friend, relative, or someone interested in the facts just say, " I have my reasons but I'd rather not get into them".

These two monologues have been working well for me.

Answer 4

I have discovered after many confontations that these work well..
It just feels right.
It's for me.
If you say because it's healthier be prepared to say why. And don't say that meat isn't...even though it can be.
Health reasons
I don't care for meat.
I don't really like the taste of meat so...I just quit eating it.


Whatever you do don't make any incinuation that meat is wrong or bad for you because then peole go on the defense...even if you didn't mean for them to.
Watch HOW you say it. If you say I'm a vegetarian like it's no big deal then it has a higher rate of them treating it like it's no big deal.

Answer 5

Tell them that you're not a vegetarian because you love animals, but that you're a vegetarian because you hate plants.

Humor always diffuses tricky situations.

Alternately, if you tell people you are a vegetarian because of health reasons, most will be fine with it. If you tell them it's because of animal rights, they will be offended because they think you are judging them.

When I became a vegetarian it was because my cholesterol was way too high, and people were fine with my choice. After a couple of months passed I decided to stay vegetarian because of ecological, animal, and health reasons... people really freak out when you tell them you won't eat meat because of animal rights. It makes them take a look at themselves, and they don't like what they see.

Answer 6

I tell them a polite version of the truth. Really, my body can't digest meat anymore. I stopped liking it. I decided to stop eating it. Then I read a few things that bothered me about dairy and eggs and decided to go vegan.

I don't tell them about the cruelty unless they want more details. Yes, I'm rather vague, but I find in some cases it's best. If people want more information, they'll ask.

Answer 7

If you really want to avoid the confrontation just mention that you used to eat meat but being a vegetarian makes you feel leaner and healthier. Plain and simple. Then move on to a new topic.

Answer 8

i usually tell them... "so i can annoy you"

because soon as anyone finds out i'm a vegetarian.... they get all weird on me.. like i told them.. which i didn't. (word spreads because of things you buy.. where you eat.. how you look)

makes me crazy... so i make them crazy.. they want to get all uppidty on me because i'm a veggie??? fine... i just laugh at them and pat them on the shoulder then move on.....

i don't want to argue with anyone...

no vegetarians eat meat.. ok... dig? no MEAT that means FISH and no there's no protein problem with a vegan/vegetarian diet.. what happend to the old standard of eating your fruits and vegetables?

what happened to that? used to be an old joke.. "give peas a chance" and an even older joke... "don't finish your vegetables you get no beer!"

sheeesh.... ignorance is bliss.

Answer 9

You can tell people the truth without being confrontational. Avoiding the subject sometimes makes it seem as if there is something wrong with being vegetarian.

I just tell people I don't like eating animals. I don't go into all the reasons or very much detail. Most people are just curious, they don't understand(since they cannot see their diet without meat) and just want to know.

Answer 10

I wish I had a good answer for you, but I understand where you are coming from.

I am pentecostal, and my daughters.

(the women) We don't cut our hair, we don't wear make up, we don't wear lots of jewlery (most only wear wedding bands, if that), and we wear modest clothing, usually only dresses, tops and skirts, but my girls wear modest coulottes when riding horses.

People just don't understand when a group of people are different.

There is a verse in the Bible that says something like this,

As for me and my household we will sever the Lord.

I forget the location at this moment, but that is how I explain things to my children.

There are people at our church that does things that I don't want my daughters to do. Whether it is what they wear or how they act.

so as for me and my daughter, this is how we are going to do things as long as it is in agreement with the Bible.

I guess you could tell people, it is the life style that you have choosen for your self. It makes you happy and feel good about your self and some people that say they are veg*n may do this or that, but tell them your choice is to do it this way.

Hope this helps.

good luck