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Have you ever lost a friend or ended a friendship over a vegan argument?
Please share your stories on this subject. I think this has happened or almost happened to many of us.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Beata on
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Hello, I'm very grateful for your question. I didn't know that other vegans may have similar problems.
I did loose one friend but veganism wasn't the only reason however it seemed to be a trigger.
I will not give details here because they are personal.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Saw on -
It was the same with some of my former "friends". They never accepted me being vegan but it wasn't the only problem. The main problem was that they had no respect for me and treated me like a "little girl" (also on other topics), dismissing my views, just seeing me as a "pretty face"/"funny companion", pliable and not to take serious. I must say I never missed them. It was long overdue. Veganism was just the trigger.
True friends knew right from the start that being vegan is a part of me and they know I wouldn't be myself if I wasn't a vegan. Altogether it was like an "acid test" for some acquaintances.
So how much can people like "me" if they don't like me as a vegan? I AM a vegan. Yes, I'm one of those "weirdos". And I love it :)
Being a vegan also brought me some new friends (and made some friends vegan/vegetarian incidentally) :)
@Jessica Suni: "Plants have feelings too..." --> so if they're worried about plants they should stop eating animal products immediately! The animals don't live on "nothing", so for animal products, there are even more plants being "killed". Not to mention the waste of precious water and other ressources!
Life is connected.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6_hjA4cdjM&&list=PLFCECB230...
"People everywhere are making choices more connected with their values.
We are simplifying our lives, buying less and living more because we know that the Earth provides enough to satisfy everyone's need, but not everyone's greed.
But there is one connected choice that sometimes gets overlooked. It's one of the most far-reaching personal, practical and ethical choices you can make. With this choice we can help...
... feed ourselves and every hungry person on the planet.
... end deforestation -- replenish the deep woods of the North and save our disappearing rainforests.
... revitalize our rural landscapes and save family farms.
... stop the number one polluter of water and the number one waster of water.
... return our oceans to thriving underwater worlds teeming with life and wonder.
... make cancer and heart disease a rarity instead of a common occurrence.
... stop the unnecessary suffering of billions and billions of animals.
... and return wild lands to their rightful owners.
This powerful choice can be done by everyone every day... by you... right now.
Vegan.
Every day you are invited to make choices. Live your values. Change the world.
It's that simple."
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Permalink Reply by Jessica Suni on -
Unfortunately yes. I was only a month old as a vegan, when an old acquintance of mine started throwing arguments about vegan people being weird and plants having feelings too et cetera... (You probably know the kind of arguments I'm referring to.) This girl wasn't the sharpest tool in the box, so I should have been patient with her. However I was feeling argumentative and so I used my superior intelligence to win the fight. It wasn't pretty.
We haven't spoken since. I won the argument hands down, but I lost a friend and probably did the vegan cause a big disfavor.
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Permalink Reply by Feather Ives on -
Yes, I understand this. I find myself biting my tongue because not only will I be reacting to their defensiveness which is really all their feeling, I'd also be feeding into her feelings of stupidity for having been fooled all her life into thinking that she should be eating meat and dairy. I'd also be feeding into the vegans are hysterical and irrational stereotype. But sometimes, Jessica, I go there and every time I regret it. I haven't lost any friends yet, but I've definitely wanted to ask "why are you so damn dense on the subject of food" which would have pretty much done it.
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Permalink Reply by Jorge Pappa on -
I've given this quite some thought in the past. I strongly believe that deleting someone off your life over a vegan argument would be silly ! However, vegan arguments have helped understand who is an owner of an evolved functioning brain and whose IQ score is close to that of an amoeba!
Can you be friends with an amoeba? No ! So how can you end something that was not there! This is simply called "correcting mistakes" for me!
I would love to hear what other people think! Take care VeganFamily!
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Permalink Reply by Jane Saw on
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Going vegan was just a logical step for me after I realized my responsibility (for other life, ressources and HOME aka planet earth) and that my everyday-decisions DO matter and have real influence. I didn't want to be part of this "system" anymore so I stopped supporting it. I wanted to be a part of the solution, not the problem :)
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"So how can you end something that was not there! This is simply called "correcting mistakes" for me!"
Thank you so much for this!
This is exactly how I felt after breaking off those "friendships". I feel freed because I realized I was just wasting my time with people that had an "image" of me that had not much in common with my real self and they made no effort in knowing me for real.
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I wouldn't like to offend anyone eating animal products. I do not think that those people do not have brain or that their IQ score is close to that of an amoeba. I do not agree with this thinking. I was also born in the meat eating family. I became a vegetarian because it was a challenge for me, compassion came later. Many years later I also became a vegan, again I didn't know anything about animal farms, I just felt like it was time to stop eating animal products the knowledge came later.
I know that many of my friends still eat animal products because they are not aware and they don't want to know, it's so much easier. I can understand them in a way, knowing what is happeing to animals is a barden, a very heavy one. I just hope that one day they will like to know and they will be compassionate.
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Permalink Reply by Jorge Pappa on
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I'm sorry, I think you misunderstood my point here. I wasn't trying to offend meat eaters.(At least not all! :P)
I respect their choices and I expect them respect mine too! I was referring to those meat eaters that are aware of your choices and what this means to you and go ahead and harass you in so many ways! Disturbing ways. (e.g. Ask every day if you want to eat a steak, treat you like you are 2nd class person, argue over "plant rights" trying to point out that you have mental issues.
I grew up in Greece and this is the typical way a vegan is treated from friends, family and society. I am pretty sure though everyone has come across over at least one stubborn, narrow minded person who cannot accept veganism as a concept or as a way of life someone might choose! I personally refer to those people with the (frisky and playful for me) term "amoebas" just because I strongly believe that a narrow minded, stubborn brain that cannot accept new ideas/concepts/information in general ... has no future other than procreating itself . Just like an amoeba.
Let's not make it an argument that amoebas are crucial for the environment and evolution etc etc. I use such words in everyday speaking to avoid cursing! I want to make clear that I never meant to offend anyone! Just make a point !
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Hi Jorge, Now I understood what you meant. Fortunately I do not meet people like that.
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Permalink Reply by Jessica Suni on
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To precise my earlier comment: I don't consider meat eaters more stupid than vegans. I have many non-vegan friends. The story I told here earlier happened a really long time ago and my intention wasn't to generalize. The only reason I mentioned intelligence was that in that case I already had the upper hand and I should have known better.
However I must say I don't think all friendships are worth saying. If one or both parties start acting condescending towards the other person because of the life choices he or she has made, it might just be better to move on. No point staying in a relationship that makes you miserable.
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Permalink Reply by Amber Griffin on -
Unfortunately being Vegan can make you a target for teasing can't it? I sometime tire of this silliness. I tend inadvertently to avoid those old friends that think it's entertaining to explain to me the carnage of the broccoli realm. How old is that? ;)
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Permalink Reply by Kimberley Kanages on -
And that carrots feel pain too... yada yada.
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