Why do so many people criticise vegans?

[trunch]

I'm a meat eater!

However, I don't understand why people criticise vegans so much.

They aren't hurting me and are trying to save animals and the environment.

What's wrong with that?

Surely people should be more critical of me because animals are killed for me to eat?

Several reasons I can think of
Some Vegans actually have an eating disorder such as Orthorexia
Some Vegans are smug and self rightious
Some Vegans are preachy
Some Vegans try to impose their views on animals and children and I don't agree thats healthy
Some Vegans really don't look well
Also, I rarely eat meat so often opt for a Vegetarian meal in a restaurant but hate dairy subsitiutes

This is a really great example of why people don’t like vegans. You assume you are RIGHT. That ‘should we eat animal products’ is a simple and objective no when it isn’t. People feel differently about animals.

I respect your choice and think veganism has some great positive side effects for our health as humans and the health of the planet. I also see there are negatives as there are to any major lifestyle choice.

But I’m never going to accept that animals are the same as humans. I do not think it is wrong to eat meat. If I felt guilty about it I would…not do it. Obviously. I wouldnt randomly criticise a vegan.

There’s also the assumption that everyone categorises animals in the same way hence stupid questions like “would you eat your dog?”

No obviously because it’s MY DOG. In the same way I’d feel much sadder if MY car was broken into than if I saw a broken into car on the street. If I had a pet cow I probably wouldn’t turn that into beef burgers. Cos it’s MY PET.

Would I eat A dog? Probably. It’s not an experience I’d seek out but I don’t think it’s morally wrong.

If you think all living things are equal, great. If you don’t believe in animal ownership, lovely. But you can’t use these as arguments for veganism because they aren’t absolute.

@Hoppinggreen

This is applicable to meat eaters as well though!

Some meat eaters actually have an eating disorder such as Orthorexia
Some meat eaters are smug and self rightious
Some meat eaters are preachy
Some meat eaters try to impose their views on animals and children and I don't agree thats healthy
Some meat eaters really don't look well

You could substitute meat eaters, hairdressers or Taylor Swift fans for vegans in your post and it would be equally correct. So why do you think the fact those things apply to some vegans (just as they apply to some of every other group in society) means vegans are specifically disliked on these grounds?

Absolutely
I was explaining why people tend to hate Vegans though

And I was trying to point out the irrationality of those as "reasons" for hating vegans.

I don't hate Vegans at all.
I was relaying some reasons I have seen on MN and other places why people have said they hate vegans, I didn't say I agreed.
I do find it annoying that too many vegetarian options are vegan but thats not the Vegans fault

Hate is rarely rational

No I know you didn't say you hated vegans. You were responding to the question why do some people hate vegans. You listed some traits that apply to some people generally across all demographics. I just wondered why you felt vegans were asdociated with and disliked for traits that might be applied to anyone.

These are some of the reasons that I have heard people give as to why they hate Vegans
Is that better?

Shouldn't you ask those who say they hate vegans for those reasons, not those simply reporting reasons they've heard others give?

Nobody can answer for others' reasoning / motivation.

Are you a Vegan?

As long as I'm polite and stay within guidelines I can ask any question of any poster. It's then up to the person I'm asking if they want to engage with me. The person I asked may have an opinion.

I eat a vegan diet, no animal products at all. However there are aspects of my lifestyle that wouldn't meet the bar for veganism.

Good luck with that!

I don’t think there is one accepted “bar” for veganism, is there? The Vegan Society currently defines veganism as “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment.”

Within that very broad manifesto you’ll have vegans who will e.g. occasionally eat something which contains small amounts of animal product if the alternative is causing offence or upset, or who would keep their dead granny’s vintage leather bag because to just discard it would be disrespectful to the animal who has already died, or who accept animal testing and animal products as a necessity in the production of essential medication; and then at the other end of the scale, vegans wjo won’t take any animal-tested medication, who believe that guide dogs are unethical, and eschew any produce grown in ways which are disproportionately harmful to wildlife and the ecosystem e.g. almonds, avocados, or even any non-local produce with a heavy carbon footprint.

I think you can call yourself a vegan if you want to without looking to some higher authority.

Telling people they are hypocrites or not really vegan because of various gotchas can be a bit of a hobby on these threads at times, so it saves time to head it off at the pass.

yep - as evidenced all throughout this thread!

Oh this is just too easy. Let's substitute 'carnivore', or even 'omnivore' here.

Some Omnivores actually have an eating disorder such as Orthorexia
Some Omnivores are smug and self rightious
Some Omnivores are preachy
Some Omnivores try to impose their views on animals and children and I don't agree thats healthy
Some Omnivores really don't look well

All true.

People in poor countries can be very picky about what they eat. If you read accounts of famines in China they feel very hard done by if they are forced to eat maize or sweet potatoes instead of rice. In other places they adore maize, like in Africa with their ugali.

One of the problems with meat production is that we feed vast quantities of grain and soya to farm animals then eat the animals. Most of the calories are wasted, most of the protein is wasted. If you are against waste you should not want the expansion of factory farming that is happening in places where there were famines in living memory.

It was common in the UK to tell children they had to eat everything they were given. In boarding schools girls had to eat everything on their plate and it resulted in obesity. Just because someone doesn't eat a particular food at a meal doesn't mean that food is wasted.

Telling people they are offending if they don't want to eat something is the worst kind of preachiness. The host isn't interested in the happiness of their guest or their welfare. It is sanctimonious to bleat on about poor children in Africa who would jump at the chance to consume a pork chop.