Revolted by seeing others eat meat

[hibbledibble]

I am struggling with this a little, and wondering how to deal with it.

I am just starting being vegan with veganuary, but have been a lifelong veggie. Never eaten meat and have no desire to. The idea of eating flesh disgusts me.

I however realise that others have different beliefs and respect that. I don't expect others to be veggie around me.

Last night I went out with a friend for dinner. He got a huge plate of meat (pretty much 2 dead birds) and was pulling apart at it with fingers. The smell and sight was revolting for me. I didn't say anything or do anything as I don't think it would have been right, but honestly it bothered me a lot, and it is still bothering me the next day.

Any idea how I can best manage this? I accept most of my friends aren't veggie. Should I not go out for dinner with them? Is it acceptable to suggest veggie places?

Where is the OP?

I never understood the whole vegan / vegetarianism thing as to protect animals.

Have you seen animals hunt and kill each other in the wild?

Far less humane than the way we will.

It is nature though.

Humans too are animals and no different to other animals who eat meat.

Am beginning to think that actually peggy is a Meat is Best Activist posing as a parody of a radical vegan to drive up meat consumption....

newyear I am here. I have been keeping on eye on the thread, but have stepped back as it became rather derailed.

Animals hunted in the wild have a good life prior to dying. It is in no way comparable to modern high internsity farming practices.

Have you ever been to a farm and seen a pug taken for slaughter? I have and believe me it is enough to put anyone off meat.

Have you watched footage from abbatoirs showing animals be slaughtered? It is far from humane.

I am not an animal in the wild, and live a healthy lifestyle without meat or animal products.

I am not just vegan for ethical reasons, but also for environmental and health reasons.

Ethically, it is also better to be vegan as it is far more efficient both in terms of carbon emmissions, methane, and land used.

If you put a cat on a vegan diet you will kill it. Cats are obligate carnivores . If you want a vegan pet don’t have a cat, because they are killing machines that decimate wildlife and don’t have a dog because they eat meat.

Dogs are dustbins, and can manage on an omnivorous diet. A fully vegan diet is technically possible but would need serious supplementation of taurine and various other nutrients. It’s not a diet you could obtain naturally. Dogs should have some vegetable matter in the diet but to put them on a fully vegan one is borderline cruel and basically a human vanity thing. Not a dog welfare thing.

The OPs points in the post just above are all good ones to lower meat consumption. It’s better for the environment, it’s less likely to encourage intensive farming. These are facts that can be backed up with solid data. The vegan extremist position taken by Peggy is not backed up by fact. thehairrhebod I’ll save your googling: she is incorrect about vitamin B12 :)

Slaughtered humanely lol it's so ridiculous to say this, there's no 'humane' way to kill a cow that doesn't want to die.

I have seem animals been slaughtered, and although not perfect they really dont feel a thing once the bolt happens, this is the most humane way possible at this time. I really hate vegan propaganda that doesn't show the slaughter or welfare standards on British farms. A lot of peta etc show American farming practices which are nothing like the UK. Sorry stuff like that really gets me annoyed.
I also want to know if you are vegan for ethical and environmental reasons, if you are ok with soy and palm oil production which are very harmful to ecosystems around the world. Not even taking into account the harm they do to indigenous communities in some countries? What about the transport of exotic fruit and veg?
I don't drive, eat locally sourced meat and veg where possible surely that is the way to be most environmentally friendly.

hibble I consider myself an animal lover but I’ve seen pigs taken to slaughter lots of times. It’s not pleasant but it is also really not enough to put me, or most other people, off eating meat.

Until recently most people were a lot more closely involved with farming, animals slaughtered at the local butchers etc. and people still happily ate meat. I think it’s naive to assume people only eat meat because they don’t understand how cruel it is. Most people are fully aware and either simply don’t care or don’t care enough to stop eating meat.

We're not designed to eat meat or vegetables or dairy or anything else.

We evolved as omnivores. It's one of the reasons we're so successful as a species. We can live more or less healthy lives on a variety of different diets. This includes vegan, vegetarian, omnivorous and a high meat diet. All have benefits and potential health problems.

All this talk of us being 'designed' to eat one thing or another or any particular lifestyle being more 'natural' and therefore somehow better than other choices, is complete bollox.

It just leads to arguments like this.

hibble, I'm a lifelong veggie and a vegan of over 20 years... and in all that time I can only think of one time where I felt really repulsed (it was a friend eating a huge lobster opposite me - the cracking and gouging felt like it went on for ever).

I guess most people are more sensitive about what they're eating in front of others so maybe your quail experience, whilst disturbing for you, is unlikely to happen frequently.

Mind you, most of my friends and family have gone veggie/vegan over the last few years so it's becoming less of a thing now anyway!

Ethically, it is also better to be vegan as it is far more efficient both in terms of carbon emmissions, methane, and land used.

Do you eat avocado?

The vegans I know eat avocado and lots of it whilst pontificating about the environment and how superior they are with regards to it.

Avocado has a massive carbon footprint.

It is difficult to grow, requires alot of water and is grown in hot climates in the southern hemisphere. It is then placed in protective packaging immediately to ensure they remain fit to eat right away. Then they are flows tens of thousands of miles.

Remember that next time you tuck in to one.

Generally i cant stand vegans. They are on their high horses with no reason to be.

Their dietary decisions can be just as damaging to the environment.

An avocados carbon footprint is absolutely massive.

And also practice some tolerance and get some therapy. Dead birds.....

NewYearNiki Agreed! A lot of vegans I know also love to travel. Aeroplanes aren’t exactly good for the environment now are they! Plus planes/cars etc all use animal products such as glues in there structures, so if you’re a vegan who chastises people for eating meat yet you own a car/use transport then you’re a massive hypocrite who should probably go and live in a hole in a field or something 😂 not to mention how do they think vegetables are grown? Tomatoes are grown using fertiliser which contains fish bones. Vegetables are grown using animal manure. I’m a vegan but I’m well aware that I make bad ethical choices in life too (like buying cheap clothes that are most likely made by a poor slave) so I’m not for one minute saying that I am ethically better than people who eat meat.

peggy do you not see the hypocrisy in talking about what animals don’t want to do then in the next sentence saying you’re putting your dog on a vegan diet?
A dog would NEVER choose that. You’re forcing it on the dog to suit your own ideology. It’s exactly the same thing as inseminating a cow - in fact far worse because insenination doesn’t bother the cow at all.

I think we should all make ethical choices where we can. I drive and eat meat occasionally, but I buy locally sourced produce and meat. I was the first person in my company, when I was a sales rep, to convert to unleaded petrol (yes I am that old). I have been an avid recycler ever since I can remember, we have solar panels on our roof and I garden organically.

I doubt that many people have a completely zero impact on this earth.

swan If you have seen it and are happy to eat it, then it is your choice. Personally I found it extremely disturbing. Nowadays, most people are very out of touch with where there food comes from, as a result of populations being mainly urban.

newyear I eat avocados sparingly, probably no more than most meat eaters. I havent heard of them having such a bad environmental impact. Research in peer reviewed journals has shown that a vegan diet (even including avocadoes) has a hugely reduced carbon footprint compared to a high meat diet. I haven't flown anywhere for a long time either. I agree that diet cannot be taken in isolation, but is one of the most beneficial choices one can make for the environment.

What I notice here is that there is a lot of criticism of vegans, while vegand aren't criticising those who choose to have other diets. I feel like I am constantly having to justify my choice which I have made regarding my diet.

I fully accept a vegan diet isn't for everyone.

hibbledibble I see criticism from both sides. It’s a shame that we cannot be a bit kinder to each other x none of us have the moral high ground x

I agree Teetotal2018. I tried to make that point in my post, but you have stated it better than I have.

What I notice here is that there is a lot of criticism of vegans, while vegand aren't criticising those who choose to have other diets.

Which thread were you reading? I've only scanned it, so perhaps I missed some, but most of the argumentative posts seem to be:

1. Peggy making up nonsense 'Science' to say everyone should be vegan and lots of people (vegan and otherwise) arguing with her drivel.

1. People (vegan and otherwise) suggesting that you have a preachy and judgemental attitude. I did notice people extending this to vegans in general- of course stereotyping about whole groups is never helpful.

1. YOU criticising non-vegan diets. Did you miss your own posts?

I didn't see any posts saying Veganism is a bad thing per se- did I miss some?

It has some environmental benefits, but no more than many other choices. It creates some dietary risks, but they can be managed easily in adults. It's a bit weird to suggest Veganism is somehow morally superior to other lifestyle choices. That attitude (along with the language about disgust) reinforces stereotypes about vegans and puts people off.

Like PPs, I think if someone were trying to spoof Veganism, this would be the way to do it.

more human slaughter practises, Anatidae?!

The first thing to do is recognise it's your problem and not theirs - which you seem to have done. An equivalent would be a Muslim/Jew getting revolted by watching their friend eat bacon, the average British person feeling revulsion at the chicken feet stew being served up in their local Chinese, etc.

If you recognise you can't handle it, don't put yourself in that position. Either don't go out for meals with your meat eating friends (easy enough to stick to drinks only rendezvous), or always ensure you're going out to a veggie restaurant.

Or you could take the bull by the horns, expose yourself to it and see if familiarity with the sight of friends eating meat renders it less repulsive over a period of time.

donqui I have not criticised anyone's diet. My op was asking about how to manage my feelings regarding others eating meat, that is not the same as criticising. I have made it clear repeatedly that I have not, and will not criticise my friend.

And yes, there have been an awful lot of criticism of vegans on this thread, read ot again if you haven't noticed it. For example, I said my reasons for being vegan, and another poster chooses to criticise this based on avocadoes!

more human slaughter practises, Anatidae

My autocorrect is sentient, and has a wicked sense of humour :)

Humane, obvs :)

OP - you haven’t made any of the extremist statements on this thread, which has definitely derailed somewhat :)

It’s your diet, and your choice and that is totally fine. When a group eat together with different dietary requirements then it’s give and take. As long as you’re accepting of their wish to eat meat sometimes they should be willing to have a crack at a few vegan dishes now and then. Give and take and reasonable behaviour

I have looked it up out of curiosity.

Two avocadoes are quoted as having a carbon impact of 846g, whereas beef has a carbon impact of 13300g per kg (other meats less, but still very high). The average uk person eats 84.2kg of meat per year.

In other words a vegan would have to eat a shit load of avocadoes to offset the environmental benefit of not eating meat, dairy and eggs. I don't think anyone likes avocadoes that much!

"I don't think anyone likes avocadoes that much!"

DD does