Why Some Meat-Eaters Are So Obnoxious
from the book "The New Vegetarians".
Why do so many meat-eaters react with curiosity, derision, or hostility when they encounter a vegetarian? Many of our respondents had explanations for the meat-eater's constant fascination with vegetarianism. many, such as Anna, believe that meat-eaters are defensive because they feel that their own life-styles and values are being implicitly devalued. As she pointed out, "People get very offended if you appear to criticize their diets because their diets are part of who they are - another representation of themselves, like their clothes or hairstyle." Others suggest that some meat-eaters are touchy because, in the backs of their minds, they feel guilty about eating animals. valerie, a vegan for 12 years, put it this way:
*I can see that some people feel uncomfortable - and even guilty - around me because my reason for being a vegan is a reverence for life. If you're a health vegan, people can say, "I don't eat much red meat anymore." But if you are an ethical vegan, they would have to say, "I don't do much killing." It sounds different.
A few suggest that meat-eaters don't listen too closely to pro-vegetarian arguments because they don't want to be influenced. After all, if meat-eaters find they agree with the reasons for abstaining from meat, they might hve to change their own behavior. This means they would have to give up flesh foods, which they enjoy.
*Most of my friends respected what I was doing but didn't want to become vegetarians themselves. They were interested but didn't want to hear the gory details. If I wanted to do it, fine, but eating meat is pleasurable and they wanted to be able to continue doing it without feeling guilty. And of course meat-eaters, like most people, are averse to admitting that they are wrong. The ethical arguments for vegetarianism, in particular, deal with fundamental values. many people do not wish to consider the possibility that the killing of animals for food might be morally wrong, because this would require rethinking many issues. Consequently, they may engage in denial to avoid having to grapple with difficult questions.
*People have to face themselves when they see you doing something different, and some find it a little difficult. Perhaps it is their egos. They might have have to agree that you were right all along, in spite of the fact that they ridiculed you along the way. And I have a feeling that people who make a big deal over vegetarianism have a problem with killing. They don't want to face it because it is a threat to the way they think. No one wants to admit they have been wrong in their values.
As the number of vegetarians increases, and as the public understanding of the isuues underlying vegetarianism grows, vegetarians should have an easier time socially. To a certain extent, this has already happend. Vegetarianism has become more acceptable in recent years due to the fact that the general public has become increasingly health-conscious. Many people are presently aware of the benefits of good nutrition, avoiding cigarettes, and getting regular exercise. although concern about one's physical well-being used to earn the label of "health nut'" today it is simply viewed as common sense. As a result, vegetarians have come to feel less rejection and hostility from the larger community than the did in the past. As one long-term vegetarian said, "I've found that over the years, people see that I am healthy and athletic, and they generally have heard something good about vegetarianism, so there is a lot more acceptance now."