Vegetarian Egoism

[BucephalusBB]

Saving the world...

I agree with the sarcasm here. If you said saving cows, I could have, maybe, agreed. But you do not save the world with being vegetarian.

No, you know what, I wouldn't even agree if you have said "saving cows"..

 

[NoahideHiker]

There can be no mistake, cattle farming is one of the most destructive activities we humans do. Lessening the demand will shrink the industry and lessen it's impact on the world. I am no environmentalist, I don't buy the global warming lie and I'm not apposed to eating meat. But there are so many better, easier and healthier ways to get protein. I'm not gonna blow smoke up your butt and say it's saving the world but I will say that limiting or even eliminating meat from your diet is a good thing.

 

[BucephalusBB]

There can be no mistake, cattle farming is one of the most destructive activities we humans do. Lessening the demand will shrink the industry and lessen it's impact on the world. I am no environmentalist, I don't buy the global warming lie and I'm not apposed to eating meat. But there are so many better, easier and healthier ways to get protein. I'm not gonna blow smoke up your butt and say it's saving the world but I will say that limiting or even eliminating meat from your diet is a good thing.

So you never disagreed with me?

Ow btw. I know you are not saying I should eliminate meat or so. But if there is one thing I am satisfied with, then it is whatever I eat and drink. I don't need it to be better, easier and healthier. Maybe that is one of the reasons people do not become vegetarian.

 

[NoahideHiker]

So you never disagreed with me?

Ow btw. I know you are not saying I should eliminate meat or so. But if there is one thing I am satisfied with, then it is whatever I eat and drink. I don't need it to be better, easier and healthier. Maybe that is one of the reasons people do not become vegetarian.

I was speaking rhetorically. I always quote when posting directly to someone. I don't care what you eat.

 

[BucephalusBB]

I don't care what you eat.

And you shouldn't. I am a pretty boring foodperson.

 

[Willamena]

But ehr, are you bothered by your own ego then?

More just suprised by the realization, and the subsequent thought that perhaps it's something other newly vegetarian eaters experience.

 

[Engyo]

I have to confess that since I began eating vegetarian "meats" I have discovered an egoism in regards to meat eaters. Is this a typical thing, or is it "just me"?

Willamena -

There are Buddhist forums where the subject of vegetarianism is banned because it causes such controversy. If that happens in a Buddhist forum, how not here or anywhere else?

 

[Alceste]

More just suprised by the realization, and the subsequent thought that perhaps it's something other newly vegetarian eaters experience.

I don't know if you're experiencing something other than I did - I felt only relief at not having to choke down the flesh of sentient creatures who were abused and pumped full of drugs from birth to death any more. Heh - I know that might sound egotistical from a meat eater's perspective because of my choice of words, but it really was sincere, heartfelt relief.

I never was the preachy type of vegetarian though. Never tried to convert anyone. Never even called myself a vegetarian, actually, outside the context of "No thanks, I'm a vegetarian" when someone shoved a plate of suffering under my nose. I was never the type to make the clerks at Subway change their gloves to make me a sandwich. I just didn't want to eat the stuff. I don't want to eat it now, actually, but I never quite mastered the protein thing and can't live on pasta bread any more because it's making me fat now that I'm past 30.

 

[Falvlun]

I know if I ever fully commited to vegetarianism I would probably develop a superiority complex for a bit, simply because I would know that I was making a sacrifice in my life, in order to align my actions with my beliefs. Take that all you lazy other people who can't commit to not eating meat even though there's a part of you that feels bad about it!

 

[BucephalusBB]

I know if I ever fully commited to vegetarianism I would probably develop a superiority complex for a bit, simply because I would know that I was making a sacrifice in my life, in order to align my actions with my beliefs. Take that all you lazy other people who can't commit to not eating meat even though there's a part of you that feels bad about it!

.. You would asume other feel "partially" bad about it, because you do?

 

[Falvlun]

.. You would asume other feel "partially" bad about it, because you do?

Exactly!

I never said it would be logical...

 

[Don Penguinoini]

Saving the world...


When I was a vegetarian for a sum of months I did notice that I was sort of a jerk about it. I wondered how people could keep eating meat when animals had to die and it was a dead carcass that they were eating. It was really hypocritical of me because in high school people had asked me the same things and I still ate meat. So I talked to a guy at my work and asked him, "think about it. You are eating a dead carcass... why would you want to do that?" And I was so firm in that belief that it was grotesque, and then one day on break I got some chicken strips and I said "**** it. I like chicken, and I'm going to eat it." That guy told me I was insane. I feel glad to be out of that phase though, because I think I was developing a mild case of superiority complex.

It was sarcasm...

 

[Willamena]

I don't know if you're experiencing something other than I did - I felt only relief at not having to choke down the flesh of sentient creatures who were abused and pumped full of drugs from birth to death any more.

*choke* Not quite that, but frubals for a lovely description.

 

[Valjean]

Most people I know don't discover I'm veggie till they offer me a bite of something. I'm not stuck up about it, nor do I advertise it.
This is not to say that I don't think there are sound ethical, economic, health and ecological justifications for my dietary choice, and I'm happy do discuss them if someone shows an interest.

I also believe that Toyota makes better quality products than General Motors, but, again, I don't push this opinion on people.

I suspect meat-eaters, when confronted with vegetarians, sometimes feel a bit guilty and seek to justify their choices. Denigrating those whose opinions, habits or culture discomfit you is a tried and true ego defense mechanism.

 

[Alceste]

Most people I know don't discover I'm veggie till they offer me a bite of something. I'm not stuck up about it, nor do I advertise it.
This is not to say that I don't think there are sound ethical, economic, health and ecological justifications for my dietary choice, and I'm happy do discuss them if someone shows an interest.

I also believe that Toyota makes better quality products than General Motors, but, again, I don't push this opinion on people.

I suspect meat-eaters, when confronted with vegetarians, sometimes feel a bit guilty and seek to justify their choices. Denigrating those whose opinions, habits or culture discomfit you is a tried and true ego defense mechanism.

I totally agree. There's a very aggressive and sneering quality to the comments I used to get from certain meat-eaters that doesn't make any sense if it's just a simple difference of opinion to them, as it is to me.

Likewise, though, I think there are vegetarians who denigrate meat-eaters because they would really rather be eating it too, and feel like by choosing not to they are martyrs of virtuous self-denial. Doesn't sound like either of us are like that though, and I doubt Willamena is either.