Primary Motivations

[student756]

Hello everyone. I am a student interested in veganism and its teachings. To deepen my understanding, I reach out to this community.

What do you think were your primary motivations for going vegan? Thank you!

 

[Brian W]

Wanting to be as harmless as possible.

 

[PTree15]

I initially went vegetarian decades ago for health reasons, but when I went vegan, it was for the animals. I didn't want to participate in cruelty and death just to satisfy my taste buds.

 

[Lou]

Animal rights.
I know this isn't universally accepted but IMHO the only primary motivation for vegans is animal rights. Sure some do it for the health reasons. but I'm pretty sure that the lifestyle has to be rooted in animal rights. It's not just a diet.

 

[Emma JC]

for me, over time, it was a combination of animal cruelty and then definitely health which then brought back the animals and the environment into focus

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[Second Summer]

Short version: I didn't want my consumption and lifestyle to to be based on cruelty and murder of animals.

Long version:

I think already from an early age I was very fond of nature and animals, and as I grew older my appreciation and respect for pets such as cats and dogs only deepened. And from there it wasn't a huge leap to realise that other animals were also worthy of appreciation and respect.

Obviously, I abhorred cruelty to animals, so when I realised the scale of the horrors inherent in animal agriculture, but that there was a way of life that wasn't based on murder and cruelty, then the choice was an easy one.

 

[deadknight]

The other users have already described many of the motivations I've always had, and my motivations weren't or aren't much different.

The first eye-opener experience of mine happened when I studied agriculture and got confronted with the whole death-and-violence industry. My first thought was this: "dammit, this is only one step away from any KZ-Lager!"
When we did work experience and met the animals in person, I saw how friendly they were to us. I found it very immoral to harness their kindness, and to keep these nice animals only to kill them. And I failed many exams in how to nurture animals so that they get fattened up enough to be killed, or in planning a proper KZ-Lager to them. Exactly because I found this level of animal abuse unacceptable.
I got vegetarian, then vegan gradually.

I admit, I have a very romantic and idealistic fantasy world. I try to use these romantic ideals of chivalry as an inspiration in everyday life - rather than a mean to escape from reality -, and I don't think modern chivalry would accept this horrible way of treating helpless creatures. That's not a noble thing to do, and as of today, we humans are smarter than that. So why would we expose animals to this level of suffering when we can live without animal products?

Of course, it's also important that plants that humans use to fatten up livestock could feed millions of hungry people worldwide.
I find it unjusticeful that some people eat meat while other people do not even have bread, because the wheat (or barley or anything else) has been given to livestock so that the luckier ones can have meat and cheese they just "cannot live without".

Could continue for hours, describing everything I find abhorrent in the death-and-violence industry, but there are many good websites where the right information is accessible, yeah.

 

[Graeme M]

Horror at learning how pigs are farmed. I didn't know that we did that. It didn't especially bother me that cattle and sheep were farmed - I'd seen how that happens and had family with a dairy farm. But when I found out about CAFOs (factory farms) I simply could not believe we do something so bad. I am not an animal "lover" as such, but I find I naturally have empathy for other animals and I just don't want them to be treated so cruelly.

I went on a lengthy learning journey and my understanding of veganism changed quite a lot over time. Mostly due to this forum, in fact. I remain committed to the aims of veganism as I interpret it. My greatest disappointment in my journey has been learning how other people seem largely disinterested. Even good friends who are what Americans call liberals (ie left wing politically) seem as likely to rebuff the idea as right-wing voters. That really surprised me. Most vegans are left leaning, but most left leaning voters are not vegan.

 

[silva]

I had always felt it terribly wrong to raise and kill animals for food. As I kid I couldn't understand why- after all, animals die anyway.
When I realized we really did not need meat, or dairy or eggs, nor the calories, fat and cholesterol, I quit eating them
It's not that I 'love' animals, it's that I believe all living beings should have rights to their own lives.

 

[deadknight]

Horror at learning how pigs are farmed. I didn't know that we did that. It didn't especially bother me that cattle and sheep were farmed - I'd seen how that happens and had family with a dairy farm. But when I found out about CAFOs (factory farms) I simply could not believe we do something so bad. I am not an animal "lover" as such, but I find I naturally have empathy for other animals and I just don't want them to be treated so cruelly.

I went on a lengthy learning journey and my understanding of veganism changed quite a lot over time. Mostly due to this forum, in fact. I remain committed to the aims of veganism as I interpret it. My greatest disappointment in my journey has been learning how other people seem largely disinterested. Even good friends who are what Americans call liberals (ie left wing politically) seem as likely to rebuff the idea as right-wing voters. That really surprised me. Most vegans are left leaning, but most left leaning voters are not vegan.

Pork was actually the first kind of meat I gave up, after work experience at a pig farm. Pigs are cool and smart. And they do care about their personal hygiene if given the chance. And the biggest and scariest-looking one of them allowed us to sit on him (rotfl).

The way cattle are farmed also made me gross out. Male calves slaughtered on the day they are born, that's brutal enough. If anyone would think cows are happy, here is the truth: "we steal your newborns from you just after one or two days. They don't need you after having gotten colostrum to stay alive. And if you get milk fever, we send you to die".

I think natural empathy for other animals is the key! You needn't get emotionally attached to an animal to feel empathy towards them. While I'm not totally sure if I want to have a pet pig or sheep or octopus, I'm sure I don't want to see them dead.

Though political debates are not my kind of thing, I found the same thing you are mentioning here. Even intelligent, kind, funny, gifted and artistically inspired people tend to behave like right-wing radicals when you mention veganism to them.
(This was my annual dose of political activity for 2024, I think.)

 

[Emma JC]

Heyy, I'm a person with a keen interest in veganism and its principles. I've joined this community to delve deeper into my understanding of veganism.
For me, the primary motivations for adopting a vegan lifestyle stemmed from concerns about animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and personal health. I believe that by abstaining from animal products, I can contribute to reducing animal suffering, minimizing my ecological footprint, and improving my own well-being.

welcome... yup, those seem to be the three pillars and it is good to have three as motivation from three different directions can help to keep us on track

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com