Question What should I say when asked why I don't eat meat?

Hazel Levesque

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A lot of people have asked me this question before, and I don't really have a good answer
If any of you guys have ideas on how to answer, please help me out!
Also, I don't want to sound rude, or defense when I answer people. Thank you!
:rose:
 
I sometimes feel like answering that they probably don't really want to know.

How about: "I don't feel right eating animals.", as a non-defensive answer. If they push further, then you can maybe elaborate more. I mean if they keep pushing, they should expect to hear something they don't want to hear and that is certainly not your fault.

I still have a hard time with this as well after 10 years.
 
How about: "I don't feel right eating animals.", as a non-defensive answer. If they push further, then you can maybe elaborate more.
Incremental follow-ups to this could be that eating animals is unnecessary. (You could elaborate on the many healthy vegans and vegetarians of this world, including Olympic medallists, pregnant and lactating women, babies and elderly people.)

And therefore wasteful. (You could elaborate about water usage and contribution to climate change.)

And inherently cruel. (You could elaborate on how similar many animals are to human animals. And how in Western society we look down on cruelty to pet animals like dogs and cats, but not e.g. pigs.)
 
I haven't been asked this question in many, many years, but I used to say something along these lines: "I like animals, and prefer them alive rather than dead on my plate." Said with a smile.
 
I usually reply that there are 3 main reasons, first, I prefer if no animals have to be killed for my food, second, it is better for the environment, and third, that it is also better for my own health.

But the most compelling argument, I guess, is that humans do not need animal product for good health, so if I personally am able to get my nourishment from plants and no animals need to be killed, why should I then NOT eat plants instead of animals?
 
How about: "SHUT UP AND GET OUTTA MY FACE, LLAMA VOMIT!!" ?

Oh- sorry... you mentioned you didn't want to sound rude... :p

Just kidding. I just explain that I'm fond of animals in general. I suppose if I felt more talkative about it, I might say that animals have more to lose by my eating them (and them dying) than I do by NOT eating them. They'd lose their lives. I merely do without some foods I used to enjoy.

Actually, I've been fortunate. Most people I know are meat eaters, but they don't give me flak about my being strict vegetarian, and often make an effort to accommodate me. (So yeah- my rude suggestion above was out of line. I'd keep that in reserve for the jerks, though.)

EDITED TO ADD: I just re-read your Status update of September 27: you had written: "I'm a vegetarian, I love animals, and I believe in animal rights." Why not just say that?
 
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I answer different after the people who ask. Some I answer polite but short, other get a longer version and some gets not a very nice one always. It depends on how they ask and act around it.

For me a plantbased diet is also health, as I do get sick of a lot animals products. So sometimes I just take the easy way out and claim it becaue of my health. Other I discuss the ethics with. Other I just gives respones like "my body isn't a graveyard".

I have some people in my life that never ends it really. With small comments from time to time, and I've started to fight a bit back. Comment on their food, their lifestile choices and their health. But they are very few. I think I don't have any friends or family that is surprised about my choices, and I guess that makes it a bit easier (and that I this time only is a vegan :p )
 
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A lot of people have asked me this question before, and I don't really have a good answer
If any of you guys have ideas on how to answer, please help me out!
Also, I don't want to sound rude, or defense when I answer people. Thank you!
:rose:

Just recently I went out with my friends and when I ordered a veggie sandwich one of my friends asked me what happened to you? why are you eating just a veggie sandwich? why don't you order hamburger?

So, I told her that I have became a vegetarian now. Hearing that all of my friends laughed at me and one of them said "oh so you are also joining that cult". Another friend asked really? but why?

Because they laughed and called all this a cult, I felt bad and said, "I haven't joined a cult.... I have just become a vegetarian... no big deal"

They were still curious and kept on asking "but why?"

So, I replied in a funny manner "because I am not a home-wrecker.... I don't wanna break a family" :D

They got confused and said "what?"

I said, "yes, if you'll eat one member of the family.... it will break the family" and then I started laughing. And then they stopped asking me anything.

My advice to you is when people ask you why you don't eat meat, just tell them nicely, it's your personal preference.
 
Whilst I was in the UK I got a comment saying 'that being vegetarian is too much faff' to which I replied 'bearing in mind the love
that I have for animals, nothing is too much faff'.:oops::rolleyes: