In regards to eating meat

[Monica]

vegetarianism can easily be viewed by a non-vegetarian as a self-proclaimed superior point of view. A

I have been vegetarian since 1993, so I have a lot of experience with this. I have never been a "preacher." Although I share information if someone asks. (This thread is an example, as the question was asked.)

What I have found, countless, countless times, is that as soon as the fact comes out that I'm vegetarian, the most common reaction--whether obvious or subtle--is defensiveness. This is a result of me saying nothing about it at all beyond the bare fact. It got so bad that my boyfriend, who also went vegetarian at the same time, didn't want me even to say the word in public, he got so much flack.

This has happened to me countless times. I didn't say a word to them. All I did was order something vegetarian from the menu, and they start up with their defensiveness or crude jokes about me mowing their lawn.

So the question is: WHY do they perceive vegetarians as having a 'self-proclaimed superior point of view'?

I can understand if the vegetarian is preaching at them. But in most cases, we haven't done that at all. All we did was order the veggie burger.

Here are some possibilities:

1. They've been preached at before, and now are stereotyping all vegetarians, to the point that they're expecting preaching and are preempting it...lumping them all in together as having a 'self-proclaimed superior point of view.'

2. They are feeling guilt because, as Diana pointed out, they really are aware of the suffering of animals and are choosing to contribute to it anyway. But rather than confront their own guilt, they use the vegetarian as a scapegoat.

3. They really do think vegetarianism is a 'superior' lifestyle, but are too weak-willed to do it themselves, so they're jealous of those who do it. And when people are jealous, they say hurtful things.

One point I would like to make. In this time frame, we do have worldwide reach with information. The information is out there, although admittedly, the amount of information makes it confusing. Slaughterhouses, health, sustainability, are not subjects that people are ignorant of anymore. Perhaps this is a factor in the defensiveness I see.

You're right. I keep trying to give them the benefit of the doubt..."Maybe they just aren't aware of it" but you're right: most of them are quite aware; they just have cognitive dissonance, apparently.

You know what I have the hardest time accepting? Being admonished for 'preaching' or 'proselytizing.' Even though I don't go around doing that, but only talk about it if asked or if the person is seeking dietary advice. I DO support animal rights activism financially, but I haven't been to a picketing in many many years. I mostly just post info on Facebook, and of course I have my bumperstickers. (How can you be pro-life and eat dead animals? and Love animals. Don't eat them.)

If anything, I am guilty of not doing enough for the movement. And yet, I get lumped in with 'proselytizers' as though that were such a bad thing.

Of all the possible insights readers of this thread might get from it, among the most important, in my opinion, is that vegetarians speak out because we're championing the oppressed, not because we're trying to 'control' others.

If meat-eaters could grasp that, we could accomplish a lot towards understanding.