Vegan lifestyle articles that discuss ways of living in peace with humans, animals, and the environment.
See Busting Myths About Veganism: Part One
As some vegans say, “I don’t care what brought you here, just that you’re here and doing less harm to animals as a result.”
In my recent article [Busting Myths About Veganism: Part One],
I broke down a few of the common myths about veganism and explained why they
are harmful from a psychological perspective. Since there are many more
myths than I could cover in a single post, I decided to write a “part two”
to explore a few more widespread misconceptions about veganism.
As I mentioned in the initial piece, I will be the first to admit that I
believed many of these ideas about vegans and veganism before I became a
part of the community myself. Thus, my goal is to offer information that
helps non-vegans better understand this path — ideally, to shed some of the
misinformation that is so rampant in our cultural narrative, and to develop
more empathy and compassion for folks they know or encounter who live a
vegan lifestyle. For the vegans reading, I hope this will be a helpful
resource for you to share with loved ones who struggle to understand your
perspective.
I covered three myths in part one, so we’ll pick up at #4 here:
Myth #4: Vegans are self-righteous and judgmental
Any social cause has a broad spectrum of voices that varies in terms of
skillfulness in communicating about its issues, veganism and animal rights
being no exception. Back when I was an omnivore, I would sometimes feel
defensive around vegetarians or vegans even if they weren’t talking much
about their food choices. I later recognized that my defensiveness (or
judgment of them) was about my discomfort with my own choices, and I didn’t
like being faced with that, because I wasn’t ready to change. It was easier
to roll my eyes at them instead.
When a person first “makes the connection”[1] and goes vegan, it can be
painful and disorienting. We want to shout from the rooftops that we can’t
believe we spent all those years contributing to unnecessary suffering.
Sometimes, this gets communicated in a way that can come across as
judgmental of those who haven’t made this connection.
If you feel criticized by someone who is vegan, I encourage you to check in
with yourself and reflect on whether they were actually being judgmental, or
if you were hearing them through your own filter of discomfort with what
their words or choices bring up for you. If you reflect and still find their
behavior to be inappropriate, you could certainly express your feelings to
them or make a request that they communicate about this with you in a
different way.
Myth #5: Being vegan is expensive, and thus, only for the
financially privileged
Some meat and dairy alternatives are indeed pricier than their animal-based
counterparts. However, it’s important to recognize that one of the primary
reasons for this is government subsidies for the meat and dairy industries,
which make the price of these products artificially low for consumers[2].
These subsidies are frequently criticized as ultimately harmful to the
public; the World Health Organization recently classified processed meats
(such as ham, bacon, and hotdogs) as a Group 1 carcinogen, and red meats as
a “probable” carcinogen[3].
So what would folks who can’t afford $10 artisanal vegan mozzarella or $5
sandwich “meat” eat instead? A nutrient-rich vegan diet (yes, including
plenty of protein) can be even less expensive than an omnivorous one, thanks
to the abundance and affordability of legumes, grains, nuts, and fresh or
frozen fruits and vegetables.
Additionally, while pricier gourmet options are available, many meat and
dairy alternatives are competitively priced — and as producers scale to meet
increased demand, prices will continue to drop. Already, fast-food chain
White Castle sells the Impossible Burger slider for $2, and discount grocer
Aldi offers a variety of low-cost meat and dairy alternatives.
Myth #6: Veganism is just a diet fad, like Whole 30 or low-carb
Diet culture is thriving more than ever in the US, with the weight loss
industry reaching $72 billion in 2018. The proliferation of social media
means that not only are we getting diet advice from daytime television and
magazines as always, but we’re also getting it 24/7 from the friends and
“influencers” we follow online.
Veganism is experiencing a cultural moment of being “on trend,” partially
because of our collective obsession with “clean eating.” Thus, it’s true
that some people are going vegan purely for health reasons. This is
frequently referred to as a “plant-based diet” rather than vegan, because it
often excludes non-dietary lifestyle choices that are a part of ethical
veganism, such as not purchasing leather or products that have been tested
on animals.
Some in the vegan community are critical of “plant-based” folks because of
this incongruence, especially because it may not “stick” any better than
other types of diets do (and the vast majority of diets fail) — which could
mean they are back to bacon-wrapped steak in a matter of months.
However, often people who go plant-based initially for health reasons end up
educating themselves further on the environmental and animal rights impact
of various industries, and ultimately make the decision to life a vegan
lifestyle that expands beyond just their dietary choices. As some vegans
say, “I don’t care what brought you here, just that you’re here and doing
less harm to animals as a result.”
I hope this two-part series on exploring common myths about veganism has
been helpful.
Resources
Valerie offers individual psychotherapy in her private practice in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as coaching with clients internationally. She uses an integrative mind + body approach to support her clients in personal growth, psychospiritual exploration, and healing from trauma, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and relationship issues. She advocates for animal and human liberation via animal rights activism, ecological and social justice work, and living a vegan lifestyle. Valerie's podcast “What’s the F***ing Point?” explores the intersection of psychology, behavior, spirituality, and philosophy. You can find her online at her website and Instagram @valkaymartin.
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