Why do Vegetarians get so much hate?

[VitalSigns]

Not sure whether this has been done before, I have been a Vegetarian for 3 years now Because I find it is a healthier diet (yes I get protein) and I do not want to be apart of animal cruelty at all. And I find when a lot of people find out i'm a vegetarian they go for the throat so to speak. I am constantly told why i'm wasting my time and how I must be a drag to go out to dinner with, Basically told I'm stupid for my diet choice. I have never once preached to anyone, complained at a restaurant about having no food or put my health at risk. So I must ask Why all the flack? Is it so wrong to truly have a problem with cruelty? (whether it be towards animals of humans) and don't we have better things to judge people on than something as unimportant as what a person chooses to consume. My personal belief is that when someone finds out i'm Veg they immediately figure i'm going to preach to them, or that I feel i am an elitist who thinks I am better than them. But I have never done either of these things. I would be very interested to hear peoples thoughts on this, and just vegetarianism as a whole. Also any Vegetarians have the same experience?

(this applies to not eating Any Meat whatsoever non of that "Flexitarian" stuff)

 

[brainfreeze215]

Most of the vegetarians I know are perfectly likeable people who just have made a different life choice than I have, and we get along famously assuming I don't recommend that we go to a steakhouse for dinner.

But like every grouping of people, there are examples who give the entire group a bad name. Like the people who choose the lifestyle and then try to use it to give themselves a moral headstart over everyone else, which gives them an oh-so-obnoxious air of superiority.

 

[puppydogvaan]

I must admit, I tend to mutter when I hear someone is vegetarian. Now that I've been reminded of how things look from your side, however, I think I'll quit.

I believe people grumble (at least I do) because when someone renounces a life choice that I've made, it feels like they're deciding that they're better than I am. I know that vegetarianism is a private choice, so it's not really like that, but that's my gut feeling and it's hard to overcome.

Organizations like peta don't help, either. Ehh, if I complain about people bashing my own beliefs because of extremists, I should take my own complaints to heart and stop bugging vegetarians.

Thanks, dude. I hadn't thought about this before and I see now I was acting wrongly.

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

Because I'm tired of people giving me flack for eating meat and wearing leather jackets. I don't think there's anything wrong with eating meat, and in a way I find the vegetarian's choice kinda stupid, why should I preclude myself one type of food when I can have both?

Animal cruelty isn't that much of an issue anyway, unless you're buying fur coats from China.

 

[Dys]

The whole pretientious "lets save the animals" thing doesn't work, most of them are completely ignorant and half assed in their approach. Not eating animals isn't necissarily stopping more of them from dying, it's naive to eat mass produced vegies, drenched in pesticides from large farms halfway accross the planet and think you are saving animals, the real workd doesn't work like that.

Also most vegitarians are preachy, and get all offended when I point out that their eleitism is naive, childish and unjustified.

 

[rainman2203]

People (myself included), see, to associate most vegetarians with your stereotypical PETA member, and we all know how ridiculous PETA is. They seem to get a little overboard from time to time. While I personally respect the choice to abstain from meat, I couldn't give up my gloriously delicious beef/steak/chicken. I guess people assume that if you feel strongly enough to give up meat, you'll feel the need to convert others, much like many religious people... but that's another topic.

I try to cut back on meat when I can, but sometimes I just can't say no. Hats off to you, sir.

 

[Keldon888]

Its all on past experiences, I knew quite a few vegetarians that would spout off crap about how we should all stop eating meat and blah blah blah. Then there are ones that do it because its a hip thing to do.

Those people are the ones that form the stereotypes that make people react badly.

 

[Trifer420]

Most of the vegetarians I know are perfectly likeable people who just have made a different life choice than I have, and we get along famously assuming I don't recommend that we go to a steakhouse for dinner.

But like every grouping of people, there are examples who give the entire group a bad name. Like the people who choose the lifestyle and then try to use it to give themselves a moral headstart over everyone else, which gives them an oh-so-obnoxious air of superiority.

here is the answer I would go with.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=grill

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http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/372411/the_truth_about_vegetarianism.html

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/vegetarian.html

I just have a problem when Vegans and Vegetarians use their dietary choices to act sanctimonious towards others. No, your decision to not eat meat does NOT make you "better" than somebody who does. Get over yourself.

The process of living is the process of consuming other forms of life for one's own benefit. Nobody who is alive today can say that nothing they do causes the death of other life forms. Whether it's the clothes they wear, the house they own or the food they eat (vegetarian or not), they live by the taking of life. That's how it works.

If somebody doesn't eat meat because he or she is protesting the treatment of animals in today's corporate slaughterhouses, I have no problem with that. If somebody thinks it's a healthier way of living to not eat meat, that's fine. It's all this PETA-type garbage that I hate. I suppose it's another example of a loud minority making life tough for everyone on both sides of the fence.

 

[Erana]

It's sad, but you're only getting all that because of the vegetarians who are loud, obnoxious and preachy. Also because they're a little ignorant of your choice (like "How do you get protein then??" Idiots... Meat isn't the only protein food source in the world).

Well, its different types of protein than in meat, and the quantities are generally smaller based on regular portion sizes...
I mean, you can make a balanced vegetarian diet, its just that its a whole lot more difficult. Humans aren't herbivores by design.

 

[The Rockerfly]

Because they are little sissies, who don't have the guts to enjoy the taste of blood.

This, because it's the most awesome reason so far.

 

[VitalSigns]

Decent points, Statistically speaking every Vegetarian saves roughly 100 animals per year.
Yes animals do die in grazing for vegetables, but i'm not stupid enough to let myself starve to death. Im not trying to Change the world, its more or less about just not being involved in the actual cruelty. However i give no one flack for their personal choice, but animal cruelty is an issue, you can't just say its not, but we are in a world full of issues so its easy to bypass it for something more relate-able like slave labor and Abortion. As for half assed? I don't see how not eating meat can be half assed, unless they eat is occasionally and don't tell anyone but its pretty black and white, you either eat it or you don't.

Also, Pointing out they're wrong is also kind of grey, when you say that do you mean you tell them their wrong when you find out their vegetarian? or when they start pushing it on you, Cause i am a firm believer it is not anyones place to push anything on anyone else.

 

[VitalSigns]

It's sad, but you're only getting all that because of the vegetarians who are loud, obnoxious and preachy. Also because they're a little ignorant of your choice (like "How do you get protein then??" Idiots... Meat isn't the only protein food source in the world).

Well, its different types of protein than in meat, and the quantities are generally smaller based on regular portion sizes...
I mean, you can make a balanced vegetarian diet, its just that its a whole lot more difficult. Humans aren't herbivores by design.

I wouldn't know specifically since I'm not a vegetarian, but I just know that protein isn't restricted to meat.

Personally, I think that cutting out a whole category of natural food sources isn't really good; Variety is the key. There are foods from each group/category that contain nutrients not found in the others, so diversifying is best.

Best source of protein in the world is Falafel.

Also the argument that Humans aren't natural herbivores is under massive debate as were the only animals that have to cook our food to be able to eat it.

 

[Bellvedere]

I used to be a vegetarian a couple of years ago until I got pretty sick (haha... yeah I know it's all managable but I'm not a big eater to start with and need more motivation to eat dinner than not to) and realised that I couldn't go my whole like without ever eating pizza again.

During that time I never liked to tell people I was vegetarian unless absolutely nescessary, because lets face it, there is something so pretencious about it. It's not that you expect vegetarians to preach to you about the wrongness of eating meat but the feeling that they think they have some sort of moral high ground. It's irrational but what would society be without irrational prejudice? Probably comes from how fictional vegetarians are portrayed in movies and TV being hippies or do-gooders or both.