It’s almost been a year since I switched to a vegan lifestyle after being a vegetarian all my life. I know no other vegan person irl since veganism is really unheard of where I am from. At the beginning, I felt confident about my choices and was able to speak about it when asked. But over time hearing all the reactions and responses I’ve gotten and learning about the general negativity surrounded the term like the supposed holier-than-thou attitude vegans are accused of having or that “they’re just obnoxious ppl chasing the current fad” or whatever, I feel very uncomfortable and self concious calling myself a vegan. Even when like ppl around me tell other’s that I can’t eat sth coz I’m a vegan, I try to stop them coz I feel embarassed.
I know I have a problem of caring too much about what other people think of me and I should just ignore it all, but I was curious if anyone else goes/went through this.
Just to be clear, I have a clear reason I chose to be a vegan and I’m not questioning my choices and I don’t wanna go back. I just have a hard time fitting in where I live because of it and want to hear about the ways you all dealt with similar problems.
No, I take pride in it. I’ve been a vegan for a long time, and although I’ve always received criticism, I know that I’m on the correct track. Primarily, I feel bad for the animals, but also for them.
Age must be a factor, I suppose. When I was younger, I used to likewise experience awkwardness. I’m out of f***ing things to give now.
The majority of opinions are worthless because they are just that—opinions. People will often tell you about these horrible vegans they encountered and how they now despise vegans. That’s simply fantasy. You would believe that they know exactly zero vegans. aside from you. All they can think of is a picture of a vegan. Well, then, give up caring.
I’m rather pleased with it. It is my greatest accomplishment, and I echo Woody Harrelson’s statement. Being a vegan requires a lot of strength, wisdom, resolve, and commitment. Most people lack sufficient strength. I don’t cater to the general public.
I’m kind of happy with it. I agree with Woody Harrelson that it is my greatest achievement. Being a vegan demands a great deal of fortitude, discernment, tenacity, and dedication. The majority of people are not strong enough. I do not serve the broader public.
My approach is to simply avoid discussing it when it isn’t required. Even now, some people will still trash talk you, but I just ignore them or politely tell them that I don’t give a damn about what they think.
I’m not embarrassed, but it’s also not my first reaction; not everyone needs to know everything about me, and I’m not the type to engage in constant dialogue.
It’s not really anyone else’s business, so I advised my coworker to stop stumbling into any food-related conversations I was having and telling the other person I was vegan. When I feel it’s pertinent or would make for a good conversation with someone, I will bring it up, but that is not often.
In addition to being called names and shunned, white people who supported civil rights in the Jim Crow South faced accusations of being sanctimonious, attempting to destroy culture, and other similar mistreatment. People from the dominant group who stand up for the oppressed group are always met with negative responses.
Note: The abuse that people of color endured throughout the Civil Rights Era is not being minimized. Of course, it goes without saying that when oppressed groups rebel against their oppressors, they become even more oppressed. Here, I’m making a comparison between the hostility that people encounter when they stand up for non-human entities and the hostility that oppressor groups face when they stand up for the oppressed inside their own social position.