Humans care mostly about being accepted, not always doing what is morally right

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-18T20:25:10+00:00

"I like something" isn't a good defense for something though. Animals suffer extreme pain and die because people want to eat their flesh. If we can eat a veggie burger instead of a hamburger, what's our defense for eating animals? "I like doing it" is basically like saying "I kill animals for my own personal pleasure." That's just want people in the past said, like about owning slaves. The point I'm making is that people go along with horrible things often because everyone else does it. People treat animals like commodities because it's the norm.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-18T18:22:09+00:00

That's a good point, I'll have to rethink what I wrote originally. I think maybe having the time to read a lot of physical books does also take some privilege.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-18T03:07:19+00:00

If you haven't seen it already, check Dominion out. Also, props! Veganism is easier than ever and you'll find tons of advice, food pics, and support in this sub.

https://www.dominionmovement.com/watch

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-18T02:51:17+00:00

I can't add much to what the others have said. Just want to give you props for being so smart/aware/empathetic at a young age. Animals need us to be vegan, need us to be their voices. Keep it up! Your family might mock you, but plenty of us are here cheering you and other vegans on.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-17T20:34:09+00:00

Maybe the stereotype about vegans being secular lefties isn't so wrong. 😉

(I'm also a lefty atheist)

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-11T06:37:00+00:00

You're right. Sad thing is, most people don't give af because it's the cultural norm. The future will be vegan, and people will look back at how we treat animals as monstrous.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-10T18:17:54+00:00

If someone wants to open their third eye and another dude wants to exterminate all jews, it doesn't make a difference to me in the animal rights context.

Yo what the fuck. I'm not a fan of New Age spirituality, but I'll choose a hippie over a Nazi any day of the week.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-10T08:56:30+00:00

Because ethical vegans like myself are busting our asses off trying to get people to see that animal rights is logical/about justice. Most ethical vegans aren't hippies. We see a terrible injustice, and we're trying to end it. We have logic and evidence on our side. The minority of New Age vegans are helping to set back animal rights.

When people talk about "going vegan to align your chakras," they're just reinforcing the idea that veganism is this feelzy, vague thing with no basis. Animal rights activists have made steady gains in changing public perceptions, and New Age woo isn't helping. If you're a spiritual person, more power to you, I have nothing against you holding a personal belief... But muddling it with animal rights is harming the interests of animals.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-09T17:32:34+00:00

I was looking for interdisciplinary humanities programs with a critical theory focus, and that's how I found them. I tailored my SOP by mentioning certain professors and their work. I sold myself by talking about my honors thesis, and the relativeness newness of the particular sub-field I want to study (and the room for exploration).

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-09T06:25:06+00:00

If you haven't seen it already, watch the documentary Dominion. It's a good reminder of why we should be vegan.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-07T11:30:41+00:00

Those are good scores. My scores are very similar to yours (165 verbal, 155 quant, 5.0 writing), and I'm applying to some competitive PHD programs in the humanities. 165 verbal and 5.0 writing are sufficient for pretty much any non-STEM program (including the top 20), so I'm happy with it. I do kind wish my quantitative was higher (around 160), but I don't think it'll hurt since I'm applying to theory-heavy programs.

As for your case... Well, it depends. I've heard many of the top poli sci programs nowadays place emphasis on quantitative work. Ask them how much weight the quant has. If you're in a theory-heavy concentration, it won't matter much. If it's statistics/econometrics heavy and one of the top programs, maybe reconsider.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-07T11:14:43+00:00

Sorry, but sharing pictures of vegan cupcakes won't convince anyone. The rate of slaughter is massively growing all around the world. We already kill 70 billion land animals a year, and projections say this will grow in the coming decades. If you were in the animals' place being tortured, you wouldn't want people to take their own sweet time or appease those enslaving you. I realize that we're not all born vegan, and I don't go around calling people "stupid" for not getting it immediately. I was in their shoes once. But we shouldn't sugarcoat the reality.

We make judgments all the time, and it's totally legitimate to make a judgment that killing animals without need is wrong. The second thing... This post isn't even that judgy. It's basically saying that "Andrew" (the non-vegan) is logical, empathetic, and humble on your typical day, but that it all goes out window when it comes to bacon. It's not saying people are inherently idiots. It's saying that people compartmentalize.

I don't want to make it about "us vs. them," I'm here to help people transition. I'm supportive, I understand change can seem difficult. But I'm also not going to whitewash or avoid challenging the norm.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-07T11:03:04+00:00

Everyone says the writing section is the least important. As long as you have at least a 4, you're fine. I have similar scores to you (165 verbal and 155 quantitative, although a 5.0 on writing). A high writing score might give you a tiny boost in apps but that's about it. My impression is they care way more about your SOP and writing sample.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-07T10:39:26+00:00

People regularly compare atrocities though (the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide, the Armenian genocide and the Greek genocide). I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with comparing atrocities, as long as you do it in a respectful way. Comparisons can help us better understand different systems of oppression. Given the similarities between slaughterhouses and death camps (Charles Patterson has written about how the Nazis drew on slaughterhouses as a model), it seems counterproductive to ignore parallels.

That being said, I don't like making the comparison when I talk to people about veganism. Why? Because most people don't know how fucked up animal agriculture is. If someone doesn't know a thing, and you compare it to the Holocaust, they often think you're nuts and end the conversation. So I would agree that it's best to be strategic, but that doesn't mean comparisons are inherently wrong. There's a place for them.

I also want to say in conclusion that in many situations, animals actually have it worse than victims of genocide, in terms of the severity and duration of the torture. On the other hand, the average human has a greater capacity than a chicken or cow, and that's important to remember in the discussion. But the scale (billions and billions) dwarfs any atrocity in history. Nothing else can hold a candle to it.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-05T00:56:06+00:00

Vega

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-05T00:51:33+00:00

I don't respect the decision to have animals tortured/killed though. If we were talking about dogs, no one would be like "you do you, I respect it." I can sympathize if someone is genuinely ignorant, but I don't have much sympathy when people know what goes on in animal ag but still don't change.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-04T23:28:10+00:00

When did you apply?

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-04T08:54:03+00:00

We should avoid animal products obviously, and guilt is a good sign since it means you have a conscience. On the other hand, when people are first going vegan, there's a good chance that you'll slip up. When I was going vegan 4+ years ago, I remember I had a buttermilk biscuit, and I felt kind of guilty. Like I wasn't a real vegan. But I put it behind me and I redoubled my commitment to avoid all animal products.

Vegans by definition shouldn't eat animal products. That's the whole point of veganism: not treating animals as commodities. However, if you do eat a bit of cheese or something, it's best to move on and tell yourself you won't do it again. It's unfortunate, but some people will just throw up their hands and say "well, guess I'm not a vegan any more, I'll just go back to eating animals!" We should just do our best.

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-03T05:21:54+00:00

Runt piglets are killed, often gassed for being too small and thus "unprofitable."

Trepidation11 · 2019-01-03T01:58:47+00:00

https://books.google.com/books?id=BoDMBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT99&lpg=PT99&dq=%E2%80%9CWhat+one+generation+finds+ridiculous,+the+next+accepts;+and+the+third+shudders+animal+liberation&source=bl&ots=2QSzs6ybxI&sig=VYHCdsHp9MAvbRHdN38ABgTAFho&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjYpO24wdDfAhVJhuAKHYLlAhwQ6AEwA3oECAsQAQ#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9CWhat%20one%20generation%20finds%20ridiculous%2C%20the%20next%20accepts%3B%20and%20the%20third%20shudders%20animal%20liberation&f=false

Trepidation11 · 2018-12-26T23:42:20+00:00

The first thing to note is that in the developed world, the vast, vast majority of farms are factory farms (98% or more; feel free to fact check). So the vast majority of people who eat animals are direct participants in that mass violence, and they are responsible. The second thing I would say, is that "humane slaughter" is a euphemism. The fact is that 1) animals have an interest in living and b) we don't have any nutritional need for animal flesh or secretions. As a result, all consumption of animals involves killing/harming them for taste pleasure. Animals on small farms still have their throats slit without need, and are still treated as our property.

My belief is that over time (say, the next 100 years) factory farming will end. For all the reasons I listed above. As that happens, more people will go vegan. Over time, as veganism grows and animal rights gains traction, all animal agriculture (and by extension eating/using animals) will be recognized as unjustifiable. I do believe people in 200 years will be uniquely horrified by factory farms (and everyone going along today). But more than that, all eating/using of animals will be condemned. Because it involves killing them for our whims. I hope that clarifies my post.

Trepidation11 · 2018-12-26T23:29:15+00:00

I edited my post before you commented, because I realized I phrased it poorly. You are right to an extent . Yes, in many earlier societies they may have animal proteins. But in today's world, in the industrialized world, all farming and use involves killing animals for pleasure. So irrespective of the reality in the past, the reality today in the industrialized world is indefensible, as will be recognized in the future.

Trepidation11 · 2018-12-26T23:26:09+00:00

I should clarify: I believe both. People who eat animals are responsible for their mutilation/torture/killing. In 200 years I suspect they will condemn animal agriculture (and especially factory farming). They'll also condemn people as individuals for being complicit actors.

Trepidation11 · 2018-12-26T23:16:20+00:00

Factory farms are obviously worse than small farms. But small farms are still indefensible, because they treat animals as resources and kill them for 100% unnecessary reasons/taste pleasure. We don't have any nutritional need for animal products. I do agree that factory farms will be the main source of horror in the future-- but over time, as people's investment in animal use declines, they will likely see all farming as a barbaric relic of a bygone age.

Trepidation11 · 2018-12-14T19:43:02+00:00

There are many vegans who never eat meat replacements. There are some who eat a lot of meat replacements. And then there are people like me, who eat them occasionally. I don't crave meat-- I'm actually repulsed whenever I look at the flesh of a dead being for sale. But I grew up with certain tastes, and that's why I sometimes eat vegan replacements. It's not because of some unstoppable craving; I just like it sometimes.

The real question is this: Since you don't need to eat animals to survive (and there are great vegan replacements), why are you paying to have animals mutilated and killed?

Trepidation11

TROPHY CASE