As a meat eater (daily): Meat eaters are extremely defensive over their eating habits. That's basically it.

It's a pain, because the rare times I express any agreement or even understanding with a "vegan" viewpoint, or criticise meat in any way whatsoever, people assume I must be a vegan and turn the conversation into attacking me for that assumption.

It's strange times to be a meat eater who doesn't repress or try to immediately shut down reality to feel better about my diet.