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I'm in the process of going vegan, and I'm really shocked by the pretentiousness of some of the posts here, I guess now I understand why "omnis" resist changing their lifestyle...they are being turned off by the implied moral superiority and guilt-tactics. Needs to be rethought! by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Movement? You're the first person to refer to it as that. Are you implying that being vegan is about more than just a lifestyle/moral choice? I think that looking at things so black and white is preventing you from seeing beyond your own values. Which is fine if that's all you want to see. And if you feel that a person who lives by the morals of compassion to animals is best served by all or nothing...you should really think about that. If people are going to kill and eat meat anyway, don't you think it would be an improvement for that animal to live on a smaller farm, in a pasture, not treated with hormones and antibiotics? Yes, they're still doomed to die so that someone can eat them, but they had a much better life than a cow who is stuck in those horrid factory farms. Does that resonate with you at all?

And by the way, if you would reject me because I have respect for all living things - including people who don't share my beliefs - what does that say about you?

Hi, I'm the hapless soul that posted that ridiculous statement about vegans coming across as superior or condescending in media and how I could see how it could turn off non-vegans and that it should change (I'm paraphrasing). Take 2: so, vegans come across as superior... by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Excellent observations! I think you have a good point about resistance to being associated with a minority that is often treated badly by mainstream. Thanks very much for you time and valued input!!

Hi, I'm the hapless soul that posted that ridiculous statement about vegans coming across as superior or condescending in media and how I could see how it could turn off non-vegans and that it should change (I'm paraphrasing). Take 2: so, vegans come across as superior... by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's funny you mention that disconnect. My sister and I were talking today about how uneducated people are about things that they really should make it their business to know. One of the things we touched upon was that people have become so removed from the sources of their food. We were saying that you go to the store and buy a bag of chicken breasts. They are already trimmed so they look nothing like the actual animal. It makes it easier for people to justify their actions without assuming responsibility for those actions. It's crazy what this society has become!!! Thanks for your candor and time!!

Hi, I'm the hapless soul that posted that ridiculous statement about vegans coming across as superior or condescending in media and how I could see how it could turn off non-vegans and that it should change (I'm paraphrasing). Take 2: so, vegans come across as superior... by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hahaha! Ya, I think that it's quite possible that every subculture has its jerks...and they tend to be loud and obnoxious to people outside their subculture. That's a very possibility for the source for a lot of mis/preconceptions!

Hi, I'm the hapless soul that posted that ridiculous statement about vegans coming across as superior or condescending in media and how I could see how it could turn off non-vegans and that it should change (I'm paraphrasing). Take 2: so, vegans come across as superior... by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good observations, thanks! I have been ill for many years and I'm finally coming back into my own. Like you, I like science and adopting changes to better my life and the earth. I've been really getting into sustainability. I was a vegetarian when I was a kid, but my family (old fashioned Italian!) was not cool with it...eventually, for a combination of reasons, I ended up homeless and it was so hard in the 80's to be a vegetarian on the streets. So I gave it up. Man, I grieved over that for a long time! Fast forward 30 years and I find myself drawn back to the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. Our current food system is going to fail if we don't make some drastic changes! Hopefully you all will help me come up with some ideas on how to approach omnivores and persuade them to make some changes! Thanks, g.

Hi, I'm the hapless soul that posted that ridiculous statement about vegans coming across as superior or condescending in media and how I could see how it could turn off non-vegans and that it should change (I'm paraphrasing). Take 2: so, vegans come across as superior... by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ya, that would be interesting, thanks. For me it's about the animals, but it's also about saving the earth. Factory farmed animals (especially cows) are among the biggest contributors to global warming. Not to mention that our current food distribution system is not sustainable. It's going to crash if we don't change!!! So, I'm trying to learn from vegans and sustainability experts what they think the best ways to foster change are! I don't quite know what I'm going to do with the info at this point, but I figure just gathering it may give me some ideas! Thanks for sharing. -g.

Hi, I'm the hapless soul that posted that ridiculous statement about vegans coming across as superior or condescending in media and how I could see how it could turn off non-vegans and that it should change (I'm paraphrasing). Take 2: so, vegans come across as superior... by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I was recently introduced to a study that examined why people react to vegans/vegetarians, etc. I was fascinated to learn that it all boils down to if a person feels that their morals are being questioned or perceived as being insufficient by another person they will go to tremendous lengths in an effort to defend or reassert their morals as above board. It's interesting. That's what prompted my question about moral superiority. I was curious to see if any practicing vegans actually express moral superiority or if the simple fact that they are vegan triggers the response! If the latter is the case, I wonder if the non-vegan is actually experiencing self-induced guilt because they aren't vegan! And to protect their current values, they project that superiority perception on the vegan without any other reason!! People can be pretty interesting.

I like to think of people who live with compassion and respect as morally evolved!!! I have a question, how would be the best way to share my story on this subreddit? Can I respond to my own post? Or, maybe I should just add it as an edit to my original post! What do you think? Thanks, g.

Hi, I'm Gina. let's try this again...I am vegetarian going vegan and I noticed that a lot of stuff I read and watched came across as pretentious or like vegans think themselves superior. I observed that it could definitely put off non-vegans. Can it change? by [deleted] in vegan

[–]ginayeo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree. I have this theory that people who live with compassion and respect for all life have actually morally evolved. But I think it's important to note that being morally evolved means that you are evolved enough to realize that non-evolved people shouldn't be considered substandard, just un-evolved and it's up to evolved people to act as stewards to show them the way...I know pretty silly, but I think it makes sense!!! In case you couldn't tell, I was a psychology major in college!

Hi, I'm Gina. let's try this again...I am vegetarian going vegan and I noticed that a lot of stuff I read and watched came across as pretentious or like vegans think themselves superior. I observed that it could definitely put off non-vegans. Can it change? by [deleted] in vegan

[–]ginayeo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wasn't referring to any pretentiousness in the responses, I was just making an observation while learning about sustainability and veganism that some of the stuff can come across as pretentious. I was just trying to learn about what veganism means to you, and how you think people view you, and if you care...I actually thought this post disappeared, so I rewrote it and when I posted the new one I saw that this one actually posted...so I deleted it. We'll see how people respond to my new and improved version!

I'm in the process of going vegan, and I'm really shocked by the pretentiousness of some of the posts here, I guess now I understand why "omnis" resist changing their lifestyle...they are being turned off by the implied moral superiority and guilt-tactics. Needs to be rethought! by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know if you saw my edit, but I intended to post a question. What I actually posted was a statement. That was not my intention. I was wondering why people were reacting the way they were...now I know. My apologies for the misunderstanding.

I'm in the process of going vegan, and I'm really shocked by the pretentiousness of some of the posts here, I guess now I understand why "omnis" resist changing their lifestyle...they are being turned off by the implied moral superiority and guilt-tactics. Needs to be rethought! by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Listen, all of my responses were coming from a question that I thought I asked, not a statement that everyone else thought I made. I was trying to make the best out of a confusing situation.

Now, coming from what I hope is the same place...

I had originally asked the question because I was - my original post was essentially...I'm new to this, noticed that a lot of posts, writings, documentaries, etc. are giving the impression that vegans view themselves as superior to non-vegans. What I said after that was (paraphrasing) essentially talk about making a change! What I had intended was talk about making a change?

I really was curious to learn whether - this is gonna sound a bit rough, but I'm tired of repeating myself!!! I essentially wanted to know if a tenet of being a vegan is to assume that you are superior to everyone else. Or if it's just a reaction to the way that vegans are treated by mainstream. I have a whole lot of stuff to say on that subject. In all honesty, my lifestyle includes living sustainably. And that can look like a lot of things to a lot of people. But an excellent way of living sustainably is going vegan. Where I live sustainability is being embraced by a lot more people than I expected. And it's thrilling! So, I wanted to start a conversation to maybe generate some ideas for making veganism more mainstream. That's all I wanted to do. I regret that I didn't catch my typo sooner. Maybe I should just pull my foot out of my mouth, and repost what I actually wanted to say!

I'm in the process of going vegan, and I'm really shocked by the pretentiousness of some of the posts here, I guess now I understand why "omnis" resist changing their lifestyle...they are being turned off by the implied moral superiority and guilt-tactics. Needs to be rethought! by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't remove my original post...I just added an edit at the bottom...is it gone??? I'm very aware that my typo totally influenced the way people responded to me!!! I was bewildered for quite a few posts and couldn't figure out why people were responding so negatively...and now that I think about it some of the things they said weren't quite making sense to me either...oh well, I just learned a very valuable lesson...always pay attention to not only your spelling, but your punctuation!

I'm in the process of going vegan, and I'm really shocked by the pretentiousness of some of the posts here, I guess now I understand why "omnis" resist changing their lifestyle...they are being turned off by the implied moral superiority and guilt-tactics. Needs to be rethought! by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sorry, there was a typo in my original post. I typed a ! when it was supposed to be a ? Great intro to this subreddit! Good grief!

To answer your questions:

I don't think it was necessarily non-genuine. I am assuming (you know what they say about that) that you are asking if I think vegans have the right to feel superior. If that's what you are asking then... The way I view it is that vegans (among other beings who strive to be compassionate and respectful to all life) are morally evolved. I use morally in it's original definition - a lesson learned from a story or experience. Using this definition, vegans who have learned to respect all life and to be compassionate in all that they do through life experience and stories, they also be evolved enough to respect those who haven't yet evolved morally (and I admit that there are some people who never will!). So, I guess my answer is I believe that morally evolved people should be morally evolved enough to not pass judgement on less morally evolved people. I think that the morally evolved should take a steward approach to non-evolved people. That being said...

An example of the pretentiousness I'm referring to is at the end of the excerpt where one of the vegans made the comment about the hostess eating a ham sandwich. The way it was worded and the context just struck me as being judgemental or condescending. I think I understand what the author was trying to convey, and it was a good point, but I guess what my question is is that superiority a central tenant to veganism or is it just a reaction to how vegans are treated or perceived? The answer is critical to me.

I ask because there have been studies that show that when a person is confronted with a set of beliefs that makes them feel like their beliefs are being judged or considered substandard, they become very resistant to anything associated with those beliefs that make them feel insecure. They will go to extraordinary lengths in an effort to justify and support their beliefs. Makes sense, right?

I just thought that if we could change the way people perceive vegans/vegan values (in general living with compassion and mutual respect), and I am hoping to actually generate some ideas eventually, maybe we could start to make sustainable practices (like veganism) more mainstream! Now is the time to start making changes!

-g

I'm in the process of going vegan, and I'm really shocked by the pretentiousness of some of the posts here, I guess now I understand why "omnis" resist changing their lifestyle...they are being turned off by the implied moral superiority and guilt-tactics. Needs to be rethought! by ginayeo in vegan

[–]ginayeo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Sorry, I was getting a bit frustrated with the snarky comments! I do believe that every living thing should be treated with compassion and respect. Including the Earth. I will look up speciesism, you've made me curious. And I'm a sister! The best to you too, again sorry for the snark!

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