Meat Eaters Secretly Wish They Were Vegan.
Every so often I hear comments (or NPR articles) that suggest that vegans and vegetarians secretly want to eat meat. As though people who have dedicated themselves to the reduced suffering of other beings crave the taste of flesh covered in wing sauce or thinly sliced and fried. Whenever I hear defensive meat eaters make these claims I have to wonder, “maybe it’s meat eaters who secretly wish they were vegan.”
Really, vegans and meat eaters want the same things out of life but only being vegan can actually provide some of them. For example:
1) Everyone wants a long life. Studies have shown time and time again that a diet free from animal products contributes to long life. Animal products are the only foods that contain heart stopping cholesterol so going vegan means having a zero-cholesterol diet.
2) Everyone wants to be beautiful. A vegan diet has proven to help clear up acne and create healthy smooth skin. Also, a vegan diet can help you lose weight. Avoiding animal products means eliminating most of the more fattening foods such as meat and cheese. I know that when I went vegan I dropped about 7 pounds in the first week eating mostly vegan pizza and veggie burgers and not classically healthy foods.
3) Everyone wants to be seen as compassionate. There are those who posture about being uncaring in hopes that they’ll appear tough but underneath it all everyone wants to be seen as compassionate. Compassionate people get more dates, more sex, and have more friends. Knowing that you’re doing your part to not contribute to someone else’s suffering also feels good and everyone wants more of that in their life.
4) Everyone wants to be special. In a world where everyone is obsessing over their Facebook and wanting people to notice them for their individuality, vegans tend to stand out even without trying. There are some vegans who like this more than others but not eating animals makes you unique. Since I became vegan I haven’t been out to a meal with friends or to a party where my diet hasn’t been the center of the conversation. Even if I make an effort not to bring it up, someone at the table will comment on my order and we’ll begin a great discussion of the issues and why I choose to be vegan.
When someone is very defensive about their meat eating I always feel a little uncomfortable. I don’t feel guilty about being vegan so when I see that they feel guilty about their diet I urge them to question it. Meat eaters want all these things for their lives and sooner or later will have to admit that the easiest way to get them is to go vegan.
C’mon meat eaters, admit you want to be vegan and get on with it already.
