If you became a vegan a week ago, or have been vegan all your life, there are people in your environment who condemn plant-based nutrition. Surely at least one colleague said that the plants are also a pity. To fight back against the smart guys, we’ve put together five stereotypes that are no more relevant today than a landline phone.
1. “All vegans are informals”
Yes, in the 1960s, hippies were among the first to massively switch to vegetarian food as a more humane diet. But these pioneers of the movement only paved the way. Now, many still keep in mind the image of a vegan with long hair and disheveled clothes. But life has changed, and people with a distorted view do not know many facts. Vegans are found in all social spheres – this is a US senator, a pop star, a theoretical physicist. And you still think of vegans as savages?
2. Vegans are skinny weaklings
Studies show that vegetarians tend to weigh less than carnivores. But the label “weakling” is completely unfair, just look at vegan athletes in different sports. Do you want facts? We list: UFC fighter, former NFL defenseman, world-class weightlifter. How about speed and endurance? Let’s remember the Olympic champion, super marathon runner, “iron man”. They, like many other vegans, have proven that achievements in big-time sports do not depend on eating meat.
3. “All vegans are evil”
Anger at animal suffering, human disease, and environmental destruction is driving vegans to forego animal products. But those who get angry because of the injustice around them are not at all evil people in general. Many carnivores picture vegans as constantly yelling “eating meat is murder” and throwing paint at people in fur coats. There are such cases, but this is not the rule. Many vegans live like everyone else, treating others with courtesy and respect. For example, celebrities such as the actress, talk show host, and king of hip hop have spoken out in public against animal cruelty, but they do so with dignity and grace rather than anger.
4. Vegans are arrogant know-it-alls
Another stereotype is the notion that vegans are “fan-finging”, turning up their noses at the rest of the world. Meat-eaters feel that vegans are putting pressure on them, and in turn, pay back with the same coin, stating that vegans do not get enough protein, they eat inadequately. They justify themselves by claiming that God gave humans the right to rule over animals and that plants also experience pain. The very fact that vegans don’t eat meat makes other people feel guilty and defensive. Understanding vegan activists know the nature of these emotional reactions. , chief executive of Vegan Outreach, advises his activists: “Don’t argue. Give information, be honest and humble… Don’t be complacent. Nobody is perfect, nobody has all the answers.”
5. “Vegans don’t have a sense of humor”
Many meat eaters make fun of vegans. The author believes that this is because meat-eaters subconsciously sense danger and use humor as a defense mechanism. In his book, The Meat Eaters’ Survival Guide, he writes that one teenager took ridicule as an endorsement of his vegetarian choice. People only laughed at him because they wanted to look their best. Luckily, vegan comedians like the talk show host, star, and cartoonist make people laugh, but not at animal suffering or people with a vegetarian choice.