People hating on vegetarians

The Internet.

For example, think of what happens to the guy who doesn't drink alcohol when he goes to a party. Sometimes he get shit for it from the drunks. Sober people make drunks uneasy because they reject what the rest of the group is doing. While the sober person may not believe alcohol is bad, his actions give the rest of the partygoers a different impression that they may react poorly to.

It's to be expected. Your vegetarianism will somtimes make others uneasy. Sometimes they will interpret your refusal to eat meat as a criticism of their own beliefs. Just don't be the first to talk about it and people will get it that you're not some condescending PETA supporter.

I agree that 'meat pride' people are terribly annoying as well. But, admit it, man, vegetarians are the Urkels of modern dining-out civilization.

Beyond that, though, honestly, and all kidding aside, I think it's just one of those things where people hate on what they don't understand. Even I get annoyed when my wife orders a Whopper without meat at Burger King and the troglodyte behind the counter repeats incredulously "no MEAT?" It's like, fuck you asshole. Go deep fry your GED.

The lessons we learned early on are appplicable here - just ignore them dude. Whining just makes you an easier target.

It's the same with attractive female virgins. All other females hate them.

xpost: I mean the coffee thing not the Zimmerman Bomber

2.) When you pop up among strangers and start talking about a topic like this one, no matter how much you say it's just an offhand question, people are going to get defensive. I mean, c'mon -- you've surely seen enough of the world to know that most people who approach strangers to discuss things like this are usually angling to prosyletize them or sell them something.

3.) E.g., how would you respond to this?

So recently my (non-Scientologist) partner started some college work, and sshe chose the topic Scientologists and Scientology...as I am a Scientologist she has gotten quite an insight into my beliefs and this was somewhat helpful.

She posted a topic on a few website forums, which was simply a questionnaire for Scientologists to fill in about why they have made their choices, and how, or what could make them change their minds. Just for research.

I responded, and unfortunately all we have recieved from people is abuse. People assuming she too is a Scientologist, and actual hatred towards us for this. I tried explaining that I am just a person who's found contentment by following the teachings of the great L Ron Hubbard. I also explained about the hopelessness and lack of purpose that can come from modern life without those teachings. Never ever have I told people they too should turn into Scientologists, or tried to change the world!

I'll get me coat.

For example, think of what happens to the guy who doesn't drink alcohol when he goes to a party. Sometimes he get shit for it from the drunks. Sober people make drunks uneasy because they reject what the rest of the group is doing. While the sober person may not believe alcohol is bad, his actions give the rest of the partygoers a different impression that they may react poorly to.

happens. Get better friends, dude!

Who said they were my friends?

This is true, but a lot of our fellow vegetarians/vegans are condescending assholes.

I've known some vegetarians like that

xpost yes, well that is the point I'm making, I suppose, MW.

Fortunately most of the non-drinkers and vegetarians I know are non-judgmental about others' consumption.

but seriously, you do realize that compared to vegetarians, carnivores are far, far more likely to act like complete assholes at the dinner table?

However, I do still crash parties every now and then.

I mean, the only problem I've ever had either way is like trying to make sure a restaurant or event has both options available for people, which isn't usually a huge hassle. I've never actually been in the presence of someone, vegetarian or meat-eating, who ridiculed what anyone else at the table was eating or took political stances during the meal or anything. The closest was maybe my grandmother giving me a bit of chiding because I was a vegetarian but then she decided it was funny and left it be. I'm actually mesmerized by the polarization here. I understand it like in terms of actual discussions ie online or debates or school projects--but DURING DINNER? Social occasions? What are y'all smoking?

whoa, whoa, WHOA! This is the most nonsensical (and obviously unprovable) thing I've ever seen on ILE.

-- jhoshea (totalwizar...), January 26th, 2007.

OTM.

Again, it isn't always friends. I work in a professional setting, and so have dinner/lunch with plenty of people who I wouldn't otherwise hang out with. Beyond that, I live in the general proximity of Berkeley, which is an epicenter for annoying, self-righteous vegetarians. If you leave the house with any regularity, they are unavoidable.

good night everybody, the governor's tofu was fuckin' amazing like always. hong kong cafe is the best chinese food in the midwest.

My bassist just got back from Turkey. While he was there, he ate sandwiches every day from some guy with a street cart. Only the last day did he learn that the meat was sheep colon.

Migraine, dude. Migraine. Have to cut it out unless I actually want mad headaches.

If you think it's morally wrong to eat meat, then of course that's a religious reason -- you can't prove something is wrong or not, you just have to take it on faith, base it on your presumably intuitive understanding of the world, of what is right and what is wrong.

Similarly, if you think it's morally justifiable to eat meat, that is also a religious belief. (See, for instance, Aimless, above.)

It's possible that you don't know or care whether it's right or wrong to eat meat, and eat it or don't eat it for pragmatic reasons.

It's that middle sentence: sure, you're not trying to convert people or anything, but explaining the cruelty of meat is another way of saying to meat-eaters 'you're responsible for animal cruelty, and also you're ignorant'. I don't know many people who enjoy being told this? It's hard avoiding trying to justify yourself in that sort of situation, but any attempt to do so will sound judgmental and put people's backs up, so you kind of have to stop at 'but the wee fwuffy bunnies are my fwends and i willna eat them' or 'i don't much like the taste of meat and it's effin expensive'. It's like people who won't stop at telling you they're on a diet (which i hate btw, because how can you respond sympathetically without basically saying 'yer fat' or 'yer delusional'?) but need to explain to you that the meal on your plate is crammed with bad naughty starches and will kill you according to doctor whatsit whereas their plate piled high with tasteless low-cal plastic food is the height of healthfulness. They're too proud to accept just being characterised as a picky eater.

People who take the high moral ground are annoying, and so are those who make a fuss about themselves: it's not really a surprise that people associate those two things with vegetarianism, which often has an ethical base? Also, god, I hate the term 'omnivore', I know there's no better term for that sort of a diet but on vegan recipe/nutrition/lifestyle websites they keep using it and making these smug little digs at people with meat in their diet and you just want to slap them. All I want to know is good sources of b12 and selenium!

I have an adverse reaction to people who drink mochas: either drink actual coffee or drink hot chocolate, ladies! Not some godforsaken hybrid!

"It's that middle sentence: sure, you're not trying to convert people or anything, but explaining the cruelty of meat is another way of saying to meat-eaters 'you're responsible for animal cruelty, and also you're ignorant'. I don't know many people who enjoy being told this?"

otm! that's basically it, really.

fwiw i've never had problems with vegetarians/vegans.

Yes, we're here to enterain you.

But, ah, the great paradox! Hunting is also better for the environment (and oftentimes, animals) than NOT hunting. So where do you stand on that?

Or anyone who thinks a one-shot latte with three different flavor syrups, tons of sugar, whipped cream and then more carmel and chocolate syrup should still be called "coffee."

Ooooh! You so challenge me with one big wet load of a claim, Sir!

On the other hand, do they make sustainable bullets?

Also, can we please stop talking about "the environment" like it's all the same thing and like everything we do is either "good for it" or "bad for it"

this made me laugh.

"Go deep fry your GED."

so did this. sorry. carry on.

Hunters also consistently support conservation measures and adhere to limits and restrictions that benefit individual species. Hunter advocacy groups are "environmentalists" according to most definitions of the word.

And most of them are not shrieking upper class college educated stoners, so easier to deal with on the whole, as far as I'm concerned.

http://freephone.chat.ru/games/alf.jpg

Hunters also consistently support conservation measures and adhere to limits and restrictions that benefit individual species. Hunter advocacy groups are "environmentalists" according to most definitions of the word.

And most of them are not shrieking upper class college educated stoners, so easier to deal with on the whole, as far as I'm concerned.

-- Spine Swine (eat...), January 27th, 2007. (Roger Fidelity)

Even forgetting my prior objection to "the environment," if you were going to go purely on environmental grounds wouldn't it be better then to have some people doing limited hunting AND everyone eating a mostly vegetarian diet?

Got protein?

http://www.horizontalbowhunter.com/news/images/Ted%20Nugent%2001.jpg

Then there are the hunters who get drunk on quail hunts and shoot their friends in the face with birdshot. Those types, not so pro-conservation.