whenever I even say vegan, or talk about healthy eating, people get offended and start being mean :S I just don't get why when people don't understand/agree they have to be hatin'!
then dont talk to them about it.. some people tell me about whats they eat.. I really dont care.. Its like as trivial the soap you use. Its not like the topic comes up at the poker table.. chips anyone..
I can get really disgusted in what my friends/family eat! I keep my mouth shut around my friends, but I let some faces slip... I do talk about some of the crazy, sexy, increasingly raw, foods I make though- hoping they begin to pick up on it... As far as my family goes, they just have to put up with my veganistic chauvinism :2thumbsup:
People are mean to me too! Granted most of them are my friends, or peers, But why be mean for eating healthy? I dont sit there and shove frickin fruit down their mouths do I? No. My family on the other hand, I do try to get them to eat better or I bitch constantly about not having healthy food, But they just have to deal with my vegetarian ignorance.
They're behaving like children. Children often make fun of things and ideas that they do not understand... and the more children there are them more likely they'll "gang up" and poke fun... your friends are showing an amusingly fragile side of themselves but by not reacting badly to their bad behavior and meanness you risk inspiring one or two to look into your dietary choices more seriously. Look at their cruelty as an opportunity.
My family thinks I'm a total loon. Everyone is on medication, out of shape, and not looking so good and yet I'm the one that's the asshole. I'm done with the passive aggressive bullshit and just don't want to be around them anymore.
Anything that deviates from the norm(if you can call what most people eat-the norm) invites scorn ,because "you don't believe what I believe". It's scary --it upsets the "balance" in their lives when some deviate from the accepted pushers -of -grease line,and their only way to respond is to lash out. Ignorance is endemic and is dependant on the continued and constant push for the masses--to be "normal" and of course ,not only concerning food .Buy more--buy more now. It's how money is made by the pushers. Serious lack of critical thinking is how I see it. Veganism and vegetarianism are ,to those who research them, are very obviously healthier ways of treating ones body.
Can you give any examples? Is there anyway your behavior is influencing it? A lot of times vegetarians and vegans come off as very arrogant without realizing it. Other times, meat eaters just get pissy because they feel their way of life is being threatened.
Get used to it. You'll deal with this for as long as you're vegetarian or vegan, at least until it becomes more common. As the years pass you learn to laugh it off, laugh at yourself, ignore it, explain politely and with good humour, say you just don't like meat when there's no way you'll get through to a person or develop an interesting dicussion when you know someone is open-minded. It's no problem once you know it's going to be there and youre prepared.
Just laugh it off. This is the best way to deal with being picked on and made fun of. People like to pick on sensitive people. If you laugh it off and act like its not a big deal, they will stop eventually. People that take things way too seriously are easy targets as well. If you act like you take your vegetarianism very seriously, that might be why they choose to pick on you about it. I always make fun of myself before other people can make fun of me. I'm not a vegetarian but this applies to everything in life.
People are always going to be mean to you. There will always be assholes who feel threatened by your choice. Try not giving a fuck.
How long have you been a vegan/veggie? I know when I started this diet there was a lot of hate and teasing going on from my friends and family, it goes away with time. Just let it roll off your back and don't take any of it to heart.
I'm not sure why people like to give such crap over dietary choices. I have members of my family that seem deeply offended by the fact that I don't eat meat. I honestly can't understand it. The best option is to ignore them if possible and get to know some more open minded people.
