Anger

Ever since I began a vegetarian lifestyle, I've told myself that I would respect the decisions of those who decide to eat animals and animal byproducts. This has been successful for many years; instead of simply yelling at people, I've taken a nonviolent approach by offering materials which give information about the animal production process and ways to adapt to a vegetarian lifestyle. Lately, however, I am losing patience and amiability. The more I articles I read and videos I watch about animal production, the more angry I get at friends and family. I haven't openly expressed this anger, but I can feel it building up. I am not only angry at their eating meat, but at their unwillingness to learn about what they're putting in to their bodies, as well as the process by which the food gets to their plates. They often tell me that they can't stand watching videos of animal production (but of course, they're willing to eat the final product). I really can't cope with it anymore. I'm the only vegetarian among both family and friends. And like I said, I try not to be too pushy when it comes to converting meat-eaters to vegetarianism, but now I can't help pointing out these things to them. It just seems fair. I'm all out of ways of expressing myself kindly. After watching this video, for instance, I just can't respect anyone's decision to eat meat.

I don't know if this all seem irrational, but it's how I feel. Has anyone else felt this way? If so, how did you cope with it?


PB

 

There are a lot of people in your situation. Not all vegetarians.
Some are Marxists. Others anarchists. Others feminists. Others Christians. Others white supremacists who've seen their quality of life deteriorate and their parent's jobs disappear simultaneously with the influx of immigrants into their neighborhood.

Whatever the righteousness or lack thereof of their cause, they are all unable to explain why the entirety of humanity does not rank and file behind them, under such a beautiful ideal. I mean, isn't it obvious?

How could you not stand for racial equality? Or the class struggle? Or the environment? Or for the discovery of a cure for HIV/AIDS? How could you not give priority to electing the democratic representative of your district? Or to give to charity so that little children in Africa don't starve? Or to further spacial exploration? Or scientology? Or to Krishna?

The answer is, because it's not obvious... I have seen videos of factory farms and I have just come from Wendy's. I am much closer to social causes at the expense of environmental ones. But even then with a grain of salt.

I see humans not as separate from nature but very much a part of it. And nature to me does not appear idyllic and peaceful, but a struggle, full of impermanent and unstable elements vying for temporal survival. Cruel at times, beautiful at times.

I also have an individual experience: my cousin looks malnourished to this day because her mother - my aunt - refused to give her cow milk growing up despite the warnings from my mother - who's a doctor - that that could lead the growth deficiencies.

There is no right or wrong answer, and that will anger people who are utopian-minded and utterly convinced of their viewpoint. People who are resentful that this world is not a vegetarian Garden of Eden, or a Marxist Garden of Eden, or a feminist one, or an anarchist one...you get my drift.

Not to sound too caustic or cynical, but enjoy the process of struggling for what you think is right, and understand that the results will always be incomplete. Whatever your decision toward your family, enjoy the challenges from people of opposing viewpoints for its own sake.

Call me an existentialist. How could one be anything other than an existentialist I ask? But I won't let it sour my days...

 

When you lose respect.... wow I don't even know how to finish that sentence...

Thats the worse. Have patience with people, love them as much as the cause you support, thats the best way. Their your brothers and sisters too, not just the animal spirits, and we are ALL wrong at times. We are all at different stages of our development and you should always respect, though no necessarily agree, with where one chooses to place themselves, otherwise if you don't respect the individual, how can you respect the unity of the world and the energy that flows through it. That thought pattern will lead to much internal struggle.

Brace yourself sister, find elightenment but don't force it on others. That has been the cause of alot of violence and persercution over all the years humans have roamed the earth. I Know its hard, but don't let it warp your natural goodness and caring you obviously have to haveeven write this post.

 

I like the underlined part. I would add that enlightment simply cannot be forced unto others. It is only arrived at through one's direct experience.

One can only influence others through example.

 

Yeah I hear you.
Every movement has it's critics, we're breaking centuries old norms, of course people don't want to get out of their comfort zones. Hell yes you're angry, you've every right to be, it's a nightmare on an almost unimaginable scale.

So I'm not going to tell you to get over yourself, they probably said that to Martin Luther King and imagine where we'd be if he'd listened.
That said you can't take on this burden alone. All we can do is be the change we wish to see, get involved in some activism, talk to like minded people, savour the small victories. Our ultimate hopes probably won't happen soon, maybe not even in our lifetime, but working together we can still make a diffrence.

 

Last time I checked, MLK was far from an embittered and angry personality.

 

I think the key to not getting frustrated with people is to remember that you were once one of them. There was a time when you munched burgers and steaks and chicken and pork chops.

I knew vegetarians. I didn't think that much about the WHY of their vegetarianism, even if they said something about it to me. I was ignorant.

Now I know better, but I cannot expect everyone to come to the same conclusion as me just because I have been enlightened. I must be patient and gentle and forgiving.

 

Part of me is afraid of venturing into the vegan hardcore territory of vegetarianism becuase of feelings like this. It would be easier now that my boyfriend is pescoterian with me, but I am still afriad of going so extreme in my beliefs that it alienates me. Like not being able to sit a table and eat with nonvegetarians (eating is social to me, and the family coming together is important to me). It's just to extreme for me. Meat is gross to me, but I don't get angry if I smell it or angry at those who eat it. I once ate meat (and eat fish occasionally now) and I remember telling a vegetarian the reason meat taste so good is bC

 

Part of me is afraid of venturing into the vegan hardcore territory of vegetarianism becuase of feelings like this. It would be easier now that my boyfriend is pescoterian with me, but I am still afriad of going so extreme in my beliefs that it alienates me. Like not being able to sit a table and eat with nonvegetarians (eating is social to me, and the family coming together is important to me). It's just too extreme for me. Meat is gross to me, but I don't get angry if I smell it or angry at those who eat it. I once ate meat (and eat fish occasionally now) and I remember telling a vegetarian back then the reason meat tastes so good is because it taste like murder and murder taste good. I mean can you believe how far I've come now? We've all been ignorant and are ignorant still if we are not in touch with divine truth, which none of us on this planetary existance are. Feel for them and educate, but don't preach. For me example is what turned me on. Watching my vegan friend and wondering why he didn't have to wear deodarant and I did, why I smelt when I sweeted and he didn't. Why he was like 50/60 years old and looked no older than 40. And then working in restaruants and learning all the weird diseases you can get from meat, but not vegetables, unless they touch meat, did it for me. No anger though, never.

 

I know exactly how you feel.. But you really gotta respect people. They aren't aware of what happens in the meat industry and if they wanna know they can find out. They aren't intentionally doing something bad. So you can't blame them. You can always tell them something you learned about it in little snippets just to make conversation but don't push it. Maybe thats still rude.. I don't know. But it IS rude to openly express that you think someone's food is gross when they eat it, as much as you may want to. My boyfriend eats meat and I realized recently that I've been really rude about it and that he shouldn't have to listen to me saying his food is gross.. (though I do tell him fast food is gross cuz it is! but I don't say his meat is gross ya know).

Hey maybe what you can do is put out some veg magazines like on people's cars and stuff. Its not disrespectful, just informative, and not to your loved ones. And it might help you get some of that anger out.

 

I've been vegan for a yr (vegetarian since 8) and I still cant get over the people who make the unwise choice to eat meat