Vegetarians get pegged as intolerant jerks all the time -- with their holier-than-thou eating habits and their "I can't eat anything with a face." But look who the real intolerant jerks are. USA Today and Match.com surveyed some single vegetarians to see if they would be willing to date meat eaters. And they asked meat eaters if they would be willing to date vegetarians.
Almost all the vegetarians said they'd be willing to date a meat eater! Only 4 percent said they wouldn't. But carnivores? A whole 30 percent of them said they would reject a vegetarian. Meat eaters, where is the love?!?
Well, well, well. Look who's more open minded: Vegetarians. As someone who likes to poke fun at vegetarians every so often: OUCH. All this time we've been giving veggies crap about being so self-righteous and persnickety. What meat eater hasn't secretly felt judged by vegetarians? We just assume that if a vegetarian makes a choice about her food based on her ethics (or other strong feelings), she's going to disapprove of anyone who makes the opposite choice, right? And that's why meat eaters are so wary of vegetarians: They're afraid of being harshly judged.
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It's a pre-emptive strike. Meat eaters reject vegetarians before vegetarians can reject them.
Well it turns out vegetarians are a bit more flexible than that. They're in the minority, and that tends to make you a little more compassionate towards people who are different from you. They're constantly making accommodations, meeting you at that restaurant that has only one vegetarian dish, making do with just the corn and salad at the barbecue. Sure they complain sometimes -- but you would, too, if you were living in a vegetarian world.
I'm not a vegetarian, but many of my friends are veggies. And they couldn't care less what I eat. Most of them care way more about their relationships with friends and family than how most folks get their protein.
Oh god. I hope vegetarians don't start getting all judgy and self-righteous about being less judgy and self-righteous than carnivores...
Did the survey surprise you? Did you know meat eaters could be more intolerant than vegetarians?
Image via gamene/Flickr
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Comments 47
Carnists aren't afraid of being judged by vegetarians, they are afraid of having to explore and examine their own food choices.
The vegan movement is moving fast and furious! Here are two uplifting videos to help everyone understand why the number of vegans has doubled in less than 3 years and why so many are making this life affirming choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKr4HZ7ukSE and http://www.veganvideo.org
Family members were also always at me to eat meat, too. "Just a little taste. You don't know what you're missing." Yeah, I did.
That said, on the whole, I found in my experience vegans and vegetarians tend to be more judgemental. Even after protestations they just want to have their lifestyles in peace, they then rag on those who eat meat as horrible and gross, disgusting. Only a few comments so far on this post, and there's already several who did just that.
I'm vegan and I choose to raise my children vegan untill they are old enough to choose for themselves. My husband eats meat and supports raising the children vegan however most people think I a horrid mother because of it. They say "Why don't you let them choose for themselves?" and I say "Well, because they are CHILDREN. If I let them make all their own choices now they would eat nothing but candy and have no bed time. Do you let your children make all their own choices? No you provide them with what YOU feel is the healthiest choice for them until they are mature enough to make their own educated decisions." Just because people don't agree with our life style don't assume that we're forcing an 'unhealthy' belief on our children. Most people wouldn't judge Jewish families for choosing to feed their family kosher! Oh and also, I cook and serve my husband meat and dairy and apparently I'm really good at it! :)
Vegans and vegetarians wouldn't be considered "pushy" and arrogant if they didn't always have to defend themselves to meat eaters. I always get crap about it. I never push my beliefs. Also PETA doesn't help! I'm vegan and I HATE PETA they make the rest of us look like total judgemental douches and their scare tactics disgrace those of us who are just trying to do what we feel is right for us. SUCK IT PETA!!!!