Can't help preaching to people

[Daffodil]

does anyone else do this? since being vegan I feel so healthy and at one with nature etc that I just want everyone else to feel this good, so I can't help preaching to people when they eat "bad" foods infront of me....(i must be so annoying) I feel like I've seen the light.

You know when you see those religious people in the street spreading the word of God I can understand now how they feel (an I'm an atheist)...they just want everyone to feel as great as they do.

[Kate1978]

Being vegan is great and because we have "seen the truth" and naturally we want others to see it too. But I'm guessing that you get a load of static in response.

Of course not everybody is ready for the truth, are they? To quote Confucius "People cannot be taught. People must learn". In order to stay sane I now plant little seeds of vegan knowledge, but only if they have expressed an interest in learning about it. I still get hostility from some quarters but you can't win em all. :D

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

my best friend is an omnivore, but I don't preach. He's starting to get concerned about his health idk why hes fairly healthy, just has to quit smoking. Anyway, he's seen how healthy I've become through eating properly and riding my bike. He always asks me for dietary advice, mainly because he's concerned about fat content in food.

So whenever he eats with me, he chooses vegan and veg options, and he loves them. We went to this vegan fast food restaurant and he was raving about the burger he had as well as the vegan pizza we had earlier. I actually am starting to see him eat meat less and less. I'm thinking he's considering vegetarianism but I'm not pushing cos if he wants to he'll come to.

[ShariBlackVelvet]

I think I sometimes do this more online than offline. Usually something causes me to have a rant - like I'll see something about animal cruelty in the paper or someone else will post about something and it will just bug me so much that I have to say something. It's hard because you know how awesome and easy it is to be vegan and cruelty free and when you see others that aren't it is frustrating.

[everdream]

A lot of my friends are vegetarians. I find it harder to bite my toungue around them than round omnivores. I just want to yell HYPOCRITE at them sometimes. (The one's who do it for welfare issues)

But yeah, I also know what you mean about street preachers now. Although I wouldn't go that far myself, I can understand why others do it, and can emphasise with their frustrations.

[Kate1978]

A lot of my friends are vegetarians. I find it harder to bite my toungue around them than round omnivores. I just want to yell HYPOCRITE at them sometimes. (The one's who do it for welfare issues)
.

I know what you mean about veggies. I think, rightly or wrongly, we have higher expectations of them and that they should know better. I know a couple of almost vegans and I tread very carefully as they are reaching a tipping point and I am confident they will come over to the dark side. ;)

When I am frustrated with veggies I remind myself that I was once there myself, and not so very long ago.

[Daffodil]

glad it's not just me then lol

[emmadilemma]

I was the same for the first few years but discovered over time that preaching tends to get peoples backs up and send them in the other direction....they get nosey if ya just say nothin then when they do ask bout ur lifestyle etc u have a captive audience ...producing a healthy veggie filled lunch while they sit wit their disgusting artery cloggin greasy one helps too :)

[Lord Perennialist]

I was the same for the first few years but discovered over time that preaching tends to get peoples backs up and send them in the other direction....they get nosey if ya just say nothin then when they do ask bout ur lifestyle etc u have a captive audience ...producing a healthy veggie filled lunch while they sit wit their disgusting artery cloggin greasy one helps too :)

I've had the same experience too. Bringing up your veganism everytime you meet a carnivore always puts them off the subject, and then you have to scramble to undo your harm. People simply aren't receptive if you try to force the question. But if you just let your veganism be and they start to notice, then they will start asking questions. Then you have an in. I think St. Francis' words apply here: "Preach at all times... if necessary use words."

[Lord Perennialist]

x- that's annoying, it posted twice

[emmadilemma]

Or as someone not very vegan once said...."u catch more flies with honey" :)

[Sarabi]

There's a time and a place for advocacy, I think... but personally, I love when people ask the questions. And I want to learn about people, too. What are they thinking? Why do they eat meat, considering they're a kind person? Lately, I think I've just gotten lucky... I am surrounded by wonderful, kind, thoughtful, active people.... none of them are vegan, but I feel so intimate with them. I just want to learn about them. And they want to learn about me. They want to learn about veganism - why I'm vegan. Or maybe I just think they all do because I want to learn about them! But a few of them did explicitly express interest in learning at least something about veganism, or moving in that direction, due to my influence. I think that when you just love people and care about them and want to learn about them.... if they are that kind of person, too, at all, they may turn to you and feel the same way.

:D

Either that, or it's all in my head! But I have just told people... I'm doing a vegan outreach internship, it's something I'm passionate about... I use the word "vegan" a lot, and mention what I've been up to. Or I tell them my story in a trusting way... like I just want to share my story. It seems to be working better for me so far (kind of recent)... focusing on sharing *me*, veganism from *my* eyes, rather than telling a story that depicts veganism as involving an ominous cloud that will pour rain on us all. I have been showing people my feelings of ardor that ultimately they would need to feel for themselves to understand the beauty of it... Mind you, I didn't plan all of this out exactly... it just happened. Time will tell if it is durable!

[janetc]

My husband preaches to me about the foods I eat (I'm not the world's healthiest vegan), and it annoys me.

Since you are an atheist, does it annoy you when people try to change your beliefs by preaching to you about God and going to heaven?

This is my opinion only, but some people (and I'm not talking about any of you) don't preach because they want people to feel good, but to hold themselves superior to the preachee. I think there is a degree of this in every "ism," probably.

I'm loving the fact that you feel so good. Again, my opinion, the best vegans I know are those who live the life and by their example, inspire others. I bet people see changes in you, right? They will see how wonderful veganism is in the way you live/look/act, not by trying to impose your beliefs on others who don't ask for it.

I do love your enthusiasm, though!

[Kate1978]

Or as someone not very vegan once said...."u catch more flies with honey" :)

I like it!

Though of course being vegans we'd use maple syrup or agave :p

[*live*&*let*live]

Not sure this is off topic as this is the opposite to the title...I wish my hubbie WOULD preach!! Probably being harsh but I just wish he would have the courage of his convictions and stand up for what he believes in. He's a vegetarian for about six months and he admits it's because I 'rubbed off on him'. Yesterday he went to his brothers 40th (I didn't). They were having a bbq and were cooking his and his brothers wife's veggie burgers to one side on the bbq! I wasn't impressed when he told me. But then when one of his brother's friends asked him why he was vegetarian my o/h said for health reasons! The bloke said, 'Oh God, for one minute there I thought you were going to say for the animals!' My o/h said that was it too, but he 'didn't want to get into it'.
I know that the bloke is really challenging and my o/h didn't want to get into a debate, but I said to him that he should NEVER be afraid to state his views and he can always add that he doesn't wish to preach, but he feels the way he feels for a reason.
If I had been there I think I would probably have got on my soapbox, in a diplomatic way as it was someone's birthday and I was a guest in their home etc etc but I really can't stand people who take the p*ss, like it's not your right to have feelings and emotions for other sentient beings. I'm like HOW DARE YOU!!
In answer to your ? then I don't preach, but am often asked and I am informative rather than preachy, however I can hold my own in a debate if it leads to that, however I do tend to end up in tears as I am so passionate! Better that than aggressive! :bigsmile: I'm fed up of some of my friends showing interest and others asking me not to reply as they are eating! Talk about turning a blind eye. A few of my other friends have said that if they had to go out and kill their own food then they would be vegetarian, they 'don't see it as an animal when it is packaged in the supermarket' !! I think we should have photos next to the meat of what it actually is you are eating. :satisfied: x

[Kate1978]

I really can't stand people who take the p*ss, like it's not your right to have feelings and emotions for other sentient beings. I'm like HOW DARE YOU!!

I know, it's like you're silly or soft or beneath contempt in some way. Grr!


they 'don't see it as an animal when it is packaged in the supermarket'

Like a woman I know who will only eat sausages and burgers, but not steak or meat that "looks like it comes from an animal" FFS!

[*live*&*let*live]

Like a woman I know who will only eat sausages and burgers, but not steak or meat that "looks like it comes from an animal" FFS!



I know BONKERS!! Skewed logic or what?! :mad:

[baby_vicuña]

^ Ridiculous but also unsurprising *sigh*

I get too passionate when I "debate" about any subject I care about, so I tend to avoid preaching of any kind. I come off the wrong way and people start to dislike me. I answer questions when asked and do my best not to hide my veganism, atheism, etc.

"Preach at all times... if necessary use words."

:thumbsup: Good words to live by, though not with the original religious meaning, for me at least.

[Sarabi]

I know BONKERS!! Skewed logic or what?! :mad:
Um... that is basically my logic before I gave up animal products. I was asked to go fishing with a guy and his daughter, while we were eating dinner. I said I didn't want to kill fish. The daughter asked if I was vegetarian. I said, "No. I just ate fried shrimp." She said, "Oh. Well, what's the problem with killing them then, if you're going to eat them anyway?" I had never really thought about it before. Then she said, "Aren't Buddhists supposed to be vegetarian?" I said, "I've never heard of such a rule."

But that was the first time I started thinking about vegetarianism as something other than "Other." Within a few short months, I was vegan.

[lorikan]

Well, I only say sometime when someone has given me a snide, off-putting remark (in my opinion).

My daughter's boyfriend (Who proudly proclaimed himself a "hard-core carnivore" in the middle of my vegan meetup) was in the store with me while I was buying chick peas in a can. He had the nerve to say, "Ya Ms. healthy, those are high in sodium." Grrrr... So, that is when I went on a bit of a preaching spree about how you don't tell a vegan something is high in sodium while you cram meat in your face or you are going to get a lecture. A little bit of sodium in my chick peas is not hurting the animals.... and so on. I am sure he will not say something like that again.

[DiaShel]

Like a woman I know who will only eat sausages and burgers, but not steak or meat that "looks like it comes from an animal" FFS!

Well, at least she is showing some guilt. She seems to realize eating animals is wrong because she doesn't like to be reminded that is what she is eating. It's a starting point. I never liked to eat anything on a bone and now I'm vegan.

[baby_vicuña]

^ Good point :thumbsup:

[vercimus]

What I love (but kinda hate at the same time) is when a person asks me about my veganism, and then goes on to say "well, I don't eat much meat" or "I think I eat about as many vegetables as meat."

I don't preach, but I answer questions whenever they pop up and I make sure I make my points clear. I've often had trouble with people trying to change the subject while I'm talking though; they ask me a question, but really don't want to hear the answer.

I know plenty of people that feel both guilty and disgusted when reminded of what they're eating. It's incredible how people can partition their brains like that.

[baby_vicuña]

What I love (but kinda hate at the same time) is when a person asks me about my veganism, and then goes on to say "well, I don't eat much meat" or "I think I eat about as many vegetables as meat."
That happened to me yesterday. My friend said, "Well like I eat meat and yogurt and stuff, but not like a lot. And I don't eat junk food or anything." :rolleyes:

[vercimus]

It's so weird when you can tell people are trying to validate their lifestyle like that. I just don't get it!