Dealing with opionated omnis

There prob are other threads dealing with a similar theme but oh well...

I'm not really self-conscious about things I believe strongly in (such as being vegan) but it seems whenever people find out that you're vegan they always have some sort of opinion. I'm not one to argue or preach I feel confrontation is a waste of time, but I do have to admit it does get rather annoying to hear omnis go on about how silly it is to be vegan or try to tell you that yr wrong. I could provide examples of conversation I've had but I think you know what I'm on about...

I'm curious about you guys deal with these situations.

You may find this thread amusing.

I try to avoid/ignore them when they get like that. I'm so glad I'm not in high school anymore... I was talking a friend over the phone who I knew in high school and is still in high school.... told him I was into veganism, and he started telling me how crazy I was and how it was totally pointless and he loves me because I'm so different even though he insists that I make no sense and dismisses everything I say.

You know your talking to someone and they're asking why you're vegan in a demeaning manner or if you just know they're trying to draw you into a debate and you can't be bothered to go through with all...

Tell them you hate animals and just want nothing to do with them.

Stops them in their tracks every time...

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Sticklebricks

You know your talking to someone and they're asking why you're vegan in a demeaning manner or if you just know they're trying to draw you into a debate and you can't be bothered to go through with all...

Tell them you hate animals and just want nothing to do with them.

Stops them in their tracks every time...

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Good one. I never would have thought of this. :thumbsup:

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Sticklebricks

Tell them you hate animals and just want nothing to do with them.

Stops them in their tracks every time...

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Yes, it's strange how people will accept this view more readily. Yet if you say it's because you like and respect animals they have a problem with it. :confused:

I used to get in loads of arguments when I first went vegan. I have stock answers for things now. Ie

'What DO you eat?'
'Well, everything. Just not animal products.'
'But that doesn't leave much!'
'Well yeah, pulses, vegetables, bread, rice...'
'You can eat bread?'
'Yeah.'
'Oh, that's all right then.'

'Why did you go vegan?'
'Well, I was vegetarian for ages, and then I decided to really research it, and I read into farming methods and that and it was just so appalling that I thought, I can't be part of this.'
[I find that's good as it shows you have researched your stuff, and means they are aware there's huge ethical problems with eating meat, yet you avoid the angry response you get when you actually try and give facts about what happens in, say, dairy production. If they want to know more about specifics they can ask.]

'Don't you care about humans?/Eating meat probably is wrong but I care more about humans.'
'Being vegan doesn't STOP you caring about humans or doing things to help humans.'
[pointing out I'm a medical student often helps deflect this one, too.]

I just find staying calm and giving my stock answers to the moronic stuff rather than taking it too seriously seems to work. I'd find if I took it seriously and really engaged with them they'd get angry and then it would turn into a row. Now I don't end up having rows over this much, partly because I've developed these ways of answering questions. Also I'm more able to just laugh at the idiocy inside my head rather than get upset by it.

You have to remember that while it's the millionth time you've been asked this shit, for them it's the first time they've ever met a vegan. So thye think what they're saying is profoundly original.

Depends on the person...

Some people are genuinely curious and ask questions...

In general, with confrontational people, I just tend to ignore them. One only has so much time and energy and you're not going to 'get through' to somebody wanting to start a fight, or project their guilt on to you.

I'm happy to discuss it, so long as questions are asked and assumptions not made.

Something which never occurs to omnivores is that a vegan is likely to eat far more variety than them.

It's true - probably 99% true. Think about it.

If I tried to list the variety you eat in a week, I'd be here all day.

Try listing an omnivore's diet. It shouldn't take long. 8))

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sandra

Yes, it's strange how people will accept this view more readily. Yet if you say it's because you like and respect animals they have a problem with it. :confused:

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That's because most people dislike animals and want nothing to do with them... same way a lot of people say they hate children and want nothing to do with them, despite having been children themselves at one point. In US culture, we are so disconnected from children. Last night a Dean brought his baby to my floor to roll him around, and we all came out to stare at the baby for like 15-20 minutes. We never see babies on campus!! I'm almost like, "What's a baby?!"

Yes, they just don't 'think deeply' enough about what they are doing. They look at spring lambs running around a field and say 'Isn't that cute?' yet they go home and eat part of a lamb for dinner! :confused:
I find this part of human nature very creepy!

It's the same with people who say they don't like children...........until you have looked after a baby, you can't really say you don't like/want children. :)

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sandra

It's the same with people who say they don't like children...........until you have looked after a baby, you can't really say you don't like/want children. :)

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Oh I dunno, a whole weekend with my grandson, who is two and a half, might make you change your mind. We call him Damian ;)

On the bright side his head hasn't revolved yet.

I see no problem with not liking animals or children. I like animals and not children but I don't go around killing babies. I just wish people that don't like animals would be as courteous :p

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DiaShel

I see no problem with not liking animals or children. I like animals and not children but I don't go around killing babies. I just wish people that don't like animals would be as courteous :p

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I was going to say something similar. I don't want to have children or babies but I don't want to eat them for food either.;):D

(That's funny about your grandson Jiffy.)

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Jiffy

Oh I dunno, a whole weekend with my grandson, who is two and a half, might make you change your mind. We call him Damian ;)

On the bright side his head hasn't revolved yet.

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:D

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DiaShel

I see no problem with not liking animals or children. I like animals and not children but I don't go around killing babies. I just wish people that don't like animals would be as courteous :p

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I sort of feel though that unless I have a reason to dislike someone or something.........why dislike at all? Just be indifferent to them. :p

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sandra

Yes, they just don't 'think deeply' enough about what they are doing. They look at spring lambs running around a field and say 'Isn't that cute?' yet they go home and eat part of a lamb for dinner! :confused:
I find this part of human nature very creepy!

It's the same with people who say they don't like children...........until you have looked after a baby, you can't really say you don't like/want children. :)

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As much as I don't like disagreeing........
I was in the hospital when my nephew was born, and held him when he was 20 minutes old. I then went to see him more or less every day for a fortnight, and looked after him a fair bit. I can most definitely say that I do not want or even like children. That said, I wouldn't wish harm on them at all. I just never ever ever want kids. Have felt that way since I was young and I know that I always will.

I definitely couldn't eat them though......:D

How dare you disagree with me Spud Addict? :mad:.......................:D

(I'm only joking by the way)

p.s. How long did you look after your nephew for, was it just for the fortnight or was it longer? :)

i actually get more annoyed dealing with opinionated vegans :o

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cobweb

i actually get more annoyed dealing with opinionated vegans :o

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:D

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sandra

I sort of feel though that unless I have a reason to dislike someone or something.........why dislike at all? Just be indifferent to them. :p

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Indifferent is boring. I just prefer not to interact with them, be in the same room with them or be in ear shoot of any. Is that so wrong?

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DiaShel

Indifferent is boring. I just prefer not to interact with them, be in the same room with them or be in ear shoot of any. Is that so wrong?

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hell no - i often feel that way :D
(actually i often feel that way about humans in general!)

Me too Cobweb! :D
Sure, aren't we all just children who have grown up?
Well, some of us are. :rolleyes: (Not mentioning any names like......my husband!:D)

Growing up? I can't be doing with any of that, life's too short.

The only thing that keeps me going is the burning desire to live long enough to be a burden to my children ;)

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Jiffy

Growing up? I can't be doing with any of that, life's too short.

The only thing that keeps me going is the burning desire to live long enough to be a burden to my children ;)

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Hee hee, that's cruel but very funny! :D

The typical human response to things they don't understand is to ridicule. People have this image of vegans that they are pale, malnourished, stick thin and eat nothing but sticks and spinach. And just about everyone who is quick to criticize your convictions has some anecdote about a friend's sister's boyfriend's cousin who went vegan to lose weight and how they ended up in the emergency room with anemia.

My best advice is to educate those who are seeking information and ignore those who only want to argue and bring you down. You aren't going to change their minds, so there's no point in frustrating yourself by arguing with the willfully ignorant.

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CrunchyMomma

People have this image of vegans that they [...]eat nothing but sticks and spinach.

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This is a bone (hah!) of contention with me. I would put down a bet that we (meaning that personally, I can't speak for anyone else) eat far more variety than 99% of meat eaters.

I mentioned a meal we ate not long ago as being delicious (cauliflower with ground nuts) and an omni said "Is that all?". It would have been great on its own, it was so good but I explained that we ate it with potatoes, green peas, onions, carrots and a variety of salad crops - if that had been a beefburger, what would they have eaten it with? Fries and white bread, maybe?

It would be interesting to compare some typical omnivores' diet and some typical vegans'.

I'm afraid I was rather naughty the other day.

With it being Easter we had all our grown up parasites children round for Lunch. As ever SWMBO had gone totally overboard with the decoration, particularly on the table. Not content with daffodils all over the place she had those little fluffy chicks scattered about. Eldest son picked a blue one up and said 'oh look this one has had an electric shock' to which I replied 'no, I think you will find that in order to facilitate your egg consumption they are usually gassed or fed into a wood chipper if they are male'.

Bit below the belt perhaps, but he was due some payback for all the arsey 'Vaygun' comments I have had to endure.

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Jiffy

I'm afraid I was rather naughty the other day.

With it being Easter we had all our grown up parasites children round for Lunch. As ever SWMBO had gone totally overboard with the decoration, particularly on the table. Not content with daffodils all over the place she had those little fluffy chicks scattered about. Eldest son picked a blue one up and said 'oh look this one has had an electric shock' to which I replied 'no, I think you will find that in order to facilitate your egg consumption they are usually gassed or fed into a wood chipper if they are male'.

Bit below the belt perhaps, but he was due some payback for all the arsey 'Vaygun' comments I have had to endure.

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I like it, I was given a card with 2 chicks on the front and made some comment about them being crushed. Only BB heard me though:(