McFeatherHLF - Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to convert anybody, quite a few of my friends are vegetarian and I’ve never even jokingly tried to tempt them with meat. Nor am I saying that we’re “supposed” to eat meat. Like you said, I’m just curious
On a related note, I’ve always wondered…and I’m sure this varies from person to person…does it disgust you (a vegetarian) to see someone else eating meat? Like I said, I have a lot of veg. friends and I’d hate to think that they’re grossed out every time I eat a burger around them, or talk about BBQ, etc…
hobbes730 – Personally, no, it doesn’t disgust me to see other people eating meat, provided I don’t think about it too much. I could work myself up into getting grossed out about it if I focused on it, and thinking about eating meat myself is disturbing to me.
I’m sure I could work myself up into being a vegan if I thought about what eggs and milk “really are” all the time, as well. I can’t drink milk plain or eat eggs plain for this reason, they have to be in something.
But, I used to eat meat when I was younger, and it’s hard to be too disgusted by something one sees everyday and is brought up with. It’s like hearing sad stories on the news or getting used to watching scary movies. With enough exposure, one becomes used to them and somewhat desensitized to them. You can feel genuinely sorry for the people in the sad stories, but not really be sad because of those stories. It’s part of normal existence to hear such things, and you move on without it deeply affecting you. Same goes for watching others eat meat, at least for me–I’m just used to it, so it doesn’t bother me unless I focus on it.
I’m a meat eater (big time), I never try to convert a vegetarian unless they start to give me a ration of shit over my consumption of meat.
When that happens I usually examine their clothes and ask them if they know why I eat beef? The answer is no they don’t. I reply that if I didn’t eat beef, then there would be a lot of naked cows from your leather shoes, jacket etc. Or did the cow leave you that hide in their will? I then ask if they would like to discuss this over a nice juicy burger.
This usually causes them to shut up and go away. If it doesn’t I ask them if they have ever heard a carrot scream when it is picked?
Bottom line, if they don’t give me grief over my choices, I don’t give them grief over theirs.
Granted, I agree with what you say but the reverse goes for some vegetarians and vegans. Some vegetarians/vegans are just as annoying as us “meatatarians” (if you don’t know where I stole that from…watch Jurassic Park.)
For many it doesn’t matter where you stand on the matter, there will be a few buttheads that feel that their way is the only way and only badger someone for what they choose in this matter. So ignore them. I don’t care what part of the food chain you stand upon.
I have seen it in real life, I have seen it on the boards. Omnivore or vegetarian, if you ask the question “why do you eat this way” people have their opinion but most people I know don’t give a rats ass. Hell, some are on Atkins and hardly will eat veggies and now carbs like pasta…I haven’t known a one of them to question vegetarians.,
A minority make a big flipping deal out of what the other feels is true.
I know and have many friends that are vegetarian or vegan. We don’t discuss it, we don’t care. We get along despite a trite little issue. I like meat, you don’t. Who cares, I don’t like Christianity, you can’t live without it. Who cares. If we are that different then why the fck am I bothering to spend time with you…because I like you, not because I want to give you sht about your eating, religious, political, child rearing, etc…beliefs, because I have a connection with you. SHEESH.
It’s the “I’m right, you are wrong” minority that makes this an issue every month or so here on the SDMB.
Look, as long as you try to eat healthy as you feel is correct, that’s all I care about. If you eat, and throw up. If you eat and eat and eat with no end in sight, then I have a problem.
I could give a crap (as a semi-omnivore) what you eat as long as you know the ramifications of eating such foods, your activity level and your ability to cook more “whole foods” (which does include meat for those that eat meat) when you can.
If your “friends” need to give you a lecture about what you eat, what the hell are you doing hanging around them.
Crap, I frequently order vegetarian meals at places outside of my home. Not because I am a vegetarian, it’s because my body wants something different, it’s what I feel like having.
If people would stop worrying about what others eat, we could get to bigger issues like War against Iraq. What you or I eat is not that big a f*ckin deal. Why I would choose beans over chicken or beef doesn’t matter.
So why is this such a big deal?
Now if a vegetarian digged into me about my meat eating habits, I would state to him/her/them, “I am pretty much a vegetarian about 80% of the time, but I do enjoy eating meat, regarding of what you believe, it’s none of my business as to why you choose not to eat meat or animal muscle, so why would it be your concern why I eat meat when I do? I don’t question your way of life.”
We all make choices, both sides of the issue make a big dig about it. But in my circles, most people let well enough alone.
Hell when I make reservations for friends I think might be vegetarians, I look for the restaurants that have vegetarian meals…
Because people are sheep (Well, not really, and besides, that’s kind of insulting to sheep, after all, they’re bred to be stupid, humans ain’t!). Many people are unwilling to make the intellectual leap that eating animals is not necessarily a good thing (mind you, I enjoy a good hunk of cow or pig or lamb as much as the next guy) and think that vegetarianism is someone just “being silly.” I dated a Vietnamese woman who was a vegetarian, and despite the fact that I tried to convince my step-mother to prepare something for my girlfriend, so she’d have something to eat besides just the side items, my step-mother would never do it. (And she wonders why I never married that girlfriend? Do you think it’s because she never felt welcomed when she went to visit my step-mother? Nah! Couldn’t be!)
Some people feel threatened by those that are different from them, and can’t handle it when someone doesn’t simply accept the same things as everyone else.
I’m an omnivore. My ancestors were omnivores. Our best archeological evidence indicates that humans have been omnivores - that is, eating both plants and animals - for as long as we’ve BEEN humans. I see no reason to change this. Humans are capable of eating meat and derieving nutrition from it, that’s a fact that isn’t going away.
Now, just because I can eat something doesn’t mean I have to eat it. I can eat carrots - but I could live my entire life without eating one. Or any root vegetable. And if someone choose not to eat anything that grows underground they could still have a nutritionally balanced, healthy diet.
Likewise, when someone tells me they don’t eat meat I don’t give a flip - it is certainly possible for a human being to never eat meat and still have a sound, nutritional diet. It’s an option some people exercise. To my mind, it’s no crazier than observant Jews refusing to eat pork, shellfish, and catfish, or Hindus not eating beef (but they still drink milk and eat butter). They have their own reasons for choosing not to eat something, and as long as it doesn’t effect me except when eating at their home and they aren’t out to convert the masses I don’t care.
As someone with food allergies that really DO restrict my diet, on an emotional level I find it hard to truly understand voluntary diet restriction. There are so many things I can’t eat, really can’t because they make me physically ill, and that are such common foods, that I go out of my way to sample everything that isn’t off-limits. But I also realize that’s an option I choose. There are other folks in my position who eat a very limited diet because that makes them feel safer.
Funny how a lot of the food-choice intolerant people are often the ones trumpeting the wonders of diversity, isn’t it? I guess it’s diversity on their terms. With all the wonderful different things to eat in this world, and their availability thanks to modern means of transportation, getting so concerned about other peoples’ diets seems odd to me.
It’s too bad that no one who does torment vegetarians comes in here to defend themselves. You know, the ones who say ‘Doesn’t a CARROT feel pain?’ and think they’re clever and original. :rolleyes:
Unfortunately, in answer to the question posed in the OP, I don’t have any “good” stories about trying to be converted by meat-eaters. The ones who do try to convert you (and I’m referring only to people who provide unsolicited opinions about my eating habits, not the ones who simply disagree about whether people ‘should’ eat meat) have nothing interesting, original, or persuasive to say. If you think humans are ‘naturally’ omnivores, fine. If you think this should affect my behaviour, fine. But let’s discuss it in a reasonable way, with both of us accepting each other’s right to our opinions.
Saying ‘But you are wearing leather shoes, that’s hypocritical’ as I order the vegetarian option will not elicit a discussion. Saying ‘I see you’re vegetarian, but you wear leather shoes. Why is that?’ with an earnest interest in potentially learning something, may get a more positive response from me. But as soon as I feel like they are more concerned with trying to make me feel bad, or to make you feel better about your burger, or to make me say ‘Omigod, you’re right, I never thought of that, I am a hypocrite! Pass the meatloaf!’, the discussion is over.
My wife used to be vegetarian. I managed to convince her that bruises wouldn’t take three or four months to go away if only she would eat some dang MEAT! She did, and all her weeks- and months-old bruises went away, and she is now a believer.
I think it comes down to two things: curiosity or argumentativeness.
If they’re curious, they’re probably just probing you (rudely, at times) to find out more about your motives and commitment.
If they’re argumentative, it’s because they think vegetarianism is wrong (for whatever reason) and if they could convert you, they would get the same satisfaction as if they won an argument.
DIRECTIONS: Cube beef, then flour the cubes. Cut mushrooms into halves and chop onions; sautee mushrooms and onions. Leave sauteed mushrooms and onions on lowest heat while browning beef cubes. Once beef cubes are browned, add 1 cup water and Bovril. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, adding water if needed. Then add mushrooms, onions, and sour cream. Simmer until sauce is medium thick or for 10 minutes and serve over rice.
So, aaaaaarrgg asks why so many people try to convert vegetarians, and he gets lots of answers about why people should eat meat - in short, trying to convert him.
I don’t know why, aaaaaarrgg, but I do know it happens. My wife is a vegetarian, and people get very invested in trying to get her to eat meat. It’s weird. I have another friend who’s a hard-core vegan, and I’ve seen it there too. The only difference I’ve seen there is that some of his friends were genuinely concerned he wasn’t getting enough protein.
My roommate is a vegetarian. Her motto is, “If it was killed, I won’t have anything to do with it.” She doesn’t wear leather shoes or use conditioner with keratin. This also means that any meat-containing leftovers must be consumed by me, the more carnivorous of the two of us. My refrigerator and I would be much happier if she would give in and eat the leftover spaghetti with meat sauce…but alas, I won’t push her.
What does concern me, though, is how she is either in class or asleep. Winston’s post reminded me of this. Whenever she wanders out of her bedroom to make her third grilled cheese of the day, I try to tell her that she needs to take some sort of iron supplement, or at the very least vitamins. She rarely eats anything to make up for the nutrients she misses by not eating meat - to quote, “I tried tofu. It was gross.” Her inclination to be vegetarian is fine by me, but she should do it more healthily (if that’s even a word.) She’s been living like this for six years now - I don’t see how she does it.
IOW, if you’re actually jeopardizing your health by not eating meat…yeah, I’d like you to convert.
People try to convert people from vegetarianism for the same reason they try to get them to convert to anything: the world doesn’t tolerate green monkeys. Your friends want you to stop being a green monkey because that way they’ll be comfortable doing brown monkey stuff around you. Doesn’t matter whether it’s food, or exercise, or recreational drugs, or drinking, or smoking, or casual sex, or going to monster truck rallies. If you’re doing something that makes you stand out from the crowd, the crowd goes “mmoooooooo” and glares at you. If you don’t join the crowd, there might could be a stampede, or maybe the crowd will wander away.
In either case, it’s because we’re all a bunch of dang sheep.
I have no problem with vegetarians or a vegan lifestyle. I do, however, have a problem with those who make the argument that they don’t eat meat because they don’t support the suffering of animals. Surprise surprise, but the fruit and vegetables they eat in the stead of meat are usually picked by migrant workers in conditions that could hardly be called “humane.”
