# The exact psychology behind people being angered by others' food choices? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2019, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986 "2019-12-17T13:23:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/21 "2019-12-17T16:38:17Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > [li]Putting ketchup on a hot dog in Chicago[/li] Here’s a secret: No one cares. Every hot dog shop has ketchup. Wrigley has ketchup. ---
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/22 "2019-12-17T17:17:37Z")
Putting ketchup on a hot dog “destroys the delicate balance of flavor and texture that defines great food”? A HOT DOG?! No one eats a hot dog plain to enjoy the delicate balance of flavor and texture. It’s _meant_ to be topped - with the toppings of one’s choosing. Ditto for pizza. The entire point of pizza is to be a vehicle for toppings. There’s no one right way, no “correct” toppings, no objectively defined “delicate balance of flavor.” Put what you want on it. It’s just bread as a means to carry other foodstuffs to your mouth. It’s like a sandwich - one wouldn’t say that a sandwich can only have ingredients X, Y, and Z. It’s just bread as a means to carry foodstuffs. Granted, there are specific _kinds_ of sandwiches. A Reuben, by definition, has a certain combination of ingredients, and any variation renders it not a Reuben. But you couldn’t say it’s not a _sandwich._ Same principle applies to pizza. I think pineapple on pizza is gross, but I can’t imagine having the audacity to tell someone else how they’re allowed to eat their pizza. That said, it irks me when my husband adulterates something I’ve made. I love to cook, and I’m pretty darn good at (as long as I have a recipe to follow - I could never compete on “Chopped” and make a fabulous meal out of random ingredients). I’ll spend all afternoon creating what I think is a lovely meal - with a delicate balance of flavors - and he’ll dump salt & pepper (or, more often, celery salt) all over it before even tasting it. It’s disheartening. But that’s different from something like hot dogs or pizza, which are meant to be individualized. I find raw or undercooked meat disgusting. In the distant past, I’ve ordered steak well done, only to find it inedible that way as well. So my solution is to not eat steak. I have literally never heard of chili without beans. That’s a thing? Not that I’d put any thought into it before, but if asked I probably would have said that beans are an essential ingredient - kinda like a Reuben has to have certain ingredients. I have dozens of cookbooks, and therefore dozens of chili recipes, and I don’t think a single one omits beans. Chili without beans is what - a bowl of ground beef? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/23 "2019-12-17T17:23:24Z")
This conversation is reminding me of the time my father asked me about my favorite cuisine. I was 35 at the time, so not a kid. I really had a hard time coming up with something, so I just thought of the food item I ate the most at that time in my life. Pizza. Oh, the look of pain on my father’s face! I get the “why” behind his pain now. Out of all the delicious cuisine in the world, I went with the answer that any fifth grader would go with. But I still can’t come up with an answer that sounds much more sophisticated than that. I love food, but I guess I am not that intellectual about it. Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/24 "2019-12-17T17:32:30Z")
> [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](#): > > Putting ketchup on a hot dog “destroys the delicate balance of flavor and texture that defines great food”? A HOT DOG?! No one eats a hot dog plain to enjoy the delicate balance of flavor and texture. It’s _meant_ to be topped - with the toppings of one’s choosing. > > Ditto for pizza. The entire point of pizza is to be a vehicle for toppings. There’s no one right way, no “correct” toppings, no objectively defined “delicate balance of flavor.” Put what you want on it. It’s just bread as a means to carry other foodstuffs to your mouth. It’s like a sandwich - one wouldn’t say that a sandwich can only have ingredients X, Y, and Z. It’s just bread as a means to carry foodstuffs. Granted, there are specific _kinds_ of sandwiches. A Reuben, by definition, has a certain combination of ingredients, and any variation renders it not a Reuben. But you couldn’t say it’s not a _sandwich._ Same principle applies to pizza. I think pineapple on pizza is gross, but I can’t imagine having the audacity to tell someone else how they’re allowed to eat their pizza. > > That said, it irks me when my husband adulterates something I’ve made. I love to cook, and I’m pretty darn good at (as long as I have a recipe to follow - I could never compete on “Chopped” and make a fabulous meal out of random ingredients). I’ll spend all afternoon creating what I think is a lovely meal - with a delicate balance of flavors - and he’ll dump salt & pepper (or, more often, celery salt) all over it before even tasting it. It’s disheartening. But that’s different from something like hot dogs or pizza, which are meant to be individualized. > > I find raw or undercooked meat disgusting. In the distant past, I’ve ordered steak well done, only to find it inedible that way as well. So my solution is to not eat steak. > > I have literally never heard of chili without beans. That’s a thing? Not that I’d put any thought into it before, but if asked I probably would have said that beans are an essential ingredient - kinda like a Reuben has to have certain ingredients. I have dozens of cookbooks, and therefore dozens of chili recipes, and I don’t think a single one omits beans. Chili without beans is what - a bowl of ground beef? \ I eat hot dogs plain! I like the flavor of them. However, if I wanted ketchup on them, I would damn well do so. I don’t know about other condiments or seasonings, but I think people who automatically salt things might just happy to like the taste of salt. As a kid, I craved the tasted of salt and even put it on fruit. Nowadays I don’t use very much salt but I still dump in on my french fries without tasting one beforehand. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/25 "2019-12-17T17:33:31Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Don’t soccer hooligans attacking opposing fans with beer bottles come from that kind of “pride”? Tribalism leads to all sorts of conflicts. I wasn’t making a moral judgment on the phenomenon, just trying to explain it. > [@digs](#): > > Wow, that’s way beyond the OP’s examples. “F-ed up” and “It’s NOT chili”? > > Do you tell anyone “That’s NOT a hot dog now”, or that their well-done steak is NOT a steak? To some degree, what I was was embellished for dramatic effect. But there are characteristic ingredients/preparations/etc… for foods that are what define them. For example, a hot dog has to have a frankfurter and a bun- toppings don’t define it, except for regional styles like Chicago style and Coney Island. Similarly, if you were to grind up a NY strip and cook it like a hamburger, you’d probably have gone past the definition of “steak”. But merely overcooking it? Still a steak. A lot of the variants on chili are decidedly non-standard- especially those that neither have some combination of chili powder or cumin, garlic and dried chiles. Stuff like “white chicken chili” are not really chili- some kind of southwest/Mexican-ish stew perhaps, and likely very tasty, but not chili any more than a smoked sausage in a tortilla is a hot dog. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/26 "2019-12-17T17:43:34Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I get angry if people pull the wings off a butterfly. I get angry when people destroy great works of art. It’s the same with food. If you really want to desecrate food, destroy the delicate balance of flavor and texture that defines great food, at least do it in private and don’t talk about it. Nah. I don’t care if I put ketchup on my hot dog in front of you. You’re not going to eat it. Of course I don’t know too many people who would consider a hot dog “great food”. And I grew up with beans in my chili. My father made homemade chili with kidney beans. If it doesn’t have beans, don’t bother serving me any. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/27 "2019-12-17T17:52:29Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > I have never gotten angry at anyone for eating anything. I have been annoyed when restaurants decide to get cute with concepts like ‘fusion’ and ‘deconstructed’ and the next thing you know your ‘Philly Cheesteak Sandwich’ is served as 4 purple cubes with a side of pineapple chutney. I prefer the original dish to the deconstructed or fusion or overly twee’d foods. If I want a cheese steak wit’ I want someone to slap some shaved rib eye on a flat top with some onions and peppers, slap it in a roll and slather on some cheese whiz. I find it foolish to pay too much money for street food just because I am in some sort of ultra rich restaurant. While I tend to prefer my steak rare to medium rare, mrAru prefers well done - so not a big deal ho people want stuff cooked.w ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/28 "2019-12-17T17:59:55Z")
I grew up in small town in south Texas in a Mexican-American family. One of the foods that is traditional for Christmas is tamales. Normally these are eaten without any toppings, and variations are typically about what is placed in the tamales (pork, venison, beans, with or without chili peppers) rather than what is on top of them. Imagine my surprise when I returned to a different small town in south Texas after having moved up north for school, only to discover that for whatever reason people in this other small town all eat their tamales with ketchup. It was the first time I had heard about people eating tamales like that, and to this day I still wonder where such a tradition could have come from. I’m of the same opinion about ketchup on tamales as Chicago dog purists are about ketchup on their hot dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/29 "2019-12-17T18:04:32Z")
My family doesn’t understand so let me explain. When my stepson puts ketchup on EVERYTHING. When he was living with us I’d get upset when I spend time seasoning his food and he’d drown it in red-lead. The rest of the family (non-cooks) would get on my ass because “that’s how he likes it.” and wouldn’t understand my frustration at making the effort to make food that tasted good (like grilled grass-fed ribeye rubbed in salt, pepper, roasted garlic infused olive oil) for the family when it turned into nothing more than a conduit for Heinz into his ketchup-hole. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/30 "2019-12-17T18:05:44Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > This conversation is reminding me of the time my father asked me about my favorite cuisine. I was 35 at the time, so not a kid. > > I really had a hard time coming up with something, so I just thought of the food item I ate the most at that time in my life. Pizza. I try to find different, good meals to make for my kids (15 and 16). And they usually like them well enough. But after every one, I ask them “Would you rather have this, or meatloaf?” And they always answer “meatloaf” ☹ ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/31 "2019-12-17T18:07:02Z")
It’s got nothing to do with food, people get upset about other peoples’ opinions _all the time_. Movies, books, hell all of pop culture, sports, technology (Apple), any product really (Tesla). The thing is, at some point certain opinions don’t feel like opinions. And for the most part we all agree on these factual opinions. Enjoying a cool spring day, ice cream being delicious, that sort of thing. So it’s jarring when someone rejects something that we take as a given. For instance, I think The Last Jedi was a pile of hot stinky garbage. And I understand that’s an opinion. But it’s flaws seem so obvious, the repercussions so dire, the positives so few, that I just can’t grok people coming out of that theater and thinking, “That was pretty good!” It’s alien to me. Likewise with food. Well done steaks being bad is a factual opinion – it’s an opinion that stops feeling like one because the feeling is so intense. ---
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/32 "2019-12-17T18:35:32Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > For instance, I think The Last Jedi was a pile of hot stinky garbage. And I understand that’s an opinion. But it’s flaws seem so obvious, the repercussions so dire, the positives so few, that I just can’t grok people coming out of that theater and thinking, “That was pretty good!” It’s alien to me. As a non-Star Wars fanboi, I thought _The Last Jedi_ was a reasonably entertaining movie, and therefore did its job as a movie. I’m at best passingly acquainted with the _Star Wars_ mythos (I’ve seen all the films, but never by my own choice), so I have no emotional stake in it. It seems that a key objection of the die-hard fans is the dismantling of the Jedi. To me, it seemed like a logical and organic progression of events. I know that the original _Star Wars_ movie is a religion to some, and any deviation is blasphemy, but to my way of thinking, having everything remain exactly the same at the end of a nine-movie arc as it was at the beginning would be bad storytelling and a waste of dozens of hours. And to keep this on topic - is it acceptable to put ketchup on roasted Porg? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/33 "2019-12-17T18:43:36Z")
> [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](#): > > As a non-Star Wars fanboi, I thought _The Last Jedi_ was a reasonably entertaining movie, and therefore did its job as a movie. I’m at best passingly acquainted with the _Star Wars_ mythos (I’ve seen all the films, but never by my own choice), so I have no emotional stake in it. It seems that a key objection of the die-hard fans is the dismantling of the Jedi. To me, it seemed like a logical and organic progression of events. I know that the original _Star Wars_ movie is a religion to some, and any deviation is blasphemy, but to my way of thinking, having everything remain exactly the same at the end of a nine-movie arc as it was at the beginning would be bad storytelling and a waste of dozens of hours. > > **And to keep this on topic - is it acceptable to put ketchup on roasted Porg?** Only if you’re out of mustard 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/34 "2019-12-17T18:51:05Z")
> [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](#): > > Putting ketchup on a hot dog “destroys the delicate balance of flavor and texture that defines great food”? A HOT DOG?! No one eats a hot dog plain to enjoy the delicate balance of flavor and texture. It’s _meant_ to be topped - with the toppings of one’s choosing. Um… er… actually I _do_ like to eat hot dogs plain. By which I mean not only without topping but without a bun, like they’re sausages (which they are). Don’t get me wrong - I like them _with_ buns and toppings, too. But no, it’s not because of “the delicate balance of flavor and texture”, I mean, for Og’s sake, they’re cheap sausages. I just happen to like cheap sausages (as well as expensive ones). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/35 "2019-12-17T18:56:13Z")
> [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](#): > > And to keep this on topic - is it acceptable to put ketchup on roasted Porg? Yes, but never on roast Porkins. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/36 "2019-12-17T19:17:22Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > My family doesn’t understand so let me explain. When my stepson puts ketchup on EVERYTHING. When he was living with us I’d get upset when I spend time seasoning his food and he’d drown it in red-lead… SO glad to hear that the ‘ketchup-hole’ stepson has moved out (his own apartment? out of town? shallow grave dug by a gourmand?). If there are further installments of your life after the ketchup dinners, please tell us! I can’t be the only one who was captivated by your storytelling, and really felt for you. And to double down on the hijack hijinx, I just got the last Thursday night ticket for Star Wars IX, so I’m watching the Last Jedi (still on Netflix). I forgot how fun the beginning is: “We will wipe you out!” “I’m still holding for General Hux…” I’m genuinely enjoying it, while I eat leftover pizza with no tomato sauce (just pesto and veggies). ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/37 "2019-12-17T19:22:37Z")
I hear ‘escargot’ is very good. No ketchup needed on that or my Corndog. (:)) ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/38 "2019-12-17T19:28:43Z")
For the people who really get truly angry, it is projection, and feeling threatened. True anger tends to be reserved for (reacting to) things like vegetarianism, not drinking alcohol, maybe eating organic is getting to that place. I think some people view those things as so clearly wrong that anyone doing them is a threat to the person’s world view, and by extension, must be saying that the person’s own choices are wrong. I swear, some people react to others not eating meat as almost an existential threat. It’s the kind of defensive anger that makes logic like, “you are still free to eat as you like,” just sail by. It’s pretty similar I think to the folks who thought same sex marriages would destroy their own existing mixed sex marriages. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/39 "2019-12-17T19:36:20Z")
Escargot is merely a vehicle for garlic butter. However, I object to the statement above that pizza is merely a topping conveyance. For the crap most people eat and call pizza that very well may be, but a good pizza can stand on its own merits and crust. Any toppings are accents, not the main focus of the pie. Otherwise, what \*\*bump \*\*and **Fretful Porpentine** said. Chili is how Texans tell themselves from the inhabitants of the other, lesser states. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2019, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986/40 "2019-12-17T19:41:19Z")
I have no problem with qualifying chili-like dishes, such as vegetarian chili, or chili with beans, that’s not the problem. The problem is calling things that aren’t chili “chili”. If I order a hamburger or a BLT or a dish of ice cream or most anything else I don’t have to ask if there are beans in it, why should I have to do that with chili? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-psychology-behind-people-being-angered-by-others-food-choices/844986.md?page=3)