I give up on vegan-Please help

[poivron]

I do agree that veganism is more than diet, but unfortunately what you describe is an issue of many vegans having unrealistic expectations about others who don't conform exactly to their views. This often crosses the line into intolerance and aggression, which seems to manifest itself in trying to prove who is more vegan than the next vegan. I mean wtf? Many guilty of this, even on this forum. An attitude that should never be normalised and accepted.
This is where Slonaut is much more realistic, in the assertion that caring and trying to make a difference towards change in a positive way is more effective than boasting about how enlightened we are supposedly are. We are all humans and we none of us have a clue, other than the reality that we perceive, albeit all slightly differently.
I know that many vegans here were once vegetarians and even meat eaters (please dont say carnists). Were they all deserving of being given derogatory labels, accused of stupidity and ignorance, and patronised/belittled before they made the change to veganism? I think not. There is a kinder way of being.

These are the words of a vegan. I don’t understand why you say veganism is bad for you. You are clearly vegan through and through, whether you accept that about yourself or not. Yes, there is a kinder way of being. Among other things, it includes avoiding causing harm to other living beings by supporting industries that profit from hurting both humans and animals. Veganism does not have to involve being holier-than-thou. In fact, it can be a deeply humble attitude of personally doing one’s best to reduce animal suffering while respecting that others may be at a different place in their lives.

I, too, dislike vegans who go around lecturing others and acting superior. Too many vegans (at least the loudest ones) seem to care more about their own imagined superiority than about animals. But I don’t see that as a reason not to be vegan. On the contrary, I embrace veganism because I believe I am as legitimate a vegan as they are. I refuse to let them define the term “vegan”. Over time, as veganism becomes mainstream, such people will become an increasingly small minority.

Good luck in your journey, wherever it takes you.

 

[Bobs cool]

I made the change around 2 years ago and I feel like I can't stick with it any longer.
I'm tired of vegan and vegetarian foods that for some reason are compelled to imitate meat and animal products - burgers, sausages, eggs...why?...and I'm tired of meeting vegan after vegan who seemingly only choose to be vegan for the fashionable status it may bring and to preach to meat eaters about how wrong they are. It's an individual choice as with any other diet/lifestyle, surely this shouldn't come with laying on a guilt trip to others who have chosen otherwise.
I want to carry on but become aware of the echo of our ancestors who have evolved and survived for millenia on a diet of meat and dairy, and I wrestle with the path I have chosen. Who am I to disregard what nature decreed throughout history... it has brought more confusion and questions than answers for me.

Oh dear it can be tough I have have been vegan 20 years plus and it is about as easy as it can be now ! But I believe our ancestors only ate meat in small quantities not like now with the push of the robot like genetic changes poor animals who are farmed today and the only reason the food looks like meat products are 2 fold 1 st it would be difficult to eat the same slab of say tofu day in day out and 2 nd it looks like that to fool the flesh eaters into eating it which is working ! So I guess it’s an evil we have to put up with so we can save more lives many blessings and many you be well and happy ?

 

[Meyersaurus]

Actually, I have recently read an article (of which I do not remember the name, if If find it again I will post the link in an edit) that said that our ancestors did not actually eat large quantities of meat. And when they did hunt they valued the insides of the (herbivorous) animals' intestines the most because they were plants. Chimpanzees mostly eat plants as well (2% of their diet consists of meat, most of which are termites, insects and worms) and humans don't need meat nor any other animal products either. I honestly find it very hard to believe that humans were actually that stupid to consume lactose until they were no longer intolerant, is there even any other species in this world who would do that?

Anyway, I don't think that every vegan food tries to mimic meat/eggs etc. Personally I don't like those either. For some reason my mother puts them in everything, I honestly don't miss her cooking at all. But I don't even remember the last time I cooked something like that. Granted, I make my own cashew-cheese dip (but not because I want to imitate cheese, but because it's legitimately delicious) and I love plant milk. But you don't have to consume these "imitations" just because they imitate the "normal diet". And giving up on veganism, just because some foods imitate omnivorous foods (which I still think is perfectly fine, because that way people who love the taste of meat or eggs, can still go vegan without feeling that they could be missing anything) seems a little paradoxical to me, there are plenty of other options.

As for the "guilt"-part: Everyone should indeed be able to choose what they want to eat, but don't you think that they should also choose to live without harming others? Personally I used to have a really hard time understanding meat-eaters at all, because I can't comprehend how the personal choice isn't automatically to not harm others and thus go vegan. I used to think that if people knew/were more aware, they would choose to go vegan or at least vegetarian without further ado, which they don't. And if someone's choice were to eat humans or dogs, they would spend quite some time in jail. Yes, if you want to change someone's mind you shouldn't be condescending or mean, but the only reason meat-eaters consider us condescending/mean is because they know we are right.
And I will continue telling them that my homemade vegan lasagna tastes a) 100 times better than their pre-made meat-lasagna and b) is cruelty-free.

In fact, it's often the other way around: I get teased for being vegan and people try to give me **** about how bad vegan lifestyle is for the environment and my health. I often get stupid comments on how I'm extreme and responsible for the farmers' struggle and blablabla. Excuse me? (Just to clarify, farmers get subsidies like hell, which is also why animal products can be as cheap as they are) If someone cracks up such a tasteless joke and/or spreads misinformation, I will tell them that they are wrong. End of story.