Hello!

[Red]

There is a difference between ignorance and being a moron.

And what is that difference? Is a "moron" like an "ignorant person who thinks and comes to seemingly-plausible conclusions which may or may not be right", or?

Not really.

[Jebus]

Welcome Silvia,

I became vegan for ethical reasons. Although the idea of killing animals for food never sat right with me, I decided I had to do it once I was convinced that eating meat and dairy was neither "natural" nor "the way nature had intended."

What motivated me to go vegetarian is when my mother went to prison back when I was 16 (five years ago).

I'm glad you don't eat meat, but please change your profile to vegetarian. "Vegan" is a badge of honor you have not earned.

Care to explain the connection between your mother going to prison and you become vegetarian. It's a bit like saying: I decided to major in physics because my uncle's dick got shot off during the war. Where's the connection?

Everybody around me was convincing me that that could not happen...

That what could not happen? Your mother going to jail, or you becoming vegetarian?

If everybody around me was wrong about that, why should I listen to them about their dietary advice which makes no sense?

This is a logical fallacy. Never assume someone was wrong about B, just because they were wrong about A, especially when A is completely unrelated to B. There are a lot of bad things about the typical vegetarian diet, so maybe they were not so wrong after all.

[teo123]

There is a difference between ignorance and being a moron.

And what is that difference? Is a "moron" like an "ignorant person who thinks and comes to seemingly-plausible conclusions which may or may not be right", or?

Not really.

Then what does "moron" mean?

[teo123]

I was convinced that eating meat and dairy was neither "natural" nor "the way nature had intended."

What does this "natural" or "unnatural" have to do with anything? Even if it did, what is "natural" and what is not is a lot softer science than the science showing us saturated fat and methionine cause heart disease and that heme iron mixed with omega-6-acids causes colon cancer. So, using it would, at best, be using a soft science to contradict a hard one.
I understand you have probably changed since then.

"Vegan" is a badge of honor you have not earned.

Well, I am mostly vegan now. Soy milk and similar stuff is easy to buy here in Osijek, and it was not easy to buy it in Donji Miholjac or in Koška (places where I used to live before I moved to Osijek to study at the university).

That what could not happen? Your mother going to jail, or you becoming vegetarian?

My mother going to jail. And they were also trying to convince me that, without meat, I would somehow fall ill.

Never assume someone was wrong about B, just because they were wrong about A, especially when A is completely unrelated to B.

And isn't that what you are doing with me? I mean, you assume I am wrong about everything just because I was wrong about a few things, right?

There are a lot of bad things about the typical vegetarian diet, so maybe they were not so wrong after all.

Chances that a vegetarian diet will be worse than the way people usually eat are very low.

[Jebus]

What does this "natural" or "unnatural" have to do with anything?

Not much, except as a carnist, I justified meat eating as being nature's law.

I am mostly vegan now.

You are either a vegan or you're not. There is no such thing as mostly vegan. You could say that you eat mostly plant-based foods if you have a good reference point.

And isn't that what you are doing with me? I mean, you assume I am wrong about everything just because I was wrong about a few things, right?

You are wrong about a lot of basic things. Still, I respond to each of your comments based on its individual merit.

Chances that a vegetarian diet will be worse than the way people usually eat are very low.

I would say "less", but not "very low." A lot of vegetarians replace their meat consumption with excess cheese, chips, chocolate or whatever else they think tastes good.

[brimstoneSalad]

I'm Silvia, vegan for 10 years, previously vegetarian for 1 year. I am interested in what motivates people to go vegan and how we can change the world!

Welcome Silvia, like for most here it's ethical reasons. I think the world is catching onto it, which is a good thing.

Thanks Red and Teo! That's very interesting.
For me I think it was just realising that animals have to suffer simply for food choices (and clothing etc). It's hard to explain, but although I kind of always knew, as soon as I thought about it, it made no sense anymore...

I think most of us, even as children being raised to eat meat, something just doesn't sit right when we remember an animal had to die for it.

Though, the same is true for many things. When we think about the Earth being round, something just does not sit right. When we think about airplanes existing, something just does not sit right. And so on...

Teo, stop baiting arguments in every thread. This forum isn't a dumpster fire, let's not make it look like one for new members.