hey i am 14 and alot of kids in my school always ask why i am veggie, the truth is, i just cant stand the thought of eating animals, but i want a really good answer that i can throw back at them to shut them up, it would be quite funny tbh, so any ideas?
Know what? You don't need to defend yourself.
Be honest. If they don't like it, that's THEIR problem. Don't bother to try to shut them up. It won't work.
Just know you're doing what you think is right.
Be honest. If they don't like it, that's THEIR problem. Don't bother to try to shut them up. It won't work.
Just know you're doing what you think is right.
I gotta agree with HK
What difference does it make what they think?
What difference does it make what they think?
yer i dont really care what they think, i guess i want them to think, yer shes right! lol
thanks :)
Just tell um there's enough death and violence in the world without you eating animals?
yer good one :)
funny story - my older brother (who is veggie) used to tell his mates at college he "was allergic to meat"!
Hi Emie,
I think "i just cant stand the thought of eating animals" is the perfect answer! It's the one I usually give :)
If all else fails, I usually say, half for health reasons and half for moral reasons. And if anyone gives you a hard time just let them know they don't need to agree with you.
Some other reasons not to eat meat:
Less chance of heart attack.
Less chance of the cow fat becoming your fat.
Less chance of looking like the Hamburglar.
I think "i just cant stand the thought of eating animals" is the perfect answer! It's the one I usually give :)
If all else fails, I usually say, half for health reasons and half for moral reasons. And if anyone gives you a hard time just let them know they don't need to agree with you.
Some other reasons not to eat meat:
Less chance of heart attack.
Less chance of the cow fat becoming your fat.
Less chance of looking like the Hamburglar.
Who cares what they think?
Be secure with your beliefs. That's one of the few things in life people can't *really* take from you.
I understand why you want to be able to defend yourself...my roommates used to make fun of me because I'm a vegetarian...because they're all horrifically uber-Texan (two of them grew up on farms and raised their own livestock, treated them like pets, and then turned them into Sunday breakfast and felt no remorse)...and they'd get angry with me when they'd cook things and I wouldn't eat it...so much so that they started lying to me about what they put in it...(not thinking that beef and chicken stock and broth have the words *BEEF* and *CHICKEN* right in them)...and their argument was that "Animals eat eachother....we're supposed to eat them..."
I was so defensive of it for such a long time...and as with many of our other issues...it was 3 against me....so I eventually just gave up trying to convince them that I have LEGITIMATE reasons to not eat meat...even though I NEVER tried to force it on them.
My family is carnivorous as well...but they've just kind of come to accept the fact that I'm going to order tofu at restaraunts and make myself a sandwich when they have burgers....and they respect my decision, though my dad and brother tease me a bit.
Ultimately you have to decide what's more important to you....fighting and arguing and putting your energy into trying to convince people that you have a reason to do what you do...or just doing it and knowing that you're doing the right thing. Because sometimes...there's nothing you can say to people to make them understand....
Be confident in your decisions and people should eventually come to respect that....even if they don't agree with it.
And PS...people who don't eat meat typically smell better, don't ingest hormones from the animals they eat, and...I don't know if you go around licking people or anything...like I did when I was 14 because I was odd....but vegetarians taste better, too.
So rock on!
Be secure with your beliefs. That's one of the few things in life people can't *really* take from you.
I understand why you want to be able to defend yourself...my roommates used to make fun of me because I'm a vegetarian...because they're all horrifically uber-Texan (two of them grew up on farms and raised their own livestock, treated them like pets, and then turned them into Sunday breakfast and felt no remorse)...and they'd get angry with me when they'd cook things and I wouldn't eat it...so much so that they started lying to me about what they put in it...(not thinking that beef and chicken stock and broth have the words *BEEF* and *CHICKEN* right in them)...and their argument was that "Animals eat eachother....we're supposed to eat them..."
I was so defensive of it for such a long time...and as with many of our other issues...it was 3 against me....so I eventually just gave up trying to convince them that I have LEGITIMATE reasons to not eat meat...even though I NEVER tried to force it on them.
My family is carnivorous as well...but they've just kind of come to accept the fact that I'm going to order tofu at restaraunts and make myself a sandwich when they have burgers....and they respect my decision, though my dad and brother tease me a bit.
Ultimately you have to decide what's more important to you....fighting and arguing and putting your energy into trying to convince people that you have a reason to do what you do...or just doing it and knowing that you're doing the right thing. Because sometimes...there's nothing you can say to people to make them understand....
Be confident in your decisions and people should eventually come to respect that....even if they don't agree with it.
And PS...people who don't eat meat typically smell better, don't ingest hormones from the animals they eat, and...I don't know if you go around licking people or anything...like I did when I was 14 because I was odd....but vegetarians taste better, too.
So rock on!
There are more ways to find protein than meat. Many fruits and vegetable and grains have high protein. You may have to take a supplement for B-12 vitamin.
Eating a plant based vegetarian diet will add more oxygen to your blood system and to your heart and brain which is a good thing.
Meat has too many calories and too much protein. Contrary to popular belief people can get too much protein and what's not used by the body turns to fat.
It's easier to control your calorie intake and a healthier way of eating, tell them they should try it sometime.
Eating a plant based vegetarian diet will add more oxygen to your blood system and to your heart and brain which is a good thing.
Meat has too many calories and too much protein. Contrary to popular belief people can get too much protein and what's not used by the body turns to fat.
It's easier to control your calorie intake and a healthier way of eating, tell them they should try it sometime.
smart remarks and wise cracks might ease the tension for a minute, but it won't make any difference and might make things worse the next time. It is unlikely to "shut them up".
Instead, just quietly say that you like what you're eating and nothing more. They will stop after a few tries.
Instead, just quietly say that you like what you're eating and nothing more. They will stop after a few tries.
um...
i would ask them why they wondered.
and then just tell the truth - its disturbing to you so it kinda just turns off your appetite...kinda like any gross or wierd food does to anyone and everyone.
you dont have to go into a giant big preach about it.
that never gets through anyway.
ive done the vegan thing too and people do think its strange that are unexposed to different ways of eating.
dont make a big deal about it or anything.
i personally would make some stuff to share at lunch with other people to see if they like any of the things you eat.
make it fun.
it doesnt have to be a war.
i would ask them why they wondered.
and then just tell the truth - its disturbing to you so it kinda just turns off your appetite...kinda like any gross or wierd food does to anyone and everyone.
you dont have to go into a giant big preach about it.
that never gets through anyway.
ive done the vegan thing too and people do think its strange that are unexposed to different ways of eating.
dont make a big deal about it or anything.
i personally would make some stuff to share at lunch with other people to see if they like any of the things you eat.
make it fun.
it doesnt have to be a war.
tell them that you think it is immoral for humans to take advantage of beings who have a desire to live when we have the resources to live a healthy and happy life without violating anyones right to life.
What is hilarious is to ruin their appetites by going into a long, passionate description of an animal slaughter; an oral PETA video. Sometimes I think it actually makes them reconsider what they are eating.
My best-received wiseacre remark, is "Are you complaining? There'll be more meat for the rest of you!"
Usually I say that it's my choice for health reasons and don't rise to provocation. Most folks will leave it alone when it's not fun to tease you. Even though I'd love to say something like, "Hey, look at my butt, look and my thighs, now look at yours. Why are YOU eating meat?" >:D
Over time, your digestive system optimizes itself to digest whatever it is that you eat most. Long-time strict vegetarian have difficulty digesting more than a very small amount of animal protein.
So if you have to deal with people who REALLY won't mind their own beeswax, you can honestly tell them that you can't digest the complex proteins. It works great on nosey waitpeople in Steakhouses who want to know why you're only eating sides...I even once got complimentary dessert because it "...wasn't fair I had to smell the BBQ and not eat it." I didn't argue because it was a sweet gesture and I was with a large, profitable party.
Usually I say that it's my choice for health reasons and don't rise to provocation. Most folks will leave it alone when it's not fun to tease you. Even though I'd love to say something like, "Hey, look at my butt, look and my thighs, now look at yours. Why are YOU eating meat?" >:D
Over time, your digestive system optimizes itself to digest whatever it is that you eat most. Long-time strict vegetarian have difficulty digesting more than a very small amount of animal protein.
So if you have to deal with people who REALLY won't mind their own beeswax, you can honestly tell them that you can't digest the complex proteins. It works great on nosey waitpeople in Steakhouses who want to know why you're only eating sides...I even once got complimentary dessert because it "...wasn't fair I had to smell the BBQ and not eat it." I didn't argue because it was a sweet gesture and I was with a large, profitable party.
how about
I just don't like meat.
I just don't like meat.
I've only been vegetarian a few months, but another poster suggested this to me and I've found it to work wonders. Just grin and say, "It's my preference."
No one can give you grief over a preference. It doesn't demean their meat eating, it doesn't make a big deal of your vegetarianism. Just a preference.
No one can give you grief over a preference. It doesn't demean their meat eating, it doesn't make a big deal of your vegetarianism. Just a preference.
PARASITES.. that one usually gets kids. LOL
Okay...let me just say that I am a girl from cattle country and I will be a carnivore until the day I die. I'm sorry...but I like meat, and yes, I used to be one of the people who made fun of vegetarians back when I was 14.
However, I now completely respect it as a personal choice. There are a lot of health reasons that can be cited by either side, but as long as you're being responsible about getting your complete protiens (which is harder to do without consuming meat and I hope you are), there's no reason any meat eater can put you down for that.
I think your reasons is one of the best ones though - you just don't see animals as food. If you can't stop empathizing with what you're eating to the point that it's not only not enjoyable but that it actually is disturbing to you, then there is definitely a good reason for you not to do so.
Quite frankly, even a lot of meat eaters I know can't eat an animal they've known. (Believe me I've had a lot of friends in 4H that had to sell animals they basically raised as pets for slaughter in order to complete their project/because it was expected, parents made them, etc. and it was heart-breaking for them.) I...I can't say I have this problem as to me a cow is one of the dumbest creatures on the planet and a mouth-watering sight, but I understand it.
I also think the idea that animals have rights is a valid one...again, not one I completely espouse myself, but I think you can make a good argument for it. We as sentient creatures who can actually have the ability to be not only self-aware but other aware have the capacity to truly choose how we interact with the world around us. Animals may kill and eat each other because it's a biological imperitive, but as humans, we have the ability to see other creatures as living entities not mere prey and as omnivores who can survive on a vegetarian diet, we do have a choice.
At 14, I know a lot of the others in your group aren't really interested in in-depth conversation and snappy comebacks would be good, but saying things like "i don't eat things with a face" and "meat is murder" isn't going to impress those on the other side of things...trust me. Talking about parasites and meat diseases (mad cow?) *L* as suggested above might actually...because that takes it out of the controversial issue of whether animals are friends or prey and into the realm of meat being actually disgusting which I think might work on those not that open to discussion.
This is my opinion but I would NOT as suggested show PETA videos (seriously, those people are nuts imho...have you seen their website? i'm sorry, but even for animal rights activists, that's just going too far. i've even met some who would say that dogs and cats are better off dead than condemned to the "slave" life of a pet. -- sorry to anyone I might offend, but that's a group I just can't deal with). I would also not recommend wearing slogan shirts, handing out pamphlets or anything else and here's why:
I don't know a single person who has changed their opinion on this issue because of slogans and inflamatory propoganda. This usually just divides people further and gives those on the other side of the issue more of a reason to dismiss you as radical.
Instead...I think you're better off just responding to those who ask or taunt with a single reason whether it's parasites, or not liking meat, or even admitting it's just a personal choice based on not viewing animals as food.
Then, if you really DO want to change minds, have a good conversation about it with those who are open to it. No one has changed my mind yet, but by knowing vegetarians and talking to those who honestly can uphold their viewpoints in a way that doesn't end up insulting me or making me feel like they're saying "I'm better than you because you're a hearthless/filthy/disgusting/immoral/etc meat-eater" has made me at least respect their choice, and hey, sometimes I even enjoy a good piece of tofu or bean curd now *L*
I don't know that you are trying to change minds so much as get others to respect yours, but:
Trying to change the mind of those who aren't yet open to something will only distance them further. You can bring up the topic, but don't push it...wait until they start asking intelligent questions, or if you like, start asking them intelligent (preferably non-judgemental) questions about why they eat meat...if you listen to them, I think you'll find they're more likely to listen to you too.
In my experience it's an unfortunate but true fact that often you have to be willing to make the first step, because if you wait for others to do it, they never will.
If you respect their choice to eat meat and only ask respect in return, great. If you honestly feel they are wrong to do so, at least be willing to let them argue their case and then bring up points in a way that allows them to be discussed, not just thrown up in a way that shuts them down. I'm not saying this because I think this is something you are doing (more likely it's the reverse in your case) but as a side comment: Very few people will listen to someone who won't listen to them.
And if people won't listen to you...well then, all you can do is be true to yourself and ignore them. Painful...but there it is.
p.s. I think the comment someone made about sharing some vegetarian treats is a good one if you can. It might not make them convert but if they like what they try, they might at least feel like (1) you're not being silly and depriving yourself and (2) that your food and your choice isn't so weird after all. I know I thought tofu was gross for the longest time, but it was mostly from not being willing to try it.
However, I now completely respect it as a personal choice. There are a lot of health reasons that can be cited by either side, but as long as you're being responsible about getting your complete protiens (which is harder to do without consuming meat and I hope you are), there's no reason any meat eater can put you down for that.
I think your reasons is one of the best ones though - you just don't see animals as food. If you can't stop empathizing with what you're eating to the point that it's not only not enjoyable but that it actually is disturbing to you, then there is definitely a good reason for you not to do so.
Quite frankly, even a lot of meat eaters I know can't eat an animal they've known. (Believe me I've had a lot of friends in 4H that had to sell animals they basically raised as pets for slaughter in order to complete their project/because it was expected, parents made them, etc. and it was heart-breaking for them.) I...I can't say I have this problem as to me a cow is one of the dumbest creatures on the planet and a mouth-watering sight, but I understand it.
I also think the idea that animals have rights is a valid one...again, not one I completely espouse myself, but I think you can make a good argument for it. We as sentient creatures who can actually have the ability to be not only self-aware but other aware have the capacity to truly choose how we interact with the world around us. Animals may kill and eat each other because it's a biological imperitive, but as humans, we have the ability to see other creatures as living entities not mere prey and as omnivores who can survive on a vegetarian diet, we do have a choice.
At 14, I know a lot of the others in your group aren't really interested in in-depth conversation and snappy comebacks would be good, but saying things like "i don't eat things with a face" and "meat is murder" isn't going to impress those on the other side of things...trust me. Talking about parasites and meat diseases (mad cow?) *L* as suggested above might actually...because that takes it out of the controversial issue of whether animals are friends or prey and into the realm of meat being actually disgusting which I think might work on those not that open to discussion.
This is my opinion but I would NOT as suggested show PETA videos (seriously, those people are nuts imho...have you seen their website? i'm sorry, but even for animal rights activists, that's just going too far. i've even met some who would say that dogs and cats are better off dead than condemned to the "slave" life of a pet. -- sorry to anyone I might offend, but that's a group I just can't deal with). I would also not recommend wearing slogan shirts, handing out pamphlets or anything else and here's why:
I don't know a single person who has changed their opinion on this issue because of slogans and inflamatory propoganda. This usually just divides people further and gives those on the other side of the issue more of a reason to dismiss you as radical.
Instead...I think you're better off just responding to those who ask or taunt with a single reason whether it's parasites, or not liking meat, or even admitting it's just a personal choice based on not viewing animals as food.
Then, if you really DO want to change minds, have a good conversation about it with those who are open to it. No one has changed my mind yet, but by knowing vegetarians and talking to those who honestly can uphold their viewpoints in a way that doesn't end up insulting me or making me feel like they're saying "I'm better than you because you're a hearthless/filthy/disgusting/immoral/etc meat-eater" has made me at least respect their choice, and hey, sometimes I even enjoy a good piece of tofu or bean curd now *L*
I don't know that you are trying to change minds so much as get others to respect yours, but:
Trying to change the mind of those who aren't yet open to something will only distance them further. You can bring up the topic, but don't push it...wait until they start asking intelligent questions, or if you like, start asking them intelligent (preferably non-judgemental) questions about why they eat meat...if you listen to them, I think you'll find they're more likely to listen to you too.
In my experience it's an unfortunate but true fact that often you have to be willing to make the first step, because if you wait for others to do it, they never will.
If you respect their choice to eat meat and only ask respect in return, great. If you honestly feel they are wrong to do so, at least be willing to let them argue their case and then bring up points in a way that allows them to be discussed, not just thrown up in a way that shuts them down. I'm not saying this because I think this is something you are doing (more likely it's the reverse in your case) but as a side comment: Very few people will listen to someone who won't listen to them.
And if people won't listen to you...well then, all you can do is be true to yourself and ignore them. Painful...but there it is.
p.s. I think the comment someone made about sharing some vegetarian treats is a good one if you can. It might not make them convert but if they like what they try, they might at least feel like (1) you're not being silly and depriving yourself and (2) that your food and your choice isn't so weird after all. I know I thought tofu was gross for the longest time, but it was mostly from not being willing to try it.
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