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| From World of Vegan |
In reply to this, a long-time reader asks:
I too have heard the. “I don’t eat much meat, only chicken” in all its variations many many times over the years.
I am wondering what you say in response to these people and how you word it? And what kind of response you get back.
Aw, c'mon - casting aspersions is much easier than providing useful information! 😉
But seriously, I wish I had a good answer. What I do really depends on the situation.
In the case of a neighbor with whom I will have more interactions, I basically don't say anything. Later in the conversation, he mentioned seeing Impossible Foods' burgers at Costco, and then he asked what we eat for Thanksgiving. I briefly mentioned that we have vegetarian roasts. The next day, I sent him a link to this from World of Vegan so he could see that we aren't just having salads*.
In some situations, people will ask what I do, in which case I talk about One Step for Animals' mission, focusing on the cruelties of factory farms. I've had a variety of people reply with something along the lines of "That sounds reasonable - I could do that."
For example, as I mentioned in my first Vox Voices post, "The [video] was filmed in a local studio by two people unaffiliated with me or Vox. After the filming, one asked me more and said he would stop eating chicken. Then, before I left, the other person said he wanted to go vegan and questioned me about what he could eat."
Of course, I don't count on that sticking, any more than this: "Professor Haidt emailed me about a month later, saying that after they saw my talk, he and his wife had committed to being vegetarian. They really meant it this time!" (From the chapter Day 21 Concluded.)
The only real advice I have is to be a nice, thoughtful person who really listens. Leave them wanting to spend more time with you. Don't expect to be able to change anyone's mind in a positive direction.
Mostly, however, don't say anything that supports either the overall "red meat bad!" narrative or the "vegans are unhappy jerks" stereotype. (Don't say "vegan" at all.) "First, do no harm."
But seriously, I wish I had a good answer. What I do really depends on the situation.
In the case of a neighbor with whom I will have more interactions, I basically don't say anything. Later in the conversation, he mentioned seeing Impossible Foods' burgers at Costco, and then he asked what we eat for Thanksgiving. I briefly mentioned that we have vegetarian roasts. The next day, I sent him a link to this from World of Vegan so he could see that we aren't just having salads*.
In some situations, people will ask what I do, in which case I talk about One Step for Animals' mission, focusing on the cruelties of factory farms. I've had a variety of people reply with something along the lines of "That sounds reasonable - I could do that."
For example, as I mentioned in my first Vox Voices post, "The [video] was filmed in a local studio by two people unaffiliated with me or Vox. After the filming, one asked me more and said he would stop eating chicken. Then, before I left, the other person said he wanted to go vegan and questioned me about what he could eat."
Of course, I don't count on that sticking, any more than this: "Professor Haidt emailed me about a month later, saying that after they saw my talk, he and his wife had committed to being vegetarian. They really meant it this time!" (From the chapter Day 21 Concluded.)
The only real advice I have is to be a nice, thoughtful person who really listens. Leave them wanting to spend more time with you. Don't expect to be able to change anyone's mind in a positive direction.
Mostly, however, don't say anything that supports either the overall "red meat bad!" narrative or the "vegans are unhappy jerks" stereotype. (Don't say "vegan" at all.) "First, do no harm."
*We actually had "Indian bags" for Thanksgiving (Chana Masala, Red Bean Curry, etc.), after a hike in the local park.
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