The KInd Life Community Forum
Use this space to share stories, exchange ideas, ask questions, and contribute to our growing community!
dealing with judgements
Started
by kim epperson
on July 7, 2011
how do you guys deal with all the "what about protein and calcium?" "have you tried the atkins diet, i lost so much weight on that!" IT IS DRIVING ME CRAZY!!! im so tired of explaining how healthy being vegan is to my family and friends and then they just argue with me, like they know im wrong... i have no vegan friends, it just sucks sometimes :(
I know....It's irritating.
That was actually the reason i quit being vegetarian for a long time...The fact that everybody around me could not understand me, pressured me in to eating animal products, and not listening to me! I guess it's my fault too, but how strong do you need to be to deal with all the judgement?
Well, now I am getting stronger, and I am taking little steps to vegeterianism and veganism again. My beliefs are getting stronger, i know better about how to explain the reasons I am changing my lifestyle.
My advice: Note the reasons you are eating the way you eat on a piece of paper. Note some stats, surveys, etc in order to be ready to argue with facts. And be patient!!!! And what if you fall of the wagon sometimes. That's what i realised. It's what you do everyday that matters.
Yes, defenitly do some research so that you have information to present to the "non-believers".
As well, I recommend doing exactly what you are doing now. Engage with others who think like you. You are doing that just by being on this site. I can say this, alone, has helped me tremendously.
Last but not least, remember a line that Neitzche once said, "Know that when you receive praise, you are not yet on your own path". Screw everyone else. Be true to yourself. They are only judging you because you are stepping outside of the "pack". Herd mentality doesn't like it when someone does something different.
Oh, and they might care about you a little bit too, meaning they might be concerned. But, that's when you respond with my first suggestion. Educate them on what you know.
thanks guys, its nice to have support from people who understand what im going through :)
Here is a great article I just found today that can help you feel good about your decision :)
"If everyone in the U.S. ate no meat or cheese just one day a week, over a year, the effect on emissions would be the equivalent of taking 7.6 million cars off the road."
http://bittman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/18/more-weight-on-less-meat/
I'm right there with you sister in being annoyed, but I think what keeps me sane is just knowing that people are feeling threatened when they respond like that. It makes them question the choices they hadn't previously questioned, and want to defend them.
Agreed.
Educate yourself, and engage with like-minded, I found it's helped to have little notes about veganism about the house to remind myself of things. I also don't have a large supportive vegan group(my husband is not vegan but he's awesome, and now I've gotten to know a local vegan), so I find listening to vegan podcasts makes me feel like I'm part of a larger community. A lot like this site. :)
I especially appreciate Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's podcast, Vegetarian Food For Thought. I know there are others, just starting to listen to different ones now. I like Colleen's because she really researches her information, gives you her resources, she's very eloquent and she presents stark facts with such compassion and patience. I like to listen to try to remember facts about animal welfare, nutrition, cooking and eating plants, and social situations, to help myself in social situations. To answer questions. She's very aware of coming across positively to people around you, and she gives fantastic tips on how to handle things with grace, and humility and showing others how much joy you experience living this lifestyle. At least, that's how I feel. But I'm a fairly new vegan(almost 11 months).
6 Comments