On one of my flights home, the man seated next to me began a conversation. Turns out hes a cardiologist who is into preventative medicine. We had a nice conversation about the link between nutrition and health. I then mentioned that my fathers oncologist was the first doctor I knew who believed diet was essential to good health, and how being a long-term vegan had had the added benefit of keeping me in excellent health. Cognitive dissonance in humans is strong. He actually said that being vegan was difficult because of protein requirements. Whaaaaaa? A man whose 30-year career was focused on preventative health really was going to play the protein myth to justify his choice not to be vegan? After I politely explained why protein is not a problem for vegans, he made some comment about veganism being about ethicas while he was about medicine, and then put his nose in his book and did not say another word to me for the remaining 2 hours he was seated next to me. It was quite clear from his comments and actions that this man, like most non-vegans are simply offended by our existence. Our ethical stance makes them feel less confident about their own morality because we represent something they are not, and we are doing something they will not. He unconsciously knows he doesnt need to eat animals, but justifies doing so with utter nonsense about non-existent protein deficiencies. Meeting a thriving science-minded vegan who knows the Biology behind human nutrition forced him to see his own ethical shortcomings, and he found it easier to ignore my existence rather than continue to engage me in conversation and learn more. As long as vegans are sickly in his mind, he can keep eating animals unnecessarily and sleep at night. People like us cannot exist if he is to maintain his disillusions. Its not angry vegans that upset people - its their own consciences. Our existence is problematic for them, no matter what we say or do, because we represent a higher level of awareness they are simply unwilling to embrace.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:05:45 +0000
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