7 Valid Reasons For Going Vegan That You Don’t Need To Defend

Going vegan for reasons other than health, environment, or animal rights is common. Some vegans are very opinionated and think you should go vegan for this reason or that, but there are many valid reasons for going vegan. The truth is that we all have our own priorities and experiences in life, and what makes me go vegan may not be what makes you go vegan. You don’t need to defend your reasons for going vegan to anyone.

The other day, someone told me that they get yelled at a lot for their reason for going vegan, which shocked me. They say that they are always trying to defend their reason, but they always feel like they’ve done something wrong in the end… as if they are not vegan enough.

All I can think is why wouldn’t a vegan be happy that someone else went vegan, regardless of how they got there? Going vegan is a good thing so let’s just celebrate when someone goes vegan.

There are many valid reasons to go vegan that you don’t need to defend. Here are 7 of them.

1. You Did Shrooms And Connected With Cows

Getting out of your head and just being aware can do all kinds of positive things for you. A very interesting topic is how psychedelics can be a beneficial therapy for many things, including anxiety, addiction, and depression.

Of the benefits, increased social connectedness can be felt, so it’s no wonder that someone could hang out with some cows and realize that they are connecting to the same big spiritual plane that you are. Developing this new sense of connection would make it hard to go out and eat them the next day.

Not everyone is going to understand this connection you had, but that’s OK. You don’t need to defend. It happened to you and that’s what makes it valid.

2. Someone Told You To Go Vegan For Health Reasons

Once I was in the emergency room for some heart palpations. While there, I overheard a doctor telling a kid with a cold to cut out dairy and meat from his diet because it was good for his congestion and would help him heal. Later I mentioned to a nurse what he said, and she rolled her eyes and told me he was vegan and was always trying to convince patients to go vegan.

She didn’t know I was vegan obviously.

Sometimes people don’t make the choice themselves. They are told by their doctor or by a naturopath to try out a vegan diet, and because they want to heal themselves, they try. Sometimes these people end up going vegan for life and develop more reasons to help them stay vegan.

Listening to someone who wants to improve your health is a valid reason for going vegan.

3. You Don’t Like The Taste Or Texture Of Meat Or Dairy

This was my reason for going vegetarian when I was very young. I didn’t like the taste or texture of meat as a kid, and I never grew into liking it.

I was the kid sitting at the table until I ate my meat. My parents were pulling their hair out over it because they thought that meat was so important for me to have, but I just wouldn’t eat it.

For my entire life, people couldn’t understand why I didn’t eat meat. They would ask me, I would tell them that I didn’t like the taste or texture, and they wouldn’t accept that it was a good enough reason. They figured there must be something else going on. After a while, I learned to change the subject pretty quickly because I didn’t want to go down a rabbit hole of explaining and defending my reasoning.

In the end, I started to not like the texture of dairy cream, which definitely helped me to go vegan.

4. You See A Picture Or Short Video That Turns You Vegan

Although it can help, you don’t need to watch a full documentary to go vegan. With social media, there are plenty of pictures and short videos out there that you can’t unsee once you see them.

Many people find that they end up going vegan after seeing these pictures because they are so harsh that the connection between what they eat, and those pictures can’t be broken.

I try to avoid these pictures and videos as I don’t feel they do anything for me except make me mad. Of course, if I wasn’t vegan, they would totally turn me vegan.

One short video I accidentally saw was of a cow being crushed to death in a conveyor belt. I didn’t know what I was looking at and once I realized it, it was too late. That lives in my head now permanently.

5. God Or A Higher Power Told You To

Sometimes we get messages from a higher power, and I’ve seen a few people go vegan because a higher power told them to. They don’t know why. They didn’t think about going vegan before (or so they say). But the message was clear.

If God or a higher power tells you to go vegan, that’s a valid reason to go vegan. Don’t ignore the messages you get and don’t let anyone tell you that it’s not a good reason to go vegan.

6. Because It’s Easier… For Any Reason

One reason you may go vegan is that it makes your life easier.

For instance, you may move in with a vegan who cooks great food, and instead of cooking two meals, you just decide to eat vegan food. Then it might just become a habit to eat vegan.

That’s OK.

Convenience is a valid reason to go vegan. You don’t need to have a bigger reason than that locked and loaded for people who are curious.

7. You Get A Dog Or Cat Or Other Animal And Make A Connection

Some people go vegan after getting a pet. They start to make a connection between the emotions and love that their pet gives them and the emotions and love that other animals have.

I once met a guy who went vegan because he got a dog, found out pigs are as smart as dogs, and then couldn’t bring himself to eat bacon anymore, which was quickly followed by not being able to eat any animal.

I know some people think animals are just animals and will be quick to make you feel bad about going vegan because of a ‘stupid animal’.

But anyone with pets knows that pets are amazing and they teach us so much, and if your pet makes you question eating sentient beings like them, then that’s a valid reason to go vegan.

Bottom Line: Your Reason For Going Vegan Is Valid

Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for your reason to go vegan. You might go vegan for no real reason that you can articulate, and that’s OK too.

Other people may have their own opinions and try to shame you into thinking some way that you don’t, but that’s their problem. You do what feels right to you.