I got together with a friend who is vegan the other day and realized how different she and I think about veganism. What resonates with me doesn’t resonate with her, so anyone who tries to tell you that all vegans are the same, call them on their lie quickly.
We are all different. We all have our own reasons for going vegan and staying vegan. And not all of us are as concerned about an aspect of life that veganism impacts as others are.
Following are some quotes about being vegan that I resonate with as a vegan.
1. The Way People Treat Animals Tells Me A Lot About Them
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Mahatma Gandhi
If someone works in a slaughterhouse and doesn’t seem to mind the screams of pain and fear, it’s a huge indicator to me that they are not someone I would want to be around. Our morals don’t align one bit.
In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of the importance of animal welfare, and many people are now advocating for the greater protection of animals’ rights. This is a positive thing, as it shows that we as a society are becoming more conscious of the sentience of animals and more aware of their capacity for suffering. However, there is still a lot of progress to be made in terms of animal welfare, and we I feel that we must continue to strive to do better in this area.
I strongly believe that only by treating animals with compassion and respect can we hope to create a truly just and moral society. This is because we start to think about the welfare of other beings in a way that doesn’t allow us to engage in things that can hurt them.
2. I Don’t Want To Participate In The Torture Of Animals
“I am not interested in food that comes from an animal that has been tortured.” – Alice Waters
I couldn’t agree with this quote more.
When we first went vegan, this was one of our arguments. We didn’t want to eat the energetic imprint that comes with an animal who was tortured and lived (even in the end) in incredible fear for their life.
That may sound crazy to some people, but it’s definitely something we resonated with.
I feel like eating an animal that has been tortured is just as bad as participating in the torture.
I can’t turn a blind eye to it. So if I have a choice, I choose not to participate in any form.
3. Veganism Is Not That Hard Of A Thing To Do
“I think people see veganism as this really hard, unapproachable thing, when it’s really not.” – Ruby Roth
This was my excuse for not going vegan at first. I thought it was a very difficult thing to do, but it’s really not.
There are some downsides to being vegan, but those don’t make veganism exceptionally hard.
Even my friend who lives in the middle of nowhere is vegan. She has no vegan restaurants around her and doesn’t have a of the vegan cheeses and meats we have around us, but she can still manage to eat a vegan diet.
4. Struggling To Become Vegan Is The Hardest Part
“Once you make the decision to go vegan, it’s not hard anymore.” – Gary L. Francione
Change is hard, and dropping dairy or meat from your diet is a big change if you’ve eaten it all your life. But that moment you decide to go vegan, the hardest part is over.
Once you get a reason to go vegan, and you make that decision to do it, it becomes easier. You are vegan. Now you just have to find some new habits that fit you and your life.
For me, it was watching ‘What The Health’. I couldn’t go vegan before it. It just seemed too overwhelming. It was a constant struggle between what I wanted to do and what I felt I was capable of doing.
But after we watched the documentary, we literally threw away or donated anything not vegan that same day. The documentary helped me get over that uncomfortable hurdle and make the decision to become vegan.
5. Willingness To Learn Is The Second Hardest Part
“It just takes a little bit of willingness to learn and then you’re on your way.” – Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
The next hardest part was figuring out how to eat vegan and being willing to learn how. That’s it.
Once I became willing to learn how to cook vegan and how to adjust my life and figured it out, it was so easy to be vegan.
