How do you explain vegan/vegetarianism to others with out sounding preachy?

people will ask me why i am vegan. and i am just dying to tell them about what happens to that piece of animal muscle they have on their plate.but i also am very aware that the #1 thing omnivores dislike about vegans/vegetarians is that they try to convert them. as any one who felt strongly about a certain cause would want to do, i want to send the message out about the horrible reality that comes with the meat/dairy/egg industry that many many people don't realize. but i dont want to give people the message that all veggies do is try and brain wash them. where is the happy medium?

(i mean if i was an environmentalist, i would want to explain to people what could be done to help the earth. its the same thing with wanting people to understand vegan/vegetarianism, you know?)

please no rude answers. only helpful ones.

Tell them this

鈥淚 looked into how most animals that are raised for food are treated and processed and decided I didn鈥檛 want to be part of that process.鈥?br>
If they ask more questions, give them short unbiased information. Be able to point that person to the source of the information if they asked how you know. If you can鈥檛 back up what you say then everything you say will be discarded.

Be careful they maybe just trying to wind you up. Also if you find yourself giving answers that are more then 30 seconds long, then you are preaching, and the person is going 鈥榶ep, just what I thought, nuts.鈥?br>
I鈥檝e read the answers up to my post and some have very good information and some are condescending at best, just because the path you choose is right for you; doesn鈥檛 mean it is right for everyone.

The best way to win people over is to live what you believe. If you think eating animals is wrong then don鈥檛 eat them. How you live your life is more important then what you say. Actions speak louder then words, even if you don鈥檛 convert the person over becoming a vegan, you might get them thinking and that is all you can ask.

Now that said, yes I understand you want to shout from the mountain top, LOOK IT鈥橲 WONDERFUL UP HERE, SEE WHAT I SEE JOIN ME, BE HAPPY. But, that will turn more people off then lead them down the path.

Hoped it helped and good luck.

Your welcome Report Abuse

Just keep it to yourself its a big problem with everyone who chooses to be dif i dont mid if all you eat is grass i like to kill my own food and try not to eat and store bought processed stuff way dif than you but i see your reasoning but people do what they will and if they are going to find your path its best if they do it on thier own you telling them about the plight of thier chicken si only going to push people away. really not being mean i have vegan pals and they dont bring it up to me cause i am an *** if u attack my dinner plate lol

My 15 year old daughter has been a vegetarian for over 2 years now and I have been a vegetarian for 4 years. My daughter has a hard time with food at school since there are no vegetarian dishes, but she has already helped at least 4 kids become vegetarian.
When people ask me, I just say, "I don't think you want me to go into detail" while they are eating that chicken sandwich or worse a burger from McDonalds. I say it is a choice that I have made to try and stay healthy and stay away from processed foods. I used to buy range free meat, and I explain that to them, but it got too expensive, so I decided that if I wanted to keep eating healthy, I would have to cut out meat. I would give them a few website addresses that I go to for recipes and information (peta is great, but in this situation, probably not the best idea), that way if they want to learn more they can take the initiative instead of putting me on the spot.
As for all the illiterates who have responded (all that protein did not help your spelling, there is a little button at the top that can help you with that), people don't ask you why you eat meat because that is the norm, just because it is the norm, doesn't mean it is right. People aren't asked "Why do you believe in God", because it is the norm. People aren't asked, "Why do you drive a car?" because it is the norm. There are people all around you who make a choice and think about why they should do something--is it because everyone else thinks that way? Or should I make some changes, decide on my own whether to be religious or find an alternate way of transportation to save on money or pollute less or whatever decision I decide on--not the masses around me. No matter what, I am always around myself and that is who has to be happy with me. This person asked for helpful responses and all most of you did was give her your prejudice. As we grow and become more aware of the world around us, meat eaters will eventually be the minority. Vegetarians will become the norm and then you can answer questions like "Why do you eat meat?"

Well I hope this isn't rude but the mere fact that you're even asking this question speaks to your need to "convert" others.

I don't feel the need to "explain" to others why I eat meat.

And on a larger scale, there are many, many other life choices that you don't see people endeavoring to "explain" to others.

This goes well beyond vegetararianism. It's not even about vegetarianism.

It doesn't matter what the issue is.....abortion, the death penalty, killing animals for fur, gay marriage, whatever.......The POINT IS...

The moment you go beyond just living your own life, making your own choices, and minding your own business, is the moment it's no longer about the surface issue, but you're underlying need to have people be the way you are. That intolerance is the root of all prejudice, most wars, and the majority of human conlficts.

Fanaticism always says more about the person than the cause.

politely explain that you have made the choice not to be involved in harming of animals and you based this decision on your own ethics and what you have read you are making the decision just as others make the decision to eat meat. you dont sound preachy if they ask you.

Good Question by the way. You sound like me. Anyways, people ask me all the time..."So why did you do that?" I just keep it short and simple. "I don't think that an animal should die to feed me, when there are so many foods out there. I like the ones that don't envolve murder." I usually keep it along those longs. Always been a sarcastic person; mom hates it. Okay, hope this helps.

the just don't want to hear about that part. only what you like about how, and what you can eat as a vetetarian.

not the whoe part about what the animals eat and the additives in the animals feed that make problems with hormones

People already know what goes on in the meat/poultry industry. If someone asks just tell them you simply prefer to eat vegan. It's truly none of their business. If you go further or bring up the subject you'll just be trying to convert them and will sound preachy. This is your personal choice and should be kept somewhat personal.

Well people are going to do whatever they want to do no matter what,that's what I've found out. Whereas it only took one video, Meet your Meat to make me a vegetarian, there were 30 other people in the class room that day and I'm the only person who decided to become a vegetarian. So it's choice. Tell them why you're a vegetarian and let them make up their own mind. Only tell them the effects if they ask you if it's bad for them, if you just go on a speel then yes they will think that you're just being preachy. So just make sure you're not going off on a tangent whenever you speak about it. I tell people why, and if they don't ask, they don't ask. My best friend isn't a vegetarian but when we go out to places, I get a vegetarian burger and other healthy stuff and sometimes she'll ask for some and we'll come to a common ground. It isn't a problem, she has her way to live and I have mine. Your choices aren't everyone elses, you can't push it on them, you'll only turn them off even more. Good luck babe!

I totally agree with you. I want to preach it from the rooftops sometimes! But, I have learned over the years to only answer if someone asks. I dont try to convert anyone, because it is a waste of breath. Last night, my daughter had a slumber party, and I had to get real creative with the food situation, because the kids that stayed over are meat eaters, and we dont have it in the house ever. So I made a spagetti fondue with dippers of jumbo pasta shells, garlic bread mini rolls, and veggies to dunk. The kids all loved it, and didnt even realize it was a vegetarian dinner. My 12 year old wants to tell her friends about the horrors of meat, but I have advised her not to talk about it to them. I feel like it would put the kids off meat, but the parents wouldnt support that. So I guess we have to just let the uninformed stay blissfully ignorant. Unfortunate,,,,,,,,,but.....how it goes

I often find vegitarianism/Veganism to be something that develops out of ones beliefs, honestly. And think it's fine to be Vegitarian or Vegan. And by the way the way we kill animals for consumption is not a new revilation , Native cultures of america regard the way a person handles the eating of animal to be a reflection of themselves.

You are certainly right that americans in general dont realize that when they bite into that steak the cow was killed via air implosion in it's brain (not very pleasant huh?), Or the popular rise in veal currently enjoyed in cusine. Most Americans don't realize that the calf's that veal comes from, are locked in a immobile cage for a year and fed all fat foods. Then they kill em.

I belive personally that this is really the underlying arguement about meat ,is the way we kill. Now we are complete opposites in that I eat a heavy meat diet , and I don't think you can ever say that there is a right "way" to kill.

Secondly, waste is a problem. as a heavy meat eater i'm very detested at people whom don't finish meat they are served. The animal flesh you ingest has died to ensure your continuance , by wasting meat you disrespect that animals sacrifice, this above all I detest.

Mabye that helped , mabye it didn't but it's the way I look at it.

Yeah, it's tricky, right?

If they are asking, they either want to argue or are actually curious what your line of thinking is on it. If it's the former, there's no right way of approaching it. If it's the latter, explain your reasons. I'm sure the real trick is in deciding how to explain your reasons. What makes it tricky is, don't we all really want people to hear our reasons and convert? That's why it's so difficult to not come off as brainwashers when we talk to them. That's what we really want. It's hard to disguise our true intentions.

I have an idea about how to approach the subject. Use the Socratic Method. Ask questions to get them to consider things for themselves. Lead them down the appropriate path.

B) "Why don't you eat meat?"
A) "Why do you suppose a person wouldn't eat meat?"
B) "Health reasons." or "They think killing animals is wrong." or an obvious joke.
A) "Why else do you think a person wouldn't eat meat?" or "What do you suppose the reasons are we think killing animals is wrong?" or "Lets change the subject."

The happy medium is to say the good reasons why you are vegan...instead of giving the reasons you are not a meateater....your certain to draw more interest if you dont tell people what they are doing wrong but what you are doing right.

I don't think there is a way to tell someone why you are vegan without sounding preachy.Other people may think you are preaching,but you're not,you are giving them the truth.It's like if your parents tell your room looks dirty and unorganized,they're not preaching,they are telling you the truth.If you tell people animals are raised in shitty conditions and it isn't right,you are just telling them the truth aren't you.But that may person may take it as you being preachy.Just don't explain yourself,your friends don't need it and your enemies(not saying omnivores are our enemies,just making a point) won't believe(or agree) with you anyways.Most people don't even want an explanation,they just don't understand or agree with you.

I used to want to tell everyone about all of my discoveries too, but if people want to know, they will ask. So, I let them do the asking by asking back, making it more two-way. They ask, 鈥淲hy?鈥? I reply, 鈥淲hy not?鈥? They say, 鈥淏ecause people cannot live without meat?鈥? I ask, 鈥淩eally, why not?鈥? They say, 鈥淏ecause we need protein.鈥? I reply, 鈥淩eally? Interesting. I don鈥檛 eat meat, I wonder where I get my protein from?鈥? They say, 鈥淵es, exactly, where, from meat, that鈥檚 where.鈥? I ask, 鈥淲ell, I wonder where cows, gorillas, or pandas, or rabbits, get their protein from, or even elephants.鈥?br>
You can see where this conversation is leading. One cannot just go on a rant and try to barrage the person with education, especially with such things as the person has been trying to ignore for a long time. Certainly anyone can come to the same conclusions as you have if they鈥檇 just take the time, open their mind, and do some thinking, and perhaps a little reading or research, but most people are fairly stuck in their way of life; stuck in the rat race; and very lazy minded too.

Furthermore, who wants to take the time to find out that not only is their whole lifestyle wrong, but their whole reason for existence has been part of the make-the-rich-richer-and-the-poor-poorer cycle. We can all live happy laid back lives full of family and friends if we鈥檇 just learn to slow down, take it easy, get back to the basics of fending for ourselves more with the village unit. I don鈥檛 think we need to throw all of our recent advancements away, but just learn to live more minimally and closer to nature and keep only those technological advancements which we really need that will truly add to our lives. I happen to believe that cities are the scourge of the planet, totally disconnecting people from nature. They are the bane of people鈥檚 existence and only churn the economic machine, not make lives better or people happier. See, do you want to hear this? No. Why, because it seems like something totally impossible to overcome; something completely out of one鈥檚 personal control. But, I do not think so. I think we can change; one person at a time.

Just tell people that do to what happens to animals to both raise them for and prepare them afterwards for consumption you are not comfortably with putting it into your body, or something like that. Then if they ask further, tell them exactly what you feel

I have found, from experience, that the best way to talk to non-vegetarians if they ask me about my diet is to approach them from a non-judgmental, caring point of view. I wouldn't impose my food preferences on them, so they wouldn't do the same to me. Tell them that you think it is a healthier way of living, aside from being more compassionate and environment-friendly.

But, of course, discuss this only when asked. Otherwise, they will only think you are being preachy.

Tell them what made you become one, all the problems you listed above, and stop right before you are going to say that they should too.

well we hominids were eating meat long before veggies,,and the process today is alot better then it was 100 years ago,, why would you have to go into detail,, just say because you want to be vegan,, i will tell you this though, in the 70s i worked for bartlett pears, and after seeing how they were processed i never ate another pear again, i was in charge of the baby food division and never bought baby pears,, you would be disgusted to find out why

The method that works for me is to use my personal experiences. If you start speaking about things on a large scale, that may come across as you trying to accuse the person of being part of the problem, etc. etc.
If someone asks you, just tell them your personal opinion and try not to give a lot of statistics. If you just keep your explanation simple, everything should be okay. :-)