Why Omnivores Hate Vegetarians

Post written by VegBlogger. Follow me on Twitter.

Well not all omnivores hate vegetarians. But if you have been a vegetarian for any
length of time you will know what I'm talking about here. We have all felt the sting of an omnivore's wrath when you have crossed the line and shed a bit more light on the subject than they care for.

This has happen to me countless times over the years. Sometimes it is a result of someone asking me why I'm a vegetarian and other times it is because I point out something that makes them feel uncomfortable (e.g., such as that they may call themself an animal lover and yet eat animals).

So just why do omnivores hate (or seem to hate) vegetarians (and vegans) so much? I have given this some thought over the years and this is what I have come up with:

Denial. I loved the chapter in "The Face on Your Plate" about denial. I think that omnivores, for the most part, live in denial about their contribution to cruelty to animals (as well as its part in destroying the planet). And they largely want to keep it that way.

Ignorance. The vast majority of omnivores have no clue about the process in which their food took to get to the store and their plate. Consider how many times you have heard someone say "I don't want to know."

Apathy. According to the dictionary, apathy is the lack of interest, concern, feeling or emotion. Many times people are just apathetic. They have so many other things they would rather concern themselves with, that animal suffering (beyond pets) ranks at the bottom of the list.

Ridicule. As we all know, vegetarians (and especially vegans) can sometimes hound people about the issues. This is because we feel so passionately about ending the harm to animals, that we just have an urge to help others "see the light." But this often comes across as being pushy or harsh (especially where PETA tactics are concerned). Because of this, they may automatically refuse to listen to more on the issue. Also, people will at times make small steps that help the animals (such as adopting Meat Free Monday) and they are downplayed or told they are not good enough (vegans are often guilty of this), rather than their efforts being applauded and motivation being provided to continue on making such improvments.

Denial, ignorance and apathy are all positions that the outspoken vegetarian often challenges. And as the case often goes, the omnivore doesn't want to change, as they are most comfortable staying in their current position.

Vegetarianism reminds them that contributing to animal cruelty is a choice and there are millions of people choosing to not participate.

Vegetarianism challenges them to think for themselves, follow their heart, analyze hypocrisy, and engage in a completely unselfish act (vegetarianism).

So the next time you are on the receiving end of omnivorous anger, think about these reasons of why they may be so angry. Don't take it personal. Most of the time their anger is really more about them than it is about you.

Comments

[Vibeke]

Good blog today! I still like what you said last week about referring to meat as "a chicken", "a cow". I did this last week when my friend said she was having beef in her fajitas. I said, "You're eating a cow in your fajitas?" She laughed (because she's definitely in denial), but I don't care, it was fun to say it.

[Jacqueline]

Glad you liked it, Vibeke!
I know, it is fun (and enlightening for others) to use the terms correctly. Especially when you do it a subtle way. Like: You're eating the cow fajitas, right? :)

[Bea Elliott]

"Don't take it personal. Most of the time their anger is really more about them than it is about you." How true! ;)