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Things Vegetarians/Vegans Hate to Hear

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Rowan chapter.

Despite being a vegetarian for six-ish years I’m still not used to the weird questions that I get asked or the weird things people feel like they need tell me. As I talked to my vegan friend she told me that she gets asked or told the same things as me. We both agreed that they were really annoying (and even a bit offensive at times!). So here’s a PSA to my lovely meat-eaters, please stop saying these things:

Plants have feelings too!

So they def don’t have feelings. But even if they did don’t animals have feelings too? Please don’t make me feel guilty for killing carrots.

You’re not one of those weird vegans/vegetarians, right?

I really hope not! I try my best to be accepting and make people feel comfortable around me! But, I’m sorry if one of my veggie siblings were mean to you!

So if you were on an island and if you had to kill/eat a cow to survive would you?

Who wants to kill something? I think most people wouldn’t want to kill the food that they eat. But, choosing life over literally dying of starvation doesn’t make me a bad vegetarian. It just makes me someone who likes being alive.

That’s stupid because of x,y and z

Okay! That’s totally cool for you to think that. But can you say that to literally anyone else?

But, you are eating animals’ food! I thought you loved animals!

I do! That’s why I’m eating animals’ food and not animals :)

You can sneak this bite I won’t tell anyone!

I promise Peta isn’t holding me hostage! I actually like being a vegetarian! In fact, I actually would get sick if I ate meat at this point so I don’t want to sneak a bite. Thanks for sharing though!

How can you live without bacon?

Honestly, when you don’t eat meat for a while it starts to smell weird. I know it’s crazy but, bacon smells horrible to me. Even if I went back to eating meat I’m sure I wouldn’t eat bacon.

I choose to be a vegetarian because I couldn’t morally justify eating animals. But, I don’t expect people to think the same way or do the same things as me. The cool thing about people is that everyone is different. The only thing I ask is for other people to respect my choices in the same way that I respect theirs. You can ask vegetarians/vegans questions…I love answering them! But, maybe next time? Try not to say these things. 

Destiny is currently enrolled in Columbia University's MFA Writing program. She is a national writer at Her Campus and the former editor-in-chief of Her Campus Rowan. She likes thrifting, romance novels, cooking shows, and can often be found binging documentaries.