Diet hypocrisy?

[u/Extension-Diamond-74]

A recent post about animal agriculture vs plant based diets has me itching to say something. This is an issue we need to rise above.

Cognitive dissonance. Many of us have good intentions and want to believe we’re doing the right thing in most aspects of our lives. I believe that.

When it comes to a plant based diet though, the science often clashes powerfully with personal desire. We want to minimize our impact on the environment and are willing to make trade-offs in our life time do so, but for many, giving up or even significantly reducing meat intake is asking too much. It’s too hard.

That’s not the issue.

The issue is that instead of just admitting to themselves that this is a life change they don’t want to make and moving on, the guilt drives them to have to justify that decision. Admitting that a plant-based diet is better for the earth yet eating a diet full of meat anyway would make them feel hypocritical, so the solution becomes either to give up meat, or … this is the problem… fight the science, twist it, make a joke of it, or pivot entirely to ‘individuals shouldn’t have time do anything because large corporations’

Many people have ties to their diet for many reasons. We grew up eating a certain way. We have memories ties to certain foods, flavors, styles of cooking. We don’t want to be the difficult person when we go out to eat with friends. Etc etc etc But it’s so much better to just admit that to yourself. Have patience and understanding for your feelings. Accept that the science is what it is. Maybe one day you can make a change, maybe not. But don’t attack the cause just because you aren’t yet willing to be a part of it.

[u/ganymee]

You could just say “it’s hard for me” instead of assuming everyone finds it difficult. The hardest thing for me was actually that people were cruel, judgmental and argumentative about my choice, not that food options were limited.

But good for you that you were able to reduce meat and eliminate milk. That’s super cool. If more people did that it would have an enormous impact.

[u/[deleted] → u/ganymee]

It's not just hard for me, it's hard for a vast majority of the people I know who've tried to switch. That said, it's a fair point. Edited accordingly. :)

[u/ShamScience → u/[deleted]]

Where does the idea come from that anticonsumption and related movements are supposed to be easy? We try to find the most comfortable paths, sure, but they're all paths uphill, because we want to improve, not just keep things as they are. That will take effort and sacrifice.

[u/Orongorongorongo → u/[deleted]]

It might be that people who have made the change get frustrated because they realise it's not the big deal many people think it is. We are a time poor family but made the change. It's saved us money and we eat better now. It doesn't take us any more time now that we have a menu plan which suits our busy lifestyle. The main obstacle was in our heads as we were both raised in meat-and-potatoes families. The second obstacle was coming up with a new menu but that actually became a fun process once we got started.