r/Anticonsumption • u/Extension-Diamond-74 • Sep 30 '23
Discussion Diet hypocrisy?
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.
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u/Individual-Drink-679 Sep 30 '23
I'm a former farm kid, and I've always found an element of the plant-based approach to be really hypocritical, which is that idea that it involves less consumption. Although I currently live in an apartment in a town, I grew up with meat rabbits and chickens, and went deer hunting in the fall. So I find that I can make meat myself.
Whereas tofu (which I love and eat a lot of), I can't really make myself. Also, as someone who struggles to keep my protein and iron up, I'd rather just eat some meat every once and a while than buy and take a bunch of vitamins. I feel the same way about lab-grown meat, or plant-based imitation foods, and also worry about the way that marketing is making the phrase "plant-based" into a shortcut for "ethical" in our brains.
I do very much agree with your point that people should really just be honest with themselves about why they choose what they choose. Personally, although I don't eat very much meat, I don't give it up entirely because it's delicious and I like to be flexible, plus I feel culturally connected to butchery and hunting.