I have the same advice for you as I have for vegans: let people eat what they want to eat, mind your business, and keep your preferences to yourself unless you’re asked.
It seems you fundamentally misunderstand what veganism is
It’s not tongue in cheek. You described veganism as a dietary preference, but it is an ethical belief and practice. Keeping silent in the face of unethical behavior is normally seen as cowardly or, at the least, not a general positive. If you came upon a person kicking a child, you would likely want to intervene, not merely think to yourself that you wouldn’t do the same.
Here’s a short medium post that sums it up decently, quoted for your convenience:
Look through the comments of the latest Facebook post that has aroused the ire of non-vegans and you’re bound to see the following:
‘I don’t care if you’re vegan, just respect my choice not to be vegan.’
‘How come a vegan gets mad if you serve them meat but won’t serve you meat.’
Stop telling other people how to eat!
These reactions to the promotion of veganism and vegan food products would make complete sense if veganism were a dietary preference, akin to trying not to consume sugar or not liking pickles. But veganism is an ethical stance against the commodity status of animals. Following a vegan diet results when you follow this philosophy.
When you understand the vegan philosophy, the idea of respecting someone’s choice to needlessly consume animal products no longer makes sense. Advocating that people stop using animals to the greatest extent possible is the ethical thing to do, and condoning animal use immoral. Serving non-vegan food to a vegan is rude but serving vegan food to a non-vegan is acceptable because, while a vegan has a moral conviction against eating animals, a non-vegan doesn’t believe that eating a meal without animal products is unethical. They’ve likely eaten Oreos or peanut butter on toast many times.
Yeah, I think that’s kinda bullshit though, because there are plenty of things I refrain from myself due to ethical concerns but I don’t get righteous about with strangers.
For example, I think pickup trucks are unethical (for most people), because they’re dangerous on roads and environmentally wasteful, but I don’t patrol parking lots seeking to start fights with people driving pickups.
I personally think that factory farms are disgusting, so I only buy free-range eggs. But I don’t judge people who buy cheaper eggs.
You can practice your own ethics without throwing it into people’s faces. And besides, that strategy almost never results in converts.
It seems you fundamentally misunderstand what veganism is
I can’t tell if this is tongue in cheek or not.
In case not, you can be secretly vegan, you don’t have to get up in people’s business about it. You can just privately adjust your own diet
It’s not tongue in cheek. You described veganism as a dietary preference, but it is an ethical belief and practice. Keeping silent in the face of unethical behavior is normally seen as cowardly or, at the least, not a general positive. If you came upon a person kicking a child, you would likely want to intervene, not merely think to yourself that you wouldn’t do the same.
Here’s a short medium post that sums it up decently, quoted for your convenience:
https://medium.com/fiercely-gentle/why-do-people-still-think-vegan-is-a-diet-9ae2ec6213e8
Yeah, I think that’s kinda bullshit though, because there are plenty of things I refrain from myself due to ethical concerns but I don’t get righteous about with strangers.
For example, I think pickup trucks are unethical (for most people), because they’re dangerous on roads and environmentally wasteful, but I don’t patrol parking lots seeking to start fights with people driving pickups.
I personally think that factory farms are disgusting, so I only buy free-range eggs. But I don’t judge people who buy cheaper eggs.
You can practice your own ethics without throwing it into people’s faces. And besides, that strategy almost never results in converts.