Oh yes all the time, I am a closet raw vegan or maybe better I simply don't talk about it UNLESS people ask "so what do you eat?/ how did you lose that weight? how come etc"

People think you are really weird and then they become a little angry that by living this way they need to defend their choices so I normally say "listen it works for me and makes me happy it's not a religion.."

That helps, sometimes...

Hehehe KittyK... my mental image of a lentil eating vegetarian will always be Neil from 'the Young Ones' !!!

I've noticed different reactions when giving different answers to the 'why' question.  People seem ready for a debate about animal rights.  If you answer 'health reasons', they seem to get defensive and feel as if you are comparing your 'superior health choices' to theirs.  I've had the best/most friendly reactions from people when I just put it across that I'm squeamish, and don't like the idea of meat rotting in my stomach.  Apparently being squeamish, they can see as my failure & not feel threatened by it.

Good social experiment to try out the different reasons and reactions though!

My eldest son turned vegetarian last year and last week he got so much flak from his work collegues, he was angry when he came home because they kept telling him he should eat meat.  I told him to just ignore them, they must feel threatened by his good health.  I also told him to never get into a conversation about religion, politics and vegetarianism, lol.  Some people are very defensive about their meat eating.

Last year I asked a hypothetical question about being stranded on a desert island overrun with chickens and would you eat them to survive.

I asked it as a joke, not realising that people would take offense to it.

This sort of question would not personally offend me, so I was a little bit surprised that I got flack over it. However, now I am more into eating vegan, I now realise how annoying my question would have been.

I don’t really come up against downright hatred but I get lots of repetitive silly questions, which is a little bit annoying

(i.e.)

1) Where do you get your protein from?

2) Do vegetarians / vegans eat Animal Cracker biscuits?

3) Don’t you know plants have feelings?

4) Do you swallow semen?

Apologies if the sexual nature of the last question offends, I am just repeating what I have been asked in the past.

If anyone can give me some quick-witted, intelligent and sarcastic replies for 3 and 4, I would love to hear them.

 

KittyK: LOL  I love the silly questions list.  So far I have only been asked where my protein comes from.  Too many times.  Tora:  Yep, last time I got asked I just laughed.... in a good natured way... because it honestly did seem silly to me by that point to get asked it every time :D

Quick witted responses hey.  Well.  I think that you should stick with answers just as ludicrous and obviously untrue as the questions themselves :D

3)  Well, my vego-sadism has to come out SOMEhow...
4)  Wait what?  You think my boyfriend has balls?

<ahem>  Inappropriateness is great.

Why are people getting ticked off when other tell them off about their diet? Have they not learn to neutralise such an attack?

1. You can totally ignore them.
2. "Thank you for caring about my health, I loving the way I feel now!"
3. I want to be the first person in a western society since WWII to get protein deficiency.
4. My doctors say I got this rare condition, where I can only eat fruits and veggie, anything else is shortening my life!
5 Question them about the protein requirement of various health institutes

Hey 

Great post!!

I hear negative comments about veganism (let alone raw-veganism) all the time!! I’m a raw-vegan Personal Trainer and body builder, so my situation can get a little stressful at times. Usualy when other body builders say:
"Man you wont get as ripped and as awesomly big as me!!"... then proceed to walk off and inject roids!! haha 

I’m happy being vegan and love the raw life so I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. Most of the people I work with know I'm vegan, so they're ok with it.

However, I deal with the same old comments from clients and gym members day in, day out...
"where do you get protien from...?! Where do you get your iron from...?! Didn't you know you'll waste away...?!" ect ...
My reply is simply:
"Do I look like I’m about to die?!" (Just to paint a picture for you) -----
I'm 6'3, 100kgish, tattooed, goatee, shaved head.. Not your average hippie look I know, more like a tofu eating biker!! 

I know to choose my battles carefully... but if they ask with genuine interest, I do my best to inform them.

I know what works for me; this is how I want to live my life. At the end of the day, I don't beleive there is anything anyone could say that would make me change my mind. Period. 

So at times it’s hard, and you can feel like an outcast, but that’s where I feel most comfortable. I know for now I'll swim against the current, I'll walk my own path.

The Vegan Wolf