My struggles with veganism.
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- čas přidán 29. 04. 2024
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TODAY'S VIDEO:
Non-vegans presume that the hardest part of going vegan is finding food or getting enough vitamin B12 and yet, in my experience and the experience of many vegans that come and speak to me, these are far from the hardest part of being vegan. So in today’s video, I thought I would sit down and chat about my experience as a vegan and what I genuinely struggle with. I’d love to know in the comments if you agree with what I say and for you to share your own experiences too.
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Non-vegans presume that the hardest part of going vegan is finding food or getting enough vitamin B12 and yet, in my experience and the experience of many vegans that come and speak to me, these are far from the hardest part of being vegan. So in today’s video, I thought I would sit down and chat about my experience as a vegan and what I genuinely struggle with. I’d love to know in the comments if you agree with what I say and for you to share your own experiences too.
🌺 Get 20% off Wild here for a limited time by using the code EDAPRIL: bit.ly/earthlingEd - as always a big thank you to Wild for supporting my channel.
PIaque forms eating animals. Plant-based/vegans don’t have pIaque✅♥️⭕️😬🐒🐵🦧🦍👱🏼♂️👩🏽😉. Buddhist monks most of them are vegan ✅♥️⭕️💪😬😉.
your depleting muscle mass and bone density say otherwise
the other day i went to a vegan potluck and met a lot of vegans there. it was the first time seeing vegans irl in 9 months of being vegan. i was in awe, so happy i could burst! i got to know 1 other vegan activist and he helped me with my activism. I felt so alone, but now I feel whole, even tho it was in another city and im not there anymore, that experienced made me even more motivated to work harder and make new vegans in my city. :,)
Fortunately, most people were polite and even expressed admiration, when they learned that I'm a vegan. Unfortunately, while they mostly agree with the virtues and benefits, they simply rationalize their habits with the standard reasons: it's hard to adhere to "extreme" dietary restrictions, as they have cravings for whatever their favorite animal based dishes. I've resigned to the fact that probably only a small percentage of people could be vegan by choice, as it does require some disciplines. Vegan movement needs better strategies and tactics to achieve the ultimate goals: reduce animal suffering and prevent climate disasters.
@@docmemphis2760proof?
The hardest part for me is just knowing what's happening to the animals, and knowing most people don't care enough to do anything about it.
I had someone say to me the other day “well the animals are only there cause we eat them” and it’s so frustrating that that’s seen as a logical excuse, the animals are living beings that can think, feel happy, feel sad, feel love, feel fear and feel pain. It truly is heartbreaking.
same!
@@WilliamReginaldLucas That's exactly the "comforting" explanation a professor gave us medical students when we felt bad for beagles howling in the basement below library: "They don't suffer. They are bred for it." 🙄
@@soilikasanenSpectacularly atrocious mind
☝🏻
The hardest bit is not having any vegan friends.
I feel that. I had two vegan friends on xbox. They both turned out to be crazies. We're no longer friends. Lol
I've never had a "real life" friend who's vegan. Haha
Absolutely agree. When your closest friends do not see anything "wrong" with animals on their plate or animals in a zoo, aka a glorified prison, it's quite disturbing. Especially when they are otherwise generally great people overall.
Lol. That is why veganism is a cult.
If you're vegan, you're my friend.
@@Gaming_Vegan_Ape Most people I have met that friends have said were vegan turned out not to even be vegetarian, so don't let it get to you.
It's not hard being vegan. It's hard being vegan in a non-vegan world.
100%
Spot on ❤
exactly 💜
you said the same thing twice. lol
I work as a Veterinary Nurse and only one of my colleagues is Vegan. I find it absolutely crazy that people working in our industry will dedicate their lives to saving animals but also continue to eat them.
Non-vegan vets are oxymorons.
So, so true
I come across so many vets online who claim that they are vets who 'rescue' animals from vegans who feed dogs a plant based diet. Last I checked, vegan dog foods are available in commercial pet shops and is not illegal, nor a reason to cease a companion animal who is being cared for to the utmost of the carer's capabilities.
Thank you for being kind and work to provide care to our companion animals. I owe a lot to the vets of my companion animals.
The only doctors that eat their patients!
@@engymaster WHOOOAH , when you put it like that , yes that IS the truth
We are haunted by what humans do to animals but are equally haunted by how un-haunted others are.
Nicely put
well said❤
😂😂😂😂😂 fkn lol
That sounds like a mental illness.
@@rondarkman. What caused you to cry laughing?
Yes, the biggest struggle people face when going vegan is dealing with a non-vegan world.. dealing with the hate & judgement around veganism and navigating family/friend issues.
It's a shame the hate and judgment goes both ways though. As is continually pointed out here, we live in a non-vegan world. So the harsh judgement of non vegans is often uncalled for.
@@CucumberCheeseI think it's just a disgruntlement and it's normally expressed fairly proportionately
I have 0 vegan friends. Having a vegan friend would be awesome
@@carlschjelderup5532I'll be your friend!
I get pushback, hate and scorn for not wanting other sentient beings to suffer. What is this world?
It's certainly not Heaven...
“What sort of a world is this? Someone’s body is made into shoes, into meatballs, sausages, a bedside rug, someone’s bones are boiled to make broth… Shoes, sofas, a shoulder bag made of someone’s belly, keeping warm with someone else’s fur, eating someone’s body, cutting it into bits and frying it in oil… Can it really be true? Is this nightmare really happening? This mass killing, cruel, impassive, automatic, without any pangs of conscience, without the slightest pause for thought, though plenty of thought is applied to ingenious philosophies and theologies. What sort of a world is this, where killing and pain are the norm? What on earth is wrong with us?” - Olga Tokarczuk
@@KrwiomoczBogurodzicyI think mass poverty has something to do with it. Many people in the global South are barely surviving, leaving little time to contemplate the morals about their meal. The western world is different story though.
ur brainwashed by the government because they wanna feed us cheap grains and insects thats why its being promoted everywhere in stores on netflix etc. they are playing on your emotion by showing you propagandamovies on netflix. but they will never make documentaries about the real issues in our society because it is owned by them. u gotta realize that the government who is pushign veganism doesnt care about animals or the environment. they merely use this as a tool to further control us aka electric cars and to feed us cheap food aka bugs and grains look at the wef. they are the ones having business deals with all the environment destroyers and therefore the abusers of animals. veganism doesnt safe more animal lives either if you look at all the space of living that is being taken away from animals through all the farmland. and you will never stop craving meat and animalproducts because it is not just some drug that you get off it is your natural desire and need. you will be nutritionally deficient earlier or later unless you wanna take animalvitaminepills. either way you gotta realize they are using your empathy to further enslave us.
This. The pushback from non-vegans is so real and is honestly pretty traumatizing over time.
My mother went vegetarian as a teen (in the 70s). She still brought me up as an omnivore until, at the age of 11, I decided I didn't want to eat meat, either. 15 years later I went vegan and my mom immediately made the change, too. I can't imagine how hard it must be to not have any vegan family members or friends. For my mom and me, it's been such a comfort and a way to bond. I'm so grateful for it!
wow our stories are so similar! My mum went veggie in the 80s, raised me and my brother veggie and then I went vegan in 2017, aged 20, and she went vegan the following year (as well as my dad). I feel so lucky & blessed to have parents who understand and encourage / support my choices ❤
Today is my 1 year vegan anniversary. And you're the main reason I turned Vegan. Thank you
Awesome man, spread the word
Congrats! Mine was a week ago! 🌱🫶🏻
Happy vegan anniversary!
Happy Anniversary! That's awesome!
👏💚
The indifference of otherwise decent people to unspeakable horror - nothing is worse than that.
It really screws with my mind, that
Raises the question, are they behaving "good" just to fit in and get benefits? I doubt most of those "decent" people are, and they expose their true colours when it comes to veganism.
I really struggle when I see activist fighting for human rights and freedoms that turn around and defend the exploitation of non human animals in the same breath is so baffling
Most people aren't wired like you unfortunately
You have beautifully articulated my frustrations.
When I went vegan over 20 years ago, my family thought I was crazy. Then my Dad and sister went pescatarian, then years later vegetarian, then vegan. My Mom who used to complain about vegans is now a staunchly vegan. It was amazing to see. But it wasn’t overnight.
no one in my blood family are interested in any kind of change but my close friends became Vegan over 6 years ago . Nice to have others to connect to even if not many ;D
Don't think of yourself as "the only vegan" in your family. You are the first vegan.
good perspective 😊
Love that. Thank you
It’s my wife and my 20 year vegaversary. 4 healthy and strong veg children and two grandchildren so far❤ I love you all❣️
Wish my husband would go vegan with me 😢 it’s been 3 years now since my eyes have been opened and it’s still a very difficult topic between the two of us which shouldn’t be. He won’t even try it for a short amt of time for me. We’ve been together 20 years now and he makes it so difficult for me that instead of giving up like he would like me to, I dig my heels in more because it’s just right!
@@tiffanyj3245 That sounds bad. Question is if you can continue doing that by knowing that he doesn't care. At least for me being vegan is a thing from the heart. And if you don't just eat vegan but you are vegan in every part of life I think it is nearly impossible to still feel good about that relationship.
I know nothing about you two so this comment is just based on what you wrote. I hope you will find a great solution for yourself and of course all the animals.
@@tiffanyj3245 it’s an affair of the heart. Just like when you two fell in love. Stay strong, true and shower him with your love. No judgement, no resentment or regret. If you cook, prepare some amazing plant based dishes. Especially catering to his taste. With enough love, patience and understanding I believe everyone can change❤️💛💚
How did you raise your children so that they grew up veg? Did they ever rebel and eat meat? How about going to friends' houses etc?
Thank you and your beautiful family for caring! ✨🌱
One day after seeing some videos of farming practices online I rang up my partner - with whom I hadn’t spoken about veganism previously and told her I wanted to go vegan. She replied saying she had also been thinking the same thing! So we went vegan together!
yay :D
😊😊😊💚💚💚
We did as you did 10 years ago after watching the movie Earthlings.
What an eye-opening experience to meet so insanely much hate from people and your family.
We did really discover how indoctrinated and not free thinkers people are in general, and most have no heart for animals whatsoever and have no ideas what the energy effect of all this killing does. We stay vegan to death, as you can not change when you make a decision based on your soul and heart.
Perfection!
Love that, also went vegan with my partner. Makes it a lot easier having the most important person in your life on the same side, with similar values!
I’ll leave two stories:
Bad First: When I was 16 and had been vegetarian for two years, my Aunt tricked me eating a meat hot dog instead of the tofu pups I had purposely brought for myself. Thirty minutes into the picnic I started sweating profusely and suddenly vomited everywhere. She laughed, then confessed to the whole thing. She also said she did it because she thought I was “just being dramatic” when I said meat makes me vomit.
I’m vegan now, so is my partner (who went vegan with me), and we have the most incredible vegan son. 🥰
Wow that is cruel 😢
Whoa, that’s a terribly bad story! The good is better to hear, love to see a healthy family unit ❤
There's nonvegans who physically force vegans to eat animal products too.
I can't believe your aunt laughed at you even after you vomited. Many nonvegans can't believe meat can hurt health too.
take it you are n longer in contact with your messed up aunty , glad you found your little Vegan tribe ;D
That is so cruel. If one of my family did that I’d never forgive them.
the hardest part for me is definitely telling people whats happening to the animals and them simply not caring
right?!! especially when they have pets and call themselves 'animal lovers'... makes me so mad! they'd be opposed to it if it were dogs and cats instead of cows and pigs :(
@@DreamlandOfStyle the concept of being okay with hurting someone for personal pleasure is literally r@pe culture
Unfortunately all the addicting processed foods are like drugs and when you're an addict, you just want to use (in this case eat) what gives you a pleasure high, so even decent people who adore animals don't think about the suffering and there's a disconnect. i was one of these people, even running an animal charity while eating meat/fish/eggs/cheese every day, but happily 4 years ago I changed and have been vegan ever since. There is hope that people will change and there's more and more of us, we need to keep spreading the word. Vegans are generally slimmer so a lot of people are becoming (more) plant-based for weight & health reasons. Whatever the initial impulse, as long as animal lives are saved it's a good thing.
@@luluandmeowyes this is spot on.
@@luluandmeow no it's not about addicting processed foods, they simply don't care because they're speciesists
there are processed vegan foods too, I've found some vegan processed foods that I want to eat over and over, and when I first tasted a pb&j sandwich (I'm not american) it made me "addicted" to the flavor, oreos and potato chips are vegan and they're addictive too
The only bad part of going vegan is not having gone vegan much earlier, or since the beginning...
Thank you for going vegan. But please don’t beat yourself up. Since your parents raised you with a certain belief about the food they gave you, it’s a given that it takes a certain amount of time to rewire yourself. Just think of all the animal lives you have saved since you made that decision to choose for a vegan lifestyle 🙏🏻💫💖
Yes! I always think about this!
@@MisssMolly
😂😂😂😂😂you saved nothing
@cicolas_nage
Lol meh my jobs decent enough I enjoy buying qaulity animals products for meals
@@rondarkman. Haha, so funny, heard that for the First time ever. No ones ever gotten the Idea to Go to vegan Videos and comment you Like Animal products 🤦🏾
The first time I ever saw one of your debates was 2 1/2 years ago. I went vegan on the spot after you said, “is your taste pleasure greater than an animal’s total existence?” Thank you, Ed!
That's phenomenal. Good for you. ❤
🙏💚💜
you're a good person. Thank you for existing
💚💚💚
You are a very weak person if you are able to be convinced to change your entire lifestyle based on one sentence.
My biggest support in going vegan was my (back then) 68 yo grandma. She bought a recipy book with traditional dishes of my country transformed into vegan way so she could continue cooking and having me over lunches on weekends as I used to visit her. :)
WOW how sweet , your Grandma ROCKS ;D
I went vegetarian back in the 1970s as I could not bear to be part of the suffering of farmed animals. Vegetarians - let alone vegans - were seen as a bit of an oddity in those days and I was teased, constantly questioned and felt very alone in my beliefs. The only meat substitutes I could find were some tasteless dehydrated soya chunks from my local health store and it was almost impossible to find a vegetarian recipe book. But very slowly society began to change and it gradually started to become acceptable. However, I soon began to learn about the horror of the dairy industry and immediately went vegan. Once again I began to experience the same feelings of isolation as I had before; people considered my diet 'extreme' and eating out became a battle.
But once again, things have slowly began to change - in my lifetime I never thought I would ever see things like fully vegan restaurants or restaurants with vegan options available, vegan celebrities, vegan cookbooks and so many vegan alternatives available.
So, just as Ed says, even though at times it does feels like we're slogging through thick viscous mud and even though this unbearable animal cruelty sadly continues, when you consider how far we have come in the last 50 years then it really does give you reasons for hope and optimism for the future.
Yes thank you, that's what I try telling myself. That the relief may not happen while I am still alive, what we do now is what will make it possible.
You’re a hero for doing that in the seventies when it was really quite a foreign concept 🎉❤
People like you paved the way for people like me, who never would have otherwise even considered going vegan. You can't know how big of a difference you've made. Thank you.
Ditto!
@@plienair Thank you. I also think that all of our actions today are paving the way for future generations, that's why we must never give up hope.
The hardest part is definitely being aware of the horrors that are ongoing and the fact that nobody around you seems to care. It’s very disheartening and depressing.
You are right. It is fucking depressing and I have lived more than 50 years so it is really depressing for me and in business world.
Basically there is no one you can talk to and all social arrangements I may attend, I am the only vegan also at fine parties at restaurants but so be it, I do not suffer 1% compared to a farm animal.
@@stiglarsen795 ; I believe it! My older brother is a traveling salesman. He & his wife got married at a country club, which I think they used to go to rather often because I used to see some of his Facebook posts from when they went out for dinner. Some of the weird things they found on the buffet tables ; Buffalo’s tongue, lion meat, etc. …, I hope they weren’t actually eating any of that themselves. It looked so gross & I found myself questioning the legality of many of their “dishes”. 🤢🤢 But, my brother also has to spend a lot of time at hotels & restaurants, taking business clients to lunch, or dinner. So, he probably wouldn’t have many choices either, if he were to go vegan, or even vegetarian. 🤷🏻♀️💜🖖🏼💜🤷🏻♂️
The hardest part is be healthy at vegan diet. Please show me how
How do you know they don't care? I care when I see a video of an animal suffering while being butchered. But, when I ask a vegan where I should buy my meat to ensure that it has been slaughtered humanely their response is that there is no such thing as humane slaughter. If they have no solution then they can't get mad about it.
World is full of shit. I remember this everytime my cat torture some bug just for fun. Humans are no better than animal kingdom. We just amplify their cruelty. Still we are improving, getting more compassionate compared to middle ages.
There will be a time we will stop torturing animals for food as well, but it's definitely not now. Vegan activists want to change in a blink of an eye. It's just nonsense. Highlighting the facts and and raising awareness is one thing, but fighting with people who doesn't have the same values yet is another.
I was vegan myself for 2 years. Now am omnivore but trying to find balance by consuming minimal animal products. I eat youghurt from my neighbors cows that I see everyday. I eat eggs from my chickens. I eat wild fish and chickens.
There is no need to go extreme about it. Give time to society to improve. If you try to fight, you will lose, you can't change the thousands of years of customs by arguing.
Let people be. And mind your own business. Play your part by making more conscious decisions and be good example.
This is my advice for vegans.
I find being vegan a fairly lonely experience. I live alone and don’t have any vegan friends, the only comments I get from friends/family is always some attempt to disparage my lifestyle and views.
Where I live it’s pretty easy to be vegan but was solo abroad for a Marathon and found it really hard. A lot of places had no vegan options at all.
I find watching your videos and those from a few others remind me that I am not completely alone. It’s so helpful to know there are other people out there who struggle with the same issues and validation that what we do is so worthwhile.
Keep your head up. You are not alone. We support you 1 TRILLION PERCENT. Even if we are half way across the world! ❤
Good way to have a chat with other vegans is in the supermarket at the vegan section. Just ask "what a good vegan cheese is" they'll all have a chat.
Stay strong. We all know these ignorant and sometimes hateful surroundings. It is depressing. I am over 50 in the business world, which is not fun when out somewhere, and I am the only 1 out of 100 not eating meat, cheese and use milk and butter. But every farm animal suffers more than I do. 10 years ago, I took a holiday drive to Slovakia, Czech Republic and most of western Poland and I was mostly eating fruits, nuts, potatoes and cabbage. Many times I was ready for a fist fight when someone said something in restaurant and people said something and I went to their table and asked them to shut up, travelling east.
In Portugal we often drove 100 km each direction to get food. I think France would be awful to go to as vegan, so we never did. But travelling get restricted to certain countries for sure.
But every time I see a farm or lack of farm animals outside, as they were when I was young, everything is OK.
The problem is that animal rights activists guilt you into making bad choices, and those choices have consequences for your health and others. Put yourself first, not vegans. 84% of vegans fail the diet, and it's not a mystery; within 4 to 11 years, you will experience serious health issues, and I truly hope you listen to your body and not what vegans have to say. In the end, simply throwing vitamins at it isn't the be-all, end-all solution. The inhuman treatment of people is absolutely disgusting when it comes to harvesting fruits and vegetables in tropical climates, subjecting children to toxic chemicals and birth defects is not very vegan. To top it off, you can't drive for non-essential reasons, you can't watch movies, you can't go to Disney, you can't go to the beach - if you do, you can be considered hypocritical. Something that I will never forget is when a well-known vegan gave the scenario where if there was an animal or a person on train tracks and they had to save one, it would be the person, prioritizing the human. One last thing that I find incredibly horrific is that the vegan teacher, a person animal activist, is passionate about, basically said she doesn't care how long your pet lives (cat) as long as it's vegan. Just so many hypocrisies and people getting hurt when turning to a vegan diet, being depressed because of the ethical burden they put on themselves is ridiculous.
planet base diet is proven to cause depression.
I'm with my girlfriend for 3 years now. She's been vegan for 7 years. I didn't become vegan once I met her nor in the first 2 years of our relationship. I did become more aware and conscious after meeting her, but I would still consume animal products.
However, everything changed 2 months ago when I watched the documentary "Land of Hope and Glory". Like most people I knew that animals were killed in slaughterhouses but I was ignoring it and didn't want to think deeply about the consequences of my actions. I watched the documentary on a plane and I couldn't keep myself from crying. It's horrible what the human species does to other beings... I became vegan right there, on that moment, and like others have said here, I just wish I did it earlier.
I now understand everything that my girlfriend tried to explain to me and I'm very thankful that she was understandable, loving and didn't "give up" on me.
Thank you Ed for opening my eyes 💚
That is such a cool story. Thanks for sharing!
I was 73 when I went vegan in 2020 & my family did react strongly, saying I would be ill etc. when the younger grandchildren asked me about it I told them as simply as I could & I was warned not to speak to the children about it - the children questioned me a lot & it was so frustrating not to be allowed to talk about the cruelty involved! Since then I’ve found things they like (eg Beyond Burgers etc) & I don’t buy in meat for them & now & again I do answer some of the High School age honestly but it breaks my heart to see them eating meat in their homes. I think the thing we can do is continue consistently living the vegan life & remember they’re watching us more than we realise … 💚
At your age it does not matter. At your age i might consider all sorts of unhealthy things like a white line if you get my drift
My partner and I have been vegan for over 7 years... When we visit friends who have children, we are usually asked not to bring up veganism as a subject in their house because they are convinced that if their children find out what happens to the animals, they would refuse eating meat. How long can they hide the truth away from their children? I so wish my parents and everyone around me did not lie about the dairy & meat industry when I was a child.
When I went vegan, I ASSUMED people around me would change too - ONCE they heard the facts. I was shocked, even after me being 6yrs vegan, that nobody in my bubble has gone vegan. (even though I have a vegan youtube channel showing recipes and me curing my hashimotos hypothyroidism and other benefits of being vegan) Yes, my hubby and son and friends have eaten more vegan meals around me, but not a single one is interested in cutting their meat consumption entirely or going vegan. My family have also watched at least 2-3 documentaries, so it's not like they don't know. They have both gone vegan for a week as a gift to me, but go back to eating meat. Also hubby has so many health problems, that ARE related to his diet, but never thinks it is, even after I show him research and facts. Yes, the hardest part about being vegan, is being vegan in a non vegan world. It's tough
🙏💜💚🌹
I thought exactly the same about my family, thinking it was just a matter of time but after 14 years and countless attempts and discussions I’m still here waiting for them to change, so frustrating 😢
Some people just learn the hard way 😢
I had the same belief. I thought once I told friends and family they would be on board immediately. How naive I was.
On the plus side, I told my husband about veganism and that we should do it. He was hesitant at first, but once he looked into it, he agreed. We have been vegan 4 years now. Sending you solidarity. ❤
@aprilalice04 expecting other people to change or trying to sell them on the idea of veganisim is why vegans are so disliked in society
For me, the hardest part is people's apathy.
I was the biggest meat eater there was but I came to the stage of realising what I was doing was wrong. So I am the classic example of if I can do it then anyone can.
So it's with immense frustration that people are not doing the same as me when everyone says they don't like animal abuse. This is what I struggle with the most
I’ve experienced the same thing! I used to love meat, but as soon as I realized what was happening, I gave it up. It is so hard seeing other people not doing the same when they have the facts.
@@madelynbingham4128 💗
The hardest thing is to look into the animals‘ eyes, knowing you cannot save them all.
Thank you so much for your words and your work. ❤
That too. Vigils are really, really tough.
Yes. Because we love and cherish the animals.
i wished we had more of these inter-vegan discussions. so much of vegan content is centered around activism, and i obviously get that, but i also wish we would talk more about staying vegan, and what that means. friends, family, work. growing up/older with veganism. problematic movements and issues within veganism etc.
really loved this video
This was so intensely, unexpectedly therapeutic. Your title was not clickbait. I was honestly shedding a few tears before you ever got to the part where you talked about crying. I didn't know that I needed to hear this message from you, but I 100% did and I think this might actually be my favorite vegan video of the year so far because while most vegan advocacy is reaching out, this one turns inward, heals wounds and steels resolve. And yes I really really like this video format. Maybe make this a regular occurrence. The movement is blessed by your existence, Ed. You have a real passion and talent.
Ed has used this comment on his story! What a beautiful thing to write, thank you!
The hardest part is those people who say they just couldn’t give up bacon. They clearly are selfishly thinking of their own pleasure and don’t think even a little bit about where the bacon comes from.
They definitely think about where bacon comes from. The cognitive dissonance sucks. I don't think we should shame ppl for that tho. Applaud the fact that they're mostly vegan. Maybe someday they'll cut the bacon out entirely. Any less meat is a good thing
Doubt it especially since bacon is awesome
Your 'pleasure' is based on biological signals.
@@maxmcintyre5068 eat vegan bacon 💁♀️
@@cicolas_nage You have to admit its a sub optimal moral choice.
The most difficult part for me is exactly what you said. The isolation. Even when I spend time with friends and family, I feel separate from them. I feel so sickened by the industries and it’s hard to have a good time with family and friends who are partaking, and treat me as though I’m “extreme” for not wanting to be a part of it. I feel like I have to compromise on my morals just to be around them and it really fucking hurts
Same , I have ler them go now ❤
Hi Ed 😊
I'm 47 years old, I've been vegan for 7 years. I became Vegan in a week after watching the documentary "what a health", which led me to see "cowspiracy", "earthlings" and everything I could research. After having all this knowledge about reality, I couldn't continue to eat the same way. I shared the documentaries with my husband and we both made the decision to change our diet radically. We have two daughters, who were 11 and 7 years old at the time. We talked to them, we explained our decision that was understood and well accepted by both. Today we are the 4 vegans. Really changing the diet wasn't difficult.
The most difficult thing for me, especially in the first year, was to accept that the people I love and whom I think are intelligent and empathetic, are not disgusted and bothered like me with all that information and do not feel the need to change anything in their lives. It was a disappointment. They choose to live in ignorance, they choose to pretend they don't know what's going on, they choose to believe that they are not responsible....🌎🍀🇵🇹
Thank’s Ed, love your work!
Yea , I am no longer able to even be around that energy any longer , it's like I am suffocating when in their presence so I do not spend time with others on that wave length anymore
I've been vegan over 10 years. I would say 90% of the difficulty in being vegan is social pressure and feeling "different".
this is 100% the hardest part for me. for example, i have a gay friend who’s from Lebanon and his instagram story is ‘free palestine’ - ‘free ukraine’ - ‘inequality is bad!’ - ‘i fight discrimination every day!!’ - *at a protest* - and inbetween each one there’ll be all the meat he’s cooking + eating..
the moral inconsistency drives me quite literally insane and i don’t know how to get through to him because the one time i suggested a vegan product to him, he said it didn’t contain enough protein for his gains. i hate to say this but i do find it hard to be close friends with non vegans because my ethics are so strong, it’s such a mental battle for me
Point the inconsistency to him with the image he is projecting online maybe.
@@WhyCZcamsWhy i dunno.. he cares so much about fighting human discrimination, but i think he’s one of those people who will only do that if it doesn’t involve HIM giving up / actually changing. his cat got killed by a fox in Jan and again his insta story was 1 post of him sad about that and the next him eating lamb and beef. i feel he has quite a big moral ego but not for farm animals clearly
Ask him to google speciesism 🙏
Honestly, I can't stand people who make a big show on social media and in real life about how moral they are because it's all talk and no action with them. They virtue signal all day long but when it comes to giving up animal products, nope that's too hard for them, can't do it.
Don't care if I sound judgemental, I am so tired of listening to these smug virtue signallers who won't lift a finger for the animals. They support everything except veganism because it's socially acceptable to eat animals. They won't go vegan until you can earn social brownie points for it.
When I went vegan, my wife, sister, brother in law and nephew all went vegan within a few weeks. That was nearly 5 years ago. It is great to have supportive family.
WOW ;D that really is amazing , what a cool family you have . They must really love and respect you mark
"If the vegan ideal of non exploitation were generally adopted, it would be the greatest peaceful revolution ever known"
~Donald Watson~
🌱🕊💚🕊🌱
wouldn't it 🥰
@@veganvocalist4782 🕊
One day 💚
Very soothing to hear another person verbalize these issues we all share. I work at a vegan restaurant and walking the line between educating and sounding accusatory to non-vegans or flexetarians, vegetarians etc. can sometimes be exhausting. But taking a step back and remembering how trivial that discomfort is compared to all the suffering animals endure, corrects that weariness.
Mockery and abuse from omnivores have never bothered me because I knew, deep in my core, that I was doing the right thing.
I went vegetarian in 2000 to run with more endurance. Couldn’t have cared less about animals or the planet. The constant moaning at me when I stayed vege as I felt so much better actually drove me to learn, grow, and go vegan!
do you use medications tested on animals ? and life saving treatments ? Hypocrites !
@@ghost666recon 94% of drugs that pass animal tests fail in human clinical trials. Over 100 stroke drugs and over 85 HIV vaccines failed in humans after succeeding in animal trials. Nearly 150 clinical trials (human tests) of treatments to reduce inflammation in critically ill patients have been undertaken, and all of them failed, despite being successful in animal tests.
Drugs that pass animal tests are not necessarily safe. The 1950s sleeping pill thalidomide, which caused 10,000 babies to be born with severe deformities, was tested on animals prior to its commercial release. Later tests on pregnant mice, rats, guinea pigs, cats, and hamsters did not result in birth defects unless the drug was administered at extremely high doses. Animal tests on the arthritis drug Vioxx showed that it had a protective effect on the hearts of mice, yet the drug went on to cause more than 27,000 heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths before being pulled from the market.
Plus, animal tests may mislead researchers into ignoring potential cures and treatments. Some chemicals that are ineffective on (or harmful to) animals prove valuable when used by humans. Aspirin, for example, is dangerous for some animal species. Intravenous vitamin C has shown to be effective in treating sepsis in humans, but makes no difference to mice. Fk-506 (tacrolimus), used to lower the risk of organ transplant rejection, was “almost shelved” because of animal test results, according to neurologist Aysha Akhtar. A report on Slate.com stated that a “source of human suffering may be the dozens of promising drugs that get shelved when they cause problems in animals that may not be relevant for humans.”
@@ghost666reconAnd that is only a small portion of the argument against animal testing. Many scientists (with a conscience and not a sadistic POS) are against animal testing. Maybe do some research instead of stating what IS NOT the obvious! Update: what happened to my original comment with anti-animal testing stats? I have noticed that YT deletes comments. Unless someone has reported my comment. 🤔🤨
@@pennPi justification is is what vegans do to make themselves feel better, if you took the Cov jab, you are complicit lol
I went vegan at age 12 because of your videos (now I'm 17!)!! I was raised vegetarian, but your videos helped me make that jump to full veganism. Luckily, my parents were extremely supportive. My little brother (age 14) is now vegan too! My parents are like 90% vegan as my brother and I have made this change. Over time, skim milk turned to buying almond milk and butter to plant butter in our household. My mom used to have eggs every morning for breakfast but because of my brother and I, she hasn't bought eggs for almost a year! Even my cousin who comes from an Italian, meat-loving family is now vegan. Thank you for inspiring us all!
WOW that is amazing juliana 🥰 we are based in Cornwall, UK 💛
Wow, you are very kind, mature, and intelligent for a teenager. Your family seems very nice. 💜
Horrible lol watch y’all deteriorate
I’ve been Vegan for 7 years. I was vegetarian for 32 years before that. I have friends that give me grief for it, but I also have friends who have converted. My sister-in-law, G, convinced/ encouraged me to “give it a go”. She has since helped her husband, my brother to go vegan, and I have supported 3 friends, W, A and K to do the same. It may be tiny steps, but we are still saving lives , and we should all remember that . Thanks for all you do Ed. Peace and light 🤗🌱🙏🏼
Social withdrawal. Which doesn't come, counterintuitively, from lack of engagement with nonvegans, but from lack of deeper engagement with them. Who can relate?
Me, I find nothing to talk about with my old friends, everything seems shallow.
I socially withdrew even before going vegan :D since most people are narcissistic and shallow, have only met 1 person who was genuine when inquiring about me without having any ulterior motives
I can relate. Well said. I also don’t eat with family anymore because they are always eating animals.
Also, I’ve only ever met one other vegan irl.
Totally. I don't like being around most humans anymore. They're all so uncaring , not just about being vegan, but about everything including themselves.
Biggest struggle by far : dealing with other people.
Today, for ex, 2nd day in a new job, got lunch with my colleagues and there was some confrontation : the boss was kind of defensive/almost aggressive, another colleague said she tried going vegetarian but due to iron deficiency she "has to" eat chicken, etc etc etcc.
In addition to the pressure of settling into a new job, meeting with new people, the first impressions, etc I have to calmly deal with the ignorance on this topic.
Anyway, I refuse to be silent, even if it irritates the people around, I will argue to try and raise awareness of animals' right and defend veganism.
This is why I love working from home !!! It’s always those 2 types, one that gets offended/aggressive and the other that makes a comment to try and justify eating animal products when no one asked for their opinion 😂 don’t engage with their shit behaviour. If they ask you why you’re vegan and they’re genuinely interested, send them a documentary like earthlings for example. Avoid them and report them if they get personal. Don’t let them put you off doing such an amazing thing for the animals, humans in slaughter houses and planet
@@cordster515 🥰
The wife and I went vegan back in 2018 and we haven't looked back since; we finally aligned our actions with our values. Thanks for all you do. ❤
That's amazing 😊 same year as me and my partner
Been Vegan for 7 years, and I never looked back.,
Me too !!!
@@zaruhisurmenyan4529 Me too of nearly 12 years. The biggest and best change iv ever made all for the right reasons.
@@ruthsmith1694 I remember noticing how much better I felt when I stopped eating beef and cheese in a matter of weeks, no longer feeling stomach cramps or being on the toilet for almost 45 min at 5am some days.
@@otakunthevegan4206 I too felt loads better both physically mentally and spiritually within weeks of going vegan. I only wish that i had been aware of the horrible animal atrocities industries sooner so that i could have gone vegan sooner. But as they say better late than never.
You hit the nail on the head. Sometimes I feel like isolating myself from this cruel world. Vegan just over 6 jr and a half years. 8 months in I hit rock bottom for about 3 months. The realisation that none of my friends care. Thought my kindness and way of living would change my friends. Was an SPCA Committee member then for about 2 yrs. Also thought we will become the first vegan SPCA committee. I resigned after 4 yrs. Realised no-one could bother.
I'm still the only vegan I know in a city in SA.
Still,as we all say, the best decision I've made in my life - shouldve done it as a young child when I told my parents I dont want to eat meat as the animals die.
yes it is very isolating , we have to find ways to connect . My best friend Boo died recently , an adopted beautiful kind staffordshire cross just shy of her 15th birthday . Still can not believe she is gone 😞
I am taking this opportunity to honour her life by setting up a dog vegan treat stand to raise awareness and funds for animal sanctuaries , I have had her picture printed on a black cap and will be getting a hoodie / top printed too with her stood in front of some fantastic graffiti in Bristol . I Will wear these as my uniform with the words ADOPT DONT SHOP on them .
Some one has kindly given me a free spot near their plant based Caravan Cafe called Be Kind in Hayle .
Doing this will help me with my deep grief and get me out meeting like minded people as I was used to going out daily for walks with my pup and we went every where together . If she or other dogs were not welcome , I NEVER graced their door again in that establishment .
Boo and I have campaigned here in Cornwall, for the rights of dogs to live in rented properties as landlords do not welcome animals for some very strange and back ward thinking reasons .
i wonder if maybe you could do something similar where you live ? Gentle hug Jessie from me and my Vegan friends here in Cornwall
🙏🥰
@@veganvocalist4782 I am so sorry for yoyr unbearable loss. My heart ache for you. I pray that you maybe find a way during this mourning period to open your heart and adopt another one. I did it after my previous dog passed away and caring for the new rascal did take my mind a little off of the pain of mourning her death.
All the best.
I needed this! No longer apologising for being "inconvenient"!!!
Awwww , this is good to know . Ed is such good support for us all 💚
My mum slowly transitioned into veganism as well after I did. She also does activism online, and has even made new friends that way. It's actually wonderful to see ❤💯💯
cool mom , all my family are not even interesting in reading about it or watching even one video , must be great to have a family with an open mind 🥰
My problem is that I don't feel confident debating veganism and that I fear confrontation and awkwardness. I'm not eloquent with words, so others can mock me easier 😞
Same here... I struggle with anxiety in regular social settings but in ones where I am questioned about veganism, there's an even higher level of discomfort. It sucks because my awkwardness makes people feel like they're "winning" the confrontation.
Folk mocking aren't after "debate", and as a vegan unless you're up for a tear up (verbally of course) you're likely to get ganged up on.
Do your thing, if folk ask questions enter conversation.
My strong advise is that if someone has got a question you can't answer, say so - "that's an interesting question, I need to go an look that up"
This is exactly why I would recommand getting well informed as part of being a vegan.
People say :
- Be careful with nutrition
- Find new recipes, etc
I absolutely want to add :
- understand speciecism
- learn how to answer to the sale remark carnists always make
Stuff like this channel are a perfect ressource for this
This makes being a vegan so much more confortable.
As a vegan in a non-vegan world I really needed this video. Nevetheless, qe have to think that it is not about us, it’s about the animals! And we are trying our best ☺️
do you use medications tested on animals ? and life saving treatments ? Hypocrites !
@@ghost666recon Life saving treatments are needed but not eating animal products. Completely not comparable at all. Watch BitesizeVegan on medicine. There's other ways to test things like on lab human skin. Some tests are unnecessary but it's nonvegans who don't care about being cruel like that.
It's more hypocritical that many nonvegans claim to care about animals but are easily and needlessly cruel to them like that and in what they eat for taste.
How is it's vegans' fault what nonvegans do in a vastly majority nonvegan world? Then when vegans try to change it nonvegans get mad too.
I delivered newspapers for a couple years and needed something to listen to to keep me entertained. I stumbled upon philosophy podcasts which eventually covered veganism. I simply couldnt argue against their points and became vegetarian.
Soon I found your channel and turned vegan immediately. With me and my brother being close he became vegan too. We've been vegan for almost 3 years together :)
Similar thing happened to me. I was watching the Crash Course Philosophy series and they had a video covering non-human animals. I knew I had to stop eating meat after watching that, but it still took me a while to change. I left that video in my Watch Later playlist to always remind myself so I couldn't just ignore it, and eventually I broke free of the brainwashing.
I went vegan about 9 years ago. I got a twin sister, she hated me at first, telling me I shouldn't do that, it will cause family drama... then she went vegan a couple months later.. now my mom is vegan for a couple of years too.. still working on dad tho... Anything is possible, guys n gurls !!
😃that is such a great testimony
I've turned vegan 1 and a half years ago. The first person I've talked to about this was my brother. He felt attacked and told me I was just egoistical for talking about my change, since I would only try to make myself bigger than I am. I literally just said that I am vegan now, nothing else. He was always like this, every little accomplishment I made in life was something I had to be silent about.
So I've started to talk with friends more about going vegan. Especially my best friend, which is one of the most hard headed person I know.
I've talked about how hard it is for me to talk about veganism and about how much pressure I feel beeing a vegan in a non-vegan world (eating at a table with friends/family whilst everyone glorifys the one thing I put my heart and actions against). He told me I was just wrong about that and that I have the moral high-ground, which is why he thought I talked so much about that topic. To MAKE HIM CHANGE and to say HOW MUCH BETTER of a person I am.
Since I had a pretty hard time to develope how to stand up for myself, especially in discussion, I tend to get a super high pulse, sweaty hands and a hard time to make up words which makes it pretty hard for me to tell it how it truely is especially when I get bombed with these kinds of accusations.
I argue, yes. I keep on discussing if I think there is no valid point to be made from the opposing side, yes. I get that this can seem like forcing someone to belief what I belief. But I've always tried to make sure that it's not about me in these discussions, but about the victim. When there is a victim I have a hard time just sticking with "live and let live".
Since two of the closest persons to me have had this reaction about me just talking about veganism and of how important it is, I feel broken just thinking about that topic. Everyone talks about how they ate this fancy steak etc. and I just sit there and say something like "Nice" or "Cool", which goes completly against my way of thinking and living.
It feels like i am the egoistic stubborn vegan with no empathy, even though I just try to make the right thing, which f**ks my mind. Since allt his has happend I don't really talk about veganism anymore just fearing people don't want to understand my point.
So really thank you Ed, you have helped me and so many others with these problems. I nearly cried watching your video just knowing you are here on our side. i am truely grateful for you as a person and a voice for our hearts. I will keep on pushing to make this world a better place, overcoming my problems to straive for a better tomorrow. Thank you and this awesome community for showing us that we are not alone and for what we are fighting for.
Take care.
Just remember, you're not alone!
😊Hi Nico , yes I have experienced mean reactions and even aggression once, by a few other male strangers I did not even know !!! totally out of the blue .
whole heartedly I am VERY proud of you , it shows strength of character to stand ones ground especially going against the grain , like a salmon trying to swim up stream 😄you are doing incredibly well considering you have NO close support , means you are quite tough despite feeling sad and unsupported , it is frustrating but YOU make a difference with that compassionate heart of yours believe me Nico .
i have been Vegan for over 20 years now and lol 🤣when I first went Vegan , I did not know even 1 vegetarian , I did not have the internet or even a mobile phone haha .
I was given 1 leaflet by a vegetarian as my resource and later I got a book on the subject that had only one chapter on the matter .
do not worry about grammer etc it's aaaall nonsence any way , I am highly dislexic and not really bothered if it is correct , as long as we are communicating then we are doing ok buddy , much love and gentle hug from us 3 Vegans ( my fiends ) here in Cornwall, UK 🥰💛💛💛
Wow, you are so strong and inspiring. My sisters and husband are understanding, but I have had BAD reactions from both of my parents. It is astounding and discouraging and has given me some extra anxiety. Solidarity. You got this, and you’re not alone.
I’m so glad to see this video but the challenge I rarely hear anyone acknowledge is navigating relationships with friends & family that were either veg/vegan but revert back to an omnivorous diet. I find those relationships to be some of the most challenging to navigate. it’s so much easier when you know someone is ignorant to the suffering, but to willingly participate seems particularly cruel.
yea , that is a difficult one . I am the only one Vegan in my family and extended family as far as I know so not had to deal with this
Thank you for this video, Im only 15 and don't have a vegan community of friends and it is hard not to feel like an inconvenience when shopping or eating out but I'm trying each day to do more activism and you have really helped me with your videos.
Keep going strong! You have a whole community right here!
🙏💚💜
You will find you will have a great education.
For me 42 years ago, looking back at a vegan choice is great. A deep decision, will take your far , good luck!
Great video and topic covered… damn I forgot I could have used this code for my Wild order (they are very sustainable and lush scented deos)! I think society views is part of the problem not just the industry. Plant-based diet even though is not the same has been quite a secret advocate that helps the trend towards moving away from meat. While many do not take it serious in front, I’m pretty sure many do feel awkward about the subject because they know the truth in it.
I have gone vegan after being "caught" by one of your earlier videos, a ted talk with the clickbait-y title "Every argument against veganism". It opened my eyes to my own neglected moral compass and showed me that a former meat defender like me can be convinced, with the right words and disarming arguments. Thank you Ed, I couldn't be more grateful!
And thank you too for going vegan.
you are open to the truth , shows strength of character
Wow that’s cool to hear. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for bringing up this often neglected topic of vystopia, Ed. 🌲 When I first came across undercover investigative footage of animals suffering and being massacred as a child, the shock was so tremendous that it never sat well for me to stay silent on the topic. I started handing out brochures about animal exploitation and showed footage to classmates. 20 years to this day, I take every opportunity I get to raise awareness and engage in both individual and street activism with fellow activists. I was the odd preteen/teen who always brought their own veggie patties to friends' bbq parties, awkwardly dealing with all the carnist comments from non-vegan friends and their parents even, but I did not care. Doing what felt true to my heart was always far more important than being socially-accepted. Now my fam and some relatives / friends are vegans, and some who were once so opposed to the idea even slowly opening up to veganism. Never give up. ❤️🔥 Stand up for animals, even if you’re standing alone. You'll grow an army one day.
like you I am ok with being unpopular as long as I am aligned with the truth and what feels right for me morally, ethically , spiritually 💗💗💗
The hardships aren't about us,they're about the animals.
We live in a vystopian world , but as vegans we mustn't lose sight of what veganism actually is and that's to end all animal abuse and exploitation .
I agree, but just like anyone in human history who stood against injustice, it's never an easy thing to do. Simply acknowledging that it's difficult to deal with people against you doesn't trivialize what the animals are going through.
@@GeddyRC we must all stick together against the malzoans , one day we will overcome this vystopian world, of that i'm sure .
@@martinkevin4827 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
@@user-wv8ju3dw8shi John, hows it going , i posted a message to you on another thread and CZcams deleted it....😲
That will never happen
Sensitivity is the greatest strength.
Not really, no.
@@valfanclub I'm sure you find life easier by being insensitive
@@bestbehave whatever works for different people . WE do not all operate in the same way. Being sensitive is like having blue eyes. It is not a choice. And as such says nothing at all. But it certainly doesn't make you stronger.
do you use medications tested on animals ? and life saving treatments ? Hypocrites !
@@valfanclub It does make you stronger because you are aware of more things, details in the daily, aware of more suffering and because of that, you have to have deeper control of your emotions and handle those emotions to dont let affect you. It is very difficult to live being highly sensitive to a point you would never be able to comprehend
I am so grateful that my brother and I gone vegan together. It was much easier when I had and still have support of someone who understand my choice. Greetings from Croatia Ed!
Bet you sleep in the same bed as your brother
yes it is so much easier , I had been Vegan for 14 years before my closest friends took this route too, I was sooooO DAM HAPPY when they told me
I've been vegan for years now. I've made a transition alone, but I live with my girlfriend so she also made a transition when I started to talk to her about it and when she saw the food that I started to eat. Now together we are vegan becouse of you Ed for 5 years now 🥦❤
this is wonderful , it is such a good feeling when those we love not only support our ethical choice but joins us on that journey . Our two closest friends became Vegan over 7 years ago now , I was so moved and relieved by their decision as I did not know one other Vegan 😃
The most difficult thing for me was not being able to share a meal with my family any longer.
One of my friends went vegan on the spot, when she heard that calves are taken from their nurturing moms (I've been there, seen it and heard the cries). She is a loving mom herself and just couldn't stand the fact that animal AG denies motherhood.
Please bring your book to South America! I'm from Argentina and I think it'd really open so many people's minds.
Going vegan was the first thing I really changed in my life to benefit others every day.
When I met my wife in 2016 when she was about 7 years a vegetarian. I quickly transitioned to that diet within a year and then after 5 years vegetarian, in 2022, I was able to (easily) convince her that we should probably ditch the dairy and other animal-based products in our lives and have been happily vegan ever since. We are both married now, are healthier and happier than ever, and I reversed my high blood pressure.
Our families are mostly understanding, which we appreciate, and we are hopeful that our decision to put humility and ethics before comfort and ego will start to influence those around us. It is certainly difficult when around some other people, mostly work folks on my end, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I used to hate cooking and now it is something I look forward to every day.
Veganism has led to many positive changes in my life and it is just one stepping stone in a path to a beautiful life that we are creating together.
Ok I’ll share my positive story - my mum, sister, and I all went vegan together a few years ago! It had been something we’d considered and had been moving away from animal products, but still ate milk/eggs/fish. Ed’s videos (esp his big speech) are what gave us that push to realise the true ethical implications of only being vegetarian. The dissonance we had still shocks me!
Sometime on from that, my sister met her boyfriend. He was a meat-munching gym bro, chugged glasses of milk daily, etc. With some months of persuasion from the pair of us, he is now a committed vegan! 😊 We share a camaraderie around it now, which I love.
Sometimes it really takes patience to persuade people. I resonated with this video as my own partner is vegetarian - I’ve gotten him mostly weaned off milk (sad laugh), but there’s a way to go for him to truly see eye to eye with me on my ethical stance for being vegan. It’s no use being too pushy, small wins are still wins. But I agree there is an emotional toll!
has your partner taken the time to watch any of the dairy videos etc how the baby chicks are grounded up alive etc maybe if he witness's the truth of what he is involved in he may feel different , if he is not willing to even look then for me that would personally be some one I could no longer be connected to
dealing with non vegans is the hardest part of veganism. the animals, our environment and our health is so worth it all.
🌳💜🐾
Positive story: I was the only vegan among all my friends and once upon a time, one of them asked me "how are you living vegan? I wanna try" so, luckily, I was already equipped with knowledge from your and many other people's advocacy and research so I went full on vegan mentor mode 😂 Almost a year now since she's vegan and she told it's super easy now! Feeling very proud of and for her! ❤
Even my ex "gave up on veganism" and cheated on this "path" because animals were not the the main reason she did it for. I was. Which I did admire but I saw through what it would lead to eventually. Which goes to show for me that people should primarily go vegan for the animals. Because there's no excuse for animal abuse. There is an excuse if one's being an as* hole or a relationship breaks between people for whom they "went vegan" so it doesn't stay, sadly 😢
Nice work, I would LOVE to mentor somebody.
Postive comment 😊
When I decided to go vegan I asked my partner if he would watch the (sad and horrific) video I saw that made me make this decision. He said of course and straight after he said "guess I'm going vegan too". We've been vegan 9 years now.
Wishing you all the best and genuinely sending you love 💞
wow he sounds awesome 🥰
I am an italian vegan. At first it was hard for these exactly reasons, but now most of my relatives eat plant-based. They are not vegan, but they are getting close. My girlfriend who was opposing a lot this now eat basically all plant-based and soon we are going to watch the movie Food for Profit. I am sure she will be vegan soon!
oh my gosh that is truly amazing , my family sadly do not have the capacity to even listen or acknowledge what is actually going on . I have cut them all loose as we no longer have even one thing in common and they are not the kindest towards me so when my pup recently died and they did not contact me for 3 whole weeks , I decided to let them go , that was the last straw . I wish they were like your family in that way and had open minds 🥰
Biggest struggle are holdidays and family functions. Choosing restaurants with non vegan families. Me and my husband are fine is the rest. I don’t really enjoy holidays because I have watch what I bring
Holidays are only to specific countries. Family has learnt adapt and accept but restaurants in bigger events are always awfull.
I'm vegan from New Jersey, someone be my friend, your morals alone have vouched for you
The biggest struggle for me is thinking that, if people find out about what is happening to animals, they will be as appalled as I am and choose not to contribute to their harm any longer, but later realizing that many people know about what is happening and simply don’t care.
I am F 23, 3 years vegan, and when I first met my boyfriend (M 23 now) he was still eating meat
From the beginning of our relationship he felt very uncomfortable and avoided kissing me every time he ate something non-vegan. I never asked for it, but I really appreciated that
He became vegetarian a month later and a few months later vegan. The discussions we had about veganism were very constructive, because they were full of respect and revision of opinions, without pressure from any side.
Now he is very happy with his choice, cooks delicious vegan meals, and apparently feels comfortable kissing me after eating!!
I love this.
Made my day ❣️
This is such a good heartfelt video. I like the tone you've approached this with, unscripted and natural. I'd like to hear more conversations that guide us all towards dialogue and reconciliation with our broader communities.
iv'e been struggling with these sorts of questions a lot lately. i had to take a job as a cook at a restaurant where they served meat. i had to ask how to cut and cook it because it had been so long since i've done that, i hated it, but went along because i need to pay rent. my coworkers where surprised i was vegan and it was a bit frustrating for them when i would not try certain dishes they made. i avoided discussing veganism with anyone unless they asked, its so easy for people to feel really guilty and get defensive around the topic of animal cruelty. instead i did my best to get along with everyone and make plant based dishes and desserts. I discovered that most people have trouble conceiving food without animal products as they where somewhat bewildered that my dishes where actually really good without animal products. i hope that i was able to set a positive example and help expand their ideas about preparing food
i think thats exactly what we should be doing, show that veganism isnt so bad
I am so thankful for the timing of this video, as I am currently struggling through some upsetting research for my dissertation on the slaughterhouse.
I think my biggest struggle is figuring out how I can change other people's minds, most people aren't inherently cruel or hateful, but they simply cannot get their heads around vegan ideas. I can only hope that eventually over many years work, that we as a community can continue to change people's minds.
Support the meat and dairy industry that is what I do
Figuring out my diet was so easy (vegan for 7 years and going strong). What actually has been hard is dealing w/other people’s ignorance, apathy, and sometimes straight up aggression, especially regarding a topic that feels so sensitive and important to me
What an absolutely brilliant video. I struggle with maintaining a vegan lifestyle for these exact reasons. The social stigma is honestly so depressing sometimes. I remember when I told my best mates that I was trying to not eat meat they laughed and asked if I'd "watched a documentary or something" sarcastically - like I was some flat earther. Later in the same conversation one of them spoke about how he was boycotting Amazon because of how it affects small businesses - I asked him if he'd watched a documentary about it. I couldn't believe the hypocrisy of failing to see the similarities in trying to reduce our contribution to harm in society.
The ignorance, often willfull ignorance, is really difficult to deal with especially when friends mock you for simply trying to do the right thing. I have to try and constantly remind myself that for 30 odd years I was exactly the same way and it took a long time for me to even realise that I was in the wrong. My best friend is vegan thankfully and I remember being at a brunch with friends when his wife admitted to using real butter sometimes without him knowing. A couple of my other friends laughed about it and she then shared that my vegan friend would often, somewhat light heartedly, say that she was killing little pigs by eating bacon. One of my other friends was really aghast that he would do this and tried to call him out as being horrible for it - having previously laughed at his partner feeding him animal products.
My friends are good, salt of the earth people. My friends wife is lovely and a great person. They don't mean to be cruel. The sheer level of ignorance and lack of understanding on the subject, even in this day and age is really astounding though and is easily the biggest barrier to veganism. I find myself feeling guilty when I'm out at a restaurant with my non-vegan friends if I don't join in and order meat. It used to be such a massive part of my life to go out for food and get a massive meal to all share together and I think losing that is really difficult to contend with. If I'm honest I think there's definitely been a shift in my relationship with some of my friends and family.
What I would say is that when you get a friend who just treats you normally, or makes the slightest accommodation (say by providing vegan sausages for the aforementioned brunch) without even being asked it makes me want to cry because I'm so grateful for them just treating my normally like it's no big deal.
Thank you for your video. Every now and again I feel disheartened and wish I'd never learned what the animal industry was like and then I come across one of your videos and feel instantly vindicated. I will keep trying my best and I'm sure I'll get there - it would just be a lot easier if the world moved a lot quicker too.
Take care ❤️
But never give up.
Be proud of what you do for the animals, thanks to you we are moving towards a vegan world.
I rarely socialize for similar reasons .
Most chose to ignore all the evidence so yes it is willful .
My adopted pup recently died so I am now raising awarenesss and funds in her honour and as a tribute to her sweet life and to encourage others to adopt and NOT buy others like they are some inanimate unfeeling object to OWN.
I never allowed amyone to refer to me as Boo's OWNER or MASTER two very dirty words or indeed PET .
She was NEVER my pet
We were equals 🐶🐾🕊🤍
So this is my way of socializing .
I aproached a lovely caravan cafe called Be kind selling plamt based food here in Cornwall, UK about setting up a little stall , she said yes .
My first afternoon we raised £52 on behalf of Jacobs Ridge a fantastic Animal Santuary in Spain .
Sending you a gentle hug 🥰🤗❤
Thank you for making this video, I am the only vegan among my friends and family, all of whom are very important to me and this is definitely the hardest part for me personally.
Thank you for staying true to yourself and animals even when there is no support around 💪🏻
@@baganbobik9312 that means a lot thanks for the support!
Same here. You can count me as your brother from another mother or whatever.
@@JungleJoeVN damn thank you, and likewise!
You chose to be part of the solution rather than the problem and should be proud of that ❣️
I went vegan about 3 months before my partner did. His first motivation was health but he went fully vegan agmfter learning more about the animal agriculture industries.
A sucky part that I’m used to is being left out when my work buys food for all the employee and forgets about the vegan.
Or they’ll say, “well there’s salad!”
Knowing what is happening to animals and looking at people and not understanding why we are still the minority? why are we called extreme, while the products they eat are filled with endless cruelty and gruesomeness. And it's a very lonely place, especially when you don't have vegan friends.
Unfortunately, they are not yet capable of this awareness regarding animal cruelty. The ego works by closing your eyes and defending you. That's why they attack us, even though you don't say a word. These are natural mechanisms in them and you cannot fight them. I believe that veganism will prevail one day, it just takes time. As Ed mentions...10 years ago there were significantly fewer vegans. But it is really hard to watch this cruelty to animals, the planet and also to one's own health. I think that it is mainly about the level of awareness, as far as someone has it or not.
I agree with you.
do you use medications tested on animals ? and life saving treatments ? Hypocrites !
@@ghost666reconhmm I wonder if there’s any difference between life-saving medication and optional food choices… nope! nothing comes to mind!
@@digital_ferret6866 you would say that because you deny your part in animal cruelty, yep ! denial of vegan rightlessness over all else lol
One of the things I struggle with the most is articulating to people that a lot of vegans aren’t doing it for their own health reasons and are in fact doing it for moral or ethical reasons.
That and the look on certain people’s faces when you tell them you’re vegan and they look at you like you’re insane and it’s like, I’m not the one eating flesh here 😂
Thank you Ed, you’re an inspiration as always x
All vegans are doing it for the animals... if not they're just plant-based 🙂
I had a co-worker ask me if I still ate chicken right after I told her no animal products. People just don't get it.
@@chelleec23 “Is vegan the one where you don’t eat fish?” - a real question my manager asked me, I didn’t even know where to start answering that one 🤦
@@dobrickgenevo Yup... had a coworker tell me he went vegan for a few weeks and couldn't stop "cheating", clearly he viewed it as a diet and did not understand the ethics behind it.
@@WilliamReginaldLucas
I just say I do not eat dead bodies but only food that has grown from soil and give an example like apples from a tree or potatoes from the soil. Some do not know what vegan means at all. I a much older than you so sometimes you just have to walk away. No hope the other person will grow a heart this life time.
My dad is a fisherman, and you can imagine what he thought when I told him I was vegan years ago. Food is how we "break bread", and it can cause rifts. But at the same time, a void in our relationship has made us closer over time. Society, on a macro and micro scale, is absolutely a factor of why people go and stay vegan.
Some days the despair gets me, but other days I remember the friends who have become vegan because of things I've said or written, or because I took them to a vegan fair. Keep planting seeds, people. Some might never sprout, but some will.
It helps me to remember that those people were me for so long
My hardest parts about being a vegan:
- Ubiquitous visions of horror
- Misanthropy facing the immorality of the large majority
- Weight of my immense responsibility
- Restriction to be authentic
- Social and cultural alienation
Easiest part about being a vegan:
- Eating vegan
Pretty much nailed it 😥 can you expand on the "restriction to be authentic?" I'm not sure what you mean by that.
Touching. Tonight I dine on beef. Can you dig it?
@@once.upon.a.time.
By that I mean that the most *effective* way to make change for the victims and be heard requires for me to build a facade.
When people say the most stupid or cruel thing, I am supposed to smile politely, nod in agreement, and say "oh interesting point, but maybe have you considered this..."
Whereas my "real self" just wants to scream and flip tables. But I can't do that, since I would be "hostile and rude thus DeSErvINg mY cAUse". Thus creating more suffering for the main victims...
do you use medications tested on animals ? and life saving treatments ? Hypocrites !
@@raph2550 Thanks for replying, I understand and relate 100%
I went vegetarian when I was 12 and my dad said he'd sneak meat in my food (I didn't eat there for a year), my mother thought I would die, and two of my 'friends' held me down and rubbed salami on my face. It was really awful, but I stuck with it. When I went fully vegan at 18, everyone was so supportive.
My parents we're happy for me and made sure they had food I could eat so I would visit them. I had even reconnected with one of those old friends who told me she was horribly ashamed of how she behaved before, and she has been a big supporter of my veganism since. Its crazy how much easier everything has gotten in the years since I went fully vegan too. Some of them have gone vegetarian and made a lot of vegan swaps.
Its frustrating to realize that we don't have to cause so much harm before our loved ones seem to, but little by little, even just showing up and living in a less harmful way does inspire change in others.
When I tell you I bawled my eyes out hearing you speak what I feel on a daily basis with regards to my family 😭 The struggle is fckn real.
Yes it is , we already have the harrowing experiemce of knowing the truth of what is going on as a massive cult dark magic scale with animals AND some people so to be the minority is a very courageous thing to stand our ground on when the magority blindly follow the herd and not question what they are involved in
Having other like hearted / minded individials to connect to is essential 🥰
A few years ago I transitioned into a plant-based diet and considered myself vegan in philosophy, leaving only the slightest opening if I found myself in a ¨food desert¨. What happened in the first place is that I limited a lot of social interactions to spaces that were at least vegan-friendly, so that I wouldn't myself in that uncomfortable place.
It has led me to living in a vegan household with two other vegan peeps where we even share a lot of our meals: it's been enriching in a culinary and philosophical sense, interchanging meal plans and supporting each other in our activism. We're now planning the next year living there so I'm relieved about my living situation. In some of the activism circles there is a good amount of respecting our values but it depends on the time, place and social pressure.
That being said, where I live in Spain there are still food deserts. Even within a city there are neighbourhoods where no conscious effort is made to accommodate for dietary limitations: I need to include here the fact that some food establishments also don't cater properly for gluten-free options.
I feel bad for going to a restaurant where they can serve me olives or cut-up tomatoes at most, while the people I'm with are eating hamburgers or jamón without a care in the world. I try to step out of my comfort zone every once in a while but the anxiety isn't worth it; I couldn't even try to explain it because the solution would be to just leave and not participate in social plans.
When I want to expand or try out new hobbies and feel like hanging out with people, they have to face this test where I judge how accommodating the space and the people are to vegan philosophy. The sad conclusion is that I lose out: either I'm too rigorous in my criteria, or the people are plain ignorant.
Vegetarian since 1981 vegan since 2016. I struggle with isolation and feeling sad about the animals and the indifference towards their suffering. I recently reconnected with my family. It’s hard navigating the relationships because of their indifference. They are shocked at how incredibly healthy I am (they aren’t). It doesn’t fit their narrative
Been Vegan for 7 years (you were one of the reasons, Ed), have an absolutely phenomenal and supportive friendship group and a relatively understanding family..
That said the absolute hardest part of it for me, hands down, has been other people giving me crap for it.
This video really has helped me. I was vegan for 5 years before I stopped. I just felt so dejected and a huge sense of hopelessness. The straw that broke the camels back was when I went to an event with 200 people and one night that every one of them but me ordered a lamb kebab. I remember that light going out as I was leaning against the pub wall and seeing all that meat. I didn’t revert right there but I could tell my heart wasn’t in it anymore. Then covid hit and I was isolated for a while and before i knew it I wasn’t vegan anymore.
I’m going to make the change again now.
Thanks mate.
First, I want to thank you Ed for taking the time to sit down and make this video for us; your audience. It means a lot to me that you feel the same way that I and all of the other vegans that follow your channel do.
I don't know where to begin. I guess I should begin by explaining that I am living in Vietnam. Today, I was feeling a bit less than energetic and decided that I didn't want to cook for myself and my dog, so we went to a vegan restaurant,. Unfortunately they weren't open for serving food, just drinks. They told me of 2 other vegan restaurants, but they were never opened and today was no different.
So, I went to a 'normal' restaurant and asked if they could make spring rolls without meat. They didn't really give me a decent answer. They just asked if I wanted dog meat instead (in Vietnamese of course thinking I couldn't understand them). Naturally, I left there feeling worse because not only was I hungry, but now I felt belittled and was a bit angry. I had to rein in those feelings of anger and belittlement and attempt getting food somewhere else. Eventually I came to a place that served fast food, such as French fries, corn and other fried vegetables. So, my hard day wasn't about what friends or family thought about my choices, but it was about the opposite. It was about those insensitive and rude people who sell slaughtered animals.
Alright, now to talk about the other aspects you discussed in this video. I don't have one single friend or family member who is vegan. The only way I can talk to another vegan is by going to the Buddhist temples and hanging out with the monks and nuns. I can't go to a friend's house and have dinner because I don't want my face to betray my feelings about what they are doing to animals. They know I'm vegan, so it makes it just that much harder to hide my feelings because they are looking for it. My family doesn't appreciate my veganism either even though I'm half a world away, they still can't accept that my views are so profoundly different than theirs. They blame me for taking an opposing stance just for the sake of taking the opposing side and that I think is what makes it so difficult.
🙏💚💜😿
Vegan for 13 years now, luckily my husband was happy to make the change with me and raise our two kids vegan. And I love watching my kids become passionate about veganism. The rest of my family and friends however still don’t understand fully which makes me sad
I've been vegan in Nigeria for a year and half, it's hard to get foods that are vegan(usually limited to high income areas) and I have grown to enjoy cooking and getting all my meat-eating friends to try out my plant based alternatives.
My dad is an animal farmer and I can't even talk to him about compassion, it's easier to talk to people online although it gets very overwhelming because it's the same old ridiculous arguments against veganism.
Fortunately, a couple of people have turned vegan since interacting and that makes me happy.
Keep it up. It sounds like there are some good business opportunities to explore, & that you are ahead of the curve.
There is only one heroism in the world: to see the world as it is, and to love it.
This quote by Romain Rolland is how I feel about the vegan experience. It's being able to still invest into loving others and the world knowing what is so casually done to non human animals. And it is heroic.
After a couple of years after I went vegan and kept advocating for the animals, first my sister and then my mom both went vegan as well! Now everyone’s an ethical vegan in the family and we’re thriving ❤