Dealing with omni hostile friends.

[iwillcomeagain]

Do any of you have friends that ever try to argue with you about veganism? You know the type, gets drunk and then wants to debate everything, wants to belittle your decision for being vegan, says humans evolved to eat meat. I know, I know. The argument is getting old. This isn't really a post to complain about this or ask for help refuting his very

Comments

[bitspike]

Mod comment:

Do you have a suggestion for a new tag? I can add one for you!

Non-mod comment:

I'm lucky not to be put in this situation very often, and when it rarely does occur, it's fairly tame and from people I don't know that well - my close friends would never give me shit for it, not to imply that they are automatically better than your friends, of course.

It's difficult because the more you give reasonable answers, the more they would find some stupid argument to pick flaws in your choices. One solution, which isn't the best in each situation but may be helpful to try, is to use arguments with an equal amount of absurdity as theirs. They will/may realise that you don't respect their opinion on the issue and believe their logic is ludicrous and settle down.

Besides, you have made a great choice. Whether or not they agree, you shouldn't be made to defend your views.

One thing I usually do is respond to questions with questions of my own. Then you're putting them in the awkward position they tried to back you into.

"Why don't you eat meat?"
"Why do you eat meat?"
"Because we're at the top of the food chain, we need it and it's so delicious."
"Do you have any recent scientific studies to back that claim?"
"Um, no, why should I, it's natural?"
"You think it's natural to drink milk from cows, too?"
"That's it, I'm not having this conversation with you."
"What's the problem? Why don't you want to talk about your reasons for doing what you do?"

Of course, it really depends on the friendship as to how you choose to handle the conversation.

[peaceandcarrots]

Or you could simply question their reasons for asking.

Why do you ask?
Does something about my decision bother you?
Does my veganism threaten you somehow?
etc

Maybe if you can get them to start thinking about WHY your veganism bothers/threatens them they will be one step closer to seeing that they are just reacting to the guilt they feel when your ethically based choices are juxtaposed with their own less thought out lifestyle.

[pqowlaks]

Why do you ask?
Does something about my decision bother you?
Does my veganism threaten you somehow?
etc

I am going to start saying stuff like this!

[iwillcomeagain]

I like that. Thank you. Next time they harass me about it, I'll respond with questions like that. I could just say that it is personal and something that I don't want to talk about also. Somehow, I don't think that would fly.

[iwillcomeagain]

Thanks for the tags. I don't know. I told them how I felt and why I was vegan. It didn't seem to matter. I know enough to get in an argument about it but it wasn't a very respectful or considerate conversation.