The struggle of Veganism

Veganism is a strange principle in modern times. People who subscribe to it appear as zealots on their high horses to everyone else who still consume meat and animal products. The emotions are high on both sides, vegans feeling the moral strength of their position, and often seem 'pushy' or 'disruptive' to people's existing way of life. And so on the other hand, people feel like they are being shamed and forced to agree to a perspective that differs from their own and the societal norm.

Now I can sit here and justify Veganism and the moral principles that I feel make it logically and ethically valid and essential. But does that work? Does that convince people or is there something more that needs to be overcome before Veganism can receive widespread adoption?

Certainly, there are  cultural and societal road blocks in the way. Many people have grown up with animal products as ever present in their lives, so much so that we are almost completely divorced from the product itself. We do not see how it was obtained, where it came from or what happened to the animal or any other animals on the way (male chicks for instance, in egg production).

It is normal for us because we do not see the product as an animal, or as living, and we allow cognitive dissonance to easily sway us. Of course this is ok? There are a lot of things to worry about in life, and animal products give us pleasure. Why would you take this away? Why would you add another thing to stress over into our lives?

An answer to this question, and perhaps another hurdle in itself is: why should we care about animals? They aren't humans, they can't speak, they can't make money, or read, or solve algebraic equations - they must be beneath us, and so it is our right (possibly even our divine right) to use them as we see fit, since we are their superior.

To point out the inconsistencies or to make opposition to the above statements would merely be rehashing countless points already made all over the internet by Vegan and animal rights activists. The issue is not really the moral salience of the arguments, and unfortunately logical arguments do not always persuade. In my own case it took many years of ethical debating in my own head, not over whether the arguments made sense, but rather a constant battle of how difficult it would be for me to give up meat, how reliant I am on it and how much of a change I would have to make to convert.

In hindsight the decision should have been made sooner, and the moral argument for Veganism in my opinion is and has always been extremely logical and emotionally persuasive. But from my previous position of moral laziness and how it would be difficult for me, I could easily allow the cognitive dissonance to take hold.

So to anyone like me, who sees the validity of Veganism or animal rights, but was too lazy to commit: it is possible - guilt free food is abundant, generally cheaper and just as delicious. And if you are looking for more persuasion, look for any video on the internet on how your animal products were created (and if you can't bring yourself to do so, isn't that a sign as well?)