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No Offense Meant But Temporary Compromise Vegans Really Aren’t Vegans
It is time we talk about temporary compromise vegans. Are they really vegans? Well, I don’t think so and here’s why…
When it comes to being vegan, I’m not the most vocal about it. Sure, I write vegan blogs, but in regular day-to-day situations, I tend to be a touch under-stated about my vegan lifestyle unless specifically asked about it. That said, I am extraordinarily proud about my veganism, am 100% convinced that it is absolutely the right thing to do and refuse to knowingly compromise it.
Which brings me to “temporary compromise vegans.” On a par with occasional binge-drinking teetotalers, temporary compromise vegans are happy to let their vegan credentials droop for the sake of things like family dinners with relatives not seen for a while or when taking in new countries.
“Well, I hadn’t seen Aunt Matilda since 2004, so when she cooked dinner all of us, I thought it was rude to turn down her special lamb roast. I know I’m vegan, but I didn’t want to offend her.”
Or how about:
“Bhutan is just awesome. At one village we trekked through, they cooked us up some Jasha Maroo spicy chicken. We didn’t know how to say no, so we ate it just to be sociable. The spices were vegan though.”
On a par with being a flexitarian for anything longer than about three hours, temporary compromise vegans really aren’t vegans – and probably never were to start with.
As for Aunt Matilda’s sensibilities, one assumes that she wouldn’t expect one of her gluten-allergy suffering relatives to demolish her majestic tasting bread pudding, so why not the extension of understanding to being vegan? If she’s unclear as to what a vegan is, perhaps citing an un-heard of star-sign, enlighten her!
As for the good folk of Bhutan or anywhere else come to that, if you don’t know the words for “no thanks”, Google translate works wonders or simply say nothing by keeping one’s mouth shut. Also handy for keeping the non-vegan food out too.
No Offense Meant But Temporary Compromise Vegans Really Aren’t Vegans
What is your take on this? Let me know in the comments below.
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Comments
3 Responses to “No Offense Meant But Temporary Compromise Vegans Really Aren’t Vegans”
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February 15th, 2019 @ 9:09 am
I think this attitude is why some people have a hard time with vegans. I think rather than point fingers and tell someone they’re not doing it right, celebrate every meal, every effort that IS vegan. Even part time vegans make a difference by reducing demand for animal products.
February 15th, 2019 @ 9:43 am
Veganism is merely a label used to easily group people with similar habits together. There are no criteria in order to be categorized as so, such as how long you’ve gone without eating animal products. If a person decides to be vegan, and it’s their first day doing so, they are allowed to call themselves vegan as much as anyone else. I don’t think it helps put veganism in a good light if people are getting caught up in semantics. Whether someone is a full-time or part-time vegan, they are still reducing their intake of animal products and helping the world through their choices.
February 16th, 2019 @ 3:51 pm
I think the world is too twisted up and complicated to make this sort of black and white line of thinking sustainable. I started my flexetarian to vegetarian to plant based to vegan journey about a decade ago, and my perspective on veganism has morphed a million times over. At times I would have agreed with this post, and maybe in the future I’ll agree with it again, but right now I think it’s too small a box to fit a movement as big as veganism in.