If we had all been brought up believing that eating meat was not natural, or the norm, then humans, as a species would not be eating meat and we would not know any different.
We all know that it is possible to live a healthy life on a vegan diet, the evidence is clear, and more and more people are choosing this approach. Assuming that the data is correct and that around 2-3% of the worlds population of approximately 6.7 billion people is currently vegan, then there is an estimated 168 million people on a vegan diet.
The majority of the meat eaters that I know strongly believe, as they always say that eating meat is natural for humans, and because of the follow up question of, so where do you get your protein? they clearly believe that not eating meat is unhealthy.
An interesting point, is that if you have transitioned from eating meat to a vegan diet, whilst you most likely had the meat is normal and part of a healthy diet instilled into you from an early age, you no longer have that belief. You have questioned this belief system, perhaps on compassionate grounds or simply the connection with what you were eating is that same cute little lamb, or pig, or cow you have experienced in that idyllic country meadow.
An interesting point, is that if you have transitioned from eating meat to a vegan diet, whilst you most likely had the meat is normal and part of a healthy diet instilled into you from an early age, you no longer have that belief. You have questioned this belief system, perhaps on compassionate grounds or simply the connection with what you were eating is that same cute little lamb, or pig, or cow you have experienced in that idyllic country meadow.
Therein lies the quandary that has always perplexed me - surely if you make the connection between what is on your plate, what it originally was, say that fluffy lamb running around the field, and the process of how it got there, then how, why? I am not here to judge - I ate meat for many years, and am not saying that non meat eaters are right, and we all saw the light. I just question if we all took time out to consider that animal, could actually experience first had how they were slaughtered, what drugs and disease might be present in what is in that cellophane wrapped piece of meat, would there not be a degree of trepidation or emotion about continuing on the path of what is perceived to be normal. After all as human beings core values are compassion and justice. Compassion and justice for who?
So why is it acceptable to eat certain animals and not others. Why will humans eat cows, pigs, sheep, goats, kangaroo, for example, but not eat animals that we perceive as pets, such as cats, dogs, guinea pigs and even horses. But wait a minute, this is where it all gets very confusing, because in many Asian countries including China, Vietnam and South Korea, they eat dogs, in Taiwan they also apparently eat cats, in parts of South America they eat guinea pigs, and horses appear fair game in parts of Asia, Europe and South America. So how does this work. Say you were born in Taiwan, and were brought up eating cats and dogs and then moved to the UK, what then happens to your belief system on what is right and wrong?
If it were purely down to instinct, would humans eat meat now? If we had not been brought up to believe that it was normal and acceptable, would we all think like vegans? I do not pretend to know the answer to this question, but have a suspicion that if we were born today, were not influenced by our parents or society regarding food choices, once left to our own devices, I am not convinced that we would choice to eat animal flesh.
I believe that it is fair to say that as a species humans have an affinity with animals and a strong inclination for compassion and love towards them. Just think of the money spent on vet bills, the feeling that you get when greeted by your pet cat or dog as you arrive home after a hard days work. this is not a learned emotion, it is one that is deeply ingrained into us from a very early age.
There is a real collision going on here, yet there appears to be no real feeling of grief or guilt when consuming meat. Some people may even give a bit to their pet who is looking longingly at them by the dinner table. In simple times the disconnect in our minds between the animal on one hand that is being eaten without emotion and the animal we love unconditionally who were are sharing it with.
We are influenced heavily by gratification and this perhaps tends towards selfishness, but are we really to blame if we have been indoctrinated into believing that are actions are completely acceptable and normal, and indeed necessary if we are to grow up fit and strong. Maybe we should listen less to Pink Floyd when it comes to dietary advice when they said "If you don't eat your meat you can't have any pudding..." and took more notice of the infamous saying, "Eat your vegetables up" I remember the latter when I was growing up, but don't remember being told to eat up my meat.
It could be said that we do not always act according to our conscious thoughts, for example if we have just been for a lovely walk in the country side, patted a cow on its head over the fence and then returned home to a roast beef Sunday lunch. Therefore there must be unconscious forces influencing our behaviour, disconnecting what we do from what we feel emotionally. This all sounds a bit woo woo, but there must be some rational answer to why the majority of people live their lives in total conflict with their emotional beliefs, and their everyday actions when it comes to consuming animals, or are we simply living in denial?
If we were to look at this in a deep way, then one could argue that it is a classic example of what psychologists would term cognitive dissonance. In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort experienced by a person who simultaneously holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. The occurrence of cognitive dissonance is a consequence of a person performing an action that contradicts personal beliefs, ideals, and values; and also occurs when confronted with new information that contradicts said beliefs, ideals, and values.
Food for thought indeed.
I believe that it is fair to say that as a species humans have an affinity with animals and a strong inclination for compassion and love towards them. Just think of the money spent on vet bills, the feeling that you get when greeted by your pet cat or dog as you arrive home after a hard days work. this is not a learned emotion, it is one that is deeply ingrained into us from a very early age.
There is a real collision going on here, yet there appears to be no real feeling of grief or guilt when consuming meat. Some people may even give a bit to their pet who is looking longingly at them by the dinner table. In simple times the disconnect in our minds between the animal on one hand that is being eaten without emotion and the animal we love unconditionally who were are sharing it with.
We are influenced heavily by gratification and this perhaps tends towards selfishness, but are we really to blame if we have been indoctrinated into believing that are actions are completely acceptable and normal, and indeed necessary if we are to grow up fit and strong. Maybe we should listen less to Pink Floyd when it comes to dietary advice when they said "If you don't eat your meat you can't have any pudding..." and took more notice of the infamous saying, "Eat your vegetables up" I remember the latter when I was growing up, but don't remember being told to eat up my meat.
It could be said that we do not always act according to our conscious thoughts, for example if we have just been for a lovely walk in the country side, patted a cow on its head over the fence and then returned home to a roast beef Sunday lunch. Therefore there must be unconscious forces influencing our behaviour, disconnecting what we do from what we feel emotionally. This all sounds a bit woo woo, but there must be some rational answer to why the majority of people live their lives in total conflict with their emotional beliefs, and their everyday actions when it comes to consuming animals, or are we simply living in denial?
If we were to look at this in a deep way, then one could argue that it is a classic example of what psychologists would term cognitive dissonance. In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort experienced by a person who simultaneously holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. The occurrence of cognitive dissonance is a consequence of a person performing an action that contradicts personal beliefs, ideals, and values; and also occurs when confronted with new information that contradicts said beliefs, ideals, and values.
Food for thought indeed.
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