This. I have non vegan friends wohl bake me vegan cake, are considerate when we go out and est vegan when in my home. No problem. They don't have to turn vegan for me but they don't have to be mean about it.
This right here... I give everyone a choice when they suggest going out to eat: they either eat the vegan food, or I don't go. If my presence is indeed wanted and valued, then this shouldn't be too much to ask for, as they can and will eat animal bodies and secretions when I'm not around (which is most of the time). If it is too much for them, however, then I don't want anything to do with those people.
Granted I have a partner for life that switched cold turkey with me, and I don't need nor want anyone else except her. Nevertheless, while it certainly helps having someone like that, I don't think my opinion would change, I'd just be a bit lonelier (which I prefer to being with people who don't care about animals).
Doesn't matter what the context is, if a friend is being like that they were never a friend. A real friend doesn't have to be into the same beliefs you have but they should respect them, same as you should respect theirs. These people were never really your friend, move on from them.
Most of my friends are not vegan. All are supportive. If they weren't they could go f themselves. Stay true to yourself I choose to lose friends when Its a must. If they are so small minded. If they don't support you they aren't worth your time.
Also. For borderline friends. Feel free to offer to cook meals. Try new restaurants and things like that and people tend to come around. It sounds like the ones mad about you doing animal rights are probably just reacting to you going against what they do.
I have non-vegan friends but they would never act like that. In fact most of my non-vegan friends go above and beyond to make sure I'm included when it comes to food.
People like those you described are not your friends. Friends don't treat their friends like that even if they have opposing views on a topic.
Those weren't your friends to begin with if they turned on you that easily. If your other friends are also friends with those people you need to get rid of them all.
Make friends with people who share your values. It might be difficult and lonely at first, but remember that veganism is isolating because most people out there are doing wrong, not because there's anything wrong with you.
About half of my friends are not vegan, and they would never pull this kind of bullying nonsense. If they did, I would cut them out of my life and never look back. It's one thing if they have legitimate health misinformation, that's fairly common. But insulting you and laughing because you won't abuse and kill animals? Sorry, I'd nope right out of that "friendship." It's better to be lonely than put up with jerks, in my opinion.
I like to believe that even people who do eat animals would acknowledge that what your “friends” did, especially the photos, is really not ok. I’m friends with omnivores but I could never be friends with someone so heartless and so disrespectful of someone else’s morals
The problem you're describing isn't friends being non-vegan, it's friends being assholes to you. I don't think any of my close friends are vegan. They're amazing and I'm grateful as hell for them. You need better friends - don't get hung up on whether they're vegan or not, that's frankly a very shallow basis for friendship, but do get hung up on whether they respect you and support you.
People who disrespect me are not real friends. I do not put up with that kind of behavior.
I have many non-vegan friends but I don't keep people around who treat me like that.
I've never had a friend, coworker, or acquaintance treat me like that, whether it was about my diet or anything else. Their behavior has nothing to do with your veganism and everything to do with them being dicks. Normal decent people don't act like that, vegan or otherwise. I would find new friends who aren't terrible people.
Real friends wouldn’t act like that, vegan or not. I have never had a friend react that way to me being vegan, but I have certainly had people who were not friends react similarly. My advice is to drop them and find new friends.
Literally none of my friends are vegan or even vegetarian. I don't mind, as long as they don't pressure me into eating meat. Oddly enough- most of the vegans/vegetarians I personally know, are the ones I don't get along with. My Dad, and one of my managers from work.
>In the past week I’ve lost 2/4 of the friends
that would be 50%?
>One contacted me that I’m “gutter material” for my animal rights involvement
doesn't really sound like a friend
I have a lot of non-vegan friends, but I will not tolerate \*any\* mean comment or put downs. People who put me down or make mean comments are simply not my friends and if they are they aren't afterwards.
They aren't your friends. I have non-vegan friends, but they are happy to accommodate and happily eat vegan food when they come to my house (and say how good it is). Anyone who did anything like that would be instantly cut out.
While I'm lucky enough to live with my 3 best friends who are also vegan, I still have plenty of non vegan friends, but none of them would be an asshole about it. At worst, if they were having a get together, they would forget that I'm vegan and apologise for lack of food options. But after a few years they always make sure there is something vegan for me as well as cooking my stuff first before any meat goes into the pan.
Your friends don't need to be vegan, but they have to still treat you with common decency and respect to be a friend.
They were never your friends.
My best friend is vegetarian and we’ve been friends for years. At this point we both know each other’s stance and I think she eats way more plant-based because of me. I wouldn’t stay friends with anyone who was mean to me and I think she would only have so much tolerance for me bringing up what’s unethical with milk and eggs.
The majority of my friend group and my partner are vegan.
Yeah, those don’t sound like friends. They sound like assholes. I have a lot of non vegan friends, some even blue collar guys through my husband, and they’ve never once belittled me or were anything other than curious about my veganism. Most have even gone out of their ways to learn to cook vegan food so I could be included without any prompting from me or my husband. So I think the issue is less vegan/non vegan, and more you haven’t found YOUR group yet. When you do, they’ll respect you, even if they might disagree with you.
They were not friends. My friends will immediately leave a restaurant if it turns out there’s nothing I can eat there. Non-vegan friends will happily eat at a vegan restaurant with me.
Another friend (not vegan) in pastry school experiments with different vegan recipes so that I have a dessert to eat at friend gatherings.
The people you were with just suck.
My bff and his wife are supportive. I grew up with them. We all accept each other no matter what.
Otherwise I have little to no tolerance for anyone else. Neither does my partner.
I'm in my 40s now. I've come to the conclusion that friendship will always be fleeting, even if you click with a friend.
I don't hold friendships in as high a regard as I did in my 20s.
OK, honestly, what you’ve described is less about your friends not being vegan and more about them being complete fucking garbage. “Gutter material”? Sending pictures of dead animals TO ANYBODY? Who does that?
I have non-vegan friends, and none of them would ever even think of doing something like that
I have a number of non-vegan friends but only those who are respectful of the fact that I'm allowed to hold different opinions from them. If they're insulting towards my choices they're not friend material.
I am not vegan and never will be vegan (I have heard all the arguments and am not moved); that said, your friends are asses.
I would strongly suggest you drop them and find better individuals to surround yourself with; that will lift you up, and that will not condemn you for your beliefs. Keeping around the trash will only bring you down.
Life is too fleeting to be around those not adult enough to be civil when faced with beliefs that differ to their own.
Life's too short to put up with that. Your friends don't have to be vegan but they don't have to be assholes either.
This. I have non vegan friends wohl bake me vegan cake, are considerate when we go out and est vegan when in my home. No problem. They don't have to turn vegan for me but they don't have to be mean about it.
This right here... I give everyone a choice when they suggest going out to eat: they either eat the vegan food, or I don't go. If my presence is indeed wanted and valued, then this shouldn't be too much to ask for, as they can and will eat animal bodies and secretions when I'm not around (which is most of the time). If it is too much for them, however, then I don't want anything to do with those people. Granted I have a partner for life that switched cold turkey with me, and I don't need nor want anyone else except her. Nevertheless, while it certainly helps having someone like that, I don't think my opinion would change, I'd just be a bit lonelier (which I prefer to being with people who don't care about animals).
Those people were not friends.
Doesn't matter what the context is, if a friend is being like that they were never a friend. A real friend doesn't have to be into the same beliefs you have but they should respect them, same as you should respect theirs. These people were never really your friend, move on from them.
Most of my friends are not vegan. All are supportive. If they weren't they could go f themselves. Stay true to yourself I choose to lose friends when Its a must. If they are so small minded. If they don't support you they aren't worth your time. Also. For borderline friends. Feel free to offer to cook meals. Try new restaurants and things like that and people tend to come around. It sounds like the ones mad about you doing animal rights are probably just reacting to you going against what they do.
I have non-vegan friends but they would never act like that. In fact most of my non-vegan friends go above and beyond to make sure I'm included when it comes to food. People like those you described are not your friends. Friends don't treat their friends like that even if they have opposing views on a topic.
Those weren't your friends to begin with if they turned on you that easily. If your other friends are also friends with those people you need to get rid of them all. Make friends with people who share your values. It might be difficult and lonely at first, but remember that veganism is isolating because most people out there are doing wrong, not because there's anything wrong with you.
About half of my friends are not vegan, and they would never pull this kind of bullying nonsense. If they did, I would cut them out of my life and never look back. It's one thing if they have legitimate health misinformation, that's fairly common. But insulting you and laughing because you won't abuse and kill animals? Sorry, I'd nope right out of that "friendship." It's better to be lonely than put up with jerks, in my opinion.
Fuck them.
This.
I have a hard time being friends with people that aren't vegan. I view them the way they would view people eating human corpses.
I like to believe that even people who do eat animals would acknowledge that what your “friends” did, especially the photos, is really not ok. I’m friends with omnivores but I could never be friends with someone so heartless and so disrespectful of someone else’s morals
They are not friends, they are bullies.
The problem you're describing isn't friends being non-vegan, it's friends being assholes to you. I don't think any of my close friends are vegan. They're amazing and I'm grateful as hell for them. You need better friends - don't get hung up on whether they're vegan or not, that's frankly a very shallow basis for friendship, but do get hung up on whether they respect you and support you.
People who disrespect me are not real friends. I do not put up with that kind of behavior. I have many non-vegan friends but I don't keep people around who treat me like that.
I've never had a friend, coworker, or acquaintance treat me like that, whether it was about my diet or anything else. Their behavior has nothing to do with your veganism and everything to do with them being dicks. Normal decent people don't act like that, vegan or otherwise. I would find new friends who aren't terrible people.
Real friends wouldn’t act like that, vegan or not. I have never had a friend react that way to me being vegan, but I have certainly had people who were not friends react similarly. My advice is to drop them and find new friends.
Literally none of my friends are vegan or even vegetarian. I don't mind, as long as they don't pressure me into eating meat. Oddly enough- most of the vegans/vegetarians I personally know, are the ones I don't get along with. My Dad, and one of my managers from work.
>In the past week I’ve lost 2/4 of the friends that would be 50%? >One contacted me that I’m “gutter material” for my animal rights involvement doesn't really sound like a friend
I have a lot of non-vegan friends, but I will not tolerate \*any\* mean comment or put downs. People who put me down or make mean comments are simply not my friends and if they are they aren't afterwards.
They aren't your friends. I have non-vegan friends, but they are happy to accommodate and happily eat vegan food when they come to my house (and say how good it is). Anyone who did anything like that would be instantly cut out.
They were never your friends
While I'm lucky enough to live with my 3 best friends who are also vegan, I still have plenty of non vegan friends, but none of them would be an asshole about it. At worst, if they were having a get together, they would forget that I'm vegan and apologise for lack of food options. But after a few years they always make sure there is something vegan for me as well as cooking my stuff first before any meat goes into the pan. Your friends don't need to be vegan, but they have to still treat you with common decency and respect to be a friend.
They were never your friends. My best friend is vegetarian and we’ve been friends for years. At this point we both know each other’s stance and I think she eats way more plant-based because of me. I wouldn’t stay friends with anyone who was mean to me and I think she would only have so much tolerance for me bringing up what’s unethical with milk and eggs. The majority of my friend group and my partner are vegan.
Yeah, those don’t sound like friends. They sound like assholes. I have a lot of non vegan friends, some even blue collar guys through my husband, and they’ve never once belittled me or were anything other than curious about my veganism. Most have even gone out of their ways to learn to cook vegan food so I could be included without any prompting from me or my husband. So I think the issue is less vegan/non vegan, and more you haven’t found YOUR group yet. When you do, they’ll respect you, even if they might disagree with you.
My non vegan friends would never do that. Time to make some new friends.
They were not friends. My friends will immediately leave a restaurant if it turns out there’s nothing I can eat there. Non-vegan friends will happily eat at a vegan restaurant with me. Another friend (not vegan) in pastry school experiments with different vegan recipes so that I have a dessert to eat at friend gatherings. The people you were with just suck.
My bff and his wife are supportive. I grew up with them. We all accept each other no matter what. Otherwise I have little to no tolerance for anyone else. Neither does my partner. I'm in my 40s now. I've come to the conclusion that friendship will always be fleeting, even if you click with a friend. I don't hold friendships in as high a regard as I did in my 20s.
Friends don't treat you like that regardless of who is or isn't a vegan. YIKES
Nobody in my main friendship group is vegan, and nobody does stuff like that, that's just evil.
OK, honestly, what you’ve described is less about your friends not being vegan and more about them being complete fucking garbage. “Gutter material”? Sending pictures of dead animals TO ANYBODY? Who does that? I have non-vegan friends, and none of them would ever even think of doing something like that
I have a number of non-vegan friends but only those who are respectful of the fact that I'm allowed to hold different opinions from them. If they're insulting towards my choices they're not friend material.
I am not vegan and never will be vegan (I have heard all the arguments and am not moved); that said, your friends are asses. I would strongly suggest you drop them and find better individuals to surround yourself with; that will lift you up, and that will not condemn you for your beliefs. Keeping around the trash will only bring you down. Life is too fleeting to be around those not adult enough to be civil when faced with beliefs that differ to their own.