Today we’re going to be talking about a nuanced topic, yet one I feel very strongly about all the same. And going into this, I know that not everyone will agree with me about my conclusion or the details that led me there either, but if you are vegan, know a vegan or are thinking of going vegan, I ask you to just listen.
You can’t be perfect
I like to say “you’re human first, vegan second.” I don’t mean that in a way that cheers on speciesism. What I mean is that you’re going to make mistakes and fail sometimes. Human error exists. And insofar as human error exists, there will be no perfect vegans or people who attempt to embody the practice of ahimsa (not injuring others).
And this is an even more poignant thing to bring up when we remember that the world is not a vegan place or even a place where being vegan is widely considered to be a normal thing (yet). It’s getting better all the time, but we’ve still got a long way to go before vegans aren’t othered in society. This world is set up by and for carnists, and for that reason being vegan can sometimes be more difficult. In that vein, being a “pure vegan” becomes impossible.
When you first hear about veganism and decide it’s for you, you’re often filled with anger and sadness about the plight of the animals, as well as the systems put into place to keep things that way. And all of these overwhelming emotions can easily be turned inward on yourself when you realize you can’t be perfect, and inevitably fall short of the purity benchmark.
The despair of error
But this despair is a trap. It’s a trap in veganism and it’s a trap in life. Because the more you get down on yourself for falling short, the more you cloud your vision and doom yourself to making more mistakes (and rationalizing them along the way, because that’s just who you are, you tell yourself).
I hear the phrase a lot, “don’t let great be the enemy of good”. And I like it well enough but what I’d really like to say is this: don’t let your mistakes convince you that you can’t keep doing better. You may not be a perfect vegan but that doesn’t make you a “worse person”. And it doesn’t mean that you’ve failed as a vegan either.
Just keep moving forward. Don’t shame yourself or let anyone else shaming you for making mistakes. Don’t let your embarrassment over missing the mark keep you from educating yourself to do better.
Purity mindset leads to elitism
I read an article recently that talked about the prevalence of veganism and vegetarianism within white supremacy groups. And while I’m not necessarily convinced of the strong link they were trying to make between the two, it reminded me of a conversation I had with someone recently.
You see, there are always going to be jerks out there who think they’re better than everyone else, and are looking for things to justify that belief. On some level, it’s human nature. We want to be better than average, even though most people are average at most things. But the thing is, this mechanism sucks both logically and ethically.
Logically, it’s just a circular argument. “I’m better than other people, so what can I say to prove I’m better than them?” And anytime you’re doing something for the sole purpose of being better than someone else, it won’t make you a better person. The same goes with veganism. It might be a more compassionate way of living, but doing it to flex superiority on other people is not compassionate.
The whole point of veganism
If you’re an ethical vegan, I want you to consider something for a second. Since there is no way of being a perfect vegan and it basically boils down to conservation plus supply and demand, you have to know that more people trying is better than less—even if those fewer people are really doing the most they could humanly do.
When we (as vegans) act like we’re better than other people simply for being vegan (or in some cases staunchly argue this point), what it actually achieves is alienation. This isn’t a good look for any group, but especially one linked to a cause like animal rights in which there are literal lives at stake.
People’s defense mechanisms are a funny thing. And if they believe they’re being harshly judged, they often shut down. Vegans are familiar with this response. It looks like disengaging from conversation, refusal to even try that vegan dish you brought to the holiday meal. Sometimes it comes in the form of aggression or relentless teasing. But when people get a very negative association with vegans, it’s common to avoid the subject altogether. I don’t think you want that on your conscience either.
I wonder often what the gameplan is to get to a more compassionate, ethical world, both in general and specifically where animal rights are concerned. It seems that the vegans as a whole have two strategies. They either 1) are trying to convince everybody to be vegan or 2) quietly encourage people to try to be more veganish. Both approaches are valid in my opinion, and they work differently due to individuals and situations.
But I will say this. I’ve never heard of someone hating a vegan simply for offering them a delicious cookie, and then going on to complain about it to everyone who brings up the subject for the next five years. I’m not saying that you have to cater to carnist’s need to be fed half truths. But I am saying that convincing and “the truth hurts” approach will only help in certain scenarios. While the victims of carmism deserve to have the truth told, you don’t want to accidentally turn someone who could have been an ally into an enemy simply because veganism must be an all or nothing thing.
Purity, a concept
The truth is, purity as a concept can lead us as humans into some really dangerous territories. When we espouse purity in a vague, ideological sense, we appeal to some of the worst conclusions that we can arrive at.
Purity of blood is a disgusting and racist concept. The religious concept of “purity” until marriage is psychologically damaging whether you subscribe to it or not within the religious sector. Purity of food leads you into the dangerous paths of anorexia and orthorexia. And espousing purity of veganism leads to shaming, elitism and at some point, simple delusion.
What spot does purity have in veganism?
In my opinion, purity as an idealistic concept has no place within veganism. Even the official definition of veganism as coined by the vegan society denotes “as far as practicable and possible”.
But you know what does have a place in veganism and in life? Trying your actual hardest to do the right thing. To make a better decision with the information you have. To expand your information so you can make even better decisions in the future.
My admission of “guilt”
So no, I’m not a pure vegan or a perfect vegan, and I don’t claim to be. I make mistakes and sometimes pure veganism isn’t possible.
Like when a bug flew in my mouth on my bike ride or when there was a worm inside my apple that I bit into without knowing. When I read the whole label before buying, only to notice the whey powder on the wrapper as I throw it away. When I kept the nonvegan products I already owned once I went vegan. These things aren’t pure. But I’m okay admitting that.
I want you to know that veganism isn’t about being pure or “better than others”. It’s about trying your best to be informed and make your best choices possible. It’s about trying to cause less harm. And no, it won’t be zero. But it will be less, and that’s still worth something.
Now as I conceded in the beginning of this post, this is a nuanced concept. And I know that. I want to talk to you about where to draw the line as far as nonveganism and personal boundaries go, because that’s also a very important topic and sort of the other side of the coin, if you will.
So if you’re interested in that or found yourself saying “yeah, but…” a lot of times while reading this post, go check out that one here. To get notified of new releases, subscribe to the blog. And thank you for reading my perspective on veganism and purity. You didn’t have to spend your time in this way, but you did. And I’m incredibly grateful for that. I hope you have a wonderful day!