When people find out that I’m vegan, one of the first things they tend to say is that they could never do that. 

   And believe me when I say that is a frustration in and of itself, since it’s not like I’m asking them to do so in the first place. But nonvegans often become so immediately defensive of their position, as though they think you believe they owe you an answer. 

   But I do think part of it is that they do, in general, think that veganism is a worthwhile endeavor, ethically speaking. And this defensiveness is to rationalize their behavior to themselves, more so than  to the vegan they’re talking to. 

   However, they really do believe that being vegan would be a difficult, horrible endeavor. That it would be tons of hard work and terrible, tasteless food. And basically, that they would live a life of longing and deprivation if they were to follow their values and decide to go vegan. 

I love being vegan 

   And honestly, they’re wrong. I mean, obviously I’m going to say that, right? I’ve been vegan for years—through birthdays, holidays and anniversaries. 

   I wouldn’t have stayed vegan all these years if I wasn’t able to find joy in it. But there are definite downsides to being vegan. There are certainly problems that I don’t enjoy dealing with. And I wanted to talk about those today, for a few reasons. 

   Firstly, because honestly it just feels good to rant sometimes. This website is one of the few places I feel I can be open about being vegan without qualifying it first with an “I know you don’t want to talk about this and I’m sorry for bringing it up but I just wanted to say…”

   But the other reason is definitely more selfless. I think that this post will help more people understand the real challenges of veganism. This will help the people considering veganism to be more confident in their decision and it will also help those who aren’t even considering it perhaps have more of a human understanding of veganism instead of a hypothetical emotional confrontation in their head. Even if you don’t know any vegans, you may still find some good information here for the future. So let’s get into it, shall we?

Some things that should be vegan aren’t 

   I think the low hanging fruit of the worst parts about veganism is that there are tons of things that aren’t vegan, even though there’s no reason they can’t be. I know this sounds like a silly complaint, and it is in a way. But when you see something that looks awesome and you get all the way down the ingredient list to see a little teeny bit of milk powder? Well that’s a bummer. 

   There are lots of things like this. Like when there’s eggs in dairy free sorbet (not sherbet, sorbet), which by all counts ought to be a plant based product. As a long term vegan, I get a kick out of trying new things. And when I see that there’s something I want to try but then I realized someone felt the need to flavor it with chicken fat…well, it annoys me. 

There are a lot of people who mean well but really don’t understand

   And I think the rest of the sucky parts about being vegan really are the social/mental aspects. For example, the amount of people who are hypothetically supportive of you but for some reason, just can’t seem to grasp what veganism is or how to spot a food or product that is vegan. 

   These people will gift you candies with gelatin or snacks with cheese for years. And every time it’s like, “oh, thanks. But I’m not going to eat/use this.” 

   It’s frustrating because you don’t want to hurt their feelings but you want to be honest with them so they learn. And then they’ll say things like “well there’s not meat in it—it’s just beef stock” or “shrimp is vegan though, isn’t it?” And no, that’s not how veganism works. Explaining this over and over to people who just seem to have a mental block against understanding gets frustrating and if you don’t do it perfectly patiently each time, you feel like the bad guy, which also sucks. 

The world seems a lot darker

   And I think this one is probably the one that people overlook when first going vegan. It’s the perspective change that really gets you, although that starts before you make your decision if it’s not an immediate one.

   The fact is, learning about how our animals are living and dying is scarring. And then seeing evidence of it everywhere all the time hurts as well. Then to add insult to injury, people who you know are good people will all advocate and make excuses for it. 

   You know that you’ve been lied to all your life about this industry up until this point, and that everyone you know has been too, and that they’re lying to themselves and each other, all the while animals are suffering and dying for people’s tastebuds. It’s a travesty, and it’s an understanding that vegans have to shoulder on a daily basis. 

   It wears on you, overtime. And it sometimes squeaks out in inopportune times and ways. You can handle it well and push it to the side and continue to try to do your best, but knowing about this vast injustice will come back to hit you in the feels periodically. And it does hurt, especially if you have a compassionate heart. 

You’re looked at weird simply for being vegan

   And talking with some people, I know something that gets quite taxing is the frequent othering that you may experience as a vegan. I think that this is getting better in time, as the general public gets more used to the ideas of vegans and veganism in general. But I’m not going to lie, there are people who will treat you like you’re a weirdo just for being vegan. 

   Many people will be a little surprised to find out that you’re vegan in the beginning, because “you seem so normal”. But once they realize you’re vegan, their whole attitudes toward you change. They start giving you little side glances and making random digs at you. 

   For me, it gets annoying from time to time, but for some people who are really social it can be a major point of pain. You want to be included in things and part of the group and a lot of times…well, the group’s not vegan. You can do what you can to find vegan community online and in person, but you’re still left living in a world that ultimately partakes frequently in nonvegan activities. And that can be isolating. 

It’s never enough

   The last thing about being vegan is something that I frequently experience, and I’ve heard many others say the same. But when you’re vegan, you know that you can’t save all the animals. And honestly, this is pretty upsetting. 

   Your own veganism and activism will never be enough to fix the whole world. And I think this is just one of the things that sucks about trying to do good in general. You try and try and try and you know that while you can make a difference, you can never fix it all. 

   You can try to track your accomplishments and your impact on the world around you, like looking at how many animals or how much water you have saved by being vegan for as long as you have. Or you can place more importance on your activism and look at how many people you reached with information. But ultimately you’ll never be able to look around and see that the world is a different place because of you. Those kind of changes happen without evidence. 

   And this is part of the long term perspective of trying to make a difference with your life in this world, with veganism or otherwise. You have to trust that your best effort will make a difference, even on the days when you feel discouraged. And then, as best as you can, figure out just what your best effort can be. Finally, you’ve got to follow up with yourself and hold yourself accountable for doing your best. 

   It’s easy to get complacent and nihilistic, and I think this, more than anything else, is what creates ex-vegans. You know that you can’t fix the world, and person after person tells you that you can’t save the animals who are already dead. It’s discouraging and honestly if you let that perspective overtake you, some days can feel pointless. But the trick is not letting it overtake you. 

   It’s easier said than done, of course. But ultimately, only you have the power of changing and maintaining your personal outlook on life. Take that responsibility seriously, whether you’re vegan or not. (And if you’re interested in the topic of mental mastery, check out our sister site, The Thoughts that Bind by clicking here.)

Veganism, at its worst

   So I hope you’ve enjoyed our little foray into the worst aspects of veganism. I feel that many people will be more prepared to take on veganism if they’re looking at it from a more informed point of view. And I hope this was able to help frame your perspective. If you want to read more about why veganism isn’t as bad as you might think it would be, check out this post. 

   All in all, I would recommend going vegan because there are also a lot of really good things that come with it. This is a topic that you can read more about in the next post on Eight Years In. So be sure to read on by clicking here! And as usual, have an amazing day.