Maybe it’s a matter of priorities. I wonder if those who drop out of
vegetarianism ever really had a deep conviction, ever internalized the
tremendous suffering (the billions of animals abused to provide “food”
or other products), as well as the sheer torment of each individual
creature?
Even if a person were to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle “just for
health reasons,” wouldn’t he or she soon learn about the ethical or
moral reasons for moving up to a vegan lifestyle and to continue
learning even more?
But then, I guess it must be a matter of character that determines
priorities. If the desire for a morsel of “food” or the insecurity of
“not fitting in” or a possible “inconvenience” causes one to turn her or
his back on the suffering of others, one must have a weak character. Of
course, if one happens to be a sociopath, lacking empathy (more common
than people want to believe), that’s another story.
I also wonder why in most societies a person who feels no empathy
with the sufferings of those in his or her group is considered a
sociopath or a psychopath, but a person who turns his or her back on the
sufferings of “those others” (human or animal) is considered “normal.”
“Those others” may be human enemies or any non-pet animals. Isn’t this
insane?
After having discovered the joys of going vegan, I can’t think of a
single rational reason for anyone wanting to fall back to the “bad old
days.”
