Social Pressure

Share your choice with confidence and keep the conversation warm and personal.  You could simply start with something like, “I decided that I don’t want to support cruelty to animals. I did a lot of research into how animals suffer on farms and in slaughterhouses, and I decided that I don’t want to pay for it.” You don’t need to memorize facts. Just share your reason for going vegan in your own words. If people don’t understand right away, give them time and stick to your values.

Social pressure can show up in group settings, especially when you’re the only vegan in the group. You might feel pressure to “just eat it” to avoid attention, or you might feel a sense of FOMO when everyone else is sharing the same meal. In those moments, remember that your choice is about saving animals who want to live, not about fitting in. 

If people make silly comments about vegan food or vegans, remember to be patient and friendly and keep your sense of humor, even if the jokes aren’t very funny. Because the goal of being vegan is to help animals, you want to encourage others to think about switching to a vegan diet, too, and coming across as snappy or defensive is never an effective way to do that. Remember that almost everyone who is vegan now once ate animals, and when people are antagonistic toward vegans, it’s often because they feel guilty. So remember to smile, laugh off jokes, and be ready to discuss why you made the switch to a healthy, compassionate lifestyle.