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Reddit User Asks if Being Vegan is Kind

Fattening pigs on a large commercial breeding pig

A Reddit user, u/artful_and_crafty, recently posted on the forum r/vegan asking if being vegan is kind after having a debate with their fiance.

Debate: Is being vegan kind?
byu/artful_and_crafty invegan

The user wrote that them and their fiancé have been discussing whether being vegan is kind. The user wrote that they had been vegetarian and now vegan for most of their life and work mostly in the activism space.

“I view veganism as a responsibility, and therefore kindness is not a factor I consider. I believe it to be a duty, and do not find myself to be kind as a result of living according to my ethics.”

Their fiancé, however, has always been a meat eater, but after being together for several years, he consumes far fewer animal products than before.

“He is an aspiring vegetarian. He believes that the act of changing your lifestyle and diet in order to benefit the world/yourself/others is automatically an act of kindness. Especially when compared with society’s choice to generally eat meat etc.”

The poster says that their fiancé believes being vegan is kind while they are neutral.

“We are wondering what thoughts others members of the community have. We are both convinced we are right and are interested in your perspective :)”

“Is it kindness when I refrain from assaulting other humans? Or just a basic expectation?” one user commented. “Veganism is refraining from doing that which we don’t have a right to do. Individual vegans may take that farther and choose to show kindness to animals, but it’s not inherent to it.”

The user went on to explain that the idea that animals are ours to use and exploit is widespread and “many non-vegans can’t see the choice to NOT do that as anything but kindness.”

“I view it as a bare minimum of decency,” another user commented.

Is being vegan kind, or is it neutral? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Unfortunately, dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend purchasing one of our many plant-based cookbooks or downloading the Food Monster App which has thousands of delicious recipes making it the largest vegan recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some resources to get you started: