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Partly it's considered extreme because it is so rare in our culture. According to a survey commissioned by Vegetarian Times Magazine, only about 1/2 of 1% of Americans are vegans, and according to my personal experience I'd guess more than half of them use honey and wear leather shoes. So maybe 2 or 3 out of a thousand people make choices similar to yours. I call that rare, others call it extreme.
The most extreme form of veganism is the one some Jains practice as part of their commitment to ahimsa, or non-violence to liviving beings, in which they do not eat root vegetables, such as potatoes and onions, because tiny organisms are injured when the plant is pulled out of the ground. They also will not kill a mosquito that is biting them, and many wear thin cotton masks over their nose and mouth to avoid accidentally inhaling any small insects. To me, that is the extreme. And yet, I do not criticize any of it, I merely choose not to share those practices.
No, I don't think you should have to defend anything about your personal choices. They are your choices. But when you share information that is debatable, then you should expect to be challenged on the truth of that information.
I work with a man who is a Jain. I learned only last year that they do not eat potatoes and other root vegetables. However, he told me that they do use dairy products. They believe that milking is good for the cow.
Partly it's considered extreme because it is so rare in our culture. According to a survey commissioned by Vegetarian Times Magazine, only about 1/2 of 1% of Americans are vegans, and according to my personal experience I'd guess more than half of them use honey and wear leather shoes. So maybe 2 or 3 out of a thousand people make choices similar to yours. I call that rare, others call it extreme.
The most extreme form of veganism is the one some Jains practice as part of their commitment to ahimsa, or non-violence to liviving beings, in which they do not eat root vegetables, such as potatoes and onions, because tiny organisms are injured when the plant is pulled out of the ground. They also will not kill a mosquito that is biting them, and many wear thin cotton masks over their nose and mouth to avoid accidentally inhaling any small insects. To me, that is the extreme. And yet, I do not criticize any of it, I merely choose not to share those practices.
No, I don't think you should have to defend anything about your personal choices. They are your choices. But when you share information that is debatable, then you should expect to be challenged on the truth of that information.
That's why I posted references, so those who question the truth of the information can check it for themselves.
The Jain religion requires them to be lacto vegetarians, not vegans. As the reality of dairy production becomes more widely known, veganism is becoming increasingly popular among Jains, but it's not required. Many (not all) modern Jains do eat most root vegetables, while the more strict, orthodox Jains don't. Even those who eat root vegetables usually avoid garlic and onions because of their belief that those increase sexual desires. They're ascetics. I think all religions are strange and have odd beliefs, but one where they actually practice what they preach, so to speak, seems less extreme than most.
Non-vegans often seem to to associate veganism with asceticism. While there are groups who practice veganism as a part of an ascetic philosophy, they usually have some spiritual or religious basis. I am not religious, I didn't grow up religious and veganism and asceticism have no connection for me. Or for any of the vegans I know personally (none of whom eat honey or wear leather, so my experience is different than OpenD's).
Being vegan is not difficult. It doesn't require any great sacrifice, nor does a vegan have to risk their mental or physical well-being to maintain the lifestyle. You don't have to dedicate your life to achieving spiritual liberation. You don't have to worship anything or anyone. There is also the tendency by the media and pop culture to categorize vegans as overly sensitive, girly, judgmental, pretentious pseudo-hippies who eat nothing but soy burgers and are constantly out protesting one thing or another. It's portrayed as a lifestyle that "normal" people would never choose. Or they pretend that PETA is representative of your typical vegan.
I guess it's strange to me that it's considered extreme to make the choice to not unnecessarily kill or harm animals when alternatives to so many of the things we use them for are very easy to come by.
I have a friend, she is slim as a rail. Whether this is "vegan extreme, or an eating disorder, I will defer to you to decide, she eats bananas, coconut, oatmeal, almond d ! milk, and not much else. She States she can "taste" chemicals and fertilizer in fresh vegetables. The smell of meat cooking gags her. She does not eat processed food because she says she can, "taste" chemicals.
She is single, and happier that way, dating creates too many problems with her eating habits.
She is a bit odd, but a dear person. She is healthy. She makes cookies, and she does eat other nuts, sometimes whole wheat bread, from the organic bakery. And some other things...but not often.
The key there is not to catch lice in the first place. Flea collars on your pets and so on. Then you never have to kill anything.
Flea collars are usually poisonous ... that's how they work.
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