How I Became MORE Vegan
I never imagined myself standing in front of a chicken slaughterhouse, holding a sign that read “Chickens Are Individuals, Not Property” while having a 10 second debate with a passenger in a car stopped at a red light. I also didn’t expect to want to do it again.
And again.
And then every chance I got.
Until 2 months ago, I was a very passive vegan…
How I used to be
Although I had made the connection in terms of how animal foods are produced and the effects of eating them, I hadn’t made the connection of the responsibility vegans have to share their knowledge.
I had let my bone marrow eating friends make fun of vegan “extremists” (and even participated 😔), I was content ordering steak-sides with my hard earned cash while friends ordered meat at expensive restaurants, and I sympathized with coworkers when they told me they “could never give up cheese”.
Even more cringeworthy is that I continued to buy leather shoes, silk dresses, and down filled coats, purely out of vanity.
I believed that the simple act of not eating animals was enough of a contribution to end animal suffering. After all, according to vegancalculator.com, being vegan for two years saves 730 animal lives.
Furthermore, I had this perception that animal rights activists were all the same; 20–35 year old unsophisticated hipsters with big egos.
HOLY SHIT WAS I WRONG. Animal rights activists are of all ages, all racial and cultural backgrounds, and all have different fashion tastes. Even if some activists are hipsters, it doesn’t change the fact that they have more integrity than anyone I’ve ever met.
I feel humbled and ashamed for my previous judgements of them. I blame this perception on the social conditioning caused from hanging around the same circles of friends for 15 years.
How I am now
But constant learning is a huge part of being vegan. We can’t help it. We love learning new facts that strengthen our case. And a lot of us can’t help continually learning about the horrors of animal exploitation.
For me, this was the tipping point. Hearing directly from James Aspey’s mouth (during his speech at Vegtoria) about rape racks is when it actually clicked.
For some reason, watching documentaries or YouTubers on a screen didn’t help me enough to understand the responsibility I have as a vegan. Vegans are, as Philip Wollen said, “creating a new age of enlightenment, a second Renaissance”.
With my ongoing self education in veganism, humanism, and other topics, I am slowly gaining the confidence to say and do things that the animals would want me to.
When my friends made fun of vegan extremists, I should have kindly asked them why they truly think those “extremists” act out.
When I was invited to eat in an expensive steak or seafood restaurant, I should have suggested a vegan one.
When my coworkers told me they could never give up cheese, I should have told them about this amazing cashew cheese made by a woman named Miyoko.
When I wanted to buy new shoes and dresses, I should have researched vegan fashion online.
And when I heard about animal rights activists protesting, I should have recognized their courage and joined them.
Not only do I want to participate in the movement toward making the world vegan, but it has become my passion. And boy was I wrong when I thought I had “awakened” after learning about the torture in factory farming and the health dangers of dairy.
With the realization of the vegan responsibility, I’ve not only awakened, but have swallowed the red pill, and begun a long descent down the rabbit hole.

Perhaps turning 30 has helped me understand the importance of spreading veganism. I’ve matured in so many ways and care so much less about what other people think. All my friends who have recently entered their 30’s talk about how much more competent they feel than when they were in their 20’s. So I think I can attest a lot of my vegan growth to my age.
But more than anything, I believe it’s the constant stream of information I expose myself to. Every time I hear a health fact such as “dairy has bone-destroying effects” or words of the philosophers such as “blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth”, my brain makes more neural connections, increasing my ability to think critically and make choices true to my values.
I’ve also finally admitted to myself that, the one reason I wasn’t being a true vegan was, as YouTuber Vegan Vixen has said, OTHER PEOPLE.
Live by your values
So if you feel you’re more of an “ethical” vegan, that you truly care about animal liberation, then you must stop worshipping other people’s opinions. Create your own opinions and live by them.
How? Ask yourself which of your coworkers, friends or family members might be having an influence on your thoughts and behaviours. Then ask yourself if you even like how you think and behave.
Changing the way you behave is a reflection of self-growth.
Above all, remember that as vegans, our reasons for fighting against animal cruelty are bulletproof. No one can fault us for that.
You’re never wrong to do the right thing (Robert De Niro, The Intern).
