I recently became vegan, and I compare it to being straight-edge (i.e. not taking drugs). I don’t think there is a moral aspect to taking drugs, and I disagree with the way straight-edge people invent one and talk down to people who take drugs.

However, I do think there is a moral aspect to using animal products when other options exist. But, I also wasn’t vegan for most of my life, so I don’t think it’s for me to tell other people they are immoral, because that probably won’t get me very far in convincing them.

Not sure if anyone else has had any thoughts like this, I’d be interested to hear how they reconciled this in their own minds, it’s still unresolved for me personally.

What exactly is unresolved? You want to convince others eating meat is immoral but feel that your meat eating past removes any standing you have to do that? Why should the general argument be diminished because of one persons behavior? If you were trying to convince me, that wouldn’t matter for me personally.

In my experience, what does work is to lead with joy. I've found so much new life and enjoyment in my cooking since I went vegan. Cooking delicious food and sharing it with people is sometimes the best we can do.

Yes, convince them to try roasted brussels sprouts or chicken fried tofu. That will change minds far quicker than preaching will.

Being serious, but have you ever met one of these vegans?

I've definitely heard about them online, but every vegan I've ever met have been nothing alike.

I've often been happily surprised to find someone who I'd been chatting to was also vegan as it didn't even come up before we'd ordered food and they go for a vegan dish.

I have. Took a tour of a sustainable co-op farm one time, which had dairy goats and cows, and chickens. One person asked, "When the cows are old and you kill them for their meat, do you think they want to die?" Well of course they don't, but unfortunately these farmers don't have the spring of eternal youth so the cows are going to die at some point, might as well not let the meat go to waste. In my eyes the sustainable farmers were certainly doing a lot more than that guy to reduce the amount of suffering they put out into the world, but he had a definite smug satisfaction with his question.

(I will agree generally that vegans are mostly great people, but like any group of people in existence ever there are those no so great people among them)

"Probably more to do with stereotypes of vegans themselves - ie. condescending, arrogant, self-righteous hippies."

I have met several vegans, and they are not condescending, arrogant etc.. To me, they are the good people who cares about environment, climate, and morals. So, imo vegans who are condescending, arrogants, self-righteous hippes represent minority of populations. People are just making a broad generalizations, which is not a good idea.

That being said I agree with you, many people associate vegans with condescending ... But, this applies every other matter like climate change, slavery. In fact my neighbor views climate activists as condesending, arrogant and self-righteous hippes. Those neighbor thinks climate activists doesn't deserve to light up their house because electricity consumes fossil fuels ....

Lastly, dairy and meat industry have put so much money, vegans will definitely look bad in TV, social media etc.. In fact, my uncle think all vegans are malnourished.