5 Years Vegan: What I've Learned

Aug 06, 2020

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

We have no choice to be born, but after that, we are the sole authority to decide what choices we make with our existence. For five years now, being vegan remains the best choice I ever made, and I have never felt more faith in myself and my convictions than I do at this moment. So, to celebrate my veganniversary, I wanted to share ten of the most important things I've learned in the past five years.

1. It takes a long time to figure it out

I've always had a knack for picking things up easily, whether it be a sport, an instrument, school subjects, or anything else. So, when I say that it took me a long time to figure out veganism, that isn't necessarily because it's complicated or impossible to understand. It's because it took me years to really want to learn what it actually meant to be vegan, and there's a lot of information to learn. As you're beginning your vegan journey, remember that you can't educate yourself everything at once -- animals are abused in myriad ways and it will take time to figure it all out and understand it. It will take even longer to commit it -- even just the basics -- to memory.

2. You're stronger than you thought

I've never considered myself a particularly strong-willed person, as I much prefer the camouflage of mixing in with the crowd, even when it makes me uncomfortable. As always, this is something I link back to my anxiety, which causes my natural human drive to go with the herd to be pushed into overdrive, as my silly brain wants me to believe that standing out is ambiguously dangerous. However, once I discovered veganism and my eyes were opened to the suffering of my nonhuman cousins, it was never something I questioned once. In my heart, I knew that I had found my own herd and that being vegan was my destiny (if you believe in that kind of stuff). Having the ability to stand strong against adversity, to not allow the herd to trample you into submission is actually a pretty remarkable feat. And I don't think I give myself enough credit for sticking it out even when things are hard and it would be easier to not be vegan (which, granted, is basically all the time).

3. You'll lose people

Friendship is a fickle foe. Though I haven't personally lost any relationships because of veganism (because I, by choice, live in a state of permanent self-isolation), I'm sure that I would have at another point in life. Not just because of their prejudice, but also because I would have a hard time creating real bonds with carnists and speciesists. I sometimes think about what my life would've been like if I'd gone vegan in high school instead of college; how would I have interacted with my group of friends? Would I have become ostracized as the annoying vegan in my class? Would I have pushed my ethics aside, squashed all the remarks I'd like to make, and let them say whatever they wanted at the expense of my happiness just to make them feel more comfortable? Unfortunately, I think I would have just to keep some semblance of peace and unity with my friend group. But today, I stand strong in my convictions because I know that losing relationships with carnists is insignificant compared to the suffering animals face. And there are many other vegans out there that I can form relationships with instead.

4. You'll never know everything

To toot my own horn a bit, I know a lot about veganism and related issues: animal rights, health, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and more. And a lot of that comes from writing these blog posts twice a week. (I guess it's true that teaching is the best way to learn.) I want to know as much as I can squeeze into my brain because I want to be the kind of person that has answers; I want to be an expert. However, I also understand that it's impossible to know everything. And that's perfectly fine. Because the most important piece of knowledge I have required no education: animals do not belong to us to use for any reason, and there is no morally justifiable excuse against that. Basically, veganism is right because I feel it in my heart.

5. You're going to make mistakes (& that's ok)

Mistakes are just a part of human nature, and that won't change after going vegan. You may accidentally eat a nonvegan cookie or go to a magic show that uses live animals or purchase a beeswax candle; it's ok to make mistakes. We've all done it. But you have to persevere through these, even if you feel ashamed or feel like it's too difficult to keep trying. If we all just hung up our hats when the going got tough, the world would never change. As soon as you accept the fact that you will never be able to entirely eliminate making mistakes or achieve perfection, the happier and more enjoyable your life will be as a vegan.

6. Being vegan is different to every individual

Of course, there is one standard definition of veganism, and that is to not unnecessarily cause harm to animals as far as is possible and practicable, but there are different ways to enact this in daily life and in activism. Some vegans are more passive than others; some will care more about health or the environment or humanitarianism than animal rights. Every human is unique, and we should expect no different for vegans. It can be difficult to coexist with other vegans who may be living and speaking differently than you, but we should strive to accept the good that each vegan does for the world instead of criticizing them or trying to change them.

7. You can't change everyone

Some people just won't listen, especially your friends and family, and there's only so much you can do to change their minds. There are simply certain people that won't change, and we have to be able to deal with that. This doesn't mean we should accept their carnism because that would be antithetical to veganism and a slap in the face to their victims, but we must learn how to handle these situations. And this can be different for everyone. Some vegans are more accepting of this and can overlook it with the hopes of eventually persuading them, but others choose to distance themselves from these carnists or sever relationships with them. There is no right or wrong response.

8. It helps you grow as an individual

Before veganism, I suffered from apathy. Aside from environmental issues and certain animal rights topics, I didn't really care about anything else. Sure, human rights are important, but human rights injustices never compelled me the same way animal rights did. But through veganism, my world has opened up, and I've learned that all injustice is connected. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly." And to care only about certain problems plaguing our society is to not care about anything because all exploitation is interconnected through various means of discrimination and apathy. Through veganism, I have become, and continue to grow into, a more compassionate human being.

9. Sometimes it sucks

I often want to paint veganism as this perfect lifestyle that will make your life infinitely better, and I do believe that is true in many ways. Certainly, it has been the best thing I've ever done, and I love being vegan every day despite the negatives. But the thing most nonvegans don't understand is that there's nothing inherent to veganism that's bad; the worst part is how the world responds to you. We have to deal with hate, fury, violence, and more because nonvegans don't understand us. We have to pretend like it's normal to murder innocent creatures, to not get angry, to be labeled as violent extremists, to sit quietly as the planet is destroyed around us. Sometimes, you can't help but hate people and the world, but you can't let all this negativity get you down. You learn how to work through it.

10. Veganism isn't everything

My life revolves around veganism. It is my sun, keeping me tethered to my goals and informing the way I interact with the world around me. But there are other planets in my galaxy, hobbies and interests that make my life rich, diverse, and meaningful. It's ok to have other interests outside of veganism and to devote time to those things. In fact, I'd say it's a necessity for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

be conscious, be kind, be vegan