Proof That Humans Are Zombies

Oct 26, 2020

"This place is a desert for the mind,
Devoid of emotion and barren of thought
No real thought, at least
It's no surprise
Most minds here have long since atrophied from lack of use
They wait in flatline for the next rushing jolt of synthetic stimulation
The real world can't compare, even if it were allowed to
Contemplating the real world leads to seeing the world for what it is: a prison,
A cell for the mind, body, and soul
All my life I've been a prisoner
Cowering at the idea that I might be capable of unique thought
Terrified of what my own instincts might lead to
So how could I blame them?
But it hasn't always been this way
I've heard rumors
Filtered, distant, faded
I seek to know the truth"
-STARSET,
"A Brief History of the Future"

The Definition: Zombieism

Across modern pop-culture, there is one universal characteristic of zombies: They consume the flesh and organs of other creatures. Though their preference is generally for human meat, they don't discriminate if the opportunity for a snack of another species presents itself. Despite the common belief that zombies are undead, this is not always the case, as zombieism is sometimes the result of a mutated supervirus or a biotech experiment gone wrong; in certain cases, zombieism can even be reversed.

The Infection: Speciesism

Unlike fictional zombies, real-life zombies are infected in the brain by a warped belief system, that system being speciesism. It is the unfounded ideology that there is a hierarchy of inherent value among all species, with humans at the pinnacle. Among the animals we regularly exploit, there still remains a hierarchy, with land mammals (like cows and horses) having more value over birds (like chickens and geese) who still have more perceived worth than aquatic animals (like salmons and oysters). This infection of the mind influences our entire society: the way we eat, the kinds of products we buy, where we build our homes and businesses, the species we keep in our homes as companions, etc.

The Indoctrination: Omnivorism

Zombieism in our world can be reversed, but it is incredibly difficult because zombies don't know what they truly are. Humans are infected from birth, told that we are omnivores, that we are the most intelligent and powerful creatures on earth, that we are the most advanced beings to ever exist. When everyone around us says we're omnivores, we behave in a way that aligns with that belief, and when we behave in that way, we have to keep teaching new generations that we're omnivores, continuing the savage cycle.

But the truth is that humans are herbivores, not omnivores or carnivores. From physiological signs like our trichromatic vision to emotional signs like our desire to not mercilessly rip apart our dogs and gorge on their innards, everything points to humans being herbivorous animals. We're stuck in a cycle of indoctrination teaching us to eat animals, and we're terrified of allowing ourselves to break out of that cycle because once we do, everything we took for granted as basic truths about the world is thrown into question. If we're not omnivores, like we were taught as children, then what else don't we know?

The Symptom: Carnism

If speciesism is what alters the mind to view other creatures as less-worthy than humans and omnivorism is the indoctrination that keeps us consuming flesh, then carnism is the symptom that ultimately makes us decide to eat certain kinds of animals. Just like movie zombies, we have a preference for specific kinds of flesh. While they prefer humans, we primarily prefer fishes, chickens, turkeys, sheep, pigs, and cows. We rarely stray from those species of choice, though if we were truly designed to eat meat, then we would not discriminate between whose flesh to consume; maybe we'd even eat other humans sometimes, like on special occasions. And we certainly wouldn't feel disgusted at the idea of eating brains, toenails, or feces.

The Cure: Veganism

Luckily, we're living in a zombified world that can be cured of our disease. If we can break free from the oppression of our minds and realize that we are individuals capable of unique thought, then we can begin to unravel the systems fighting to keep us ignorant. By making conscious decisions to reject forms of institutionalized discrimination, by choosing not to live at the cost of others' lives, then we can begin eliminating some of the horrors we've created.

The Culprit: Discrimination

Those in power -- the animal agriculture executives, the corrupt politicians, the profiteering retail corporations -- profit from our zombieism, causing the infection to fester in our society, forbidding us from accessing the cure, and condemning us once we learn the truth. They stand to lose everything because their lifestyle relies on our faith in speciesism. However, that belief is now on shaky ground, and they're holding on more tightly than ever to keep the cure away from us.

When we view the world through the lens of speciesism -- "I'm more important than you, and you are inferior to me" -- we not only destroy those around us, but we also destroy ourselves and even further ruin the world. Merely showing some compassion can not only save the lives of others and the planet, but it also saves ourselves.

be conscious, be kind, be vegan