Is Veganism a Cult?

Oct 05, 2020

"Don’t form thoughts, trust politicians,
Forfeit soul, pursue religion,
Lose free will to gain protection,
Sink the ship with good intention.
See our minds become conditioned,
As we swear by these traditions,
Lose our hearts and breed division,
Oh my God, why can’t we wake up?"
-Nothing More,
"Christ Copyright"

I recognize that the title of this post sounds super clickbaity because, obviously, as a vegan myself, I would never believe that I was actually in a cult. (And even if I did believe it, I wouldn't want to admit it.) However, this is actually a serious question that I have pondered recently. As I write these blog posts, I find myself often using certain language that I would associate with a group of indoctrinated people: convert, revert, ingrain, educate, spread the message, stray away, etc. And we are known for trying to get every carnist to also become vegan, which, to those who don't understand what veganism is and why it's so important, fits right into their perception of a cult-like mentality.

A Note to Vegans

To vegans, this seems like an absurd question, especially because we are such a small movement. However, though vegan organizations and media are comparably minuscule to nonvegan propaganda, that doesn't mean we are therefore exempt from groupthink and other behaviors associated with brainwashing. Just because we may see carnism as a cult doesn't mean that we are incapable of also being in one, though I recognize that isn't a popular opinion. My goal with this piece is to simply explore the differences between veganism and carnism, particularly pertaining to their core beliefs and public perception.

The Pressure to Conform

For vegans, there is a lot of pressure on us -- mostly conjured by and placed upon ourselves -- to convert those around us. However, we probably pressure other vegans even more than nonvegans. We are a group with immense infighting, and we constantly disagree on how to most effectively share the animal rights message. While we may not all be connected in the way traditional cults are -- such as living together in an isolated community with a leader -- perhaps this is just the cult of the future, forming online and gathering more followers through social media.

In addition, we often condemn anyone that leaves the community (ex-vegans) and attempt to discredit their reasoning for doing so. To others, this may seem like a form of extreme conformity, believing us to be brainwashed by our flawed ideals into thinking that we have access to some higher level of knowledge (or, in this case, morality) that doesn't actually exist.

One Primary Difference

In my mind, the biggest indicator that veganism isn't a cult is not that we aren't collectively organizing to commit violence (though not all cults do that) or that we aren't religiously affiliated (though not all cults are), but it's that our interests as vegans are not selfish. The prime target for cult indoctrination is someone at their weakest moment in life, someone with low self-esteem that can be molded to easily believe an ideology with which they otherwise may not agree, or someone that doesn't know any better. Cult leaders often preach salvation by joining their ranks, allowing the members to gain something that makes them feel better about themselves or promising that they will be rewarded later on. In cults, there are genuine relationships, however strained, and at least a superficial sense of inclusivity.

Vegans, however, as stated above, could not be less accepting of each other. We often fight, and even our basic goals are different; the only thing linking us all together is veganism. Even more, we are ostracized from "normal" society, and vegans often lose important relationships to them, relationships we usually want to keep. We are vegan because we recognize it as the right thing to do, not to make us feel better about our own life.

Additionally, vegans are known for being "preachy" and loud, and though cults may want to gain followers, it's often done in a less in-your-face method. While vegans want to shout from the tallest rooftop and get everyone in the world to go vegan, cults are generally quieter and more selective about exactly who they want to join. They also don't generally want outsiders butting into their business because that could spell trouble, whereas vegans are always trying to attract outside attention.

Cult vs. Movement

Most people today wouldn't call suffragism a cult, though there was certainly strife between women's rights activists and misogynists back in the day. If you forgive the cliché feminist language, the patriarchy was terrified of women becoming men's equals, and they pushed back hard against equal rights by writing off women and their supporters as hysterical and weak-minded. They spread illegitimate information to thwart the movement, but in hindsight, we see now that the activists were in the right -- the ones written off by those terrified of losing power over them -- and the oppressors were the ones with a cult-like mentality, using lies and deceit to coerce their believers to remain faithful.

Carnist Indoctrination & Use of Language

On Instagram, I recently started a series of posts about the myth of "vegan propaganda" to show all the actual carnist propaganda being fed to us all the time that we don't even realize is controlling how we think. (After all, that's why propaganda is effective.) Vegans are such a small percentage of the population that we are incapable of having influence over the minds of the masses. But when we look at how carnist culture ingrains speciesism into our minds, it's much more apparent that carnism is the true cult here.

Examples

As children, we're taught nursery rhymes like "Old MacDonald" (and he ain't farming garbanzo beans), but the peppy tune doesn't mention what happens to all the farmer's moo-moo cows and oink-oink pigs after he ships them off in a truck one day. Before we're old enough to understand the consequences of our actions, we get hooked on meat, dairy, and eggs, developing a taste for those products that inevitably dictate the foods we want to eat as we develop. In school, we're taught that humans are omnivores and that a healthy diet includes animal products that will make us big and strong like the adults we admire and aspire to be like one day.

We call flesh meat, skin leather, and zoos education, and when we become aware of "those videos" of animal abuse, we shy away because we're told that we're good, compassionate people who love animals, and good, compassionate people aren't responsible for whatever happens in those videos. And once we break out of this speciesist groupthink, we are demonized by a society that preys on our ignorance, ostracized from normalcy. Because those who reject the cult are enemies.

Be Aware of Perception

It's important for vegans to be aware of the kind of language we use and ensure we phrase our words in a way that doesn't sound cultish (which itself, I recognize, sounds like something cults would do). Just try to be realistic instead of idealistic, acknowledging that there's no perfectionism in being vegan, but also be sure to stand your ground and defend the truth. That's what really matters.

be conscious, be kind, be vegan