Vegan Book Club discussion
November 2021
>
Beyond Beliefs: Discussion Questions
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Tessa, Founder + Curator
(new)
Nov 26, 2021 10:21AM
Mod
reply
|
flag
Mod
But overall I really liked this book! I deal with a lot of stupidity from my non-vegan family members. It's so frustrating. I'm not sure how much this will actually help me, given how antagonistic (just for fun) the non-vegans in my life can be, but it's definitely given me a lot to think about!
Tessa wrote: "I'm not sure how much this will actually help me, given how antagonistic (just for fun) the non-vegans in my life can be, but it's definitely given me a lot to think about!."Antagonistic (just for fun) non-vegans are the worst.
01. Do you have frequent interactions with non-vegans?My partner, with whom I live with, is a vegan, too. The one close friend that we meet with regularly in person is a vegetarian. Although he sometimes asks critical questions about veganism, he's always respectful about it. Apart from him we have some vegan and some non-vegan friends and acquaintances.
In my and my partners family there are no fellow vegans, three vegetarians and some flexitarian. Some people in my family are convinced meat-eaters.
02. Have you ever had a particularly tense conversation regarding veganism/animal rights with a meat eater?
When I struggle with things (health issues, mental health, really anything else) the meat-eaters in my live somehow always seem to conclude that this might be because of veganism. I find that very hurtful and it made me stop talking to them about some of my struggles in live all together. I've had some tense conversations with meat-eaters in this context.
03. How do you usually handle uncomfortable interactions with non-vegans?
Honestly if I can, currently I avoid them. Often I feel bad about this later. I'm working an changing both.
04. Do you usually struggle to communicate with non-vegans, whether they are close to you or strangers?
Mostly veganism doesn't come up, when I talk to strangers and if it does most people react respectfully or honestly curious. However it also repeatedly happened to me, that strangers/ acquaintances told me horrible stories about animals being killed, after I told them, that I don't eat meat. I don't know why they do this, but it's awful. I therefore make very conscious decisions about telling people that I'm vegan or not.
05. Did Beyond Beliefs provide effective advice or strategies for dealing with the non-vegans in your life?
There is some got advice about how one should phrase certain issues. The most valuable lesson for me probably was that I should and can take my boundaries regarding other people's meat consumption more seriously.
I was visiting my parents for a few day when I read parts of the book and I asked them to keep the meat in their fridge in closed containers so I don't have to smell or see it, when I open the fridge. They actually played along and didn't turn this into a problem. I think Beyond Beliefs helped me with making this request. Prior to reading it I probably would not have asked for this in the first place.
06. Would your non-vegan friends or family be willing to read Beyond Beliefs?
Probably not. The people around me generally don't read non-fiction and don't take psychology seriously.
07. Were there any topics you wish the author had covered more in detail?
I loved how Melanie Joy parallels carnism and heteronormativity at some points throughout this book. I would have loved to read more of this.
08. How would you rate Beyond Beliefs? What's your reason for this rating?
For me Beyond Beliefs was a 5-star-read, because I found it empowering and I learned a lot.
This is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
Antagon..."
They really are! Like...I know it's not mean-spirited, I guess, but it's still so annoying. For as long as I've been vegan, my dad and brother have always made some annoying comment about the food I'm making/eating, and it's just like...why?
