Anthropocentrism

1572: 

You may be vegan but if so, how do you keep your opinions to yourself when you're busting to speak to everyone about it, to expand the consciousness of your fellow beings? At the same time, you want to help feed starving children, only to find that milk and meat products are being donated, or live animals are being provided for farming. Again, you want to speak out about this. You think it's outrageous! But your disapproval might seem as though you want to see the kids starve.

We are up against some very entrenched perceptions. When we are dealing with people who have made certain sacrifices to help others, it's especially difficult to get them to see why, as vegans, we have such a different view on life. Humans are very human-centred, and often can't or won't see past anthropocentric concerns, in order to catch a glimpse of another vast world of suffering which exists beyond our own. Pragmatism interrupts idealism at every turn. Malnourished children always come before abused animals. Relieving symptoms always take precedence over chasing cures. The deeper we look at the problems facing us, the harder the decisions we have to make, when we go vegan.