The art of indifference

1021: 

Being part of The Vast Majority allows people to downgrade the importance of subjects even when they’re obviously important and controversial.  Many people preface admitting to what they eat by the word ‘still’, as in “I still eat meat”.  There’s guilt and a sense of weakness associated with meat (far less about animal by-products) but mainly from the point of view of the meat being unhealthy rather than unethical.  Discussing any details is generally avoided - animal issues are dismissed as if a fly were being brushed from the sleeve.  And so it has to be, since if this subject ever gets a foothold, who knows but it might become part of polite dinner table conversation.

           

At the other end of the social spectrum are those who never even think about the possibility of ‘not eating meat’.  These are the animal eaters who don’t need to be bothered or intimidated by any ugly information about animals.  They only ‘know’ that it is essential to eat meat, and they’ve known this from when they were young, and if everyone does it, it must be normal and safe.