Generally speaking, do you find vegans and vegetarians to be self-righteous prigs?

anyway any way again.

Very interesting! 

Just to clarify, you think that self-righteousness is linked to self-protection, and is a result of being abused as a child? 

Yes. Something way out of line with the nuclear family and dependency needs is most of the source of all emotional differences in people except if they've been traumatized in later life which can happen too.
"PTSD in late life can result from trauma that occurred much earlier or can follow traumatic events that occurred for the first time in old age. When trauma took place when the person was younger, PTSD in later life might represent the re-emergence after a period of extended quiescence or be the continuation" This post was edited by CosmicWunderkind at April 11, 2020 9:53 PM MDT

I tend to think of self-righteousness more in line with narcissism, but that's an interesting perspective. 

Thanks, Cosmic. 

Simply put, true narcissists have zero interest in introspection or self-improvement. Their guiding principle: Never, ever let your guard down. As I said, I think it again stems from some excessive mollycoddling as a child. Just shooting in the dark because narcissism is complex and we all have it to some degree. I don't know but I hate narcissism and vegetarianism equally. What else is there to do with something that can't respond back to you but eat it? This post was edited by CosmicWunderkind at April 11, 2020 10:03 PM MDT

Yikes! Hope you're never around children under age 2! 

:)

Good answer. 

I think that most people have a moral compass, and I doubt that you'll find two that are completely identical. Measuring ourselves against someone else's compass is useless. Humans have a universal tendency to make judgments about one another, based on a variety of factors. Being aware of this fact, and of our own personal negative judgments, is a good way to start to change them. 

I think your reply here is a useful template for responding to over generalizations about groups of people. 

 (over generalizations over-generalizations)

Yes. 

Personally, I have work to do when it comes to generalizing Trumpites. :/

  I don't think it's completely useless, and I'll give you an example.  My wife has expectations of what she considers to be a good husband, and part of that is based on her inner moral compass.  Simply put, when it comes to morals, there are things she sees as right or wrong.  If I live up to those things she sees as right, or if I commit those things she sees as wrong, it feeds into the way she sees me.  Judgement is not only a negative aspect of how humans gauge each other, it has positive connotations too.  In her judgement, she makes decisions about me and determines if I am correct or incorrect.  As you stated above, if I am aware of my own actions/behaviors in light of how she would measure them, then out of respect for her and respect for our marriage, I have to conduct myself not only in ways that I deem correct, but also in ways she deems correct.  This is not to say that I have to be a robot based on what she wants, because as a husband, I have expectations of what I consider to be a good wife.  If we did not make judgments about each other from the first day we met, them we would not have made decisions as to whether or not we'd be together.  I judged her positively, she judged me positively.  There are negative judgments that we have made of each other since day one, in addition to the positive judgments.
  As with the example I made using my marriage as a guide, all human interaction is based on our moral compasses wherein we measure ourselves and we measure other people.  Every person with whom you agree is someone you've measured using your moral compass as a guide, and vice-versa, every person who agrees with you has done the same thing.

Moral character or character is an evaluation of an individual's stable moral qualities. The concept of character can imply a variety of attributes including the existence or lack of virtues such as empathy, courage, fortitude, honesty, and loyalty, or of good behaviors or habits. Moral character primarily refers to the assemblage of qualities that distinguish one individual from another—although on a cultural level, the set of moral behaviors to which a social group adheres can be said to unite and define it culturally as distinct from others. Psychologist Lawrence Pervin defines moral character as "a disposition to express behavior in consistent patterns of functions across a range of situations".^[1] Similarly, the philosopher Marie I. George refers to moral character as the “sum of one’s moral habits and dispositions.”^[2] Aristotle has said, "we must take as a sign of states of character the pleasure or pain that ensues on acts."

Sure, I completely agree. My response was too general, perhaps. 

Our own values and morals definitely come into play when it comes to relationships, but I think they're better left out when it comes to judging and stereotyping others, particularly entire groups. 

I guess I'm trying to say that we can be different from and disagree with people, without thinking negatively about them, or feeling superior about ourselves. I'm not sure that many people do that, but it's possible. 

I've found that once the subject comes up, some people are determined to turn it into an issue. Most vegans and vegetarians I know try not to even bring it up, unless it's completely necessary, for fear that they'll be questioned and scrutinized, and judged. I've had more than one person tell me that not eating animals is against God, which I found laughable. 

You're definitely right. 

That's pretty much my experience, too. 

You must be surrounded by zealous vegans! 

Anyone ever tell you you'll go to hell for eating meat? :)

No because they know I'm a meat eater and I could tear their veagtable butt off. I used to know a couple who made their dog a vegan and it was the most unhealthy/low energy dog I ever met. Cheers! This post was edited by Nanoose at April 12, 2020 6:53 PM MDT