How good are you?

[Porffor]

When it comes to the vegan 'rules' how good are you? Do you stick to every one? stray occasionally to make life easier (in restaurants etc - following on from the 'would you go vegan discussion in veggie area)? Or are you a top Vegan that never strays and woudln't dream of it?

[*AHIMSA*]

Vegans don't eat animal products or use them in their life where they can be avoided.

I'm vegan. That means I avoid use of ALL animal products.

[Porffor]

Vegans don't eat animal products or use them in their life where they can be avoided.

I'm vegan. That means I avoid use of ALL animal products.

Thanks :) I've just added a poll so you'll be a top voter! ;)

[MZCsmpsns]

I chose other, because I know I don't avoid ALL animal products ALL the time, but I don't 'stray' to make life easier. I do avoid animal products to the best of my knowledge/as much as possible though. I'm not a perfect person, and I'm not a perfect vegan.

[Toast]

I voted pretty good. I don't believe anyone can be 100% vegan in this very unvegan world and vegans themselves often disagree where to draw the line. I personally can't stand vegan police!

I know vegans that take animal tested meds for example and I wouldn't dream of judging them although technically they are supporting animal testing.

I just try to do the best I can in general and try and improve my lifestyle and be less harmful where I can eg: recycle more, use fully vegan companies where I can, take public transport etc.

[sallyomally]

I chose other, because I know I don't avoid ALL animal products ALL the time, but I don't 'stray' to make life easier. I do avoid animal products to the best of my knowledge/as much as possible though. I'm not a perfect person, and I'm not a perfect vegan.

Same here.

[NightFox87]

I'd say I'm pretty good. I wouldn't say perfect, but I do what I can.

[dani_cat]

I'm pretty good, not perfect. I do avoid animal products but you never know when you go out, you might be eating something that you don't know about because the employees lack of knowledge of whats in the food that they serve.

[Eclipse27]

There's no such thing as a perfect vegan.

Sometimes if I'm in a position such as relatives cooking dinner, I'll give the rice and beans/ whatever else could be vegan the benefit of the doubt.

[Mr. Sun]

I voted 'other'. I'm too tired to explain exactly why though, lol. I think it's just to rigid to say 'perfect' or 'pretty good'. I don't think I'm either. But I still like the thread. Good converstation starter.

[Amanda Mae]

Well, like some of you have mentioned, it's not really possible to be 100% vegan. I never stray on purpose, though. I am really careful to make sure everything I eat is vegan, and I try my best to use completely animal free products all the time.

[LetoTheTyrant]

I said perfect, but I likely fall somewhere in between perfect and the second option. I didn't go with the second option though, cause I *never* "turn a blind eye", and i didn't get down to other before my impatience shined through :)

If I falter from my idol like status it is only unknowingly :)

[Indieorganicveg]

Same here.

Ditto!:tired:

[Sallie-Veggie]

Well, like some of you have mentioned, it's not really possible to be 100% vegan. I never stray on purpose, though. I am really careful to make sure everything I eat is vegan, and I try my best to use completely animal free products all the time.

Yeah- what she said!! I may accidentally eat something vegetarian (NEVER meat!!). Last week we were at our natural food store and I accidentally popped a milk chocolate in my mouth from a sample my DD was eating. Whoops!! :flush:

[dfacerdm]

I am pretty good. Eating out I get spiked quite often though.

"Rice and bean burrito please, only rice and beans." Why do I see f***ing cheese halfway through?

One waitress has been serving me a vegan indian dish for months. It is wonderful but makes stinky farts. Another waitress asks me at the same place if I am vegan and informs me that dish has cream.

finding a piece of chicken in the beans of my vegan taco dish.

I am sure everyone has lots of these stories. Sometimes I find myself getting upset but that's probably because I have only been vegan for 20 months.

Here's the bad one. My friend turned me unto these coffee candies while watching the Daily Show a couple of nights a week. There the cheating started. It went on for 1-2 nights a week for a month and now I have bought two boxes and have been eating them since Wednesday. Not vegan anymore. Someone please help me find some vegan coffee candies.

[*AHIMSA*]

http://www.vegsource.com/articles/bryanna_candy.htm

Homemade vegan coffee candies are good.

[Mrrple]

I voted other because I don't like putting us in categories pertaining how 'good' we are. It seems unnecessary. Can't we just agree we are doing our best?

[Porffor]

I voted other because I don't like putting us in categories pertaining how 'good' we are. It seems unnecessary. Can't we just agree we are doing our best?

This is why i put other. I'm new to veganism and still under the challenge, I was interested in how good you all are as a matter of interest of the norm generally. sorry if i've offended but I was just interested if I 'had' to be 100% ALL the time or if it was ok to be human and make a mistke now and then.

[PTree15]

I put "other." I don't call myself a vegan; I usually say I follow a vegan diet because I've yet to rid myself of the non-food products in my home that aren't vegan, such as some clothing, shoes and toiletries. I have been buying vegan supplies as I use up my non-vegan things like makeup and such.

[paulwalkersgirl]

I think I'm pretty good, I don't think I'm perfect. I don't think any vegans are perfect.

[babyfirefly]

I didn't vote yet. I'm a really new vegan, so I'm still learning what is and isn't considered vegan. I stay away from all the obvious things in food and the food additives (excluding honey, which I only found out about today and plan to abstain from when I finish my loaf of bread), but I'm not so good with clothes and makeup.
I mostly buy my clothes secondhand so that I feel like they're not going to waste, but I don't check into whether they were originally made responsibly or not (also if they're not, I'm not giving money directly to the manufacturer when I buy secondhand =P). Shoes are a huge problem, though. It doesn't make it easier being an Irish dancer and a runner.
I also have a ton of makeup that I haven't used up yet that contains glycerin, along with a bunch of other lovely animal ingredients, but I've given the unopened ones to friends and such so that I can just use up what I have and buy vegan makeup later.
I really don't think it's possible to be 100% vegan in our society as it is, but we're all much closer to it now than, say, five years back. I think that's what really counts.

[chryssiie718]

I voted "pretty good." While I think I am doing very well as a dietary vegan, the other products trip me up sometimes. I cannot afford the high priced vegan products so I do the best I can. I admit to "turning a blind eye" at times out of monetary necessity. Someday I hope to be able to afford to buy all organic and vegan products.

[USFveggie]

I voted pretty good. I agree that I am not a perfect person so I cannot be a perfect vegan. I eat consciously vegan, and avoid anything that I know has animal products in it. But I am also an environmentalist, so I still use my lip gloss that isnt vegan (and when its gone I will buy new stuff), I am still wearing my leather flip flops that I have had forever, and will continue sitting on our second hand leather furniture. I will not throw something perfectly good away just because it doesnt fit into the lifestyle I am living now. I will use them until I cant anymore and then get vegan friendly replacements.

[VEGIHEAD]

Im pretty good... I do the best I can with the knoweledge I have...
But I wouldnt just eat something that I knew wasnt vegan..
And if Im not sure I wont buy it or eat it..

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

I refuse to participate in the poll because, while I may consider myself a "good vegan", there's always going to be someone who points out the flaws in my "goodness" and "vegan-ness" (ESPECIALLY here in near-perfect-internet-land!!).

I may not be as perfect as those who think they really are, but I'm still perfectly happy calling myself "vegan" and feel I fit just fine in that catagory.