"I would be very hesitant to date a vegan, but [it] has more to do with being suspicious of someone who's elected to restrict [his] own realm of pleasure that much," writes Kris W., editor, of Boston, Mass.
If a couple can respect each others choices, even though they don't agree with them, then it could work.
My girl is an Omni, and we respect each others choices without making condescending remarks, and it works.
Problems might arise when bringing up a child. For instance I would want to bring my child up vegetarian until he or she can make a choice. Most omnis wouldn't understand that point of view.
"I would be very hesitant to date a vegan, but [it] has more to do with being suspicious of someone who's elected to restrict [his] own realm of pleasure that much," writes Kris W., editor, of Boston, Mass.
Well his opinion doesnt count because I wouldnt date someone that obsessed with unrestrained pleasure seeking. Turn your back for a minute and he'd be shooting heroin or having sex with strangers in the park.
Someone who has self control and maturity enough to abstain from something like meat or alcohol, etc. would be much less likely to cheat, hit, get drunk and crash your car, and all the other type of things people have nightmares about prior to a first date.
Yeah, this is somewhat reflective of the responses I have received too... though it's been a long time since someone told me outright they would not date me b/c of my strict veg-ism. There have been a couple of prospects who were obviously very uncomfortable with it, though, and I do sometimes get the question of "do you expect your partner to be a veg also?" (to which the answer is "no").
The only real concerns I have with it, myself, are that a prospective partner must *respect* my dietary needs, i.e. no crass meat jokes and absolutely *never* try to deceive me into eating something, or lie to me about ingredients (my health depends on it), and she must at least be willing to try any food I cook. I instituted the latter rule some years ago after I spent a rather difficult year dating a lady who literally would turn her nose up at my food, indeed would turn her nose up at nearly anything that I could label as vegetarian food - whether I cooked it or not. Ironically, probably 70% of what I did get her to try, she liked the food well enough, but she had a real problem with the *idea* of it. I, on the other hand, never hesitated to go with her to steakhouses, where I ate a LOT of baked potatoes.
I will never again put up with that kind of imbalance in a relationship. Chalk that one up to a learning experience! But she has been the only serious problem I've had since coming out in 2008.
It's difficult for me to grasp why veg*nism is still such a difficult concept for some people. I mean, if I went out on a date with someone and he suggested a seafood restaurant and I said that I didn't like seafood it wouldn't be a problem. We would simply go someplace else. In that same scenario, if my response is to say that "I don't like meat", I may get a strange look and possibly a snide comment (for ex. - "You're not one of them, are you?"). However, if my response is that "I'm a vegetarian" then it suddenly becomes a major issue. It makes me wonder if there's such a negative connotation with the words "vegetarian" and "vegan" that some people's common sense (and manners) go right out the window? It sometimes appears as if the stereotyping of veg*ns causes some omni's to completely overlook the individual person that they're with. It's sad, really, because what could have turned out to be a really great relationship between two people is lost due to one person's choice not to consume/exploit animals and the other person's inability to understand (or even contemplate) why.
Come to think of it, this is probably why I've all but stopped dating altogether. :serious:
It's sad, really, because what could have turned out to be a really great relationship between two people is lost due to one person's choice not to consume/exploit animals and the other person's inability to understand (or even contemplate) why.
It was probably a blessing that it ended quickly over that issue rather than you investing yourself into this person and
wasting your time.
There are others out there that are more suited for you. You just haven't met them yet.
My girlfriend is a omnivore but leaning towards a plant based lifestyle. Really all about respecting each other and supporting each other.
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