[kaileikehe]

I'm sorry for sounding like a complete idiot, but I figured this would be the best place to ask.<br><br>
I have a question.. because all my life I've thought vegetarianism is something that now I think it is not.<br><br>
Is vegetarianism when you do not consume any animal products (including eggs, dairy, ect.).. and veganism is when you do not consume, wear, support the killing of, ect. animal products?<br><br>
Please let me know.. I want to make sure I'm looking at this the right way!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[MaryC1999]

Vegetarianism is not eating animals (including fish lol)<br><br>
A person who doesn't eat any animal products but still wears wool or leather would be a "strict" vegetarian, as I understand it.<br><br>
Vegans strive to not use any animal products ever and live their life in a way that doesn't cause suffering to animals. This includes what you wear, cleaners, personal hygiene, clothing and food.<br><br>
Basically, vegetarianism is a dietary choice and veganism is a lifestyle choice. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br>
Frankly, I don't consume animal products, don't wear animal products and I do my personal best to make sure what I buy doesn't test on animals but I really just call myself a vegetarian.<br><br>
Mary

 

[*AHIMSA*]

Some people view 'pure' or 'true' or 'strict' vegetarianism as eating no animal products (although some say 'strict' means avoiding leather etc.) and veganism as neither eating or using any animal products where they could possible be avoided (with exceptions made for medications, walking on roads and living in houses that aren't 'vegan' etc.).<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Most people here define 'vegetarianism' as eating all animal products but flesh (although there are exceptions to that here too!) and 'veganism' as avoiding the use of all animal products.

 

[thatoneguy]

A vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat meat.<br><br><br><br>
A vegan is someone who eats/lives as animal free as possible.

 

[kaileikehe]

Okay, thanks!<br><br>
I'm still a little lost on where I'd stand haha, but I think I'm getting the gist of it (=

 

[Tesseract]

<b>Vegetarians</b> don't eat animal flesh of any kind. No beef, no pork, no chicken, no fish, no other seafood. No rabbits. No birds. No wild game. But they may eat dairy and eggs, and they may use animal products like wool and silk. Whether vegetarians wear leather is controversial. Some people say that vegetarianism is solely about what you EAT, therefore you can wear leather and still be a vegetarian. Others say that leather is as vegetarian as a steak-- either way, you have to kill a cow to get it.<br><br><br><br><b>Vegans</b> take their moral commitment a step further and don't use any animal products of any kind. All of the above, PLUS, no dairy, no eggs, no wool, no silk, definitely no leather, etc. It's a <span style="text-decoration:underline;">lifestyle</span> choice as well as a dietary choice. There appears to be some controversy about the vegan-ness of honey, but I don't have a dog in that fight, so I have no comment, except to point out that insects are animals.<br><br><br><br>
You have to understand, too, that "vegetarian" and "vegan" mean something very different to many people outside the vegetarian/vegan community, because they don't understand it either. A lot of people think vegetarians eat fish, and some of them even think vegetarians eat chicken. And many, many people think "vegan" just means a vegetarian who doesn't eat dairy or eggs. True, that is the most high-profile aspect of being vegan, but there is much more to it than that.<br><br><br><br>
One of the terms I've heard used to describe a vegetarian who doesn't eat dairy or eggs, but is not completely vegan, is "strict vegetarian."

 

[GhostUser]

Okay, before 50 bajillion people post...<br><br><br><br><b>It's been answered already.</b><br><br><br><br>
Sorry, pet peeve of mine when 50 people jump on to answer the same questions when it's already been done. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[Tesseract]

Yeah, but none of those other answers are good enough! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br>
AND, she still seemed a little confused.

 

[GhostUser]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Tesseract</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Yeah, but none of those other answers are good enough! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br><br><br>
AND, she still seemed a little confused.</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
That's why I waited til you answered. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[*AHIMSA*]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Tesseract</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Yeah, but none of those other answers are good enough! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""></div>
</div>
<br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/shocked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> My answer was very to the point, thank you very much! (And Mary and I posted at the same time). <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[Sevenseas]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>veggiejanie</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Okay, before 50 bajillion people post...<br><br><br><br><b>It's been answered already.</b><br><br><br><br>
Sorry, pet peeve of mine when 50 people jump on to answer the same questions when it's already been done. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""></div>
</div>
<br>
It's not 50 people yet!<br><br><br><br>
'Vegetarian' may mean either someone who eats no animal products or someone who's a lacto-ovo-vegetarian or some other prefix veggie. ('Vegetarian' may also be a general term for all kinds of people, incl. vegans, who don't eat meat. And this makes the term 'veg*n' preferable to this usage because it's not ambiguous.)<br><br><br><br>
'Vegan' tries to avoid all animal products.

 

[GhostUser]

^ <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/shy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":shy:"><br><br><br><br>
Okay, I'll make an exception this time. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/laugh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":lol:">

 

[troub]

You basically taste someone.<br><br><br><br>
If they taste nasty = omni<br><br>
If they taste better = vegetarian<br><br>
and if they taste best = vegan<br><br>
and if they taste like rainbows and smiley faces = fruitarian

 

[*AHIMSA*]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>troub</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
and if they taste like rainbows and smiley faces = fruitarian</div>
</div>
<br>
You forgot 'unicorns' <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/biker.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":ymca:">

 

[GhostUser]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>troub</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
You basically taste someone.<br><br><br><br>
If they taste nasty = omni<br><br>
If they taste better = vegetarian<br><br>
and if they taste best = vegan<br><br>
and if they taste like rainbows and smiley faces = fruitarian</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
What do the raw foodists taste like?

 

[troub]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>veggiejanie</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
What do the raw foodists taste like?</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
im guessing raw foodists are more smiley face then rainbow, and fruitarians are more rainbow then smiley face....<br><br><br><br>
raw fruitarians that live in self sufficient communes 'off the grid' probably taste like happiness incarnate...<br><br>
...and their flatus smell like strawberry pie

 

[*AHIMSA*]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>troub</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br><br><br><br>
raw fruitarians that live in self sufficient communes 'off the grid' probably taste like happiness incarnate...<br><br>
...and their flatus smell like strawberry pie</div>
</div>
<br>
Strawberry macademia creme pie <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/yes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":yes:">

 

[kaileikehe]

Okay, so I don't eat animal products of any kind and I'm somewhat conscious about what I use and whether or not it comes from an animal.<br><br>
Maybe I'll completely be aware, so I can still call myself a vegan?

 

[froggythefrog]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>kaileikehe</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Okay, so I don't eat animal products of any kind and I'm somewhat conscious about what I use and whether or not it comes from an animal.<br><br>
Maybe I'll completely be aware, so I can still call myself a vegan?</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
I'd call you vegan.

 

[Rotting]

While many disagree, dictionaries define vegan as someone who simply does not eat any animal products. This would allow for "health vegans" who may or may not use other animal products.