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> As a meat eater ... I don't lack empathy for humans. As a meat eater ... you cannot yet know what you lack/you'd gain ;) > pet owners, their empathy for pet
by myshpa 3y ago
> As a meat eater ... I don't lack empathy for humans.
As a meat eater ... you cannot yet know what you lack/you'd gain ;)
> pet owners, their empathy for pets seems to reduce their empathy for fellow humans
It's funny that when someone adopts a rabbit, pig, or chicken as a pet, they often (based on anecdotes) stop eating that specific type of meat, but they don't typically stop eating other animals.
Something changes when people decide to stop eating meat.
- benj111 3y ago>As a meat eater ... you cannot yet know what you lack/you'd gain ;) No, I'd even grant that my pov could even be a sign of lowered empathy, but as my second part was meant to indicate. On the other hand developing an empathy for other animals can lead to lowered empathy for the 'murderers' of those animals. If you empathise with foos and bars, and foos are harming bars, surely that would impact your empathy for foos.
- myshpa 3y agoI believe empathy isn't zero-sum. Feeling for animals doesn't mean their empathy for humans diminishes. Btw, most vegans used to be meat eaters previously. As my SO says: "they (carnists) just don't know ... yet".
- veggieburrito 3y agoIt’d be interesting to read more about the psychology of “when people decide to stop eating meat”. Conversely, I’ve talked with individuals who were raised culturally vegetarian who started eating meat as an adult. Interesting topics all around.