You have a point. I'm almost completely vegetarian (for ~20 years) and I try to avoid the issue, even if engaged about it, especially at mealtime. It leads to

You have a point. I'm almost completely vegetarian (for ~20 years) and I try to avoid the issue, even if engaged about it, especially at mealtime. It leads to conversations where people argumentatively try to find logical contradictions in my decisions. It's tiresome, because I can tell where it's headed before they even start ("But, is your belt leather?") It seems more like they are trying to justify their own behaviors (which are even less well-grounded than mine), than to have a civil exchange of ideas. And it happens not just with older males, but "logical" nerds as well (of all ages). ("Homo sapiens have evolved to be omnivores." -- gosh, I never thought of that before!)