Brave of you to comment this in the vegan community 😅

I’m also not vegan but I absolutely support ending factory farming, cutting down on meat in general (even free range), and having a veg-first diet. I think we can be better, even if we don’t go vegan. For me personally, the environmental impact (methane) is more significant than any moral directive.

OP, the cognitive dissonance you point out is totally valid. I honestly think it almost entirely boils down to how far removed we (the general population) are from the process that ends with ingredients in the fridge.

If you took me to a chicken coop, gave me a butcher knife, and told me I had to prepare dinner with one of the little fellas I’d probably make a run for it. Which is quite hypocritical of me as a chicken enjoyer.

Perhaps another small part of it is the boundary of what people can/cannot empathise with. To be completely honest I feel far less for things like shrimp and oysters than I do about cows and chickens. I don’t know if that’s backed by the science (they don’t “feel”/comprehend as much) or just my narrow mindedness about how other life forms work.