by Christine Pesta
When people think of being a vegan they tend to think of an “extreme” lifestyle choice. Those who are carnivores find it hard to grasp a vegetarian lifestyle, let alone one that is vegan. Even many vegetarians will state that they don’t believe they could ever be, “that hardcore”.
Yet, vegans don’t see it as “extreme” or “hardcore”. Whether their choice for taking up a vegan diet and/or lifestyle was primarily for health, the lives of animals, the sake of the planet, or a combination thereof, it’s seen as a simpler, gentler, and easier way of living.
When it comes to food choices, those who view veganism as extreme are not considering that vegans are only eliminating two things from their diet – meat and dairy. When it comes to their lifestyle, they are only eliminating one thing – animal sourced products. It would be no hardship for everyone to not own a leather sofa or handbag.
Vegans are just simply making conscious decisions as to what type of consumer they wish to be. They have become more aware of the connection between consuming animal products and the long-term effects it has on climate change and health, not to mention the suffering of millions of innocent animals.
Being more aware of the size of the carbon footprint they are leaving upon the Earth has also made many vegans question how many possessions they really need in their lives to be happy, healthy, and productive. The appliances and entertainment gadgets sucking up power and cluttering the home, the gas-guzzling car they drive, the tons of clothes in the closet never worn, or the plastic water bottles bought by the case only to be discarded into a landfill have gotten called into question by vegans. Many, as a result, have turned to a minimalist lifestyle.
Some may also view a minimalist lifestyle as “extreme”. It can sometimes be misunderstood or even ridiculed just as being vegan can. To be clear, not all vegans are minimalists, and not all minimalists are vegan; but the two do find themselves crossing paths very often.
Just as many vegans do, minimalists are concerned with the carbon footprint they are leaving upon the Earth. They are focused on recycling, repurposing, donating unused items, and are mindful of the amount of waste they are creating in their daily lives. Some may spend more money on an item than they need have done, but with the idea in mind that they would rather have the best quality on the market so as not have to replace the item every other year as it wears out, and needlessly have it find its way to a landfill. Others may choose to build an item, just as serviceable as one bought in a store, that isn’t made from non-biodegradable parts, or parts that may in some way cause harm to the soil or the air.
In general, both vegans and minimalists have found that eliminating certain things from their lives does not detract from their quality of life. In fact, most find that it adds to their quality of life. The clutter in their day to day lives, whether realized or not, contributed to a poorer quality of physical, mental, and emotional health. Those people who began to let go of the things in their lives that they realized served no purpose, or were serving to cause them poor health, began to feel less stress, more joy, and a sense of freedom.
No one is saying that vegans need to be minimalists, or minimalists need to be vegan, but when the two worlds meet, it can not only help to save the Earth and all of the creatures who live on it, but it can, first and foremost, help to save the individual who has made the decision to combine the two lifestyles.
