“I only eat predators.”
That was how the girl seated next to me started the conversation when the airline began serving us our food. She used that attention-getting line to launch into a condemnation of our entire food system.
It was her position that when it comes to meat, she will never eat herbivores – only carnivores or omnivores. Her point of view is that herbivores, such as cattle and goats, are innocent in the sense that they do not inflict suffering on others by killing and eating them. Thus, they themselves should not be harmed. However, she indicated that she will happily eat predators such as chickens, fish, etc. because they inflict suffering upon others and her eating them is what they deserve for the suffering they have caused to other sentient beings.
Given our intelligence and resources, she argued, we are able to make conscious, rational decisions about food rather than being compelled to just eat whatever is in front of us. And given our intelligence, she added, we have a moral obligation to counteract the base instincts we harbor as a result of evolution and should do what we can to deliver the world from the suffering and cruelty embedded in our current food system (she was getting rather heated by this point).
I interjected to point out the obvious flaw in her logic in that herbivores are predators too – they just happen to eat flora rather than fauna. However, she was ready for that response and stated that she abhors the suffering caused to plants and does not contribute to it.
Noting my raised eyebrows, she explained that she will just eat fruits and vegetables that come from a “cruelty free” source. She defined “cruelty free” as fruits and vegetables that come from trees or plants that do not suffer or die when their bounty is harvested. She mentioned almonds, strawberries, oranges and apples as positive examples, while carrots were cited as an example of something she wouldn’t touch because harvesting the carrots results in their death.
It’s an interesting perspective – interesting enough that I felt like sharing it with my dear readers… And perhaps I should even have explored and challenged it a bit more. However, I was tired and was halfway through The Place Beyond The Pines, which I wanted to finish before the plane landed more than I wanted to debate the subject with her.
The Velvet Rocket 
Interesting, Ames. The word for those who eat only “fallen fruits” is Fruitaniarism, subset of veganism. It’s a respectuful choice, although I disagree when people mix Food with Emotions.
This girl’s logic is funny, she only eats predators because they inflict pain on other animals… So she punishes them by cooking them, and the circle continues :)
“The Herbivore-Free Diet: From the Anthropocene to the Empathocene:
Ethical Eating,Peak Cheap Oil, Abrahamicism,Biblicanism & Post-Veganism”
Thanks for this article’s insights which chime in perfect harmony with my own philosophy which I’ve struggled to descibe. However:
Ungulatarianism is now a Thing! #HerbivoreFreeDiet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ungulate
You’re welcome. Glad I could help reaffirm your own philosophy… Really, it’s quite commendable, although it requires some careful thought about each living creature’s role in the ecosystem to carry out.
I have the same philosophy, except i also don’t eat predators that (almost) only eat predators. Leaves room for myself in the chain
I also dont eat dairy and eggs. Dairy is unnatural when you are not a baby of that animal species. I dont like the taste of meat, but I will eat and hunt it when it is a predator of non predators
Experts seem to lean toward the possibility that the ecosystem would actually adapt to a world of herbivores rather than ultimately crash. This makes sense to me. Just as humans and nature would adapt to providing herbivorous nutrients that are plentiful. I will still eat carrots etc but I prefer fruits, almonds etc as well. My priority is animals that bleed like we do. But In other respects i think of eating locally first to not pollute. It has to be multi pronged to be considerate of both oneself and the planet. i aim toward self sufficiency
I also dont approve of having wild cats, the damage they do to european nature is one of the biggest damages ever to occur. I might feed them other predators but overall find it unnatural to befriend predator animals before herbivorous ones, which humans also do most often strangely. These animals in a SHTF situation would also pose danger.
Its also not true that predator animals are smarter. There are plenty smart herbivore animals that can even serve as pets very well – pigs are smarter than dogs i.e. and make great pets. Dolphins, elephants, monkeys. (mostly herbivorous, just like humans can be in a natural, supportive environment)
Hunting herbivores is not what made humans smart, nor the nurtients in meat. It is our lifestyle, courage, moral consistency with natural law, knowledge and know-how that evolve, this is what makes sense to me anyway.
In our age we have much know-how but morality and self responsibility is lacking, in part because of the confusion of the multitude of problems. Responsibility, morality and care has to come first. And in that we likely have to treat ourselves kind first and educate ourselves. I can verify in my personal experience that what makes me truly happier, tastes better and feels better in every respect and is better for the surroundings.
Problem seems to be people being in a PTSD type of emotional thinking, intellectual stuntedness (self blame, confusion – which psychopaths induce – the human interspecies predator). All those who espouse diets usually are harsh about it, narrow minded or culty. I have been there too. Its pretty tragic isnt it