Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran Foer
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- Опубликовано: 25 янв 2011
- Award-winning novelist Jonathan Safran Foer challenges us to face some uncomfortable facts about our eating habits, and probes some of our fundamental instincts about right and wrong.
This book is amazing. So informative and well written. The details and statistics are disturbing for sure, but better to know the truth than to live in ignorant denial about what's going on in the world.
Well said...
Better but we all know what’s best
Intelligent, articulate, compelling. I like this man.
Not so many people in this industry can do such a great and brave thing like him. People now are absolutely ignorant with everything happens around us everyday. We all have the same thought that only 2,3 people like us cannot change the whole world attitude. In fact, like Jonathan said, if we start caring about animals, start paying attention to figures and we will finally see how much ignorant we have been for the whole time. Animals are not born to be killed, they have the rights to live like humans to some extent.
it's not an instinct, it's an addiction
I so appreciate Jonathan's honesty about how a vegan diet is just too difficult for him. I'm watching this eleven years later, and it's so much easier to enjoy (and yes, I do mean enjoy!) a vegan diet. Many delicious products, more awareness. I've been a vegan for about 4 years now and I don't even think about it. I'm just grateful I opened my eyes and changed.
love this guy. so grateful for him
This book is great, highly recommend it to everyone
17:19 "We have such resistance to being hypocrites, that we would prefer to be fully ignorant and fully forgetful, all the time." - that pretty much sums up first world societies.
I read Eating Animals back when I was still eating animals/using animal products. The book changed my life and the way I viewed animal products. Now I am vegan and only use cruelty free products. Honestly, it boggles my mind how a man so educated could live hypocritically just because he has a "hard" time becoming vegan. Being vegan isn't hard, and even if it was, that still wouldn't justify killing another sentient being to please our taste buds.
What do you mean by sentient?
@@singhabiru7976 From wikipedia: "Sentience is the capacity to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively."
Perhaps he has an awareness of the broad range of people he's trying to reach, and expressing his own challanges describes the ground they see between them and him. Personally I find his honesty very approachable. If we want a global solution to this global problem, juding others isn't going to smooth the way in the least.
While he acknowledges his own hypocrisy, I don't find hypocrisy in his message. He's earnestly owning his actions, while arguing for a reduction of animal products. With this book, and his numerous interviews, he's bringing a strong message to a large audience - have you had such a positive impact on such a number? Let's recognise the positive message and not critique a human who himself recognises his own challenges.
For the record, I'm plant based myself.
Imagine a world where making pink crayons involved terrible child labor. Children really suffered. All the other crayons were fine. Your neighbor loves coloring and knows about the pink crayons. You talk to her and she says "I'd live to give up pink crayons but I like pictures with pink in them." So I can't give up on them. It would be strange to hear that. There's a lot of other colors.
thank you Jonathan, my heart and actions are with you, and have been for 24 years now - and both of my beautiful children are too. :)
Watched the movie "Eating Animals" and was highly impressed with how they documented their journey. I am no Vegan since it is very difficult to know where your food sources comes from. Even the meat department at Kroger was unaware. How can I become more involved?
Thanks for sharing this.
I only clicked on this because i thought it contained the Australian comedian, John Safran. But I'm glad I made that mistake.
yup fantastic book! tells it like it is.
Thank you
I just read the book. It was very disturbing.
Where does he advertise this?
@pgunn01 As he said he wasn't worried about kosher. She said herself "If nothing matters there's nothing to save."
She was refusing the meat out of a personal belief, not a religious one.
also read "Every Twelve Seconds" by Timothy Pachirat
I agree with him on many levels, but i feel like he should have discussed more on the fact that we've been eating meat out of necessity for the nutrition. Point meaning. You can feed aquarium fish all of the right flakes + supplements, but they don't always do so well on those and often times need more natural foods like squid. Others can survive perfectly well, but would not grow as big, or behave as naturally. There are some things we don't know we need yet to totally replace meat.
@bluefootedpig I just gave that example as a reason why I don't like to get into dietary debates. And yes it's a very good point about a balanced diet. For me the only real (scientific) argument for a vegan diet is that it's the safe bet. But for me it's rather low on the list. Just after eating regularly, exercise and reducing stress (which I think is a way bigger problem). If I manage to do those reasonably well I'll work more on reducing meat intake.
@eeviechu necessity of nutrition? what do you get from meat that you cannot get elsewhere?
She's a good interviewer.
@destructicon500 There's plenty of them scattered across south and south-east asia. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism all encourage vegetarianism to varying extents in varying places. "Entirely" will be a stretch depending on how broadly you decide to define culture, but certainly there are very long-standing traditions of vegetarianism throughout the region. This is not difficult information to find even if you're not familiar with the area.
I have a question... I don't eat meat often and the only meat i eat is from a "quite green" (less production of C02 due to heating, plants for purifying water) farm that one of my friend own... I've seen the farm, the buchery and well it's local. We also go hunt deer and we use everything of it...If we dont have those, we eat vegan. As a vegan pov is it still as wrong as everyone else? I would love to discuss it with someone. Wonder is the switch would do something better :) Contact me, please!
"Let him not destroy, or cause to be destroyed, any life at all, nor sanction the acts of those who do so. Let him refrain from even hurting any creature, both those that are strong and those that tremble in the world."
@yahmana 3 ounces of meat two days a week would give more than enough aminoacids. The effects I mentioned are real I noticed them myself I could describe the performance decrease similar to drinking a glass of wine without the alcoholic effect (but that depends on how well you deal with alcohol). Anyway a good campaign on nutrient and organoteptic properties of food will improve both our health/performance and the conditions of our livestock.
23:16 = GENIUS.
@GiuseppeCasey Rational morality is pragmatic morality, and treating meat production & consumption as a technical issue is definitely the pragmatic thing to do. If implemented right, in vitro meat is the perfect solution and would benefit people and animals alike. Clean, affordable meat without killing or environmental damage.
People need to realise what they are contributing to. There is no need to eat animals.
Well, I'm a bit proud of my great aunt in Minnesota. She owns a pig farm, and while its not exactly free-range, they're given plenty of individual space, and they be adorable. Good for her.
Skip the book and watch Gary Yourofsky “Best Speech You Will Ever Hear”. If this doesn’t open your eyes and change your ways. Then the truth is not for you.
@Parapon3ra You raise a fair point and I'm glad this hasn't descended into a farcical flame-war. I see that you seem heavily opposed to the political 'left' in your generalising comments, even fearful of it in some underlying way, and this is a shame because this polarisation of politics is keeping you from seeing the wood from the trees; just as it does from any standpoint. I would like to read more about the biotechnology you mention and its sustainable benefits.
@bluefootedpig well it's just from my knowledge, Humans do not have the correct digestive system to eat plants and reap the full benefits from it as well as other plant-eating animals have. We do have SOME ability to do it, but it's still not as effective. It's much more effective to get it straight from meat itself. Most plant eating animals, such as deer, rabbits, koalas, and so forth have to eat their feces AGAIN to fully benefit from the plant. But I don't think most people would do that.
Vegan sushi is AMAZZZING
Hipocracy is a way to live.. thank you for pointing it out
@Cheedillow Pretty sure you misunderstood what I wrote. I didn't say anything about fats (to quote myself: "Don't even get me started") let alone them not being needed. They absolutely are needed - but again, not in the volumes most people consume them in.
@GiuseppeCasey Well, my comment was mainly a criticism of the idea that the survival of the planet is somehow more important than, or equally important as, our own survival. This is a common sentiment in (extreme) environmentalist circles, but it doesn't compute because only intelligent beings can give meaning to things. Without us, nature is pointless. Also, without human intervention, the fate of all species is extinction. Only humans can stop the relentless onslaught of entropy.
Our survival is dependant on maintaining a survivable habitat - the earth.
Factory farming of vegetables/cash crops is also a HUGE problem - between genetically modified foods & monocrops, etc. I wouldn't necessarily say that vegetarianism is the only answer. Perhaps, thinking that being a vegetarian is enough, is the true hypocrisy!
I believe that self-sufficiency is what will truly help us. Just my thoughts.
Man is an omnivore and nothing will ever change that. Thank God, too.
@Parapon3ra In reply to your reply on 'the destruction of the planet' I agree with you wholeheartedly about the 'placing of meaning in context of intelligent lifeforms' but if we were to strip things of meaning to such an extent that we were only left with the laws of physics and mathematics and nothing else, it's hard to imagine our race would strive even to survive, let alone 'advance'. I'm a humanitarian. Of course my life up until this point has influenced that, I only wish others well.
It is considered mandatory to violate kosher to preserve a life. Kashrut is not meant as a death-pact. There are very few mitzvot that one is expected (or even permitted) to keep when they risk health/life.
@bluefootedpig Look I agree that most people around the world eat too much meat. Eating meat at every meal is definitely not good for you. But having said that I don't think that we can draw any conclusions yet based on the science. This field is very difficult and we don't understand nearly enough. Some people think that eating fish is really healthy for example and I'm yet to hear an argument against that. Plus at the end of the day it really depends on the individual. We're not all the same.
Vegan's don't need soy and most of us are against mono-cropping. I don't eat soy, or palm fruit-oil either. You're right that meat is not the only thing destroying the earth but right now it's one of the biggest things.
I have contacted a local farm to go see their meat farming...they never got back to me lmao
Thanks a lot !I agree with you.I Have been born Just After the second mondial War: there was only bread, Rise, vegetabes and seashells and I am 75 Yeats old.It Is enouf, don' t You think? 🌈
Clever guy...
Vegan is hard for him,but is easy for me.The only hard part is dealing with ignorant people that just want to shut their eyes and keep them this way forever.
@oprescualex Problem is that there isn't enough room on the planet to "properly raise" all the animals needed for slaughter in order to provide the demand, Bringing about that change however, is what vegetarians want, cause it would raise costs on meat, which would then drive more people to eat less meat.
@sorin7486 real dark chocolate is "healthy" in that there is actually no dairy in it. The darker the chocolate, the better. It isn't the best, as simple surgars aren't the best, but you won't have a heart attack from chocolate. But the balanced diet, maybe. Depends on what you see as balanced. The first FDA guidelines were developed by dairy farmers, since then they got sued (back in 98) and lost. Now if you look, they have nearly tripled the amount of veggies you should be consuming.
When the hell is the next RSAnimate?
Grazing animals do play an important role in some ecosystems, but that doesn't mean we are forced to kill them and eat them.
As you said, the cases in which crops are unable to grow and humans are unable to get food from non-animal sources are isolated cases. In those cases, eating meat is justified.
The same applies to people who are struggling to get enough food for themselves and their families. If these people manage to get their hands on some meat, then by all means they should eat it.
@yahmana too much meat makes your blood go to your stomach to digest and handle inflammation, instead of oxygenating your brain and muscles. So do flower, corn, flower, coffee... live without for a couple of months, then eat the food you withdrew, you will notice the difference immediately, specially on your brain functions.
Lyndsy Fonseca sent me here!
@Questforchange "economic system" is that alluding to the lack of consumption taxes on activities that governments want people to stop doing? Or the farm subsidies paid to grow corn, allowing for cheaper corn prices, which then allow for cheaper meat prices? Or is it that our technology to grow massive amounts of food on perfectly farmable land, completely outstripes the yield a farm using more "advanced/alternative" methods? IE back to not taxing such methods to make way for hydropnic farms.
This sums up what I feel about meat eating. I rather be a hypocrite than a completely ignorant.
@eeviechu I'm glad to see that today's issues on 'vegetarianism' and 'veganism' are being discussed in a more understanding way. My girlfriend and I don't revel in poor welfare for animals, I believe very few people do; we will eat maybe a fish a week from sustainable sources or the like. You must consider the impacts from both sides, as it is easy for vegetarians to climb on a high-moral horse. The sustainability of soya-bean farms, for example, are equally as destructive in some cases.
@bluefootedpig well first of all I'd like a list of those studies. I'm an engineer so I prefer clear facts. Secondly saying that eating meat is like smoking is more than a bit of a stretch. My uncle had a stroke in his 50s because of cholesterol but that wasn't because he ate meat it was because he ate too much of the damn thing. If you have a diet very high on sugar then you probably become a diabetic. Does that mean eating chocolate is like smoking ?
nice video! now I want to get some pork bcuz of that story about Russian man and woman who didn't eat pork
He's talking environment over animal being slaughtered.
Like the environment is a higher value than life.
A heartbeat is gone, the environment will heal once all the humans are dead.
@bluefootedpig Also, i know a few people who have become vegetarian, and they have a really difficult time with not having enough protein and fat in their diet. I'm not trying to be extreme, but a little bit of meat is not a bad thing. It's the OVER eating of it. A healthy balance is good to have. Just saying... it's more of WHERE the meat is from, than what the meat is. I wonder how many "carnivores" have health issues from eating wild animals. Curious.
industry doesn't "want" to give you cancer, or destroy the environment, it is just easier to keep doing what you are doing that use brain to do better, unless better means more income.
Exactly my point! Do you know the harsh practices we perform on these dairy cows for milk that we don't need. You missed my entire point. The author doesn't eat meat because he says it is cruel to animals. Well raping cows, taking their young away from them and then repeating this cycle for 4-7 years is not cruel? How do you justify that?
@gmethry18 ???
I think he said Uno :)
Yes the functioning of the food industry is a great concern. I have never approved of battery farming but to talk about the food industry purely from the meat market side is to ignore half of the industry. GN crops, pesticides and fertilizers polute our waters and exterminate wildlife on a massive scale. If every human being turned to vegatarianism the environmental issue would remain. What this author is doing is telling half the story to fit his agenda.
I went into this ready to disagree. He does have perfectly valid well thought out points. I will never give up eating meat its practically part of who I am, but I wouldn't mind cutting back.
How is it part of who you are??
My name is Moe, i'm 22 years old and this year i became an urban farmer. i had not ever experienced the full life cycle of a being until this year. I tried quails first. I bought them as chicks, raised them to adult hood, slaughtered them, butchered them and then I cooked them. The whole experience has definitely showed me that when you buy "beef" you are buying "cow" etc. I highly recommend this experience to anyone, really makes you think about what meat is and its journey to your plate.
If veganism is the endpoint and we eventually reach it, does that mean that most domesticated animals we know of today would be endangered? What would we keep them around for?
I know he's not saying for EVERYONE to replace meat, but his point is also saying that we don't need meat and it's not necessary. Which i don't think is true. Well, science will eventually figure out EVERYTHING we need, but it wouldn't be very organic to swallow a pill that fulfills the rest or something of that idea. haha just my thought.
Awesome book. I'm disappointed that Jonathan Foer acknowledges his hypocrisy on not being vegan and does not take more immediate action to resolve it. Just as he describes the practices we do to animals as unacceptable, participating in the cruel practices of milk and egg production--by his logic--should be deemed unacceptable as well. While you're making a sacrifice for meat, why not make the same sacrifice for eggs and milk? As you say, "Sure we like the taste, but who cares?"
@bluefootedpig see I have a friend that thinks black chocolate is really healthy, you guys should talk :). Also your argument about my uncle is irrelevant: it's true that if he were a vegan he wouldn't be in this situation, but a balanced diet and regular check ups (the way people should do in their 50s) would of had the same effect.
@Arcanecactus lions eat the weak individuals, the easy pray
It's funny he says he is a vegetarian here, but he does commercials for BuyingPoultry(dot)com
Eating meat is perhaps like sport hunting. It is justified by historical and cultural roots but has not been about filling the hunter's stomach for some time. It is a sport; something done for pleasure. Just as a hunter must accept the unnecessary suffering he inflicts to get his kicks, so the sport eater must reconcile all the unwanted side effects of industry farming with the pleasures of consuming meat for fun.
if you want my point of view, I think it's always better to eat less meat, less diary products, and to boycott factory-farming products than to do nothing. Then, it depends how you feel about it and what you are ready to do on the long run. Becoming 100% vegan is your choice; if you force yourself just because you're afraid of being judged, then get frustrated and give up, it's useless.
Wow all you people need to actually listen to and process the message he is trying to get across before commenting. Critically analyse the message and do your own research before forming an opinion. Whatever happened to educating ourselves on something before making a judgement??
@Malvisk Most of the time i find that vegans are better informed about the actual medical decisions, at least some are. I am a vegan and study diet and disease and the link between them. Meat and dairy are linked to so many cancers and diseases it is really scary. So many vegans are vocal must like atheists are vocal about religion. We have more knowledge of facts, and are trying to dispel a myth.
@gmethry18 Tasty!
Wow, thank you! That's so disappointing though. :/
I eat meat less and less....I just can't quit my habbit...but when I shop and buy chicken or turkey I always reminded that I will be cooking killed animal...I regret that people even started to eat animals....If you see human or dog meat in deli....would you buy it??? No, you would be discust by that>>>So, why to eat other spiece???... Oh,well.
Audra Rainiene. no "oh well". if it's in a person's power to decide what they eat then why choose unnecessary suffering. Foods without animal products are delicious!
You just need to stop. Create new habits.
@GiuseppeCasey You're right, I don't like the political left, but I don't like (religious) conservatives either. Both groups are irrational and harmful in their own way. Transhumanism, which is what I'm promoting, transcends petty party politics and simplistic 19th century ideologies. Re IVM, at the moment there are only a few serious initiatives, unfortunately. You could check out invitromeat . org and the wiki article, for example.
@xDarkBloodAngelx "The Planet would do just fine without humans". Perhaps, but without anyone to appreciate the (relative) beauty of nature, it would all be rather pointless, like a play without an audience.
@destructicon500 Yes, theoretically Marxism should strongly support science and technology, but in reality it only does so in a military context. However, if you're interested in a more advanced form of leftism, I suggest googling "transhumanist socialism".
I'd prefer to raise my own. I think if you are going to eat meat, you should have to raise and care for your food yourself.
Animals don't have feelings though.
My beef is with the average consumer in the first world, which is my usual interlocutor in these discussions. Such people are not justified in eating meat.
Come on, that was a great pun I just did, give it to me.
@bluefootedpig And btw I tried vegetarian food but it can be problematic for me. See I can feel really bad if I don't get appropriate quantities of protein and fats. This isn't something I'm imagining, because I know people that can't imagine living without meat and it's not that. I mean it could be something that a vegan diet might help, I don't know, but from my experience it certainly doesn't look that way. That's what I meant by we're not all the same. Diet should be adapted to each of us.
Each to their own. My thoughts are, in our primitive beginnings we had a hard task in hunting animals, so I believe we ate more easily obtained plant/fruit foods and spent most of the day hunting animals which kept us physical fit and strong. Thus, only eating small amounts of meat every so often. I just think nowadays we over consume meat. I do believe we need it, just not in every meal. Lots of fruit and veg, small amounts of meat here and there and plenty exercise is my opinion. Peace & health
100% accurate
For most of our primitive beginnings we had neither stone tools nor fire so eating meat would have been severely limited (and potentially dangerous depending on how fresh the meat was). Further, asserting that "I do believe we need it" is ridiculous nonsense as 13% of the American population is vegetarian or vegan (we can argue about the exact percentage, but not that some percentage exists). Evidently, they DON'T need it. Venus Williams is vegan. Carl Lewis was vegan. Many elite athletes are vegan. I'm vegan. We obviously don't need it. Don't assert things which are OBVIOUS nonsense.
We have no instinct to eat meat in humans. Put your 2 year old kid in a crib with a bunny and an apple and see which one it eats vs plays with
@elbowtido27 veganism, how it's currently practiced by most in the united states, is not perfect. we know that. and those who don't are still having a positive impact in the world by not eating certain products. the same goes for vegetarians. while i personally think it foolish to eliminate meat from one's diet while keeping dairy, they are still reducing environmental problems and animal suffering in this world.
you have legitimate questions, but there's no need for the "STFU" comment. we try.
Here you are son, have a bit of whinny the poo. And if you are good boy, tomorrow you can eat tigger.
@CarinaJoergensen appealing to our limbic system is puny and will get nowhere. propose experiments people can try on their own, you will be more effective. People have the right to express them selves, just like your do.
Interesting talk. A shame such an educated man can't go vegan. Just cut the crap and do it man, walk your talk or you are just being what you are criticising.
@sorin7486 I'm not a vegan, but I'm guessing you "hate vegans" for two reasons.
1. They make you feel guilty for eating meat
2. They have an attitude that they are better than you, because they don't eat meat.
I dislike them for the same reasons. =)
I eat meat. I have no excuse other than I like it. I tend to think we as a species gained the right to eat pigs, cows or whatever when they lost the race to develop opposable thumbs.
we breed diary cows to hold large amounts of milk and not milking them would cause them harm
Where is the conflict? Do you want to participate in, and contribute to, the torture of animals, or not? How selfish are we, really?
id definitely consider the environmental, the health and the extreme end of the animal cruelty to change my wating habits but this "animals are just like us and its like murder" sort of argument just doesnt reach me at all.
@destructicon500 So what are you now? Still a transhumanist I hope. ;)