Unlearning A Learned Behavior

By Published On: 29 August 2011Last Updated: 17 January 2017

You are born knowing that causing the death of an(other) animal is wrong, you are only taught that it's acceptable.

What's in this post

You have been taught to eat animals.

Baby’s first Happy Meal (baby face hidden to protect privacy)

You have been taught to wear animals.

Like father, like son (faces hidden to protect privacy)

You have been taught that animals are objects for sale.

Cats are not objects to own | Photo: Audrey Kletscher Helbling

You have been taught that animal flesh, fur, and feathers are fashionable.

Wool, Leather, and Angora are not material for fashionable clothing. They are sheep, cows, rabbits, and goats. | Photo: V3 Wall

You have been taught that animals are ours to capture and hold hostage for our own enjoyment.

Killer Whale performing at a theme park | Photo: K. Boudreaux

You have been taught that animals should live, mate, and die on our schedule- and only as long as it doesn’t interfere or inconvenience us.

Culling is another term for killing | Photo: National Wild Turkey Federation

You have been taught how to interact with animals by some of the same people who thought that smoking was cool.

20,679 physicians wouldn’t dare today | Photo widely available online

More scientists and educators wouldn’t even today | Photo: Design Crave

But really, people have been wrong about all kinds of things before.

Vintage and Misguided | Photo: That Green Label

Vintage Nutritional Advice | Photo widely available online

Vintage cocaine would get you arrested today | Photo widely available online

Part of veganism is unlearning learned behavior.

9 Comments

  1. Billy L. September 6, 2011 at 6:38 am - Reply
  2. BM August 31, 2011 at 11:06 am - Reply
  3. BM August 31, 2011 at 11:05 am - Reply

    ha thats funny I’m unlearning being a vegan.
    deprogramming myself from the cult of veganism.
    the message from this article shouldnt be “swap your beliefs from what one person has told you to what a vegan person tells you.
    The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks but in how it thinks.
    Dogmatic veganism should set alarm bells ringing.
    Think through beliefs thoroughly and seek out opposing views.

    http://www.criticalthinkinginanimalrights.blogspotl.com
    http://www.strategyinanimalrights.blogspot.com

    • Jeffrey Coolwater August 30, 2020 at 7:33 am - Reply

      Is it dogmatic to say that rape or child molestation or murder is wrong? No!

      Similarly, saying that using animals for our palate pleasure, amusement, or convenience is wrong is not dogmatic either.

  4. Aisha August 31, 2011 at 1:45 am - Reply

    I”m also laughing over the Cola photo.
    @Anton: I have to inform you that saturated fats don’t “grow on” animals.. they’re kind of born with it. And saturated fats are found in plenty of plant products, including avocados and coconuts. In fact, the fat in avocados is better for you than any animal fat.

  5. Sean August 30, 2011 at 9:31 pm - Reply

    Anton is either messing with us, or reading fake studies put out by the meat industry, which is always putting out false data to keep people from eating healthier. Studies from Harvard actually show that plant based diets are way better for your health. And being a healthcare worker, I know first hand that Cardiologists and Oncologists suggest less or no meat for decreasing risks of Cancer and Heart Disease.

  6. Anton Dzhioev August 30, 2011 at 6:13 pm - Reply

    Good point, however you must recognize that human immune system is largely regulated by saturated fats, which happen to grow on animals. As a matter of fact it is clinically proven that excluding animal fats from your diet is detrimental to your health and can cause depression.

  7. Taryn August 30, 2011 at 3:16 pm - Reply

    I can’t get over that cola photo. Is that actually for real!?

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HELLO! I'm KD Angle-Traegner.

Writer, activist, and founder of Four Urban Paws Sanctuary. I’m on a mission to help people live a vegan life. Read more about KD…

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