I am a vegetarian. But I am not a toxic vegetarian. I don’t force others to eat vegetarian food with me. I also don’t shame others for eating non-vegetarian food. My dietary preference is my own choice.
When I go out to eat with friends or acquaintances or colleagues, I don’t demand to eat in a vegetarian restaurant. I agree to go to a restaurant where there are both vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices available.
But sometimes when choosing the restaurant, one of my friends or colleagues will mention "Even if there is no vegetarian choices in the restaurant, you can eat the grass outside (in the pavement). It’s also vegetarian." And the rest of them will join in and laugh.
Personally, I find that remark rude and hurtful. I have never made fun of their dietary preference. So, why should they make fun of mine? I feel that if they are really my genuine friends, they would not say such hurtful things.
It may sound funny if it is said once or twice (though I don’t find it funny at all). But it is quite annoying if I keep hearing that comment often (they don’t say it every time but it is quite often).
Am I wrong to feel that my friends and acquaintances are rude and hurtful to ask me to eat grass?
That sounds pretty harmless, nobody is seriously expecting you to do it or for their to be a restaurant that doesn’t have some vegetarian options.
As you say once or twice fine but repeatedly I could see it being annoying, but if these people are actually your friends then surely you just throw some shite back their way, if you can’t have banter with your friends then you aren’t actually friends
Nice to see this comment rather than the predictable “if they really cared about you they wouldn’t tease you”, “they aren’t really your friends bro”. Friends tease each other, acquaintances do polite chit chat. Yeah in some cases, teasing can end up toxic but this seems like a harmless joke and I think making a big deal out of it would be an over reaction. Better to just tease them back.
>the predictable “if they really cared about you they wouldn’t tease you”
Sometimes I wonder what percentage of redditors have actually left the house (or server farm)
That person sounds like an idiot. Perhaps you should suggest they join you and eat snails, insects and slugs, if eating animals is so important to them.
>eat snails
I am about to blow your mind.
Mix in a “I’ll grab some bugs for you while I’m out there. Hakuna Matata, slimy yet satisfying.”
I don’t think it is wrong to feel hurt – your feelings are your feelings. Its nice of you to have avoided losing your cool. I would have ended up saying ‘i’ll eat the grass if you eat some roadkill’.
Literally nobody in this situation is actually trying to get you to eat grass…
The whole point of the post is that it’s an unfunny overused joke. OP never implied he thinks his friends are actually trying to get him to eat grass.
If someone said that to me (vegan) I’d just think they had a really shite sense of humour. It’s a bit too pathetic to take personally, I’d feel sorry for them 🤣 give them stick back!
You are not wrong in how you feel about the joke. You are entitled to your feelings. I tell my friends who eat meat to eat grass all the time as well. I do it to be funny and friendly. Like if they say they don’t know what to eat from the menu, I’ll point at the grass outside.
I’m surprised I’m not the only one who joke about eating grass. Seems like a common thing.
It’s a joke, if anything.
Well do a comeback, “that’s your department you cow”.
It’s a stupid joke but a pretty harmless one at that.
Is it really big enough to make a fuzz about? Really?
Why would they make fun of yours? Because it’s outside the norm. Like, that‘s just obvious and how humor often works.
Sometimes, the group will crack a joke at the expense of the odd one out for being the odd one out.
Are you unfamiliar with this concept at all?
Sounds like normal banter to me.
If it really bothers you, just tell them to cut it out. You might come off as a bit sensitive, but that‘s yours to decide if that‘s worth it.