Is Veganism a Cult?

“Am I part of a cult? Am I part of a new religion? Have I been brainwashed? Am I doing the right thing? Which leader do I send 10% of my income to?”

Come on now guys! We’re all part of cults in one way or another. What’s one more on top of supporting a football team, being a Swiftie, buying only Apple products and never engaging with Android users, or being a North Londoner and never associating with those South Londoners? We’re all part of an ‘-ism’ in some form, so what’s the deal with veganism?

I guess this one does require some actual lifestyle changes, and I’m depriving myself of some tasty meat and dairy… Okay, let’s double-check this isn’t a cult.

Cult Classic

Let’s run through a standard cult checklist:

❌ Charismatic Leader: There is no single leader of veganism. There is no one saying things to me that I must follow unquestioningly. I don’t even have to attend any meetings or go to some central headquarters to prove my loyalty. I can just be vegan from the comfort of my home.

❌ Group Mindset: I think in this day and age, with all beliefs, movements, and ideologies, there are some extreme (mostly online) factions that dictate strict views without room for discussion. But there is no hierarchy or “power” structure that enforces conformity (as long as you stay outside touching grass).

❌ Isolation: Cults require you to cut off your non-believing friends and family. No one is stopping me from hanging out with my non-vegan friends or family. We just order different things off the menu.

❌ Coercion & Control: There are no threats, punishments, or manipulations forcing me to be vegan. I just realised that this lifestyle logically aligns with my values. After I made the decision, there was nowhere I had to report to and no initiation ritual to complete. I could just progress at my own pace and look into things on my own.

❌ Money: I don’t have to give my money to anyone. I can keep it all for myself!

❌ Feeling Elitist: I’ll admit some vegans online come across this way. But I don’t think I’m better than anyone. I’m just doing what’s right by me. I’m not stopping anyone from doing anything or judging them for their choices. Everyone has their own journey and reasons for their decisions.

So by no metric is veganism a cult.

Getting my 5-a-day?

Veggies and fruits or prayers?

Is veganism a religion? I don’t have to pray to some vegan deity five times a day. There is no holy text I must follow. There is no physical place of worship I must attend. Most importantly, I don’t have to renounce my own religion to be vegan, which is usually a pretty strict requirement when joining a new one.

100% Pure Unadulterated Vegan

I make mistakes all the time and will continue to do so. Does it make me impure? Not at all. I just try my best!

It isn’t a diet, it isn’t a challenge, it isn’t a religion, and it isn’t a cult. It is a boycott.

I don’t go to McDonald’s or Starbucks due to the BDS boycott. Again, I’m not perfect with the boycott, but I try my best.

Veganism is the exact same thing for me as another boycott might be for someone else. I’m not avoiding Pepe’s because eating there will make me “impure.” I’m avoiding it because I logically refuse to financially support the animal agriculture industry. The logic seems straightforward to me.

Deprogramming?

So no, I don’t think I need any deprogramming. I’m not reporting to anyone. I just feel more aligned with my values and choices when I actually think through my decisions and their consequences.

I can literally eat whatever meat I want, whenever I want, without facing consequences from some authority or group. I could delete this website right now and go back to eating meat freely. I just choose not to because my values and the logic tell me not to.