Philosophical Vegan Forum

My partner is still an omnivore. We eat vegan when I cook, otherwise we prepare two separate dishes. So my question to you guys is, why some feel they have to clean the pots and pans between non-vegan and vegan food?

I'm vegan mainly because of the ethics so therefore IF I happen to get some animal residue on my food I don't see the "harm" in it.

I can't stand knowing my kitchen has been "contaminated" with non-vegan foods. I also worry about possible cross contamination.

Cleaning dishes carefully isn't a very big ethical concern, but it can be a small one (and a larger hygienic one).

The small one is this: Humans can be weak, and considering ourselves an exception is a special kind of fallacy. Recidivism is high, including people who tattoo themselves "vegan for life". For one reason or another, most people who become vegan give it up, and give into convenience, old foods, and the pressure of peers (usually romantic partners).

Being absolutely disgusted by animal products can potentially help prevent recidivism. And if there's significant animal product residue all over your food, that will prevent you from ever really becoming disgusted by them. Which is one less tool to fight recidivism.
On the flip side, being OCD about it can make veganism harder, which can promote recidivism. So, you kind of have to find a happy balance.

You're in particular danger of going back to eating meat, since you have a partner who is a carnist.
There are very rare exceptions to this, but usually either the S.O. goes vegan too (in respect and understanding, having similar values), or the vegan backslides and becomes a meat eater again. It's on account of psychology.

Cognitive dissonance:

I love my partner. Therefore my partner is a good person. My partner eats meat. Therefore eating meat must not be wrong. If eating meat isn't wrong, why am I vegan?

None of us are immune to how our brains work, not me, not you, not psychology students or PhDs. All we can do is try to use our understandings of psychology to put ourselves in contextual situations that help reinforce the behaviors and beliefs we want to have rather than those we don't.

brimstoneSalad wrote: Cognitive dissonance:

I love my partner. Therefore my partner is a good person. My partner eats meat. Therefore eating meat must not be wrong. If eating meat isn't wrong, why am I vegan?

The OP stated that he is vegan for ethical reasons. Such a person is usually so convinced that being vegan is the morally correct thing that s/he is unlikely to be influenced by one non-vegan, no matter how much s/he loves him/her.

The above statement would only be an example of cognitive dissonance when/if I believe the person I love is 100% perfect.

Jebus wrote: The OP stated that he is vegan for ethical reasons. Such a person is usually so convinced that being vegan is the morally correct thing that s/he is unlikely to be influenced by one non-vegan, no matter how much s/he loves him/her.

It's a nice thought, but like Santaclause, it's just not true. Recidivism is the rule, not the exception, and it doesn't matter what a person's reasons. People who are vegan for ethical reasons return to eating meat just as do those who came to it for health reasons only.

There are many factors that feed into recidivism, but the strongest one is, when a person is having a crisis for some other more trivial reason, whether his or her significant other is vegan too, and behind him or her to help stay the course, or a carnist cheering at the idea that they can eat meat together and no longer feel guilty, no longer have to cook separate dishes, no longer fight about what to teach the kids, or argue over ethics, etc.

Every heard of the "Straw that broke the camel's back"? Well, an S.O. is more of a tree trunk, and I reject the notion of blaming a straw when something so enormous is so often the main culprit.

Jebus wrote:The above statement would only be an example of cognitive dissonance when/if I believe the person I love is 100% perfect.

Not really. Cognitive dissonance is not a rational thing, and it's a pervasive and insidious influence.

You don't choose your family, so there's little problem there.

But when you've chosen to love a significant other and they do something so horrible that highlights a fundamental difference in morality and world view, it's either going to erode at your love for them (How can I love somebody who could be so cold and careless for innocent animals?) or it's going to slowly erode your compassion for animals. Pushing it back. Pushing it out of your mind. Don't think about it. Don't worry about it. Maybe it's not really a big deal.

Now, if you don't love them in that way and it's just a marriage of convenience or something, then that's another thing. Then you can explain to yourself that you're with them for convenience, and there's no cognitive dissonance over the choice.

brimstoneSalad wrote:Cleaning dishes carefully isn't a very big ethical-..

Thank you for the very interesting input. Although I would like to believe jebus:

Jebus wrote: The OP stated that he is vegan for ethical reasons. Such a person is usually so convinced that being vegan is the morally correct thing that s/he is unlikely to be influenced by one non-vegan, no matter how much s/he loves him/her.

I think the truth lies closer to what you wrote.
In our household I think the happy balance is not to be OCD about it but I will certainly keep the recidivism in mind and hopefully convert my partner.

TheVeganAtheist wrote:I can't stand knowing my kitchen has been "contaminated" with non-vegan foods. I also worry about possible cross contamination.

So this is mostly based on feelings of disgust?

PPP wrote: In our household I think the happy balance is not to be OCD about it but I will certainly keep the recidivism in mind and hopefully convert my partner.

Sounds great

PPP wrote:

TheVeganAtheist wrote:I can't stand knowing my kitchen has been "contaminated" with non-vegan foods. I also worry about possible cross contamination.

So this is mostly based on feelings of disgust?

Which is why he'll never be able to eat animal products.

You'd have an easier time convincing me to eat bullshit than bull.

Even if you got the meat from the trash (so no more animals would die), and you offered to donate a million dollars to farm animal advocacy for one bite... I don't think I could do it. Psychologically, just bringing something like that near my mouth... nope.

Ah I see. I was just interested in the mechanics of this feeling from his point of view. I too can feel appalled by the ongoing consumption of the dead and their parts but I'm at a different level I suppose.