MAKING VEGANISM THE STATUS QUO

I believe the largest challenge to creating a vegan world is that majority of the planet is inhabited by neurotypical humans.

They operate on deeply ingrained hierarchical structures that determine their behaviors.

The endless chit-chat, vocal grooming, social fakery. But there’s more: endless war, capitalism, royalism; the eternal gap of rich and poor, celebrity culture, obsession with sports teams, politics. That humans are at the top of the “animal kingdom”.

The root of the problem itself has to do with their neurotype. Neurotypicals have an ability to assimilate and conform without resistance or critical thought. This is not a failing on their part… this is simply their brain.

Take for example the concept of the ego identity. For most neurotypicals, no thoughts enter outside of what exists inside the “bubble” of their ego. They are mostly focused with money, status, acceptance, and conformity. They find their tribes easily in hierarchal structures like churches, social clubs, sports teams, etc. Extending beyond that are common thoughts about work, relationships, kids (if applicable), politics, and perhaps their car.


Thoughts do not usually go beyond this small bubble of the ego, they carry it into adulthood and it remains up to death. Rarely do we read/hear stories about those who destroyed their ego, etc.

How this relates to veganism is that for majority of people in existence, their brain simply does not have the capacity to even entertain veganism. For many of these people, it does not matter if the Earth rotated around the Sun or a tomato, as long as it doesn’t affect their club date on Friday night. I think I’ve made my point here.


This isn’t to say neurodivergents get a free pass. Many of them are not vegan and still eat the foods they are conditioned to eat by society. The difference is, neurodivergents have a brain that HAS the capacity for much deeper thinking, even if scattered.

Going back to the ego bubble. Everyone’s bubble is a different size regardless of neurotype. Think of the bubble’s size as that individuals capacity for expansive thought.

Some people’s bubbles look small, their thoughts may only consist of: money, their job, their family, their religion, their politics.

Others may have larger bubbles that include those aforementioned, but also have things like climate awareness, social justice, animal rights, etc

Once you understand that majority of people don’t possess the neurotype to even entertain veganism…it changes everything…. including the activist’s approach.

Current tactics to get people to go vegan include shock, statistics, health implications, climate crisis. But none of these seem to effectively work on neurotypicals. Cognitive dissonance is part of their day to day operation. It is why they can collectively say they love animals but eat them everyday.

For neurodivergents these tactics actually still work. It just takes the right moment to present itself for the neurodivergent to take pause and think more deeply about the implications of what they eat. Activists need to think about how to create these life changing moments, because for anyone who went vegan, they remember it and why- because it transforms their lives and existence in relation to Earth.

Neurotypicals, who rely on comformity and structure to live, will only shift eating habits when pressured from a much larger structured and dominant entity. Whereas neurodivergent are mostly indifferent to societal hierarchies.

So unless the church goes vegan, the cohort never will.

If their politics aren’t vegan, the followers never will.

If their sports team is not vegan, the fans never will be.

We have to start looking towards a group of people that hold more power over all of us: our children

Children also have ego bubbles, they come from their cultural and societal conditioning from birth. Their bubbles while start small, but can become expansive before reaching adulthood. This is where a pragmatic approach to veganism can emerge.

Children inherently love animals. Think of the countless “awww” moments we have captured on film between little kids and “non-pets” animals. We see a child and a goat, or with a chicken hugging each other. We’ve seen children refuse meat at dinner once they realize their food came from an animal that was killed.

Children have the ability- regardless of neurotype- for this kind of pure compassion. And for children one of the most impactful things you can do for them to change the trajectory of their lives is to offer recognition.

Recognition for what? For showing courage to choose a vegan option. For the courage to stand up for the animals who have no voice. For helping to improve the environment through their food choices.

Recognition can be simple. Like at a meal, or when they choose a vegan cookie over a regular one. It’s an opportunity to pause and recognize them for that, reinforce the positive aspects of veganism.

The current methods vegan activists are using (such as shock documentaries, etc) can only take us so far. This information is widely available, yet the impact has been minimal on our collective eating habits.

But, if the kids all start going vegan… then the agriculture industry and the world as a whole will be forced to change. Capitalism is only going to produce what people demand. If majority of the kids eventually were vegan…. adult neurotypicals would change their diets too. Entire industries would be forced to change… simply to conform to the new vegan status quo.

-Bunny

12.31.25