“Don’t eat anything that casts a shadow” 🙂 The Simpsons episode where Lisa becomes besotted with Jesse Grass, a “level 5 vegan”, has now firmly entered veganism folklore! For better or for worse, levels of veganism are now perceived to be a thing. So let’s look at a question often asked: “What is the highest level of vegan?” … the answer is more straightforward than you may imagine!
What Is The Highest Level Of Vegan?
The highest level of vegan is said to be a “level 5 vegan” but this is misleading because in reality, there are no levels of veganism. It’s very simple; you’re either vegan or you’re not. Vegans reject all meat, dairy and other animal derived products (as much as possible) because of the way livestock are treated in modern factory farming.
Watch: Jesse introduces Lisa to the joys of ‘pocket mulching’ …
Is Veganism Losing Its Core Focus?
The number of vegans in the world is on an inexorable upward curve. The internet and social media has been instrumental in this growth and the UK is at the forefront of the change.
Estimates vary, but it’s likely there are now upwards of 1.5 million vegans in the UK. Sainsburys predict that by 2025 a huge 25% of the population will be vegetarian or vegan.
But with this impressive growth comes more confusion and dilution of the vegan message. The fact that many people even ask the question about levels of veganism proves this.
It speaks to a fundamental misconception of what veganism is.
Veganism Is Not a Diet
Don’t get me wrong … what vegans eat is a huge part of the philosophy and you will hear much talk of the ‘vegan diet’.
You will also find many vegans on social media castigating others when the subject of a vegan diet comes up. Again, along with the ‘vegan levels’ myth, this misunderstanding is part of the broader perception of veganism.
We seem to be endlessly surrounded by lifestyle diets these days. Keto, atkins, paleo, carnivore … the list goes on. The vegan diet is often incorrectly lumped in with these latest fads and even respected medical professionals are guilty of this.
It just shows how deep the misunderstanding runs.
What we eat as vegans is determined not by some desired personal outcome like losing weight but by our belief that all animals on this planet have the right to live out their natural lives.
We strongly believe that humans have no right to exploit animals in the ways we do.
Factory farming has become so detached from the natural world and the perpetrators so desensitised to the daily horror that vegans feel the need to push back.
The central tenet of this resistance is to reject all animal derived products as much as is practical and possible. This has the effect of massively reducing the market demand created by an individual.
Many naysayers will label this as a moral superiority but again, this just confirms the lack of understanding, which feeds back into the levels of veganism question!
To be clear, it has nothing to do with moral superiority and everything to do with utilitarianism.
You Cannot Be a Part-Time Vegan
It is either 100% commitment or you’re not vegan. Until we can be sure the human race is treating animals respectfully then vegans have to reject all animal products.
Since it is the market that drives the cycle.
Once you acknowledge there are no levels of veganism, then you will see the idea of a part-time vegan is ridiculous.
I suppose you could argue that even if you shunned animal products for 6 months of the year then you’re still having an effect on the market. That is unquestionable.
But it’s not consistent with the philosophy of veganism. You would be part-time plant-based in this case.
Highest Level Of Vegan = 1
It’s easier to look at the subject in terms of mathematics.
The issue is binary. It’s zero or one.
So it follows, the highest level of vegan is 1. There you have it. My high-level contribution to the vegan conversation today 🙂
Through a complicated process of higher maths we can see the answer is clear.
Why is it so clear? Well it’s no new thing …
Veganism goes back thousands of years. The idea of not harming another sentient lifeforce because the aggressive energy embedded in the action subsists.
Whether you believe in Karma or not, all I know is it feels much better inside, for me, when I’m confident I’m doing all I can to avoid harming animals.
Having been vegetarian for nearly 28 years, 8 of those being vegan, I’m fully convinced removing animal products from your life is an amazingly liberating thing to do.
The Great Awakening
When I went vegan, it felt like a true awakening. It really was like a veil had been lifted from my eyes and I could see the truth in all its gruesome greediness.
Whether that was just the casein leaving my body or not, I’ll never know 🙂
It’s possibly one of the most spiritual experiences of my life …
If you’re considering going vegan I can wholeheartedly recommend it. Just pay attention to your nutrition and you’ll be fine.
I hope this article has helped you answer some questions today and I’d love to answer any more you have in the comments below. Please do share with your friends as well using the social buttons.
Thanks for reading and have a karmic day!
Rohan.