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The Vegan Imposter Syndrome: Are You "Vegan Enough" For the Internet?

  • Writer: Emanuele Bortolotto
    Emanuele Bortolotto
  • Jul 26
  • 7 min read

Updated: Aug 23

It’s a quiet Saturday morning here in Helsinki, the kind of peaceful day that’s perfect for scrolling through the internet until you find something to be angry about. As an investigator of online subcultures, I often find myself lurking in vegan Facebook groups. They are, to put it mildly, a sociological goldmine. The other day, I witnessed a scene that was both tragic and deeply, darkly hilarious.


A new member, full of hopeful enthusiasm, posted a picture of a vegan cake they had baked. It looked delicious. But in their caption, they mentioned they were so happy to find a brand of sprinkles that didn't contain shellac. The comments section immediately devolved into a vicious, digital dogpile. 🐶🚨 Someone pointed out that the sugar used to make the sprinkles was likely filtered with bone char. Another attacked them for using palm oil. A third demanded to know if the vanilla extract was ethically sourced. Within an hour, the original poster had deleted their joyful cake picture, replacing it with a tearful apology for not being "vegan enough."

It was a brutal display of what I’ve come to see as a strange, self-sabotaging phenomenon that runs rampant in the plant-based world: the vegan imposter syndrome. It’s a pervasive, anxious feeling that no matter how hard you try, you’re a fraud, a bad vegan, and you’re about to be publicly exposed. It got me thinking: in a movement based on compassion, why is there so much internal policing? And are you ever, truly, "vegan enough?"


A Field Guide to the Vegan Purity Police 👮


To understand the source of this anxiety, I realized I first had to understand the culture that creates it. The internet has allowed vegans to form a global community, but it has also created a platform for the most extreme voices to act as self-appointed guardians of the faith. These are the Vegan Purity Police. They patrol the forums and comment sections, looking for any deviation from their own rigid definition of veganism.


My investigation has identified several key divisions of this online police force:

  • The Honey Inquisition: These officers believe that the consumption of honey is a cardinal sin, an unforgivable act of exploitation against bees. They will hunt down and expose anyone who still has a nostalgic soft spot for a spoonful in their tea. 🍯

  • The "May Contain" Tribunal: This division focuses on the allergen warnings on packaging. If a product says "may contain traces of milk" due to being made in the same factory as a dairy product, they will declare it non-vegan, despite the fact that no milk is an actual ingredient.

  • The Secondhand Leather Squad: These officers police the past. If you own a pair of leather boots that you bought a decade before you went vegan, they will insist that you must burn them in a ritual pyre to prove your commitment. 🔥

  • The Palm Oil Patrol: This is a complex one. They focus on the environmental devastation caused by unsustainable palm oil farming and argue that any vegan who consumes it is ethically inconsistent.

  • The Corporate Crime Unit: This division targets anyone who buys a vegan product from a large corporation that also sells meat, like a plant-based burger from a fast-food chain. They argue that this is "supporting the enemy."


The debates are incredibly intense and deeply serious. Arguing with a vegan purity troll about whether a fig is technically vegan (because some are pollinated by wasps that die inside the fruit) is like arguing with a die-hard Rhapsody (of Fire) fan about whether the guitar solo in "Emerald Sword" is in D-minor or F-major (I personally have no idea, it just sounds too cool. It's a level of passionate, niche gatekeeping that is both terrifying and, I have to admit, slightly impressive. 🤘


The Psychology of a Fraud: What Is Imposter Syndrome, Anyway?


The term "imposter syndrome" gets thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean? I decided to look into the psychology. The concept was first identified by psychologists Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes in the 1970s. It’s not an official mental health diagnosis, but a pervasive psychological pattern.

It is defined as a persistent internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. It is, in essence, the feeling of being a fraud. My research showed that it’s characterized by a few key thoughts and behaviors:

  • The Fear of Being "Found Out": A chronic, nagging anxiety that at any moment, someone is going to expose you as a phony who doesn't belong.

  • Attributing Success to Luck: People with imposter syndrome often believe their accomplishments are the result of luck or tricking others, not their own skill.

  • Downplaying Expertise: They have difficulty internalizing their own successes and will often dismiss their own knowledge and experience.

  • Perfectionism: They often set impossibly high standards for themselves, and then experience intense anxiety and shame when they inevitably fall short.

As I read this list, a giant, flashing neon sign appeared in my investigator's brain. This psychological framework is a perfect breeding ground for vegan imposter syndrome. The philosophy of veganism, by its very nature, sets an incredibly high moral standard: the complete exclusion of animal exploitation. When you combine this impossibly high bar with the constant surveillance and judgment of the online Purity Police, you have the perfect recipe for a chronic feeling of failure and fraudulence.


The "Practicable" Clause: Your Philosophical Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card


So, is there an antidote to this toxic quest for perfection? My investigation led me back to the very definition of veganism, where, I discovered, the founders had brilliantly embedded a philosophical get-out-of-jail-free card.

Let’s look at it again: "a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals..."

The two most important words in that entire definition are "possible and practicable."

This is not a throwaway phrase; it is the entire foundation of sustainable, real-world veganism. Donald Watson and the other founders were not naive idealists; they were pragmatic. They understood that they lived in a deeply non-vegan world. They knew that it would be impossible to achieve 100% purity. Animal products are woven into the very fabric of our society, from the gelatin used to filter some wines to the animal-derived stearic acid used to make car tires more elastic.

The "possible and practicable" clause is a statement of intent, not a demand for sainthood. It frames veganism as a direction of travel, a conscious effort to reduce the harm you cause, not a destination of absolute purity that can never be reached. It is the built-in antidote to the toxic perfectionism that fuels imposter syndrome. It is the philosophical permission slip to be a human being, not a flawless vegan robot. 🤖

This, I believe, is the key to escaping the anxiety. The goal isn't to be a "perfect" vegan. The goal is to do your best to reduce exploitation, as far as is possible and practicable for you, in your own unique circumstances.




Questions from the Internet: "Am I still vegan if I accidentally ate something with dairy in it?"


As an investigator, my answer is a clear and resounding yes. The philosophy of veganism is about intent. It is about making a conscious choice to exclude exploitation. An accident is, by definition, not an intentional choice. Did you order a black coffee and the barista accidentally used dairy milk? That was their mistake, not a failure of your ethical commitment. The Purity Police might tell you that you have to reset your "vegan clock" and start over from Day 1, but that is a ridiculous, cult-like perspective. The rational and compassionate response is to acknowledge the mistake, perhaps politely inform the establishment so they don't do it again, and move on with your life. It was an accident, not a moral failing.


Questions from the Internet: "What's the deal with the 'may contain milk' warnings? Is that food vegan?"


This is one of the most common sources of confusion, and the Purity Police love to use it as a weapon. My investigation is clear on this: yes, that food is considered vegan. The "may contain" warning is an allergy advisory, not an ingredient list. It is a legal disclaimer that a factory uses to protect itself from lawsuits. It means that the product was made on the same equipment or in the same facility as a product that does contain milk as an ingredient. The company is not intentionally adding milk to your vegan cookie. Your purchase does not create any demand for milk. For the vast majority of ethical vegans, these products are perfectly acceptable. ✅


Internal Link Break!


A lot of this pressure and the feeling of being an imposter comes from the deeply held ethical side of the vegan movement. It’s a complex and powerful philosophy. To understand the core ideas that can lead to such high personal standards, you should read my guide: [What Is Ethical Veganism?]


The Conclusion: Rejecting Perfection, Embracing Progress


So, after this deep dive into the strange and anxious heart of the vegan internet, what have I learned? My investigation concludes that vegan imposter syndrome is a real and painful experience. It is a psychological trap, sprung by the combination of a high moral ideal and a toxic online culture of perfectionism and gatekeeping.

The feeling of not being "vegan enough" is not a sign that you are failing. It is a sign that you are a compassionate person trying to navigate a deeply imperfect and often contradictory world.

The antidote, I believe, is to reject the quest for personal purity and to wholeheartedly embrace the humble, pragmatic spirit of "as far as is possible and practicable." You do not need to be a flawless saint to make a profound difference. You do not need to pass the purity tests of anonymous strangers in a Facebook group. You just need to be committed to the journey.

So, focus on the 99% of the good you are doing every single day—the meals you eat, the products you buy, the compassion you are putting into the world. That is what truly matters. It’s not about being a perfect vegan; it’s about making a positive impact. And that is something you can never be an imposter at. 🙌

Sometimes the feeling of being a "bad vegan" comes from practical failures, like making food that just tastes sad and uninspiring. For a guide to mastering a key ingredient that often causes such problems, check out my investigation: [“Why Does My Tofu Always Taste Like Cardboard?”].


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