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What does it mean to be vegan?

  • Writer: Emanuele Bortolotto
    Emanuele Bortolotto
  • Jul 10
  • 8 min read

Updated: Jul 30

I was at a dinner party last night, and the conversation was flowing nicely, the cola was good, and everything was civilized. Then, someone mentioned the word "vegan." A strange, awkward hush fell over the room. People shifted in their seats. My friend halfway through a story about his holiday suddenly seemed to forget the ending. Someone looked nervously at their plate of meatballs, as if the meatballs had just become a piece of incriminating evidence. The vibe had changed.

As an investigator of subcultures, I find this phenomenon endlessly fascinating. No other dietary label has the power to so instantly and completely change the mood of a room. The word "vegan" is a cultural lightning rod, charged with a whole host of assumptions, stereotypes, and misunderstandings. To some, it’s a symbol of ultimate health and compassion. To others, it's a punchline, synonymous with sad salads and a certain kind of preachy earnestness that can ruin a perfectly good barbecue. 🥩


But what does it actually mean? I realized that for all the noise, very few people could give a clear answer. So, I decided to create a field guide. I wanted to move past the stereotypes and understand what this global movement is really all about. What does it mean to be vegan? It’s not just about dodging bacon. It’s a comprehensive worldview that challenges some of our most deeply held assumptions about our relationship with the animal kingdom.


The Investigation Begins: Dissecting the Official Definition


To understand any tribe, you must first understand their foundational texts. For veganism, that means going back to the source, to the 1944 definition from The Vegan Society, the very people who invented the word. I decided to analyze their definition like a mysterious, ancient text, full of hidden meanings and important-sounding clauses. It reads:

"Veganism is 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 for food, clothing or any other purpose."


Let’s break this down, because every word here is doing some very heavy lifting.

  • "a philosophy and way of living": This is the first and most important clue. This tells us right away that veganism is not a diet. A diet is something you do to lose weight before a beach holiday. A philosophy is a framework for how you see the entire world. 🏛️

  • "seeks to exclude": The word "seeks" is humble. I find this fascinating. It implies an ongoing effort, a journey, not a state of perfect, enlightened achievement.

  • "all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals": This is the massive, all-encompassing moral core of the philosophy. It is an absolute stance against using animals.

  • "for food, clothing or any other purpose": This is the part that extends the philosophy beyond the dinner plate and into every corner of a person’s life, from their shoes to their shampoo.

  • "as far as is possible and practicable": This, I have come to believe, is the most brilliant and important phrase in the entire definition. It is a built-in acknowledgment that we live in a complex, messy, and deeply non-vegan world. It is a pragmatic clause that saves veganism from being an impossible, anxiety-inducing quest for 100% purity. It means the goal is not to be a perfect saint; the goal is to reduce your participation in harm in a reasonable and practical way.


So, the official definition itself tells us that being vegan is an ethical commitment to reduce harm to animals in all aspects of life, to the best of your ability. The diet is just the most obvious application of that philosophy. This is a philosophy that can be hard for many to grasp, especially when you come from a culture, like the one I've spent so much time in my hometown Torino, where food traditions involving meat and cheese are woven into the very fabric of society and family. It represents a fundamental, conscious break from that tradition, a decision to place a universal ethical principle above a local cultural one. That, I discovered, is a very radical idea.


The First Pillar: An Obsession with Ethics (The Animal Question 🐮)


This is the original, foundational motivation for the entire vegan movement. The ethical argument is not about health, and it's not about the environment; it is about justice for animals. It is built on the philosophical concept of speciesism—the idea that it is a form of prejudice to value the interests of your own species over the interests of other species, just because they are different.


An ethical vegan argues that the only morally relevant trait is sentience, the ability to feel pain and experience joy. They believe that if a being is sentient, its suffering matters. From this perspective, the fact that a pig is less intelligent than a human (though this is debatable) is irrelevant. The pig has an interest in not being confined, mutilated, and killed, and the ethical vegan believes that interest deserves moral consideration.

This is why their commitment extends far beyond the plate. It's why they also avoid:

  • Clothing: Leather, wool, silk, and down, which they see as the direct products of animal suffering and slaughter.

  • Cosmetics: Products that are tested on animals or contain animal-derived ingredients like carmine (from crushed insects) or lanolin (from sheep's wool).

  • Entertainment: Zoos, aquariums, and circuses that use animals, which they view as a form of imprisonment and exploitation for human amusement.

This is the "why" that defines veganism as a comprehensive lifestyle, not just a diet.


The Second Pillar: The Quest for Immortality (The Health Question 🩺)


This is a newer, but in recent years, an incredibly powerful gateway to veganism. The health argument is not primarily concerned with the suffering of animals, but with the health and longevity of the human body. The motivation here is the vast and growing body of scientific evidence linking well-planned, whole-food, plant-based diets to a dramatically lower risk of many of our leading killers, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.


The health-motivated individual is often drawn in by the work of influential plant-based doctors or by watching documentaries that present a strong, science-backed case. For them, food is medicine. A steak is not an ethical problem; it's a package of inflammatory compounds, saturated fat, and dietary cholesterol. A lentil is not a symbol of compassion; it's a package of fiber, protein, and disease-fighting phytonutrients. This motivation leads to the Whole-Food, Plant-Based (WFPB) movement, which often goes even further than veganism by also excluding processed oils, sugars, and refined flours.


The Third Pillar: The Fear of a Sinking Ship (The Planet Question 🌎)


The third pillar is the environmental argument, a motivation that has exploded in recent years as the reality of the climate crisis has become impossible to ignore. This motivation is powered by a growing awareness of the staggering and scientifically undeniable impact of industrial animal agriculture on the health of our planet.


This path is not primarily about individual animals or personal health, but about the entire ecosystem. I found that this motivation is fueled by a few key, terrifying facts:

  • Climate Change: The global livestock sector is one of the largest sources of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for more than the entire transportation sector combined. The methane produced by cows is a particularly potent greenhouse gas that is accelerating global warming. 💨

  • Deforestation: Animal agriculture is the number one driver of deforestation worldwide, especially in the Amazon rainforest. Vast, irreplaceable ecosystems are being bulldozed to create grazing land for cattle or to grow feed crops like soy (the vast majority of which is for livestock, not tofu).

  • Water Use: The amount of water required to produce animal products is colossal. It can take over 15,000 liters of water to produce a single kilogram of beef. 💧


For someone motivated by the environment, choosing a vegan diet is a direct and powerful way to combat their own feelings of eco-anxiety. It is a tangible, personal action in the face of a seemingly overwhelming global crisis.


Questions from the Internet: "Okay, I'm still confused. What is the actual difference between 'vegan' and 'plant-based'?"


This is the most important question, and I'm glad you asked. After all my research, I believe I can offer a clear and definitive answer. The difference is motivation and scope.

  • "Vegan" is an ethical identity. It starts with the "why"—the belief in animal rights. This "why" then dictates the "what" (the diet) and the "how" (the lifestyle, including clothing, cosmetics, etc.). A person is vegan because they believe it is morally wrong to use animals.

  • "Plant-based" is a dietary description. It starts with the "what"—the food on the plate. The motivation is often health or environmental concerns. It does not automatically include the broader ethical philosophy, and it can be more flexible. A person eating a plant-based diet might still wear a leather jacket.

This is why a person eating a diet of Oreos and crisps can be a consistent ethical vegan, while a person eating a perfect, whole-food diet of vegetables, grains, and beans for their health is, by the strictest definition, "plant-based."


Questions from the Internet: "Do all vegans judge me for eating a hamburger?"


This is a question I’ve pondered a lot, as the "preachy vegan" is a powerful cultural stereotype. My conclusion is this: on a philosophical level, an ethical vegan almost certainly believes that the act of eating a hamburger is ethically wrong. That is the entire foundation of their belief system.

However, whether they judge you as a person is a completely different matter. My investigation has shown me that the vast majority of vegans are not the angry caricatures you see online. They are normal people who understand that they live in a non-vegan world, and they were once non-vegan themselves. While some are certainly vocal and judgmental, most are just trying to live their lives and would much rather have a pleasant conversation than get into an argument over your lunch. The feeling of being "judged" is often just the other person's own internal discomfort (cognitive dissonance) being projected outwards.


Questions from the Internet: "If I'm starting out, what is the single most important rule to follow?"


This is a great question. Based on my research, the answer depends on your primary motivation.

  • From a health perspective, the single most important rule is to ensure a reliable source of Vitamin B12, usually from a supplement. This is a non-negotiable for long-term health.

  • From a philosophical and psychological perspective, the most important rule is to embrace the clause "as far as is possible and practicable." This is the rule that will save you from burnout and the anxiety of trying to be "perfect." It is the key to a sustainable, long-term commitment.


Internal Link Break!


The ethical pillar of veganism is a huge and complex topic all on its own, built on fascinating and challenging philosophical concepts. I've conducted a full, separate investigation into the nitty-gritty of that philosophy right here: [What Is Ethical Veganism?]


The Conclusion: A Field Guide to a Growing Movement


So, after this deep dive, what does it mean to be vegan?

My investigation has led me to see it as a multifaceted ethical stance, a modern social movement, and a personal identity, all masquerading as a diet. It is a conscious attempt to live in alignment with a single, powerful belief: that non-human animals are not here for us to use.

It is a demanding philosophy, one that requires a level of mindfulness and planning that is rare in our modern world of convenience. It challenges deeply ingrained cultural traditions and forces a daily confrontation with the complex systems of our global food supply. It is not, as I've discovered, a simple choice about lunch. It is a profound choice about how one wants to move through the world. In the end, 'vegan' is just a small word trying to do a very big job, attempting to contain a universe of compassion, a mountain of scientific data, and a world of hope for the future.

Of course, a big part of the 'what' is the food itself. And the most common question that gets thrown at vegans is about a certain macronutrient. I’ve investigated that particular panic here: [Do Vegans Get Enough Protein Without Eating Meat?].


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