50 Vegan Quotes Inspiring Kindness For All Creatures
More people are going vegan every year, and it’s not hard to see why. The cruelty to animals raised for food and the unsustainability associated with traditional omnivorous diets is enough reason for anyone to consider veganism. Our selection of vegan quotes is here to share others' journeys to veganism and inspire your choice to eat less meat.
There’s also the famed health advantage associated with vegan diets for personal benefits. In a recent study by a group of researchers from Oxford University, the vegan group presented a lower rate of heart disease than the people who eat meat1.
While it can be tricky to select things you use with compassion for animals in mind, the benefits of going vegan to both you and the planet are worth it. Read on for our hand-picked selection of quotes from people who have adopted the vegan lifestyle.
Related read: Seasonal produce guide.
Quick links to our selection of vegan quotes:
Best Vegan Quotes Encouraging A Lifestyle Change
Veganism, as defined by The Vegan Society, goes beyond diet. It 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.”
This lifestyle can boost personal health, reduce environmental impact, and promote animal welfare. It’s a win-win situation for everyone! So, give yourself a chance to understand veganism as much as possible.
For this first section, discover the depth of veganism through these quotes.
"People eat meat and think they will become as strong as an ox, forgetting that the ox eats grass."
- Pino Caruso
"Vegan is just pure love. Love for animals, love for the planet, and love for yourself."
- Mischa Temaul
"We do not need to eat animals, wear animals, or use animals for entertainment purposes, and our only defense of these uses is our pleasure, amusement, and convenience."
- Gary L. Francione
"It's not a requirement to eat animals, we just chose to do it, so it becomes a moral choice and one that is having a huge impact on the planet, using up resources and destroying the biosphere."
- James Cameron
"If you are not vegan, please consider going vegan. It's a matter of nonviolence. Being vegan is your statement that you reject violence to other sentient beings, to yourself, and to the environment, on which all sentient beings depend."
- Gary L Francione
Veganism Quotes On Respecting All Living Being
Vegans, through their lifestyle choices, portray respect for every living being - pets, farm animals, and wild creatures alike, not just humans.
Often misunderstood, this goes beyond mere dietary choices. It's a commitment to prevent animal harm in all possible forms, from their diet to their choice of products. For example, leather is initially animal-based, but nowadays, many vegan leather choices are available on the market.
This lifestyle cannot be explained in just a few words. So, after finishing this list of quotes, we recommend adding Cowspiracy to your watchlist.
"To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being."
- Mahatma Gandhi
"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages."
- Thomas Edison
"The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body of each is different."
- Hippocrates
"Let's help the earth and all living beings on this planet by making conscious choices about the food we eat and let the healing begin."
- Genesis Butler
"Animals are not here for us to do as we please with. We are not their superiors. We are their equals. We are their family. Be kind to them."
- Ricky Gervais
"There is no fundamental difference between humans and animals in their ability to feel pleasure and pain, happiness, and misery."
- Charles Darwin
Eye-Opening Vegan Quotes About Animal Harm
Animals face harsh realities across various industries, from farming to beauty. Often, they endure suffering to produce goods and services that cater to human needs and desires. Yet, reflecting on the earlier definition that unnecessary cruelty should be avoided as much as possible begs a reevaluation of how we do things.
Acknowledging the pain inflicted in the name of fashion, food, entertainment, or medicine prompts us to consider alternatives. Humans are innovative, after all! In recent years, we have seen Beyond Meat rise to fame and computer models as an alternative to animal testing.
The following vegan quotes show hard truths about animal cruelty. Hopefully, we can all consider showing compassion by opting for cruelty-free choices.
"If you think that being vegan is difficult, imagine being a factory farmed animal."
- Davegan Raza
"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, the whole world would be vegetarian."
- Linda McCartney
"Animal factories are one more sign of the extent to which our technological capacities have advanced faster than our ethics."
- Peter Singer
"If a kid ever realized what was involved in factory farming, they would never touch meat again."
- James Cromwell
"Man is the only animal that can remain on friendly terms with the victims he intends to eat until he eats them."
- Samuel Butler
"Modern industrial agriculture, aka factory farming, may well be one of the greatest crimes in history with trillions of souls lost."
- Michael Corthell
"We cannot have peace among men whose hearts find delight in killing any living creature."
- Rachel Carson
"I remember looking at the fear in her eyes. How could someone be so cruel? I thought as the hens cried. When will people realize, that other animals have just as much the right as we do."
- Zoe Rosenberg
Quotes About Eating Vegan Food
When we talk about veganism, the spotlight often falls on food. This is understandable; after all, eating is a daily activity. Many believe vegan dishes lack flavor and essential proteins, thinking they're just fruits and veggies. However, in truth, vegan cuisine can rival any traditional dish in taste and nutrition.
Personally, I am in awe of the creativity involved in veganizing familiar recipes. I have even joined vegan potlucks before, and my taste buds had fun!
So, the next time you go out, try exploring a vegan restaurant.
"Vegan food is soul food in its truest form. Soul food means to feed the soul. And, to me, your soul is your intent. If your intent is pure, you are pure."
- Erykah Badu
"The Gods created certain kinds of beings to replenish our bodies; they are the trees and the plants and the seeds."
- Plato
"When you stop eating meat, you feel light from inside. When you abstain from inflicting cruelty on animals, you will no longer be an agent of pain."
- Shivanshu K. Srivastava
"The human body had no more need for cows' milk than it does for dogs' milk, horses' milk, or giraffes' milk."
- Dr. Michael Klaper
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."
- Albert Einstein
"A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral."
- Leo Tolstoy
More Reminders On Promoting Veganism
If you're a vegan, you're already a voice for the voiceless. You are firmly sticking to your values, and that is commendable. Of course, it is in the animals' best interest if you persuade others to be vegans as well.
Like any other advocacy, the trick is to engage people calmly and respectfully. Encourage them to dip their toes into vegan living and discover its benefits at their own pace. If someone's not ready to make the switch, that's OK. Pour your energy into more fruitful things.
"To kill an animal in order to satisfy your nutritional desires, not your nutritional needs, that seems to me to be completely unacceptable."
- David Benatar
"If you don't like pictures of animal cruelty being posted on social media, you need to help stop the cruelty, not the pictures. You should be bothered that its happening, not that you saw it."
- Marie Sarantakis
"Personal purity isn't really the issue. Not supporting animal abuse – and persuading others not to support it – is."
- Peter Singer
"We are, quite literally, gambling with the future of our planet - for the sake of hamburgers."
- Peter Singer
"Poor animals, how jealously they guard their bodies, for to us is merely an evening's meal, but to them is life itself."
- T Casey Brennan
Famous Quotes From Influential People Related To Veganism
While their accomplishments often take center stage, it's less commonly known that many influential figures have adopted veganism or vegetarianism. For instance, Mahatma Gandhi started as a vegetarian, gradually exploring non-dairy alternatives as part of his commitment to non-violence.
Similarly, Mark Twain, who was celebrated for his contributions to American literature, was most likely a vegetarian. He also firmly opposed animal cruelty, particularly in scientific research.
Browse the sentiments of more well-known figures on animal cruelty in their vegan quotes below.
"I have no doubt that it is a part of the destiny of the human race, in its gradual improvement, to leave off eating animals, as surely as the savage tribes have left off eating each other when they came in contact with the more civilized."
- Henry David Thoreau
"I choose not to make a graveyard of my body for the rotting corpses of dead animals."
- George Bernard Shaw
"I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man"
- Mahatma Gandhi
"Of all the creatures ever made he (man) is the most detestable. Of the entire brood, he is the only one...that possesses malice. He is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to the other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot."
- Mark Twain
"The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than blacks were made for whites, or women for men."
- Alice Walker
More Veganism Quotes Sharing The Lifestyle
Many famous celebrities, including figures like Natalie Portman and Ellen DeGeneres, openly embrace veganism, influencing their vast audiences.
While some, over time, may shift to diets like pescetarianism due to health considerations, their choice often still reflects a commitment to minimizing animal cruelty. This shift underscores veganism's adaptability to individual health needs without completely forsaking its core values.
Consider following these public figures to see how they incorporate veganism into their lives after reading their quotes.
"Three times a day I remind myself that I value life and do not want to cause pain or to kill other living beings. That is why I eat the way I do."
- Natalie Portman
"I personally chose to go vegan because I educated myself on factory farming and cruelty to animals, and I suddenly realised that what was on my plate were living things, with feelings. And I just couldn't disconnect myself from it any longer."
- Ellen DeGeneres
"When I see bacon, I see a pig, I see a little friend, and that's why I can't eat it. Simple as that."
- Paul McCartney
"I'm a vegan. I respect the environment and I do my best to spread the importance of such an issue."
- Jared Leto
"When people ask me why I don't eat meat or any other animal products, I say, ‘Because they are unhealthy and they are the product of a violent and inhumane industry."
- Casey Affleck
"I do it because I love animals and I saw the reality. And I just couldn't ignore it anymore. I'm healthier for it, I'm happier for it. I can't imagine that if you're putting something in your body that is filled with fear or anxiety or pain, that that isn't somehow going to be inside of you."
- Ellen DeGeneres
Short Vegan Captions To Post Online
Going vegan involves unique challenges for everyone. While some transition overnight, others might face health concerns or feel overwhelmed by aggressive advocacy.
The digital landscape offers a powerful platform for the cause. As a vegan, use it to spread awareness gently. For those curious, it's a treasure trove of knowledge. Are you faced with opposition? Choose kindness and respect in your responses.
Let's make every online interaction a step towards understanding and compassion. Share your journey and add one of the following vegan quotes. They're perfect for veganuary and, of course, any other time of the year!
"Veganism is not a sacrifice. It is a joy."
- Gary L. Francione
"It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal."
- Joaquin Phoenix
"We all love animals. Why do we call some ‘pets’ and others ‘dinner’?"
- K.D. Lang
"World Peace begins in the kitchen."
- Unknown
"Embrace compassion without exception."
- Janice Anderson
"My body will not be a tomb for other creatures."
- Leonardo Da Vinci
"The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man."
- Charles Darwin
"Fur coats are worn by beautiful animals and ugly people."
- Unknown
"If you think eating meat is just a personal choice, you're forgetting someone."
- Unknown
| 1 | Tong, T. Y., Appleby, P. N., Bradbury, K. E., Perez‐Cornago, A., Travis, R. C., Clarke, R., & Key, T. J. (2019). Risks of ischaemic heart disease and stroke in meat eaters, fish eaters, and vegetarians over 18 years of follow-up: results from the prospective EPIC-Oxford study. The BMJ, l4897. |
Isabela is a determined millennial passionate about continuously seeking out ways to make an impact. With a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering with honors, Isabela’s research expertise and interest in artistic works, coupled with a creative mindset, offers readers a fresh take on different environmental, social, and personal development topics.
