I’m mostly non-combative about it unless I see someone being deliberately obtuse or antagonistic about it. Then I go off a lot of times.

I’ve just sort of learned that most people who have opinions about veganism don’t even know what it is. Their opinions are mostly from the circlejerk around PETA and the “annoying vegan” trope.

When I first switched to plant-based. I told a co-worker in passing because I thought he was a friend or something. His response was “Pffff why?” He’s a libertarian chud that really likes his guns and hunting though so whatever. He did try to find a place I could eat for a lunch meeting thing when he came into town though so I guess that was nice.

I told my mom and her response was “Well I’m still gonna eat meat.” I don’t understand why that was her response but it was.

I told another co-worker after he went in a 15 minute unsolicited and rather unhinged rant about how shitty vegans are. I was basically like “You know I’m vegan right?” And his response was literally another rant about how he doesn’t really mind vegans as long as they don’t shove their beliefs down his throat, then he asked me “…so you still eat chicken though, right?”

So yeah I mostly just don’t bother with people irl.