Study Finds People Who Don’t Eat Meat Share These 3 Specific Personality Traits
These traits may surprise you.
ShishkinStudio / Shutterstock Vegetarians are often known for their compassion, kindness, and caring. An empathy for animals and the earth is one of the major reasons why people choose vegetarianism in the first place. However, there's a lot more to vegetarians than you might think.
According to a recent study of people in the United States and Poland, vegetarians may share some unexpected personality traits. Researchers surveyed 3,700 adult participants in both countries across three separate studies, in which they answered questions about their basic human values. The study included people who follow vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and omnivore diets to varying degrees.
1. They're achievement-oriented
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In all three studies, vegetarians felt that achieving success and power were more important to them than meat-eaters did. Based on the study, the researchers said that vegetarians may be "more masculinized than meat-eaters" due to the fact that they have values that are traditionally considered more masculine, like power and success.
The author of the study, John Nezlek, a professor at SWPS University in Poland, told The Times, "It’s far more common for women to adopt vegetarianism than men, and there are three main reasons that people become vegetarians: health, the environment, and animal welfare ethics. When you pile all of that together, you might start to think that vegetarians would be more benevolent, a little less assertive, generally more ‘huggy’ people — but I found the complete opposite.”
This emphasis on personal success is at odds with beliefs that vegetarians value group harmony and connectedness. However, vegetarianism inherently demonstrates a commitment to personal principles and values, perhaps making vegetarians more likely to reach other goals in their lives.
2. They're individualistic
Vegetarians were much less concerned with conformity. The results of the study show that they are independent thinkers who aren't afraid to stray from the crowd. This makes sense because vegetarianism is typically a minority choice, and vegetarians often face social pressures and criticism for their lifestyles.
The author of the study, John Nezlek, a professor at SWPS University in Poland, explained, "These results suggest that following a vegetarian diet represents a manifestation of values that emphasize independence and individuality, a possibility that is somewhat at odds with how vegetarianism is often discussed."
But when you think about it, because their lifestyle is centered around not conforming, it would make sense that their personalities would reflect more individualistic traits. At its core, choosing to be a vegetarian is an act of rebellion after all. Or as ZMEScience put it, a "rejection of mainstream culture." There's nothing more individualistic than that.
3. They're unconventional
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Tradition was another value that vegetarians found to be less important. Diet and food are a large part of a country's culture, and many cultures include meat consumption for various reasons. Choosing vegetarianism could be considered a rejection of these food traditions and, by extension, a rejection of conformity.
Writing for IFLScience, Dr. Katie Spalding explained, "In most countries, being vegetarian or vegan is an active choice, and not necessarily an easy one: it puts you at odds with mainstream society, and it requires pretty constant vigilance to maintain." She went on to say, "It takes a lot of self-confidence and commitment to stick to your guns in the face of such rejection and criticism — and the personality traits emphasized by vegans and vegetarians reflect precisely that."
Prior research has suggested that vegetarians are often more prosocial and progressive than omnivores. Many vegetarians are focused on moving forward and innovating, rather than getting stuck in tradition. And maybe that's what this study proves most of all. It takes courage and compassion to go against norms based solely on your personal moral convictions. Just because someone has more empathy and compassion doesn't mean they are pushovers.
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
