I've been vegetarian since I was 9 and recently became vegan. Reasons to be vegan - Do farmed animals generally live lives that are more bad than good? - This seems [obvious](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BYaVCc76bk) for factory farming - Even in the best case: Danish, organic, highest welfare label meat - Significantly reduced lifespan - Calf separation within hours or days - Painful slaughtering - Still bred for production; many chicken can't support their own weight because of weak legs - Overall hard to guarantee their lives are good, and the burden of proof seems it should be on those who kill them. - If yes, do the below reasons justify the suffering we cause to animals? Reasons to not be vegan - You are removing a freedom: eating animal products - Taste - Vegan food is great though, and transitioning often forces you to learn tasty recipes - Convenience - Sometimes can't eat what is served - Less options - Health - As long as you're intentional about it, a vegan diet can be among the healthiest diets Having that taste and more convenience doesn't seem enough impactful in making my life better. Being vegan only most of the time might be the ideal version for some though. Separately, are the lives of those animals ours to take? Should animals have rights? There are also many reasons to be vegan by principle.