What is society and why does it care what people choose to do with their lives especially something as seemingly benign as eating? A society is a set of common assumptions, beliefs, and behaviors that provide stability, order, and direction for a group of people. Those who conform to established standards often feel threatened by people who don’t. Most would agree that being a vegetarian doesn’t, by anyone’s definition of conformity, qualify as a conventional practice. This practice, seemingly non-provoking, challenges a number of assumptions that Society has come to accept or believe such as: Meat and dairy foods are necessary for good nutrition. Animals are inferior to humans. Animals don’t experience emotion and pain the way humans do. Most chronic diseases are the result of the aging process. Diseases have their roots in heredity. Doctors will make us well if we get sick. The media is unbiased and would inform us if meat was bad. Natural resources are for our unbridled use. The environment will eventually regenerate even if we abuse it. The government ultimately has our best interests at heart. World hunger is mostly beyond our control. Most vegetarians have questioned some or all of these assumptions. Society has responded by labeling the vegetarian as misguided and rebellious, weak and overly sensitive, arrogant and presumptuous, critical and judgmental, and ignorant and out-of-touch. Vegetarians are often surprised at Society’s strong reaction when their expectation is that few would care or even take notice. The following five reasons are at the heart of the mainstream’s motives. After reading them vegetarians should have a better understanding of where the society is coming from; after reading them maybe society will have a better idea of where they should be going to.