Are vegetarians actually smarter?

Thomas Stewart97 said:Common sense alone tells you that everyone should be treated without being subjected to suffering, and honestly, you don't need to be some genius to grasp that concept.

Look, I’m plenty smart enough to wrap my head around that little nugget of wisdom, but that still doesn't actually answer the question I asked... 🙂

Tesla was a vegetarian

In the Life of Nikola Tesla, John J. O'Neill writes: “During his mature years, Tesla gave up meat. He replaced it with fish... Later, he almost entirely eliminated fish and transitioned to a vegetarian diet.”
Tesla was a fierce advocate for vegetarianism—viewing it as an ethical, environmental, economic, and health-conscious choice—which really solidifies his reputation as a visionary "prophet" of sorts. Back in 1900, he even noted: “The intention to increase livestock numbers to produce more food seems... correct, yet such a multitude can only be fed for a brief moment. It is far more important to cultivate vegetables and grains; furthermore, I believe vegetarianism is the recommended starting point for renouncing ingrained, barbaric habits. Many nations that live almost exclusively on a vegetarian diet demonstrate greater strength and physical readiness. Certain crops, such as oats, are more cost-effective than meat and better for both mental and physical health. Every effort should be made to halt the gluttonous and cruel slaughter of animals, which can be detrimental to human morality. To free ourselves from animalistic instincts and impulses, which degrade us... we must make a complete break in our dietary habits. All other [philosophical] musings regarding food are unnecessary.”

Albert Einstein (1879-1955, American physicist, winner of the Nobel Prize 1921):
"A vegetarian lifestyle could have an incredibly positive impact on the destiny of mankind—simply by how it physically affects human temperament."
"Nothing will do more to improve human health or increase the chances for life to persist on Earth than making the switch to a vegetarian diet."
"Our mission must be to liberate ourselves... by expanding our circle of compassion to include all living beings, all of nature, and its inherent beauty."

feralraven5 said:Tesla was a vegetarian

In the Life of Nikola Tesla, John J. O'Neill notes: "In his later years, Tesla gave up meat. He replaced it with fish... Later, he almost entirely cut out fish and transitioned to a vegetarian diet."
Tesla was a fierce advocate for vegetarianism—arguing it was ethically, ecologically, economically, and health-wise sound—proving himself a visionary in that regard too. As far back as 1900, he stated: "The intention to increase livestock to provide more food seems... correct, yet such a multitude can only be fed for a short while. It is certainly more important to grow vegetables and grains; I also believe vegetarianism is a recommended starting point for abandoning long-standing barbaric habits. Many nations that live almost exclusively on a vegetarian diet show greater strength and physical readiness. Certain crops, like oats, are more profitable than meat and better for mental and physical health. Every effort should be made to stop the gluttonous and cruel slaughter of animals, which can be detrimental to human morality. To free ourselves from animalistic instincts and tendencies that hold us back... we must make a complete break in our dietary habits. Any other [philosophical] musings on food are unnecessary."

I don't know about that.

There's a book out in bookstores right now called 'And Let There Be Light' that doesn't mention any of this about him.

Man, who's actually lying here?🤔

I honestly have no clue who’s out there spreading misinformation, but seriously—just do yourself a favor and type "Life of Nikola Tesla" and "vegetarianism" into Google to see the facts for yourself 😉

Thomas Stewart97 said:Of course, at the end of the day, your feelings are entirely your own—we’re all different creatures, after all! Even when it comes to those closest to us, like our best friends, we experience and love them in such unique ways. It's just how we're wired.
That doesn't necessarily mean it's right, though.🙂

Who exactly do you think you are, acting like the ultimate authority on what’s right and what isn't?! Seriously—take it down a notch and get real for a second.

rustymaker5 said:I’m smart enough to follow your logic—but that doesn't actually answer my question. 🙂

So, how do you define righteousness? What sets it apart, and why do you assume it remains universal across time, space, and intent?

Are you really asking me to provide a definition for righteousness?
In my view, a fixed definition is impossible. For instance—to me, mistreating animals is wrong—but for someone else, that might not be the case. It's clear we perceive the concept of righteousness quite differently.🙂

Sophia Allen12 said:And who exactly are YOU to tell us what’s right or wrong? Get real here.

Look—I'm not asking anyone to follow my lead—but I won't have people lecturing me on animal welfare.🙂

James Cox6 said:I'm not so sure about that.

There’s actually a book out right now called 'And Be the Light'—it doesn't contain any of those specific details about him.

Man, who's actually telling the truth here?🤔

It seems like you didn't exactly hit the mark using that "predatory genius" example.
🤣

rustymaker5 said:But you claimed that all living beings possess equal value. Then, you went ahead and suggested that animals and humans hold more weight than plants.
In that regard—I'm just pointing out your inconsistency.

LOL, I'm not buying that logic. Your excuse for eating animals is basically trying to equate them to plants—which, let’s be honest, often just provide us with edible fruit. Sorry, but that simply doesn't hold up.🙂

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...sla+vegetarian

Even Tesla was a vegetarian—eventually, it’ll just be about fifty of us left actually eating meat. These vegetarians and their followers push this lifestyle like some kind of damn cult, acting like they're the only sane ones while everyone else is some kind of freak. Now they're probably going to start printing flyers featuring the Life of Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein just to lure more people in, and before you know it, they'll be trying to build a tower of luxury modeled after a watchtower. Give me a break.

Aaron Gonzalez4 said:Even Tesla was a vegetarian—eventually, it’ll just be fifty of us left eating meat. These vegetarians and their followers push it like some kind of cult, acting like they're the only sane ones while everyone else is a freak. Now they'll probably start printing flyers featuring Tesla and Einstein just to recruit more people, and before we know it, they'll release a tower of luxury modeled after a watchtower. Give me a break.

The mention of Tesla being a carnivore was an error, which is why he was brought up.
Maybe you're just getting worked up because you contribute to animal slaughter and suffering—this topic clearly hits a nerve. At the end of the day, people have the right to choose.
Why get your panties in a bunch over this?

Sophia Allen12 said:Don't talk nonsense if you don't know what you're talking about. I've watched two different documentaries where various universities led the research.

Go ahead—try to name those specific universities and those exact shows. You really ought to realize that just because something is labeled a "documentary," it doesn't mean it's telling the truth or providing accurate data on its supposed subject matter...

Take UFOs and aliens, for instance. There's a mountain of "documentaries" out there on the topic, yet we still lack even the slightest shred of physical evidence that extraterrestrial life exists, let alone a high-tech civilization...

Here is an article with references explaining where this myth actually originates and how much scientific merit it truly holds...

So, that's enough nonsense from me.

Thomas Stewart97 said:I have plenty of animals, and I know for a fact they have souls. Because of that, people will eventually have to answer for how they treat them when they finally learn their lesson.
Why do you think life feels like hell for some people? It's because this country is a classroom—one where you stay until the lesson is truly learned.

It might be easier for you to swallow if I pointed out that neither humans (if we’re going to use speciesism to separate ourselves from other creatures, much like how racism separates people), nor animals, nor plants actually possess souls.

It’s all just heavy mythology (much like karma or reincarnation, really). But it seems most people find self-delusion much more comfortable than facing the truth, so... who am I to judge?

Man, this thread just absolutely blew up! It seems like choosing a diet is just as much of a "trigger" as someone's political beliefs—regardless of what the actual facts, independent metrics, or hard evidence might show...

Or maybe it’s the headlines? Some people clearly took them as a personal insult, while others saw them as total validation for everything they already believed...

It's honestly hilarious. 😁

Rebecca Cox2 said:Go ahead—try to track down exactly which universities and shows they’re actually talking about. You really ought to realize that just because something is labeled as a "documentary," it doesn't mean it's telling the truth or even providing accurate data regarding whatever subject it's supposedly covering...

but there is definitely an indication here, and that was really my whole point

Thinking about what Tesla and Einstein said regarding everyone switching over to a vegetarian diet

Honestly, hats off to them—they’re definitely much sharper, more creative, and way more brilliant than I am—but I can't help but wonder: what would actually happen if we all did that overnight?
- Think about it—there are plenty of countries where the entire economy is built on livestock, poultry, and meat exports. Some of these nations don't even have developed large-scale farming operations, and they physically couldn't pull it off because they lack fertile soil or any other natural resources. How would those places survive? They wouldn't. People would literally starve...

By the way, does anyone else realize that the deforestation happening just so we can buy furniture, paper, and wood products also causes massive animal suffering? Birds, squirrels, insects, you name it—they lose their habitats and face extinction... and then there's the fact that almost all new medications are tested on animals first—in my humble opinion, those animals go through way more pain during testing than they ever would if they were just killed for food...

And I'll say it again—I have absolutely nothing against vegetarians, but I really don't want people pointing fingers at me just because I eat meat, which is something I simply can't live without!

Rebecca Cox2 said:It might help if I clarify that neither humans (if we’re going to separate ourselves from other species using speciesism—much like how breeds are separated by racism), nor animals, nor plants possess a soul.

It is all just heavy mythology—similar to concepts like karma or reincarnation, really. But it seems most people find self-delusion much easier than facing the truth, so... whatever works.

The soul is an absolute illusion at its core—but at specific levels of consciousness, such as this one, it exists. It is a fragment of the whole. A part that must locate its source and finally break the cycle of searching. The very purpose of souls is to seek through reincarnation; they search for answers across many lifetimes.

The entire world is fundamentally an illusion—a projection of the mind. We are here to realize the truth: that nothing exists except the One, which is, in fact, everything. To understand that we are one with all things, and that there is only one, is the true meaning of life.
Self-delusion is believing you can do anything because, ultimately, nothing truly exists.
Creation did not simply manifest out of thin air—any intelligent person understands that.
One only needs to look up at the stars.

Sophia Allen12 said:And I’ll say it again—look, I have absolutely nothing against vegetarians, but I refuse to be judged just because I eat meat. It's something I simply can't live without.

Look, man, you’re starting to sound like a broken record with these accusations. Honestly, I haven’t seen anyone here actually point a finger at you for eating meat. And frankly, I doubt you should expect people on an online forum with different life philosophies to offer you some sort of apology just for voicing their own perspectives. Maybe take a breath and try to actually enjoy the debate. If it’s getting under your skin this much, perhaps it’s time to step away from the screen for a while.