The Omnigamist's Dilemma

Should there be some wiggle room in monogamy?

I was a vegetarian for a few years during the 80s.

Or maybe I wasn’t.

It all comes down to whether you’re willing to overlook an occasional pepperoni pizza and a few slices of bacon every now and then. From my perspective, the occasional lapse into cured meats empowered my admittedly well-intentioned if imperfect vegetarianism. When you’re going up against ravenous appetites that evolved over millions of years, compromise may be the only alternative to abject failure.

Even fanatical vegetarianism will never make you an herbivore; it will only make you an omnivore hell-bent on not eating meat.

Sexual monogamy is a lot like vegetarianism. Nobody’s denying that an all-veggie diet (like monogamy) can be an excellent approach to life for many reasons, ranging from ethical to environmental to emotional. But the evidence (the shape of our teeth, jaw strength, digestive system, the diets of pre-agricultural hunter-gatherers, comparisons to closely-related primates, and so on) quite clearly indicates that our ancestors evolved as omnivores — and omnivores we remain.

That doesn’t mean living as an omnivore in today’s world is inherently any better than choosing to avoid meat. But let’s be clear: Even the strictest vegetarianism will not make you an herbivore; it will only make you an omnivore hell-bent on not eating meat.

That’s a different animal entirely—one likely to face constant cravings and frustrations. It would be foolish to commit to a lifetime of vegetarianism thinking it’s going to be easy, just because you love animals. Instinct doesn’t work that way.