Welcome to Small Bites, Sound Bites, a midweek segment of food for thought podcast where I share short, succinct, thoughtful responses to typical questions, myths, and misconceptions related to plant-based eating, veganism, and animal protection.

You can get written transcripts of this podcast by going to joyfulvegan.com slash donate.

Something almost every vegan and vegetarian has encountered is accidentally eating an animal product.

On a playful note, I call that losing your veganity. But on a more serious note, no doubt it can be incredibly upsetting if you eat an animal product by mistake.

Similarly, it's equally upsetting if you hurt an animal by mistake. I've heard from people who are living with the best intentions to not hurt any animals and then you might hit an animal with your car or run an animal over.

There's situations that we all encounter where, despite doing the best we can, we create harm unintentionally.

First of all, I think we need to be gentle with ourselves when these things happen. Of course, we can learn from them and just know that it's part of trying to live intentionally and consciously and compassionately in this very imperfect world.

I also hear from a lot of people who ask what to do with cashmere sweaters or silk ties or wool blankets or shoes or car seats or furniture made from animal skin, i.e. leather.

Even having these things compels some people to think that they can't be vegan and I won't lie, there's some vegans who tell people they're not vegan if they still have these things I don't agree with that perspective.

The answer to that concern is not black and white.

Number one, as you're able to replace them, you will. And I say as you're able to, I really should say, if you want to, as you become less comfortable with animal products in your home and on your person, you will slowly eliminate them from your life.

There is no one right answer. If you choose not to, that's also okay. That doesn't make you less vegan because you still have animal products from your pre-vegan life.

The truth is a lot of people do start feeling uncomfortable having it. You don't want to sit on your leather couch, you don't want to wear the leather shoes. It's really a very personal process.

So there is no one right answer. When faced with such a dilemma, one question we might ask ourselves is, how does keeping this couch, for instance, contribute to animal cruelty?

If I keep this leather couch, how am I contributing to animal cruelty? So aside from the comfort of your own mind, just your own piece of mind, how does this keeping this couch contribute to animal cruelty?

Or if you flip it around, how does getting rid of it help animals? So let's say you don't want to get rid of it from a waste perspective. You don't want to just throw it out. You can give it away, obviously.

But let's say you don't want to get rid of it. Let's say you can't afford it. Let's say you love it. Right. Does getting rid of it actually help animals. So again, beyond your own comfort level.

I think the answer to these questions may help you decide what to do next or at least alleviate some self-imposed guilt.

Living an examined life means learning to tolerate the gray areas we inevitably encounter. And none of this makes us less vegan.

It just makes us more human, imperfect humans in an imperfect world using this thing called veganism to reduce suffering.

It's a pretty fantastic way to live, to reflect our values of compassion and wellness in our everyday behavior. It should enhance our life, not diminish it.

For the animals, this is Colleen Patrick Codrow. Thanks for listening.

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