Your observation is spot-on. I’ll remember it next time I see someone raging against someone else’s personal choice.

I’ve been both vegetarian and vegan in different periods of my life. I agree with the commenter who pointed out that there are vegans who simply exist, and then there are vegans who behave with an air of superiority, reveling in putting other diners on the defensive. The dynamic is really no different than the one between quiet believers and evangelicals who aren’t happy unless they’re making someone else feel like garbage.

Smug doesn’t good look on anyone, no matter how righteous their cause.