[trhway]

> This seems like just labeling behavior/desires one doesn't like as a mental illness.

There is difference between desires and behavior. Inability to control desires resulting in a behavior intentionally damaging another sentient being(s) is a mental illness. Lack of empathy is a characteristic of psychopaths.

[Lawtonfogle]

In which case, our over consumption of meat makes us a society of mostly psychopaths (not even counting the non-eating things vegans do that can harm animals).

I'm not to say you are fully without a point. Consider manual breeding of animals and what exactly is involved, which is done primarily for profit and which would be considered very anti-social behavior if done for more personal reasons. I dare say this is one place we are hypocritical as a society (compare treatment of dogs and pigs).

[trhway]

>our over consumption of meat makes us a society of mostly psychopaths

well, once the artificial meat comes into our life, only psychopaths would be consuming meat.

> (compare treatment of dogs and pigs)

things change. 10 years ago i was laughing at vegetarians, while since then i've stopped eating pork, beef, lamb, etc. because it is highly sentient beings. ( still eat poultry though. The day will come here too.)

[Lawtonfogle]

>well, once the artificial meat comes into our life, only psychopaths would be consuming meat.

As a species, we have a well documented history of not going with scientific advancement and sticking to the old way. Also, why aren't they already psychopaths for eating pork (a very intelligent animal) when fowl and beans will provide them the needed nutrients?

[trhway]

>Also, why aren't they already psychopaths for eating pork (a very intelligent animal) when fowl and beans will provide them the needed nutrients?

Psychopathy is when injury/harm is caused intentionally. Most people just don't recognize what they are doing (in many situations they think it is acceptable to cause injuries to or to harm even fellow humans whom they value more than animals, and just 100 years ago it was ok to perform dissections on live animals without anesthesia). From my personal experience - it dawns slowly on you. I was a happy pork eater in the past. And at some point, when i really saw the intelligence of the animals (an amazing feeling by the way) - i have to credit my cat here, being among the most intelligent creatures i've met he taught me to see the intelligence of others - i backed off the mammals meat at least.