By far my biggest concern when I wanted to go vegan was how my friends were gonna react. It takes courage to do the right thing when nobody else around you does.

Research shows the main reason that would-be vegans fail/revert is due to a lack of social support within their first year. Which is so sad because it means there's a huge number of people who really don't want to harm animals but feel pressured to keep doing it.

I've lost friends since going vegan. Some by their choosing (which says far more about them than me) and others more recently by mine. Almost all my dearest friends and family are now vegan, and I don't know any kind people who aren't at least heading in that direction.

People replying to this thread like "I've never cared what anyone thought", good for you, but you are the minority. Consider ways you can help others who *are* lacking social support.