---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Years of cultural programming have taught…"
description: "\"Years of cultural programming have taught us to love some animals while eating others, when in all reality, all animals are sentient beings with the ca..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/kat-von-d-6513_animal_years-of-cultural-programming-have-taugh_1647493.jpg"
---

#  Years of cultural programming have taught us to love some…

![“Years of cultural programming have taught us to love some animals while eating others, when in all reality, all animals are sentient beings with the capacity to feel, both physically and emotionally.” quote by Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/kat-von-d-6513_animal_years-of-cultural-programming-have-taugh_1647493.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/kat-von-d-6513_animal_years-of-cultural-programming-have-taugh_1647493.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/kat-von-d-6513_animal_years-of-cultural-programming-have-taugh_1647493.jpg)

> “Years of cultural programming have taught us to love some animals while eating others, when in all reality, all animals are sentient beings with the capacity to feel, both physically and emotionally.”

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

We are conditioned to love some animals and eat others, ignoring that all animals feel pain and emotions.

**In simple terms:** All animals are sentient, yet cultural norms make us treat them differently.

Key Takeaway

Recognize animal sentience and reconsider consumption habits.

Themes

ethics animal rights culture compassion

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

ethical philosophical

When to use this quote

- dietary choices
- activism
- education
- policy advocacy

Key Concepts

sentience cognitive bias moral psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How does cultural conditioning shape your view of animals?
- What steps can you take to align actions with this insight?

A Different Perspective

Cultural habits are deeply ingrained, making change difficult.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-animals/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Sentient beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentient-beings/)

## Related quotes

> [Years of cultural programming have taught us to love some animals while eating others, when in all reality, all animals are sentient beings with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/years-of-cultural-programming-have-taught-us-to-love-some-animals/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [I realized that all animals, not just dogs and cats and horses, were sentient beings; therefore, I just couldn't say I love animals and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcnamara/i-realized-that-all-animals-not-just-dogs-and-cats-and-horses-were/)

[William McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcnamara/)

> [Animals are sentient, intelligent, perceptive, funny and entertaining. We owe them a duty of care as we do to children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/animals-are-sentient-intelligent-perceptive-funny-and-entertaining-we/)

[Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/)

> [Animals are sentient creatures. I love them very much. I do not feel that we have the right to torture, murder, and abuse them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davey-havok/animals-are-sentient-creatures-i-love-them-very-much-i-do-not-feel/)

[Davey Havok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davey-havok/)

> [“Nowadays, there are machines that can detect and record brain signals which are proof of consciousness of a living being. These signals are transmitted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/readtrepreneur-publishing/nowadays-there-are-machines-that-can-detect-and-record-brain-signals/)

Readtrepreneur Publishing

> [One of the remarks made by farmers at their public discussion of these problems suggest that they are rapidly ceasing to think of animals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-martin/one-of-the-remarks-made-by-farmers-at-their-public-discussion-of/)

Kingsley Martin

> [The main point for me is moral; animals are sentient beings. I know for some this is a hard argument to accept, but we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-slick/the-main-point-for-me-is-moral-animals-are-sentient-beings-i-know-for/)

[Grace Slick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-slick/)

> [Music is intended and designed for sentient beings that have hopes and purposes and emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/music-is-intended-and-designed-for-sentient-beings-that-have-hopes/)

[Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/)

> [Just as you have the instinctive natural desire to be happy and overcome suffering, so do all sentient beings; just as you have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/just-as-you-have-the-instinctive-natural-desire-to-be-happy-and/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [Just as a chariot is verbalized, in dependence on collections of parts, so conventionally a sentient being, is set up depending on the mental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/just-as-a-chariot-is-verbalized-in-dependence-on-collections-of-parts/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [Mammals are sentient beings that want to live and are afraid to die. Evolution vouchsafed us all with an instinct to survive, reproduce and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shermer/mammals-are-sentient-beings-that-want-to-live-and-are-afraid-to-die/)

[Michael Shermer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shermer/)

> [“Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/optimus-prime/freedom-is-the-right-of-all-sentient-beings/)

Optimus Prime

> [Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sacks/above-all-i-have-been-a-sentient-being-a-thinking-animal-on-this/)

[Oliver Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sacks/)

> [The Buddha and all sentient beings are not two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takuan-soho/the-buddha-and-all-sentient-beings-are-not-two/)

[Takuan Soho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takuan-soho/)

> [I have never really been fond of animals. I certainly wasn't an 'animal lover' when I became involved in the movement. I just came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-have-never-really-been-fond-of-animals-i-certainly-wasn-t-an-animal/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

## More by Kat Von D

> [I dropped out of high school when I was 14 and I started tattooing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/i-dropped-out-of-high-school-when-i-was-14-and-i-started-tattooing/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [We are the masters of our reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/we-are-the-masters-of-our-reality/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [But true individuality is more about being in tune with who you truly are, whether you're expressing yourself physically, mentally, or spiritually; individuality arises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/but-true-individuality-is-more-about-being-in-tune-with-who-you-truly/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [Express yourself through your art - whether it’s your drawings in a sketchpad, tattoos on your skin, the shade of your lipstick, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/express-yourself-through-your-art-whether-it-s-your-drawings-in-a/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [People always ask me this question and I always have a hard time answering it because I guess every tattoo is super special to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/people-always-ask-me-this-question-and-i-always-have-a-hard-time/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [The funny thing is that I've known since I was 7 years old that I was never going to have kids. I always imagined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/the-funny-thing-is-that-i-ve-known-since-i-was-7-years-old-that-i-was/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [Today I encountered the 19th girl to add to the list of people Jesse cheated on me with during this last year. I kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/today-i-encountered-the-19th-girl-to-add-to-the-list-of-people-jesse/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [I've always been a huge 'Divine' fan. He was so iconic and so ground-breaking, especially for the time that he was around, because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/i-ve-always-been-a-huge-divine-fan-he-was-so-iconic-and-so-ground/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [People can totally tell if you adjust notes even slightly, and I know how important it is to be able to wear the exact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/people-can-totally-tell-if-you-adjust-notes-even-slightly-and-i-know/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [Years of cultural programming have taught us to love some animals while eating others, when in all reality, all animals are sentient beings with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/years-of-cultural-programming-have-taught-us-to-love-some-animals/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [“To me, the haircut represented beauty and strength, that I was a woman who would live her life without the boundaries imposed upon her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/to-me-the-haircut-represented-beauty-and-strength-that-i-was-a-woman/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [As far as skincare goes, I'm from the school of 'you are what you eat.' I always promote a vegan lifestyle, not just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/as-far-as-skincare-goes-i-m-from-the-school-of-you-are-what-you-eat-i/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [My pro program is going to reach out to more than just the people who have had the luxury of going to makeup school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/my-pro-program-is-going-to-reach-out-to-more-than-just-the-people-who/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [There is no point in developing anything at the cost of exploiting and abusing animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/there-is-no-point-in-developing-anything-at-the-cost-of-exploiting/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

> [Natacha Marro has always been a favorite shoe designer, and now she has started offering vegan options in her collection, which is brilliant! As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/natacha-marro-has-always-been-a-favorite-shoe-designer-and-now-she/)

[Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

[Explore all 99 Kat Von D quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/)

## More Animal quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/)

Mak\_786

> [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/)

[Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/)

> [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/)

[Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/)

> [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/)

[Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/)

> [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/)

[Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/)

[Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Years of cultural programming have taught us to love some animals while eating others, when in all reality, all animals are sentient beings with the capacity to feel, both physically and emotionally.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kat Von D"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/years-of-cultural-programming-have-taught-us-to-love-some-animals-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Animal"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/years-of-cultural-programming-have-taught-us-to-love-some-animals-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/kat-von-d-6513_animal_years-of-cultural-programming-have-taugh_1647493.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/kat-von-d-6513_animal_years-of-cultural-programming-have-taugh_1647493.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0db/kat-von-d-6513_animal_years-of-cultural-programming-have-taugh_1647493.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Years of cultural programming have taught us to love some animals while eating others, when in all reality…” — Kat Von D",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Kat Von D",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Years of cultural programming have taught...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/years-of-cultural-programming-have-taught-us-to-love-some-animals-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/years-of-cultural-programming-have-taught-us-to-love-some-animals-2/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
