Business Quote by Melanie Joy
““Yet on some level we do know the truth. We know that meat production is a messy business, but we choose not to know just how messy it is. We know that meat comes from an animal, but we choose not to connect the dots. And often, we eat animals and choose not to know we're even making a choice. Violent ideologies are structured so that it is not only possible, but inevitable, that we are aware of an unpleasant truth on one level while being oblivious to it on another. Common to all violent ideologies is this phenomenon of knowing without knowing .””
About This Quote
Source Book: Eating Animals by Melanie Joy, 2009
We often accept uncomfortable truths about meat production while remaining unaware of our personal choices, creating a split between knowledge and ignorance.
In simple terms: People ignore the reality of eating meat while pretending they don’t know.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and confront hidden choices about food.
Themes
ethics
cognition
food
violence
Mood
reflective
critical
concerned
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- dietary decisions
- activism
- personal reflection
- policy advocacy
Key Concepts
cognitive dissonance
moral blind spots
ideological structures
Questions to Reflect On
- How does ignoring the source of food affect your values?
- What steps can reduce this cognitive split?
A Different Perspective
Awareness may be resisted by cultural norms and personal discomfort.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)