Plant based motivations face-to-face

Hello everyone. This is my first blog entry, so it is as much a test as anything. :-)

The topic I have on my mind today is about dealing with people who (in theory) are on the same "team" (ie., committed to eating a plant-based diet) but who come to it from such a radically different perspective that makes respectful discussion difficult.

Personally, I have a background in science so I have a fairly indepth understanding of both the value and limitations of research. So when I find myself attempting to communicate with someone with very little formal education... but a lot of self-confidence... how do we find common ground?

In many cases, when someone comes to plant-based diet from the ethical perspective, their primary interests are kindness and caring for creatures.... which is great! Whether we eat plants for the sake of our own health, or that of other animals, everyone wins.

The discussion can become a little awkward though when we delve into the details of why to eat what. Someone motivated to eat plants to avoid supporting the torture and murder of non-human animals may care less about omega 3 fatty acids or vitamin B12 than someone motivated by their own health care! Yet the person who is motivated by human health care may see how much more energetic and effective the animal advocate could be with a healthier plant-based diet.

Your thoughts on this?