I was interested to find that the literature goes far beyond the familiar culture wars between those who think meat is natural, normal, necessary, and nice  and those who think it's a moral outrage . What  describe is perfectly in line with research; thinking about animals motivates you to seek "happier" meat , but price often has the final word . But there's much more. Insofar as you value your masculinity, you may be subconsciously motivated to go grill a steak after your manliness has been questioned . Eating meat might make you feel more positively about the value of authority and conformity , or make you think of yourself as more businesslike and pragmatic . There's a lot to write and think about here.