Peter Thiel’s Favourite Interview Question
By: Peter Stephenson
Tags: Peter Thiel, Management, Interview, Business, Leadership

And my response to it… chances are you won’t agree with me.

In his book, Zero to One, Peter Thiel mentions his favourite interview question:

What important truth do very few people agree with you on?

For most people this turns out to be a tough question to answer. The vast majority of our beliefs are shared with the majority of people and even in the areas where our beliefs are not shared by the majority (religion, politics etc.) it’s difficult to find something we think is true but the vast majority disagree with.

My own response is not intended to offend, obviously most people won’t agree with it or I wouldn’t be answering the question. I am not making a moral judgment of anyone else, I didn’t always have this viewpoint so am in no position to do so.

The important truth that very few agree with me on; Animals should not be used for food, clothing or entertainment.

If you’re one of the 99% who disagrees then this will probably prompt a series of counter arguments some of the common ones I will address:

1. It is natural to eat meat, we have evolved to do so and we need meat for protein.

We’re naturally herbivores. Our jaws move vertically and horizontally — evidence of a herbivorous diet. The animal we have most in common with, the chimpanzee, has a 95–99% (dependent on the study referenced) plant based diet and most of its carnivorous diet is made up of insects. We are far more naturally inclined to eat a plant based diet and we can easily get sufficient protein from plants (as numerous athletes, including bodybuilders with very protein intakes, can attest to).

We can eat meat but studies (that haven’t been sponsored by the meat and dairy industries — you’d be surprised how many are whether directly or indirectly) haven’t found health benefits compared to a plant based diet.

In fact plant based diets are now widely regarded as the healthier option. The Game Changers on Netflix is an excellent documentary on the nutritional advantage athletes are gaining from plant based diets.

2. Animals have better lives in captivity than they would do in the wild.

Does anyone honestly believe that animals are happier in captivity than in the wild? I’ve heard those with a vested interest in commercial farming etc. make the claim but I don’t think they really believe it… if anyone needs convincing PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have several videos available on youtube showing what life is like animals bred for food, dairy, clothing etc. Meet your Meat is one such video and far from the most shocking.

3. If everyone turned vegan there wouldn’t be enough land to grow sufficient crops to feed everyone.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Animals consume more calories than they give us if we eat them (by a long way). If we didn’t eat animals we wouldn’t need nearly as much land as we do now.

4. Humans are a superior species and have a right to eat animals.

This premise would also conclude that if a superior alien species landed on earth they would have the right to eat us, wear our skin, or use us for their entertainment.

5. To stop farming animals for food and clothing would have a detrimental effect on the economy.

The fact that people profit from something doesn’t justify it. Slave traders used this argument (and other arguments above). If the average person saw what happens in commercial farms I doubt they would have much sympathy for the owners if their practices were banned. There are videos and books on the subject. My favourite is Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.

As for harm caused by ending the consumption of animals, consider that the greatest contributor to global warming is the commercial farming of animals. We are destroying rain forests to create more land to grow crops to feed the animals. And then there are the billions of cows, sheep, pigs etc. defecating… rather than go into the details it’s suffice to say the commercial farming of animals is more damaging than all forms of transport put together. The net effect of banning the practice would be positive however you look at it.

6. If we accept that killing animals is wrong, is it wrong for other animals to kill?

First let me say humans are the only animals that imprison other animals, breed them into captivity (often by force — we could accurately describe this as rape), use them for entertainment and kill on scale that is beyond comparison with any other species. We’re not talking about killing for food out of necessity.

My view is that where it is necessary for the survival of one animal to kill another it is justifiable. A lion killing its prey is natural. The commercial farming industry is anything but.

The tiny percentage (less than 1%) of meat and dairy that is truly free range, grass fed etc. is obviously less morally abhorrent than commercial farming but the principle is the same. The ethical quandary can be easily resolved by referring back to point 4. If you don’t believe it would be ok for a superior species to humans to farm us, then it can’t be ok for us to do it to other species.

In conclusion, then it is my belief that the way humans treat animals is wrong. This is true but very few people agree with me.

What would your answer to Peter Thiel’s interview question be?