[neocritter]

Most people will never personally encounter more than 0-1 of any rare or uncommon way of thinking or living. The loudest people are the most self-sure and radical, which makes them ideal candidates for those rare encounters. They come to represent the whole for most people who aren't practiced at seeing past that sort of thing.

You don't think about the vegetarians around you who keep to themselves and go about their way of life without trying to push it on others, so they're quietly embarrassed by those noisy few. At least that's my guess. I don't know that I know any vegetarians.