As it began in these two different cultures, vegetarianism was deviant because it had never been considered before. In the religious context of Buddhism, which has a history of ascetic practice, that is, a practice of abstaining from all pleasures, including those of meat, vegetarianism could be considered a form of positive deviance to the extent that it was considered a path to enlightenment and personal fulfillment (2). But in Greece, and to some extent in American culture today and in the 70s in particular, vegetarianism is not so much a religious practice as a rejection of authority and typical ways of thinking about killing and eat animals (1, 2). Thus, vegetarianism in this context would be considered positively deviant because it is seen as a sign of intellectual growth and a rebellion against old habits.