This one comes up a surprising amount, and always strikes me as such a bizarre attempt at a ‘gotcha’ question.

Yes, if I were somehow magically trapped on a deserted island with a pig, I would probably, eventually, reluctantly decide to eat the pig.

But really, humans and pigs can eat pretty similar diets… so what is the pig eating on this damned island? I’ll just have some of what he’s having. We’ll live in harmony, and he can be my Wilson, except way better than a volleyball. Or did we both get air-dropped onto the island at the same time, and there’s really no other food around? Anyway, as you can tell, this is a pretty silly question.

It’s like if somebody asked me, “Ok, let’s say your plane crashes in the Alps. There’s no other food around. Would you eat the body of your pilot?” Well, yeah, I guess I would probably, eventually, reluctantly decide to eat the pilot. But by no stretch of the imagination should that be considered a broader justification for cannibalism.

So yes, in this magical situation that has never, ever happened, I would probably consider eating meat, just as I might consider cannibalism in a dire situation. But, of course, this has zero bearing on any actual, real, everyday situation, like getting sofritas instead of carnitas in my burrito.