If people would really live by this, then why even do anything “ethical”?
Because you care for people and want to cause them no harm, or at least less? I don't understand what you mean by the question.
Also this is not about me
I'm sorry, but it is. I have been responding to your response. The response you chose to write. You even recognize the irony of saying "some of my best friends are vegetarian"; some part of you sees you're doing the same sort of backpedaling that other people saying "some of my best friends are X" are doing.
So how about you and the part of you that chose to put that statement in quotes continue this conversation? That part of you is on to something, and they know you better than a random person on the internet ever could.