Comment limiting choices (Score 1) 844
I must say it's an interesting mindset to have: but I still think you're underestimating what impact it will have on you.
I remember I had a chest infection as a child and I couldn't get enough breath to blow my nose and felt half a chest short of air. Not a pleasant experience and it was a fairly mild case and it was cleared up by a short hospital stay and medicine.
I guess it comes down to attitude about things: I won't say you're too addicted to even try giving up, but perhaps I'll say that you're too lazy and too "it won't really happen to me" to try and give up. Same thing applies to people eating hamburgers every day and ending up obese: eating fatty food is enjoyable, everyone likes a bit of grease. Difference is that some people know that it's bad for them and cut down or show restraint. They can give the same arguments as you: "oh I know I might die of heart disease and heart failure, but my grandfater was fat and he went quietly", "I know the risks but I choose to enjoy eating my 3 hamburgers and 2 hot dogs a day"
Perhaps you're of the viewpoint that all the education stuff on smoking is just propaganda and that's why you have decided that you know better and that it isn't as bad as all that. Perhaps you got the idea that a death from smoking is just a case of going to sleep. Generally when old people die they do just pass away in their sleep. The difference really is the quality of life up until that point and how much of a restriction their earlier choices have put on their life.
Similar to education choices when young have a lasting impact upon the rest of your life: you decide to drop out of school halfway through highschool then it will be rather difficult to become a rocket scientist. Sure it might have been fun bumming around and not having to do uni assignments, but that's a fairly short lived thing. Smoking cos you enjoy it and get to talk to random people at uni a bit easier is the short lived benefit, the longer term impact is that certain things are going to be off limits to you: scuba diving might be a bit more difficult, climbing a mountain, going for a jog (or hell.. having to run to catch a plane), playing with your kids and eventually the "act" of not needing a ventilator and chemotherapy etc etc..
So anyhow, yes there's choice.. I just don't think it's as forward a thinking one as it needs to be if that's your choice..
I remember I had a chest infection as a child and I couldn't get enough breath to blow my nose and felt half a chest short of air. Not a pleasant experience and it was a fairly mild case and it was cleared up by a short hospital stay and medicine.
I guess it comes down to attitude about things: I won't say you're too addicted to even try giving up, but perhaps I'll say that you're too lazy and too "it won't really happen to me" to try and give up. Same thing applies to people eating hamburgers every day and ending up obese: eating fatty food is enjoyable, everyone likes a bit of grease. Difference is that some people know that it's bad for them and cut down or show restraint. They can give the same arguments as you: "oh I know I might die of heart disease and heart failure, but my grandfater was fat and he went quietly", "I know the risks but I choose to enjoy eating my 3 hamburgers and 2 hot dogs a day"
Perhaps you're of the viewpoint that all the education stuff on smoking is just propaganda and that's why you have decided that you know better and that it isn't as bad as all that. Perhaps you got the idea that a death from smoking is just a case of going to sleep. Generally when old people die they do just pass away in their sleep. The difference really is the quality of life up until that point and how much of a restriction their earlier choices have put on their life.
Similar to education choices when young have a lasting impact upon the rest of your life: you decide to drop out of school halfway through highschool then it will be rather difficult to become a rocket scientist. Sure it might have been fun bumming around and not having to do uni assignments, but that's a fairly short lived thing. Smoking cos you enjoy it and get to talk to random people at uni a bit easier is the short lived benefit, the longer term impact is that certain things are going to be off limits to you: scuba diving might be a bit more difficult, climbing a mountain, going for a jog (or hell.. having to run to catch a plane), playing with your kids and eventually the "act" of not needing a ventilator and chemotherapy etc etc..
So anyhow, yes there's choice.. I just don't think it's as forward a thinking one as it needs to be if that's your choice..
