Most smokers I’ve talked to get really defensive about it. “it’s not that bad! Sugar is worse for you! It’s not like you exercise or anything! I don’t smoke as much as so-and-so!”
It’s pathetic, really. I’d respect them more if they could just own “this is bad for me and everyone around me.”
It’s probably a really painful thing to lot of them. It’s like someone defending being fat, they must know it’s unhealthy and have likely tried to do something about it, without success, so now someone mentioning it just causes them to be defensive. Of course there’s no passive diabetes so in that respect smoking is a lot worse since it affects others too.
“we’ve tried nothing, and we are all out of ideas” comes to mind
I had a relative who was a smoker; I’d visit and they would try to keep it out of sight, but everyone knew. As the years went on, it became more and more of a problem (financially and health), and many tried to push back and help, support, them. Fought like a child at every step. Fucking developed copd and still didn’t seem to give a fuck, wheezing and struggling with each breath, until just a couple of years before they died; when it was way too god-damn late to do shit about it.
I don’t want to sound like a heartless bastard, but some stupid fucks just won’t listen to any reason, and so they need to feel the consequences of their actions. This person would likely still be alive and in decent health, even years later, if they stopped being so fucking defensive/lying/deflective about it.
I get yeah it’s hard - I’m a fucking stroke ‘survivor’ who is suffering every day I’m alive, incapable of doing basic tasks and body control, stuck in the prison that is my own malfunctioned body and brain, so don’t go crying to me about how hard it is to do things - but you know what’s harder? Waking up in the morning when you’re dead.
I have very little patience for people who can’t or won’t do the hard thing. Like, yeah withdrawal is going to suck but sometimes you have to do something unpleasant to get something better.
I mostly keep it to myself though. A lot of people have this problem. Not just about smoking.
Conversations like
“I’m so tired I don’t know why.”
“When did you go to sleep and get up?”
“Uh sleep at like 3am and up at 7am.”
“Well that explains it. Why up so late?”
“… YouTube videos.”
“You should probably stop staying up so late watching videos so you’re not exhausted all day.”
“No.”
But I mostly keep it to myself because there’s not really anything I can do to make someone listen.
![Assassins [Skeleton Claw]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/524835df753a72426c23e9faf74ccb1b/tumblr_ozkkaloQOj1u0glb4o1_1280.jpg){kind=link}
Most smokers I’ve talked to get really defensive about it. “it’s not that bad! Sugar is worse for you! It’s not like you exercise or anything! I don’t smoke as much as so-and-so!”
It’s pathetic, really. I’d respect them more if they could just own “this is bad for me and everyone around me.”
It’s probably a really painful thing to lot of them. It’s like someone defending being fat, they must know it’s unhealthy and have likely tried to do something about it, without success, so now someone mentioning it just causes them to be defensive. Of course there’s no passive diabetes so in that respect smoking is a lot worse since it affects others too.
personal rant
“we’ve tried nothing, and we are all out of ideas” comes to mind
I had a relative who was a smoker; I’d visit and they would try to keep it out of sight, but everyone knew. As the years went on, it became more and more of a problem (financially and health), and many tried to push back and help, support, them. Fought like a child at every step. Fucking developed copd and still didn’t seem to give a fuck, wheezing and struggling with each breath, until just a couple of years before they died; when it was way too god-damn late to do shit about it.
I don’t want to sound like a heartless bastard, but some stupid fucks just won’t listen to any reason, and so they need to feel the consequences of their actions. This person would likely still be alive and in decent health, even years later, if they stopped being so fucking defensive/lying/deflective about it.
I get yeah it’s hard - I’m a fucking stroke ‘survivor’ who is suffering every day I’m alive, incapable of doing basic tasks and body control, stuck in the prison that is my own malfunctioned body and brain, so don’t go crying to me about how hard it is to do things - but you know what’s harder? Waking up in the morning when you’re dead.
I have very little patience for people who can’t or won’t do the hard thing. Like, yeah withdrawal is going to suck but sometimes you have to do something unpleasant to get something better.
I mostly keep it to myself though. A lot of people have this problem. Not just about smoking.
Conversations like
“I’m so tired I don’t know why.”
“When did you go to sleep and get up?”
“Uh sleep at like 3am and up at 7am.”
“Well that explains it. Why up so late?”
“… YouTube videos.”
“You should probably stop staying up so late watching videos so you’re not exhausted all day.”
“No.”
But I mostly keep it to myself because there’s not really anything I can do to make someone listen.
Addiction is a hell of a thing
It’s a coping mechanism, and basically everyone with an addiction does it.
I’ve heard not uncompelling arguments to this effect. But I’m also not downing a 64oz big gulp every day.