3 ms·

I hold the same philosophy with regard to cigarettes. I'll decide for myself what's carcinogenic, thank you very much.

by goodside 16y ago

proee 16y ago
In other words, ignorance is bliss...
- electromagnetic 16y ago
  Isn't it? What makes you happier; smoking a cigarette that makes you feel good, or avoiding it like all hell because it could cause cancer in you? Similarly, what makes you happier; eating a double big mac, large fries and substitute a large drink for a large milkshake and almost die from a foodgasm, or be told you just ate like 1000 calories and you're basically going to have to eat rice cakes for the rest of the day unless you want to end up the size of a manatee by breakfast tomorrow? I have, on average, a 1 in 1000 chance of dying in a freak non-work related accident, if eating a big mac every week has less of a chance of killing me than walking out of my front door (or even staying inside and not cowering in a self-powered nuclear bunker) I really couldn't give a damn. I don't smoke cigarettes, I never have. I've never had the urge, the smell just puts me off. However, it doesn't mean I wouldn't smoke a cigar if someone handed one to me. My life is for living not regretting, that's the job of the as-yet-to-be-proved thing those religious fuzzy wuzzies keep telling me is the afterlife. If there is one, I'm sure there'll be plenty of things I'll regret but that's no concern of mine while I'm living. I've lived a half-world (1/4 literally) away from my wife and I can tell you that did more to damage my longevity than a cigarette ever will. I may in 30 years have regrets over moving to another country to marry my wife, however in all honesty I truly doubt it. My life isn't the best, but it's pretty amazing on that scale of mundaneness called an average-life.
  - SapphireSun 16y ago
    I met a chain smoking guy with lung cancer. He was not happy.
    - electromagnetic 16y ago
      I bet he was until he got diagnosed though, and if he had never been diagnosed and died from old age like 1/2 of smokers do, he'd have been happy. My point is that when I'm told eating red meat daily will increase my risk of colon cancer by 300%, it really doesn't give me great concern when it's really raising my risk of developing the disease from 1 in 10,000 to about 1 in 3,333. Considering the mortality rates, it's still sitting at a 1 in 10,000 chance that I'll die from colon/rectal cancer from a large consumption of red meat. So really, is it worth my concern whatsoever or is the stress of eternal vigilance in my daily diets going to kill me much sooner?
      - SapphireSun 16y ago
        It is if you care about the future at all. A mild prohibition (don't smoke) causes me very little grief, and I can find other things to make me happy. If I do enough bad things for my health, eventually I'll give myself enough chances to "win" the lottery. It's not about just eliminating smoking, it's about being healthier and happier over all time. Knowing that I'm avoiding cancer makes me happy by itself. :P
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
timwiseman 16y ago
I am afraid that saying cirgarettes are carcinogenic is a simple fact. It has been established strongly that they increase the risk of cancer, and that is the very definition of the word. With that said, I support your right to decide for yourself what is an acceptable level of risk for you and to enjoy them if you please. I choose to refrain, but that is my choice and you have every right to make a different one.
- goodside 16y ago
  I was being sarcastic. The intended message was empiricist, not libertarian. I've been getting absurdly wild karma swings from this comment, and I'm worried now that the upvotes are all coming from people who think smoking is safe.
kqr2 16y ago
As long as your second hand smoke doesn't affect others.

I hold the same philosophy with regard to cigarettes. I'll decide for myself what's carcinogenic, thank you very much.

proee 16y ago

In other words, ignorance is bliss...

electromagnetic 16y ago
Isn't it? What makes you happier; smoking a cigarette that makes you feel good, or avoiding it like all hell because it could cause cancer in you? Similarly, what makes you happier; eating a double big mac, large fries and substitute a large drink for a large milkshake and almost die from a foodgasm, or be told you just ate like 1000 calories and you're basically going to have to eat rice cakes for the rest of the day unless you want to end up the size of a manatee by breakfast tomorrow? I have, on average, a 1 in 1000 chance of dying in a freak non-work related accident, if eating a big mac every week has less of a chance of killing me than walking out of my front door (or even staying inside and not cowering in a self-powered nuclear bunker) I really couldn't give a damn. I don't smoke cigarettes, I never have. I've never had the urge, the smell just puts me off. However, it doesn't mean I wouldn't smoke a cigar if someone handed one to me. My life is for living not regretting, that's the job of the as-yet-to-be-proved thing those religious fuzzy wuzzies keep telling me is the afterlife. If there is one, I'm sure there'll be plenty of things I'll regret but that's no concern of mine while I'm living. I've lived a half-world (1/4 literally) away from my wife and I can tell you that did more to damage my longevity than a cigarette ever will. I may in 30 years have regrets over moving to another country to marry my wife, however in all honesty I truly doubt it. My life isn't the best, but it's pretty amazing on that scale of mundaneness called an average-life.
- SapphireSun 16y ago
  I met a chain smoking guy with lung cancer. He was not happy.
  - electromagnetic 16y ago
    I bet he was until he got diagnosed though, and if he had never been diagnosed and died from old age like 1/2 of smokers do, he'd have been happy. My point is that when I'm told eating red meat daily will increase my risk of colon cancer by 300%, it really doesn't give me great concern when it's really raising my risk of developing the disease from 1 in 10,000 to about 1 in 3,333. Considering the mortality rates, it's still sitting at a 1 in 10,000 chance that I'll die from colon/rectal cancer from a large consumption of red meat. So really, is it worth my concern whatsoever or is the stress of eternal vigilance in my daily diets going to kill me much sooner?
    - SapphireSun 16y ago
      It is if you care about the future at all. A mild prohibition (don't smoke) causes me very little grief, and I can find other things to make me happy. If I do enough bad things for my health, eventually I'll give myself enough chances to "win" the lottery. It's not about just eliminating smoking, it's about being healthier and happier over all time. Knowing that I'm avoiding cancer makes me happy by itself. :P
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]

timwiseman 16y ago

I am afraid that saying cirgarettes are carcinogenic is a simple fact. It has been established strongly that they increase the risk of cancer, and that is the very definition of the word. With that said, I support your right to decide for yourself what is an acceptable level of risk for you and to enjoy them if you please. I choose to refrain, but that is my choice and you have every right to make a different one.

goodside 16y ago
I was being sarcastic. The intended message was empiricist, not libertarian. I've been getting absurdly wild karma swings from this comment, and I'm worried now that the upvotes are all coming from people who think smoking is safe.

kqr2 16y ago

As long as your second hand smoke doesn't affect others.