4 ms·

Ex-smoker here. So, what do you advocate? Reward smokers? Encourage smoking?

Veen 6y ago
Perhaps we should advocate consistency. Either shaming and punishment works to discourage unwanted behaviour or it doesn't. If it does, then perhaps we should start shaming obese people and crack addicts. P.S. Before the downvotes come, I'm rather fat and a mostly ex-smoker, so I'm not attacking obese people, just wondering at the inconsistency.
- rstupek 6y ago
  Don't we already shame obese people?
- smichel17 6y ago
  I think the two are not quite equivalent. Smoking is the action, while obesity is the condition. The equivalent would be shaming smokers for getting cancer or shaming obese people for overeating (to nitpickers: yes, this is a simplification). The main difference seems to be that smoking in public inflicts secondhand smoke on others, while obesity inflicts... taking up more room on public transit? IF shaming is effective at curbing public smoking, and there is no shaming for smoking in private, then I think you could have a logically consistent position. I don't know if the first of those is true, and the second definitely isn't (although maybe a different level of intensity), so I'm not saying there is consistency, just that it's possible.
- zepto 6y ago
  > we should start shaming obese people and crack addicts Where do you live where obese people and crack addicts are not shamed?
- SMAAART 6y ago
  We can all agree that "shaming" is not good; but at the same time we should not promote/encourage behaviors that leads to negative outcomes. So, generic "smoke is bad for you", "overeating is bad for you", "junk food is bad for you"; and positive reinforcements like "say no to smoke", "say no to junk food" would be a good start. And if some groups comes out and state that those messages are "shaming" well, those people are idiots. P.S.: ex-smoker and ex-fat person here
  - Clubber 6y ago
    >and positive reinforcements like "say no to smoke", "say no to junk food" would be a good start. I mean why do people feel it's their duty to get into someone else's life? How about assume fat people and people who smoke know it's bad for them and just leave them alone. I think people in society would be much better off of they worried themselves with their own lives. I guess that's a lot harder than pointing out other people's problems though.
Clubber 6y ago
Maybe as a society we should quit our Spanish Inquisition style moral crusades.
- jjgreen 6y ago
  I wasn't expecting that ...

Veen 6y ago

Perhaps we should advocate consistency. Either shaming and punishment works to discourage unwanted behaviour or it doesn't. If it does, then perhaps we should start shaming obese people and crack addicts. P.S. Before the downvotes come, I'm rather fat and a mostly ex-smoker, so I'm not attacking obese people, just wondering at the inconsistency.

rstupek 6y ago
Don't we already shame obese people?
smichel17 6y ago
I think the two are not quite equivalent. Smoking is the action, while obesity is the condition. The equivalent would be shaming smokers for getting cancer or shaming obese people for overeating (to nitpickers: yes, this is a simplification). The main difference seems to be that smoking in public inflicts secondhand smoke on others, while obesity inflicts... taking up more room on public transit? IF shaming is effective at curbing public smoking, and there is no shaming for smoking in private, then I think you could have a logically consistent position. I don't know if the first of those is true, and the second definitely isn't (although maybe a different level of intensity), so I'm not saying there is consistency, just that it's possible.
zepto 6y ago
> we should start shaming obese people and crack addicts Where do you live where obese people and crack addicts are not shamed?
SMAAART 6y ago
We can all agree that "shaming" is not good; but at the same time we should not promote/encourage behaviors that leads to negative outcomes. So, generic "smoke is bad for you", "overeating is bad for you", "junk food is bad for you"; and positive reinforcements like "say no to smoke", "say no to junk food" would be a good start. And if some groups comes out and state that those messages are "shaming" well, those people are idiots. P.S.: ex-smoker and ex-fat person here
- Clubber 6y ago
  >and positive reinforcements like "say no to smoke", "say no to junk food" would be a good start. I mean why do people feel it's their duty to get into someone else's life? How about assume fat people and people who smoke know it's bad for them and just leave them alone. I think people in society would be much better off of they worried themselves with their own lives. I guess that's a lot harder than pointing out other people's problems though.

Clubber 6y ago

Maybe as a society we should quit our Spanish Inquisition style moral crusades.

jjgreen 6y ago
I wasn't expecting that ...