3 ms·
Smokers don’t seem to be under any illusions about whether it’s bad for them? When people have conflicting desires, I think what even counts as “self-interest”
by skybrian 5mo ago
Smokers don’t seem to be under any illusions about whether it’s bad for them? When people have conflicting desires, I think what even counts as “self-interest” gets complicated. Often people are acting at cross-purposes to some of their desires.
- saltwatercowboy 5mo agoI suppose the 'self-interest' of desiring a cigarette outweighs the 'self-interest' of preserving your health. Reminds me of debating Bentham in high school. If the feeling of self-interest of a murderer acts upon is greater than the self-interest of someone not to be murdered, etc... Maybe the point is not to reduce judgment to one qualitative idea.
- PaulDavisThe1st 5mo agoaka discounting time value, or something like that. "the feeling i will get now by smoking this cigarette, though fleeting, is worth to me now than the chance of years more living, or a healthier late life, if i do not smoke it".
- CooCooCaCha 5mo agoYeah self-interest occurs across different time scales and consists of a mixture of logical and emotional factors. It’s also subjective and dependent on the persons values, beliefs, etc.
- michaelhoney 5mo ago"I want another drink now. Hangover is tomorrow-me's problem"
- lanstin 5mo agoOne certainly doesn't smoke imagining it's for the benefit of others - if anything it's the selfishness of now against the benefit of future me.
- deleted 5mo ago[deleted]
- helterskelter 5mo agoThis thread is starting to remind me of Stalker.
- flohofwoe 5mo agoAlso a little bit of Stanislaw Lem, I remember in one of his books he mentions a service that matches people who want to die with people who want to kill ;)
- CooCooCaCha 5mo agoSelf-interest includes chemical dependence and emotional satisfaction. The broader point is that self-interest is not purely logical because humans are not purely logical beings.