Cigars, Smokers, Nicotine, Deception
Jonathan Good
"Cigar smokers also generally never inhale, and I for one, usually only
smoke one a day because I enjoy the flavor and aroma -- not because I am
hooked on needing a stimulant."
To which I responded and later cross posted to clear-l at the request of
someone else:
To me, the greatest danger of nicotine is that it creates chronic,
habitual, unconscious liars out of most of it's users.
If every smoker applied the same creativity to solving the problems of
the world as they do justifying, rationalizing, avoiding, not
acknowledging, excusing, gathering evidence in support of, and generally
not permeating the area of unconsciousness that the nicotine creates, The
world would be a truly green zone place.
I occasionally enjoy a fine cigar as well. An Avo Pyramid or an Arturo
Fuente Double Corona is a joy and a pleasure to experience. I would never
want to take that away from you. Or from myself. I am not a non-smoking
Nazi. I'll take recommendations on other excellent cigars!
The rationalizations that smokers come up with are what I take issue
with. It is suspiciously similar to the rationalizations that people come
up with in Post-Hypnotic suggestive behavior. The Hypnotist says
something to the effect of, "After you wake up, when you hear the word,
"YES", you will pat the top of your head."
So the subject wakes up and is speaking with the hypnotist who says,
"YES, I enjoyed working with you." And the subject pats the top of his
head. The hypnotist notices this and asks, "Why did you just pat the top
of your head?" And the subject replies, " Oh, I just felt like it." The
conversation continues and the subject hears the word again and pats the
top of his head. And again the Hypnotist asks, "Why did you just pat the
top of your head?" And the subject says, "Oh! he-he, It just feels good I
guess."
The deal is that he is doing something without fully realizing why. And
the reason is that he has been given a command which operates at an
unconscious level which creates a chronic, habitual, unconscious
dishonesty in order to rationalize the behavior that he cannot rationally
explain. It is not a "bad thing". It's not malicious. But it is an
unpermeated area of unconsciousness.
So when I hear a smoker say, "I smoke just because I enjoy the flavor and
aroma" , I have to seriously question the honesty of the statement. Could
it be possible that you are no longer consciously aware of the effects
that the nicotine is having on your body? (Not inhaling is the classic
cigar smoker's justification, as if that makes it more okay, while not
acknowledging that the pure nicotine is absorbed more quickly and
directly into the bloodstream through the thin membranes of the inner
lips and gums and straight to the brain.)
Are there any other non-essential flavors and aromas that you habitually
partake of at $7.00 to $14.00 per unit, 365 days per year? Why this one
in particular?
Please don't get me wrong on this, Smoke'em if you got'em, I don't care.
I am just using your post to express an observation because it seemed to
fit the stereotypical, classic lines that I consistently hear which made
me initially suspicious.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Good
Owen Roe
care. I am just using your post to express an observation because it
seemed to fit the stereotypical, classic lines that I consistently hear
which made me initially suspicious."
Sincerely,
Jonathan Good
Au contraire mon cher Jonathan, you write as someone on a crusade
against the evil weed. You keep hearing smokers justifications. Is it
because you continually badger people about their habit?
**********************************
Jonathan Good
>Au contraire mon cher Jonathan, you write as someone on a crusade
>against the evil weed. You keep hearing smokers justifications. Is it
>because you continually badger people about their habit?
Nope, They were some observations. I occasionally smoke Cigars for the
Buzz, the flavor and aroma, and the wonderful memories that become
restimulated as I smoke. I don't smoke often enough for my perception on
the subject to be clouded or to become defensive about it.
Were my observations completely off base?
Like you, I find stale smoke to be distasteful, even when I have created
it. I don't badger people about their habits but I also don't avoid
expressing what I perceive to be true. The attacks and defensiveness
concerning smoking has made it so that few can communicate about it
clearly. Therefore it remains an area of ignorance.
Jonathan
Alan Walter
9. Smoking Cigars causes new age psychotics to rant psychotically.
8. Smoking Cigars get's rid of air-heads.
7. Smoking Cigars masks the smell of mothballs, detergents, foul
smelling perfumes, etc.
6. Smoking Cigars positions you with other arrogant self important
tycoons and other assorted obnoxious people.
5. Smoking Cigars keep a lot of people out of working in sweat shops,
instead they work in slave camps.
4. Smoking Cigars makes for cheap dates. (Most restaurants will not
allow Cigar smoking.) The solution is "the drive in diner," or IHOP to
go.
3. Smoking Cigars proves your not perfect.
2. Smoking Cigars activates perfectionists into serious idiotic
rants.
And the number 1 reason to continue Smoking Cigars is:
1. Smoking Cigars guarantees you will NOT have to have Homer as a
client. :-)
Alan
Owen Roe
clouded or to become defensive about it."
Unlike those imperceptive sorry addicts?
"The attacks and defensiveness concerning smoking has made it so that
few can communicate about it clearly. Therefore it remains an area of
ignorance."
Quite!! Owen
Jonathan
**********************************
Jonathan Good
>Unlike those imperceptive sorry addicts?
Yes, as well as the equally imperceptive sorry attackers.
The whole subject could use some balanced inquiry. Hacker's "pre-emptive
defensiveness" seems to be the rule of the land on both sides of the
issue. It's Us or Them. This prevents any truth from coming to view.
Nobody is allowed by either side to be objective.
Guess I'll go have a smoke...or not.
Jonathan
Beth Guest
>
>The whole subject could use some balanced inquiry. Hacker's "pre-emptive
>defensiveness" seems to be the rule of the land on both sides of the
>issue. It's Us or Them. This prevents any truth from coming to view.
>Nobody is allowed by either side to be objective.
Well said.
>
>Guess I'll go have a smoke...or not.
Have 2,346 (or not) I'll buy them for you.
--
Beth
RDucharme
Could be renamed "10 lame justifications for clinging onto a socially
offensive habit"? or "10 considerations that could make mouth cancer more
bearable", or "10 ways to justify getting even with the world while acting
totally innocent (offensive? Who, me??)".
Robert
C. B. Willis
- CBW
RDucharme
>To: "'Vo...@ctinet.net'" <Vo...@ctinet.net>
>Subject: RE: 10 reasons why you should smoke Cigars
>Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1998 17:53:31 -0700
>
>
>> Could be renamed "10 lame justifications for clinging onto a socially
>> offensive habit"?
>>
>
>> or "10 considerations that could make mouth cancer more
>> bearable",
>>
>gives an opportunity to hold something in his mouth." - unfortinately, i
>don't remember the author of this quote
>
>Cheers,
>Oleg
>
Cigar, pipe, cigarette, chewing tobacco, snuff, it starts out as a way to
appear macho or be rebellious and gain acceptability from similarly confused
peers.
Behind every successfully addicted tobacco user is a happy and successful
tobacco executive. What a wonderful symbiotic relationship. So touching.
I'm just sorry I never became part of that lovely family scene. Not!
Robert
Alan Walter
> Behind every successfully addicted tobacco user is a happy and
> successful
> tobacco executive. What a wonderful symbiotic relationship. So
> touching.
> I'm just sorry I never became part of that lovely family scene. Not!
>
> Robert
Geez Robert, lets face it - - when have you been part of any scene?
Alan
Alan Walter
> Could be renamed "10 lame justifications for clinging onto a socially
> offensive habit"? or "10 considerations that could make mouth cancer
> more
> bearable", or "10 ways to justify getting even with the world while
> acting
> totally innocent (offensive? Who, me??)".
>
> Robert
The sanctimonious diety hath spoken:
Damn! That rant is enough to put me on a withhold.
Alan
Christine Norstrand
> 4. Smoking Cigars makes for cheap dates. (Most restaurants will not
>allow Cigar smoking.) The solution is "the drive in diner," or IHOP to
>go.
IHOPs smell like cigars to me. Food tastes like it, too. No wonder Alan
likes it.