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Re: [ProgSoc] Have you registered to vote yet?
Nigel Sheridan-Smith wrote:
John Elliot wrote:
Smoking is almost exclusively about that. In some ways it's a deeply
personal activity, but in other ways it's a deeply social activity.
The fact that it's addictive, or that it *might* (but probably won't)
lead to serious health sufferance later in life is a tiny price to
pay, in consideration of the quality of life that it delivers. Quality
in the intangible ways that can not be measured, and that need to be
experienced to be understood or appreciated.
So can't you do that without smoking? Go for a coffee with work
collegues to 'connect' out of the office. Go for a stroll around a park
or something?
Sure. ...but would you? What would you do, just walk up to a stranger
and say, "Hey, wanna go have a coffee?", "Wanna take five minutes to
stop doing what we're doing just now and go stand outside to see if we
happen to bump into someone to chat with?" -- maybe you *should*.
People tend to socialise in their peer-groups, and their peer-groups are
generally in their socio-economic bracket.
"Got a light?" is the quintessential ice-breaker. Say g'day to a smoker
out the front of building ten next time you're walking past. Who knows
what might happen! :)
Why do you believe that adding the element of 'smoking'
enhances these relationships (other than maybe lengthening the total
time available for chatting so as to align with the time required for
semi-frequent cigarette consumption).
It's not so much that it "enhances" these relationships, as it *creates*
these relationships, as a consequence of the practicalities.
Smoking fosters empathy. It creates opportunities for reflection. It
creates opportunities for relationships. It's a shared resignation to
the human condition. (Hint: WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!)
You can hardly argue 'discrimination' in terms of advertising when we
all suffer the same fate. I suppose, however, that I don't spend that
much time staring at cigarette packets.
We're all being forced to look at pictures of bleeding dead brains
(think about that), because a vocal minority is campaigning to demonise
smokers.
The Sick Society
----------------
Thanks for posting this; its an interested read and a view I have held
for some time without putting a 'name' to it.
It's a shame. Everyone knows it, and we're too apathetic and powerless
to do anything about it. I bumped into this [1] shortly after posting
Latham's comments. How is it that if we *know* about the problem that we
*still have* the problem? It's only an attitude problem, and it's not
hard to change your attitude. Live and let live... I mean... duh!
"Empathy" is what's missing. Empathy inspires trust.
[1] http://thewaronbullshit.com/2007/10/09/thetrap/
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