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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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