Do you respect people less if you find out they smoke?

Lysander

Lysander

Lysander

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I will enter a [slight] exemption clause by saying that I used to smoke myself and one or two of my very good friends still smoke. I wish they wouldn't.

I'll tell you where I'm coming from. I work for the NHS and as a result I see a lot of doctors and nurses every day. There's this one doctor who is very sharp, also quite funny in person, a very decent guy. Today as I was coming back from lunch he was leaving the building and as I saw him walking off I shouted goodbye to him. He turned round and he was smoking a cigarette. I don't know if I read it into his face or if it was actually there but he seemed to look slightly embarrassed. I was also a little bit shocked. He seems such a sensible guy but to smoke in your 40s [which I think he is] is just... daft.

From that moment on he's fallen off his pedestal slightly. I always find it such a shame when intelligent people smoke. But yes, seeing this guy smoking made me respect him less. Is this a logical reaction at all and do you think you might have felt the same?
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

"Smoking is a common example of cognitive dissonance because it is widely accepted that cigarettes can cause lung cancer, and smokers must reconcile their habit with the desire to live long and healthy lives. In terms of the cognitive dissonance theory, the desire to live a long life is dissonant with the activity of doing something that is likely to shorten one's life. The tension produced by these contradictory ideas can be reduced by any number of changes in cognitions and behaviors, including quitting smoking, denying evidence linking smoking to lung cancer, or justifying one's smoking through rationalization.

For example, smokers could rationalize their behavior by concluding that only a few smokers become ill, that it only happens to very heavy smokers, or that if smoking does not kill them, something else will.

This case of dissonance could also be interpreted in terms of a threat to the self-concept.

The thought, "I am increasing my risk of lung cancer" can be dissonant with the self-related belief, "I am an intelligent, reasonable person who makes good decisions."

As it is often easier to make excuses or pass judgment than it is to change behavior or values, cognitive dissonance research contributes to the abundance of evidence in social psychology that humans are not always rational beings."
 
It drains me to have to serve people for cigarettes each day while I work. The only reason we sell them is to get the people with the addiction into the shop as there isn't much to be made on them :/

I've never smoked however, I don't intend to, but is it that amazing that people will spend £50+ a week on it?

And yes, it is rather strange selling something that clearly states that it will most likely make you ill or lead you to your untimely death.
 
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elmarko said:
For example, smokers could rationalize their behavior by concluding that only a few smokers become ill, that it only happens to very heavy smokers, or that if smoking does not kill them, something else will.
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Heard this before from another nurse who smokes. "Well, you know, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow".

dholdi said:
I used to smoke too, I can now smell them a mile off, did you not smell him before ?
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I know what you mean. But no, I didn't.
 
I see what your saying....

For smoking no...if people would rather smoke than spend their last years with dementia being abused and degraded in a care home, fine.

It gives me pause if i meet someone who is very religious and takes it literally with no room for maneuver, spiritual, ok np, believes in god, ok np, even a specific god, ok np, but genuinely believes the literal word for word of a text, gives me pause.

Ps. Does the fact the person in your op being in the medical profession cause this reaction or do you mean all smokers regardless of their expected position or the example they would be expected to set?
 
I feel sorry for people who smoke. That includes me.

I've given up numerous times and seem to be an on/off smoker recently, but more on than off. I give up for a bit, cave, smoke for a while, give up again.

It's really starting to get to me lately, the second time I gave up properly I gave up for almost a year :(
 
Lysander said:
Heard this before from another nurse who smokes. "Well, you know, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow".

I know what you mean. But no, I didn't.
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The simple truth is that people pretend that it's not a problem - it's make believe.

It's harder to admit "What I'm doing is objectively stupid & I should stop".

When I used to smoke I simply make a point not to think about it, which is another form of denial - as I knew it was stupid, but was addicted.

HardwareGeek said:
I see what your saying....

For smoking no...if people would rather smoke than spend their last years with dementia being abused and degraded in a care home, fine.
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That's a textbook rationalisation right there.

You could also get cancer when 30, 40 or 50 - it's wishful thinking to assume it's only going to happen when your 80.

Besides, I doubt many 80 year olds with cancer are sanguain on the prospect of death either - while it's a long way away now, I highly doubt you would feel the same when you get there.
 
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My workplace is going smoke-free from this April. Staff will just walk off the premises onto the main street, making their smoking breaks longer in the process. At the end of the day, they're addicted. A no smoking policy won't change that.
 
ince said:
Yes they are weak
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That is a generalization there.

I've smoked one 40g tobbaco since September the 12th. That equates to around 30 cigarettes.

I enjoy smoking. Like I enjoy going to the beach, like I enjoy eating good food and drinking nice wine.

I will never quit smoking, simply because I enjoy it.
If I die by smoking, let it be, I could very well die by going to the beach, eating good food etc. At least I'm doing something I enjoy.

As for respect, I do not form my respect for someone based on smoking alone.
 
No..

It's called personal choice. People do as they please, as do I. If it has no impact on me, or my moral boundaries then I couldn't care less.
 
I'm like "hey"
There like "hi wats up"
I'm like "not much I love your face, it reminds me of a crab"
There like Yeeaaaaa its disfunctional"
I'm like "its ok I like it"
There like "Do you wanna smoke?"
I'm like: "GTFOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


I do social smoke though :p
 
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