I love smoking. I'm not one of those smokers who finishes a cigarette and guilt ensues with a line, “I really need to give up.” I feel no guilt; I enjoy the sensation. I know I also smoke because it's defiant. It's defiant to all the campaigns and propaganda telling us how dangerous the habit is and how weak I am for doing it. I sometimes feel I am sticking my two fingers up at society when I light a stick of death.
Now I know of its dangers and I am fully aware of the healthy reasons to stop. The thing is, it doesn't concern me. As with so much of what I think about, you may be reading this wondering why I'm analysing it so much. You're probably thinking I need to get out more, as reflecting on why I smoke is absurd. Bear with me though.
We're in a society where we're supposed to be afraid of everything. If you read the Daily Mail (and may God have mercy on your soul if you do), then you should be utterly terrified when you wake in the morning. If the Mail is to be believed, you will be mugged, raped, blown up, run over and diagnosed with a horrible disease before you even get to work. Danger, danger! How do we ever make it home each day?
The government wants us to be concerned/afraid/aware of the various dangers coming at us. Terrorists live next door; anti-social behaviour is out of control; you must be offended by anyone who is anti-capitalist or anti-West; CCTV follows us everywhere. It feels as if we're moving to a more fascist society than anything else.
So when I'm told to give up smoking by the government, I basically think, “Fuck you.” If I'm to give up smoking, then close down Macdonald's so obese people give up junk food. And make pubs alcohol free so binge drinking is tackled. Why can't we have the freedom to do what we do, without being self-righteously beaten over the head with how bad we are?
Can't we gain a little perspective? It's good to guide people on the consequences of what they do, but why can't we as a society admit we have a massive imbalance? We tell people to take, take, take to the extreme and then chastise them for doing it. Smoking, binge drinking, obesity are not the issue. Greed is the issue. When our society tackles the disease of greed, then many other things will balance out.
Intreaguing points. Technically we could die any day, any time from being run over by a car or any of the other things you mentioned, so so if you enjoy smoking, then do. I don't believe in excesses, and although 'carpe diem' is a good philosophy for living, its about enjoying what brings true peace and contentment to oneself, and being able to pass it onto other people as well. I completely agree that greed is one of the major vices of our society, but I think many people travel down routes of (your examples) binge drinking and obesity because of personal insecurities, a feeling of being lost, unhappiness -sometimes the cause being out of their control. If individuals started looking outward with love and practical support rather than living in a bubble and judging everyone else, maybe society could start to improve and 'balance out'. Judgement and pre-conceptions is a huge problem though. Christians are just as bad as anyone at that because they are still human, but there is always hope and love to be found with faith which can bring fullfilment of life.Everyone is lost metaphorically and sometimes more, but there is always hope if you know where to look..
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, we do look far too inward. I wonder how much it's an English thing? I miss living in New Zealand for the people's much more altruistic tendencies.
ReplyDeleteNot sure faith brings fulfillment, but i do understand how we can very easily try to find escape in things which bring destruction. I'm as guilty as anyone else in this area.
But I do believe that if I love others unconditionally and simply give them room to 'be' they will be better off. Because i know I appreciate this approach to my life.
That final paragraph of your reply pretty much sums it up I think! Wise words. Reading your answer regarding faith and fulfillment, makes me want to revise my original thoughts slightly. It definitely applies to me, but I do have many friends who are fulfilled without faith so that was a rather closed-minded thought.. I do think it is one of many routes to fulfillment, but I do wonder if many of thses routes have the same final destination? Whatever that might be.
ReplyDeleteI love talking to people from other countries just because they can be so much more open than the British. Don't get me wrong - i love England despite its fault and politics, but we have a long way to go in so as far as society goes. Even when trying to organise things for the good of the community, you can come against such petty barriers which are just discouraging.
But as I said before, one has to keep hope alive because otherwise (I) could end up as depressed as Marvin from 'Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy'. And that isn't an option.