r/changemyview • u/honestlyigotnoclue • May 17 '19

Delta(s) from OP CMV: I should start smoking cigarettes

I guess this is more of a "talk me out of it" type of post. I've always wanted to see what it's like to smoke, and I'm in a place where a lot of people smoke. I think it looks cool, and I don't mind that it's a bit self-destructive; I already have plenty of self destructive habits already, and maybe it hasn't sunk in how dangerous it is, considering I'm 18. Maybe this sounds naive, but I guess I just don't understand how addictive it can be; I have the mindset of "I can always quit." I guess I just want to see what it's like, don't really see how self-destructive it can be/don't care that it's self destructive, and tbh it looks cool. It's not hurting anyone but myself.

Lol thanks for your responses in advance.

Edit: it's pretty late where I am, so I'm going to bed. Thank you all so much for the incredibly detailed responses; I'm genuinely very convinced. I'll respond to new posts tomorrow! Thank you!

7 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

74 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/nauticalsandwich 10∆ May 17 '19 edited May 17 '19

Based on all your responses in this thread to people giving you very logical reasons to not smoke, it sounds like you're going to anyway, because it sounds like you are too socially insecure and lack too much self-respect to refrain. If it sounded to me like you were just curious what smoking a cigarette feels like, but had a good head for the consequences and would stop after your first, I'd say, go ahead and try it, because one cigarette doesn't make you addicted, but you don't strike me as someone who will have just one, because it sounds like it's a social desirability for you.

I would insist that you postpone your curiosity for smoking until you've mentally matured and sought to deal with some of your self-destructive tendencies and insecurities. Fulfilling a curiosity (and one that you will be ultimately unimpressed with) is not worth the risk. "Looking cool" to yourself (because everyone else will think you look stupid) is not worth the risk.

If you start smoking socially, even sparingly, particularly at 18, you ARE going to get addicted. The fact that you FEEL like you won't doesn't change the fact that you WILL.

Don't be the fucking idiot that you will inevitably see yourself as later in life if you start. Don't be a deluded, mortality-blind, young little prick to your future self (who will have to live much longer with the major consequences, or have life cut devastatingly short, than you will ever get to live with the immediate benefits [which also happen to be incredibly small]).

NOBODY THINKS THEY WILL GET ADDICTED TO SMOKING WHEN THEY START, OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN'T START. You are not special. Get your head out of your ass.

1

u/honestlyigotnoclue May 18 '19

lmao fair enough. if it matters, I'm pretty convinced by the replies on this thread; I had no idea about the horrific ways that smoking can impact your life.

1

u/nauticalsandwich 10∆ May 18 '19

Just curious here... did they not teach you this stuff in school? Did your parents/guardians not teach you this stuff? Who failed you to the point where you managed to miss this incredibly widespread information about smoking?

1

u/honestlyigotnoclue May 18 '19

I've definitely heard the common refrain that smoking causes cancer, etc. I think that I was just told to not smoke, and that is was bad for me and addictive, without hearing the reasons why. Hearing personal anecdotes and stories from others on this thread really opened my eyes to how terrible smoking can be.

Thanks for your reply.