Humans are dumb.
Let’s be honest here… humans do a lot of dumb stuff. We do these dumb things even though we KNOW they’re dumb. Some dumb things are just dumb, and some are dumber than others. What about the dumb things… that are dangerous? If you could SEE the danger… would people still think it was just “dumb” and not “downright stupid”? Would people DO it anymore? What am I even going on about?
I saw something today that fired me up.
It happens sometimes, and usually after about 5 seconds I’ve moved on and forgotten. That’s how interesting, eye-catching things on the internet go, right? It’s enough to grab you… then you move on. This one, though… this one I was determined to run with. Because I know most people are going to see the thing. They’re going to “like” it, maybe comment, maybe tag a friend, maybe even share it. But then… they’re gonna move on. Ultimately, they won’t do anything with it and won’t make a play to change lives. Today… I’m gonna be different. You see…
I’m in the business of changing lives.
This isn’t just a time-waster for me. This isn’t a weekend hobby. My job… the career I’m building for myself… I am legitimately in the business of changing lives. My success is literally the success of those I work with directly and those who are touched by my work. When other people are depending on your help and guidance to succeed… you can’t slack off. You can’t just see something and move on. You’ve got to call attention to it, educate people, and try to open their eyes. I have a moral obligation to try to wake people up and snap them out of the unhealthy habits that are holding them back from being the best version of themselves possible. And one of those unhealthy habits… one of those “dumb things” we humans do… is smoke cigarettes.
Cigarettes have always baffled me.
In today’s day and age the fact that cigarette smoking is as prevalent as it is blows the mind. We have science, studies, and proof that cigarettes are very bad for you. Life-threateningly bad, as a matter of fact! Not only that, but there are a litany of reasons why someone should not smoke… that it is, in fact… dumb to smoke.
They cost a LOT.
Seems the average pack of smokes these days costs $8 to $11 bucks. And it seems the average smoker (based on people I know) smokes a pack every 1 to 2 days. That means the average smoker is spending $30 to $60 per week on smoking. That’s $120 to $240 a MONTH… or more! That’s a lot of money! It’s funny how these very same people might complain about spending $40 a month on a gym membership… but they have no problem spending 3x to 6x that much a month on smokes.
They’re slowly killing you.
Not only are there no health benefits to cigarette smoking… it’s actually doing harm to you! Yes, that’s right, you are PAYING to slowly but surely take days, weeks, months, even YEARS off your life. It’s been proven, at this point, that cigarettes have many harmful carcinogens, toxic ingredients, and nicotene, which is addictive. “Big Tobacco” is powerful, and they have the kind of clout and money to keep things from looking as bad as they really are. With that in mind… however bad you THINK smoking is for you… imagine how bad it must really be.
**EDIT** In the spirit of not being a lazy sh*t and actually following my own guidance… here’s a pretty solid link to some research on the health effects of smoking cigarettes. Here’s another, here’s another, and here’s even a scholarly publication. Boom – sources.
You’re exiling yourself.
Think about it. How often do you see signs that say “no smoking”? The vast majority of the population is not smoking. It’s generally frowned upon as a result of the health effects and… well, let’s be real… it’s kind of gross. Yes, I understand that’s very subjective, but I know I find it pretty gross, and if you look at a 50 year old smoker vs. a 50 year old non-smoker… the effects are staggering. Not to mention… well… put it this way…
You can’t see most of the effects. But what if you could?
You can’t see most of the effects of smoking. Most of it happens inside your body… inside your throat, your lungs. What if you could see what cigarette smoking is actually doing to the insides of your body? Think that’d change a smoker’s mind? Well… that’s the thing I saw on Facebook that got me so fired up today. Someone made a video that I simply had to draw attention to. A little science experiment, if you will. So take a look at the post on my Facebook page. Leave a comment, leave a “like” or reaction… and SHARE IT. The more people that see it… maybe someone will change their mind and stop smoking. Wouldn’t that be nice? If we were collectively a little less dumb?
