The Truth About Smokers "Pleasure Paradox"

Smokers love justifications. Nothing makes them happier than, 'I can't stop because…' They actually believe their own explanations.

But all these explanations are excuses. There is no motive to smoke. Smoking doesn't have any positive benefits. It's 100% dangerous, poison.

But many smokers do not want to listen that. Actually, they already know it's poison. They just have not yet discovered how to give up. Understanding the truth, in a non-aggressive, non- intimidating way, helps to get started on the stop smoking path.

So the justification, 'I get pleasure from them', 'they give me happiness', wants to be looked at carefully. Do they really enjoy them, or are they making a 'Can't stop' explanation.

In actual fact, the happiness comes from the experiences connected with smoking. It does not come from smoking itself.
In actual fact, smoking becomes the 'prevention of displeasure', rather than the 'gaining of happiness'. Smoking brings short-time relief to the extraction symptoms that smoking caused in the first place.

Have you always smoked? Or do you remember back to a time you felt calm and self-belief, before this habit took hold of you ? Any enjoyment comes from short-time relief of extraction symptoms. That is the sad truth.

Where is the enjoyment in loss of taste? An increase of tar and other chemicals reasons a slow but sure loss of taste. Smokers sometimes do not observe since it happens over years.

Then they can't taste exclusive restaurant meals, and think several cigarettes before, during and after the meal gives the answer. Sound recognizable ?

In actual fact, good company and gossip give the pleasure, which a smoker wrongly links with his cigarette.

What else causes us to connect pleasure with cigarettes ?

Unluckily, over many years, cigarettes have characteristic prominently in movies. Famous, attractive people appear to love their cigarettes.

Have you observed how most romantic movie moments used to engage two people lighting up cigarettes together ? Fortunately that's less ordinary in modern times, but who can overlook Bogie and others in the classic old films.

Cigarettes still get promoted around the world, linked with something enjoyable. Once again, romance, freedom, open countryside, calm.

This mental conditioning prevents thousands of people giving up. The myth of 'enjoyment' is stronger than the reality of physical nicotine dependence.

Ever listened to a smoker say they can't stay for their children or grandchildren to get started smoking ? Of course not ! They know it's dangerous, and usually frankly confess they'd like to quit. They even agree with rules that control smoking in public places !

They confess they found the taste unpleasant at first. But persevered so they could try to find the pleasure they hoped to emulate. Nature makes poisons indigestible for good cause - a warning not to use that substance.

In fact smoking removes pleasures previously taken for granted.

We have already covered taste. How about health ? How about the capability to run more than a few yards without gasping for breath ? How about your non-smoking friends and family, who must respire passive smoke, and find their clothes stinking in the morning ?

So the main enjoyment in giving up smoking really comes from regaining past pleasures ! Unless you are a lifelong smoker, you have forgotten the simple pleasures mislaid.

But here is some good news. Those enjoyments can come back. When you stop, your senses ultimately return to normal condition.

Once again, you can taste and enjoy food. Taste starts to come back after only a few days. Eventually, your fitness will improve. Your behavior will change as your non-smoking individuality starts to emerge e.g. no cigarette between meal courses.

The enjoyment of non-smoking far outweighs any fantasy pleasure from smoking. Regaining life's simple pleasures is a valuable achivement, and good reason to stop smoking right now.