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MARK L. BAKKE'S
  Created with Allaire HomeSite 4.0 Last Update: 15 Nov 99 Return to "Smoking and Drinking" essay Back to Philosophy page Please feel free to E-mail me with your own comments on this issue or on anything else included in my Philosophy of Life section. Debate is good!
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REPLY #1 TO
"SMOKING AND DRINKING"
Boldfaced statements are parts of the original essay (or a subsequent reply) to which the respondent has directed his comments.
 Italicized/emphasized comments prefaced by (R) are those of the respondent and are presented unedited. My replies appear under the respondent's comments in blue text and are prefaced by my initials (MB). (R) I don't try to approach these from a moralistic view. I'm just a scientist who believes in math(statistics) and physics. Again consider the third law of Thermodynamics. Our bodies are systems under going natural process. Hence they tend towards disorder or an increase in entropy. The ultimate stage of disorder is death and decay. Any thing we introduce into our bodies that hastens this process is guaranteed (as far as the laws of probability allow) to reduce our lifespan and likely to make what is left miserable. Alcoholic beverages could add back to the system in some small way. So not from morals or sins etc. but,as you say, don't smoke and limit drinking. Period. (MB) Exactly. This is another great example of morality and/or social behaviors or customs vs. blatant reality. Unfortunately, humans are prone to prefer short-term pleasure over long-term harm and will rationalize all sorts of nonsense to support their bad habits. Also, most people don't wish to face up to their own mortality. Smokers know that their habit is eventually going to kill them, but they continue to do it in spite of that. Even most of those who quit don't do it to save or extend their lives. Instead, they do it because they can no longer handle the effects of nicotine, their reduced aerobic fitness, the expense, the inconvenience, or whatever other immediate cause there might be. At least they *do* quit. Every other smoker should quit, too. This shouldn't even be a debatable issue.
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