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Comment by simoncion | Hacker News Reader

> Heck it's been 4 years and I still sometimes get dreams where I'm vaping.

It has been way more than four years for me, and I'll smell some cigarette smoke when I'm in a mood and be all like "Man, wouldn't it be nice if I got me one of those?".

But, I can say the same sort of thing about my reaction to the odor of coffee or caffeinated tea. Despite the fact that the very same place I get my coffee and tea from sells cigarettes -and wouldn't even card me because I'm so very obviously old- I've been able to quit nicotine. I've never been able to quit caffeine.

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How do people not just do the easy pleasurable thing? I am incredibly prone to addictions and I don't understand how some people aren't.

Genetic lottery, I think. There are some "addictions" I've been able to give up incredibly easily, and others I still struggle with. Other people have the opposite problem, others still don't have any at all. The older I get, the more I think willpower is a made up concept.

Sadly true, I think. My grandparents gave up smoking at the same time after grandad contracted emphysema. They were the generation that believed smoking was good for them and smoked for 50+ years. My grandma was shocked that she had physical withdrawal symptoms, something she associated with "druggies". But it went away after two weeks. After that my grandma never thought of smoking again and actually became repulsed by smoke. But my grandad never got over it, he craved a cigarette every day for the rest of his life.

How are you right now not drunk while munching on cake and playing an online slot machine?

What makes you think I'm not?

Don't give me ideas

Impulse control?

I am very prone to (mostly digital) addictions, but on nicotine, despite having been smoking 7 years, I’ve quit cold turkey without trouble, and since then, I can absolutely just borrow one to a friend, maybe 2 or 3 times per year, without any withdrawal symptoms. It does not have any effect. I don’t understand anything about that :|

That's funny, as I was reading the comments on this page I was thinking the opposite: I don't understand people who get addicted to things.

Smoking seems gross and stupid and self-destructive to me.

Alcohol does nothing for me, I don't understand why people drink alcohol when it's clear they will get a hangover. Sometimes I drink wine or beer but there's nothing appealing about it.

Gambling (casinos, online, sports betting) seems stupid and pointless - it's pretty much guaranteed that you'll lose, it's the whole point of a casino.

Caffeine - I drink tea and coffee, but most of it without caffeine. Sometimes I drink caffeine every morning for a couple of weeks (mountain biking vacation), and then I stop it and feel bad for a day and then I'm back to normal.

I guess I'm just lucky.

Probably the same way normies view us who spend time reading and commenting to semi-hostile strangers on the internet.

You likely have no idea just how lucky you are.

Because it is not pleasurable at all? When I was a kid, I saw a couple of friends get addicted to smoking, from the first cigarette. I have seen dozens of acquaintances as well because I was interested in the process.

Even myself tested his firsts cigarettes.

It was so painful. The body reacts violently when you try to poison it. Severe coughs that people try to hide, trying to appear strong while they could not help it making impulsive movements. It tastes like sh*ht, it burns your lungs. You stink, your clothing and breath stinks.

It takes a lot of concious and painful work in order to force your body into accepting that.

For me it was pure stupidity to make a deliberate effort to get hooked into an addiction, so I just did not continue.

I couldn't help but see that this way. I read a lot so I knew what was coming next. It is like casinos not inviting mathematicians or physicist to conferences, as because of their training, they can see the probabilities inside out and never fall in the emotional trap.

> Because it is not pleasurable at all?

There wouldn't be a trillion-dollar market for tobacco if it was "not pleasurable at all". Your personal experience isn't universal, man.

> It takes a lot of concious and painful work in order to force your body into accepting that.

Of course it does! But guess what? It feels sooo goood that people get addicted to it!

Your experience is very atypical.

If you grew up in a house with smokers, you would not find the smell unusual.

Only the first 2-3 in your life are any kind of challenge to get through, after that it's smooth sailing, unfortunately. For most people.

Count yourself lucky I guess.

Honestly? I think it's just a mindset.

I have never been addicted to nicotine so can't compare but it's quite easy to quit caffeine, I'll get headaches for a few days and then it's gone. But then what? Caffeine makes it easy to concentrate and work, enables me to get anything done at all. Other drugs that do that are illegal. Maybe one day, when I'm no longer working, I'll quit it for good. Not yet.

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