HuffamegMon, Jul 28, 2008 First of all, as two commentors has already pointed out, people smokes because they're addicted. But there is a cultural aspect to this. Not only are we asking why people smoke, but why do they get social acceptance for an activity this destructive and how can it be that they receives a special status, "a smoker", by smoking. dragon is pointing out the "coolness" involved in smoking as essential. This is a socially constructed description driven forward by capitalistic forces that surfaces in the western world as tobacco is introduced.
I think, however, that it something more to this. As you are pointing out, one finds smoking in overwhelmingly many cultures, and it plays often an important social role. I would suggest that it is something fundamentally sensual, if not sexual, about smoking. It is closely connected to our senses because one is using all of them and the time aspect, the fact that not only do one have to put a side some time to smoke, but also that the smoke in itself is slow in itself, tells us something about relaxation and the lack of stress. This, I believe, is because smoking has a lot in common with what we can understand as caress. The slow, relaxing and deeply sensual feeling.
First of all, as two commentors has already pointed out, people smokes because they're addicted. But there is a cultural aspect to this. Not only are we asking why people smoke, but why do they get social acceptance for an activity this destructive and how can it be that they receives a special status, "a smoker", by smoking. dragon is pointing out the "coolness" involved in smoking as essential. This is a socially constructed description driven forward by capitalistic forces that surfaces in the western world as tobacco is introduced.
I think, however, that it something more to this. As you are pointing out, one finds smoking in overwhelmingly many cultures, and it plays often an important social role. I would suggest that it is something fundamentally sensual, if not sexual, about smoking. It is closely connected to our senses because one is using all of them and the time aspect, the fact that not only do one have to put a side some time to smoke, but also that the smoke in itself is slow in itself, tells us something about relaxation and the lack of stress. This, I believe, is because smoking has a lot in common with what we can understand as caress. The slow, relaxing and deeply sensual feeling.