Remember how maddening it was when you presented well-documented evidence to someone regarding an issue and the person seemingly would not - could not - hear you, acknowledge even momentarily what you were sharing/presenting? This could well have been a negative experience for you. I think we've all had this happen at some time in our lives. The person you may have dealt with was very likely a "true believer" concerning a particular issue. And this perceived stubborn streak, bull-headedness, inflexibility on the part of the true believer you'd encountered, although perhaps a negative to you, might well have been a positive - even life-preserving - position to said true believer.
I think we all - including those most skeptical among us - have a true-believer stance on at least some issues.
Obviously, this mind set, given certain circumstances, can be limiting to the individual, even debilitating.
When it comes to tobacco use, however, my mind's made up; when it comes to alcohol and the other mind-bending drugs, I'm set in my way; translation: I've already done my tissue-damaging research re: tobacco, booze, drugs, and have made my powerful abstinence choice.
Folks can - and have - trotted alternative possibilities before me, touting documented research to strengthen their particular positions relating to these issues, and for over 30 years I've comfortably and solidly eschewed booze, drugs, and have kept nicotine out of my life for over 15 years.
My true-believer visceral-and-cognitive position concerns me and my life choices in these matters; I can't crawl inside other folks to control their choices, and furthermore, we'd all be up the creek if any of us had such an "ability."
Certainly I continue to try and persuade addicted persons within appropriate forums - to acknowledge and accept their individual addictions and then to prioritize their recovery efforts regarding these addictions. Sometimes true believers unite for support in groups, this can be a powerful, positive reinforcement experience. Folks should take care, though, to preserve their individuality in such groups, avoiding one-size-fits-all "programs" for a healthier citizen-of-the-world recovery from nicotine, booze, etc.
I encourage you to become a true believer concerning nicotine abstinence, and current research tends to show that memory neurons will light up again years later if one abandons one's true-believer no-matter-what abstinence decision and re-introduces addictive substances back into one's body.
Legions of us assure you that you can be a solid nicotine-free true believer while fun-loving and "worldly" at the same time.
Related posts:
Traditional Quitting Methods Got You Down? Support is Here
Nicotine Addiction: Scare Yourself Straight into a New Life
Smoke-free Adventures: Share Your Quit Story
Visit me at www.quitnicotinenow.net. I look forward to being with you again next week.
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