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Originally Posted by yacapo  Are people just stupid or what?? I know it's hard to quit, but it's not hard to never start.
It's just unbelievable how freaking dumb human beings can be. We just don't learn from past mistakes. It's amazing!!! |
Why do people drive cars? They are perfectly capable of walking where they need to go, or riding a bike. Car accidents rates increase all the time, along with fatality rates. Car exhaust is bad for everyone's health and is considered a contributor to lung disease. Why do humans have to immediately be equipped with any and all life lessons when they are born? Just because someone's choices are stupid doesn't mean they are stupid. It's called a learning process. Trial and error. Questioning authority and pushing the boundaries. HUMAN NATURE. So, if that's stupid to you, then YES we are stupid. LOL.
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Originally Posted by yacapo We keep treating kids like they're stupid and immature and they will keep acting this way. We need to stop EXPECTING kids to be stupid by saying their behavior makes sense. When you expect people to be stupid, that's exactly what they will become. |
It's not that easy. LOL. You can't just *POOF* expect a kid to be perfect, let them know they have to be perfect, and then *BAM* they are perfect. You are one influence and you are fighting against the media, society, and peer pressure. What makes you think your logic is going to beat out the "logic" of all of those other influences when they have so many more opportunities to use that influence? I was raised by my grandparents because my mom was a drug addict. They expected a LOT more out of my sister and I than any of my friends parents do. We are both above average intelligence. We both grew up in a VERY loving and stable home. We both absolutely HATED cigarettes growing up, and used to take my moms cigarettes and throw them away when she would visit (which wasn't very often) which angered her to no end. BOTH of us are smokers now. We were raised in the exact manner that you think will stop the problem, and yet, we both did it. It's not that simple. You can't just teach kids things and because you taught them, they will never question it. It is human nature to question authority. That is one of the things that makes our species so great, and one of the main ways we learn and grow. Just because you push the boundaries doesn't mean you have a weak personality or someone must have raised you wrong. It means you are human. You want smoking to be gone, push for legislation outlawing it.
I am kinda surprised that brain chemistry hasn't come up in this topic at all. The prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that is responsible for impulse control, is still developing into the early 20's, not to mention the hormones and body changes that would be hard enough for a full grown adult with developed powers of reasoning to deal with. Kids aren't stupid because they want to be stupid. I have never wanted to be stupid, have you? But when your brain isn't even fully developed yet and all of a sudden you have massive hormonal changes, is it so surprising that a few bad choices may be made? For those teenagers that get out without making a single stupid decision, well good for them. But most people don't!
I'm not saying it's okay or making excuses for anyone who smokes. I smoke and I would never blame anyone else for it. I know it's unhealthy, but I like it and I will quit when I am ready. I'm just saying, it takes more than a snap of the fingers and an idealistic philosophy to take away a problem. What are you doing to fix it besides venting on here?