Questions About Smoking?

[tara]

'Culture, it seems, starts to make us stupid long before the metabolic problems appear.'
'Our brain grows into our culture, and the culture lives in our nervous system.'
–Ray Peat

Nice quotes.

 

[onioneyedox]

^ I wonder if percentage of young people reading books has dropped. It seems to me that most are just watching stupid/mean 3 minute viral videos, or you know instagramming, periscoping or w/e, from their phones all the time. Maybe in this too separation is occurring, some are smarter than before others get more stupid. Or maybe I'm just getting so old that I can't understand the young people, hehe.

 

[Emstar1892]

^ I wonder if percentage of young people reading books has dropped. It seems to me that most are just watching stupid/mean 3 minute viral videos, or you know instagramming, periscoping or w/e, from their phones all the time. Maybe in this too separation is occurring, some are smarter than before others get more stupid. Or maybe I'm just getting so old that I can't understand the young people, hehe.

For the record I'm a young person (23) and I'm a researcher in theoretical physics, doing a part-time PhD in scientific method on top. On my way to work just now I was reading a book advocating an anti-reductionist interpretation of the human genome project, and when I leave work tonight I'll be attending a lecture in the philosophy of cosmology. Yes, separation is occuring

 

[onioneyedox]

Yes, but when I said young I meant teenagers (adolescents), say ages 10-15. I mean it's ok to be uneducated, but I feel the culture is becoming somewhat stupid, humour even seems to be mean often and aimed for short attention span. But I suppose it is old person speaking (30 hehe)

 

[Emstar1892]

Yes, but when I said young I meant teenagers (adolescents), say ages 10-15. I mean it's ok to be uneducated, but I feel the culture is becoming somewhat stupid, humour even seems to be mean often and aimed for short attention span. But I suppose it is old person speaking (30 hehe)

I understand your concerns, I think culture is encouraging a general indifference towards any kind of academia or intellectual activity, but not because young people are becoming stupid, rather, because business profits from selling simplicity - bored and on the verge of an idea? Play candy crush. Feeling like you need a workout? Get the "ab-flat" electric fat-blasting belt. Feel like your social life could use some work? Get facebook. Feel lonely in love? Download tinder. Add to that an unsustainable population with an unsustainable workload and inaffordable education, and it's no wonder culture is left by the wayside!

 

[onioneyedox]

I agree. I don't think I said, or meant to imply, that the people are inherently stupid, but my observation of the culture. In relation to the Ray's quote above. If we suppose that is true, it may have implications even to metabolism and thus intelligence etc. attributes. I suppose it is very much agreed in this community, that everyone has potential to be "intelligent" and creative.

This is complex subject, and there are many factors. Businesses sell what people buy but there is influence to both directions. There is pollution, feeling of helplesness, or not having control etc.

I think the culture makes some young people not reach, or even realize, their potential (let's not use word stupid). Metabolically they would have potential to anything, really. Maybe this is what Ray means above.

Of cource, I can't be sure if the current culture is worse than in my youth. Just wondering if any stats have gotten worse or anything. Could be other way around, heh. At least the current generation has more tolerance to different people, I think this has something to do with time passing from WWII.

 

[Emstar1892]

I agree. I don't think I said, or meant to imply, that the people are inherently stupid, but my observation of the culture. In relation to the Ray's quote above. If we suppose that is true, it may have implications even to metabolism and thus intelligence etc. attributes. I suppose it is very much agreed in this community, that everyone has potential to be "intelligent" and creative.

This is complex subject, and there are many factors. Businesses sell what people buy but there is influence to both directions. There is pollution, feeling of helplesness, or not having control etc.

I think the culture makes some young people not reach, or even realize, their potential (let's not use word stupid). Metabolically they would have potential to anything, really. Maybe this is what Ray means above.

Of cource, I can't be sure if the current culture is worse than in my youth. Just wondering if any stats have gotten worse or anything. Could be other way around, heh. At least the current generation has more tolerance to different people, I think this has something to do with time passing from WWII.

Yes, you're quite right! I think the number of people there are now is a HUGE stressor. I mean, I live in central London, and the cheapest way I can live is in a house with 9 other people, in a huge estate, miles from a train station, with no garden, for £550 a month. Then travel is £148 a month. Phone is £26 a month. I earn 1100 a month, which leaves me with £376 for the month. Say I spend £80 a week on food, that's £56 pounds left. For 31 days. How could I save to one day own a house? No idea. For this reason, I'm still at home with my parents. That's stressful enough - it's affected my social life, and my intimate relationships, for obvious reasons, as well as general privacy and feeling of independence.

Then there's lack of daylight and exercise which I think is SO much worse than before. My commute takes me an hour and a half, I have dinner at the cafe next door and get home at 9:45pm, have no social time or relaxation, get into bed at 10pm and am wired till 1am, then it all starts again at dawn. All this and I don't end up financially better off at the end of the month, so there's not even anything to hope for.

Then there's education - I'm in £27,000 worth of debt for getting an education. Yes, I chose to study, but I would die full of regret if I hadn't studied, that's just who I am. Nevertheless I'm lumbered with a debt that is expected to be paid off when I'm 47.

Then there's socializing - again, a product of business and technology nowadays, but also a huge problem for me. Given that I'm constantly working I don't make any good/lasting friendships. And the friends I had at college never seemed to grow up like I did, they still just take drugs and party all night sleeping with whoever. Maybe it's bad luck but I can't seem to meet girls like me who are into intellectual things, who like being outside and doing nice things rather than just getting into dangerous situations 24/7.

...to name a few.

Sorry for rant. Rant over

 

[onioneyedox]

And to come back to the topic a little, there is this thread on forum which might be worth a read. Just how dangerous is smoking really? | Ray Peat Forum

Personally I enjoy nicotine sometimes, not often so it is quite powerful for me and I never smoked. Maybe it has dopamine boosting effect. To me it feels almost like having a few drinks, but I really am not using it often. No tolerance whatsoever. Using it might be something you really want to be control of, use it wisely (or rarely ).

 

[michael94]

I contacted hestia and nat sherman regarding phosphate based fertilizers. Hestia said they hold their farms to organic standards and are in the process of getting certified. Nat sherman hasn't responded yet.

according to this https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title7-vol3/xml/CFR-2012-title7-vol3-sec205-601.xml
USDA organic should be free from phosphate based fertilizers though not sure what that snail stuff is...The hestia and nat shermans don't have other additives so if they aren't overly contaminated during the growing process they should be on the safer side. Easy to acquire in the U.S.

 

[equusvult]

Tobacco is a cure and or prophylactic against many diseases.. https://www.sott.net/article/234667.../www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC444439/ The effect of chronic exposure to tobacco smoke on the antibacterial defenses of the lung. - PubMed - NCBI Microbiology Society Journals |