[skybrian]

Smokers don’t seem to be under any illusions about whether it’s bad for them? When people have conflicting desires, I think what even counts as “self-interest” gets complicated. Often people are acting at cross-purposes to some of their desires.

[saltwatercowboy]

I suppose the 'self-interest' of desiring a cigarette outweighs the 'self-interest' of preserving your health.

Reminds me of debating Bentham in high school. If the feeling of self-interest of a murderer acts upon is greater than the self-interest of someone not to be murdered, etc...

Maybe the point is not to reduce judgment to one qualitative idea.

[PaulDavisThe1st]

aka discounting time value, or something like that. "the feeling i will get now by smoking this cigarette, though fleeting, is worth to me now than the chance of years more living, or a healthier late life, if i do not smoke it".

[CooCooCaCha]

Yeah self-interest occurs across different time scales and consists of a mixture of logical and emotional factors.

It’s also subjective and dependent on the persons values, beliefs, etc.

[michaelhoney]

"I want another drink now. Hangover is tomorrow-me's problem"

[lanstin]

One certainly doesn't smoke imagining it's for the benefit of others - if anything it's the selfishness of now against the benefit of future me.

[CooCooCaCha]

Self-interest includes chemical dependence and emotional satisfaction.

The broader point is that self-interest is not purely logical because humans are not purely logical beings.

[helterskelter]

This thread is starting to remind me of Stalker.

[flohofwoe]

Also a little bit of Stanislaw Lem, I remember in one of his books he mentions a service that matches people who want to die with people who want to kill ;)