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skybriantoday at 4:02 PM4 repliesview on HN

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.


Replies

saltwatercowboytoday at 4:29 PM

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.

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helterskeltertoday at 5:00 PM

This thread is starting to remind me of Stalker.

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CooCooCaChatoday at 6:50 PM

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.