Philosophy Now Forum

Some wise man (probably Marcus Aurelius) once said that when we die we never regret what we have done but always what we have NOT done.

I don´t think it is really true.

If I were dying of lung cancer would I not regret having smoked ?

I haven´t tried a cigarette yet, will I regret it when a time to pass away comes ?
I have accompanied many smokers and watched them. They seem to need the cigarette to assume a certain attitude towards life, to slip into a pose.
This effect can be achieve without nicotine too, I suppose.

We can take hard drugs too. A man told me that the heroine effect is like an orgasm. I did not ask if he was speaking from personal exeperience but he looked like one who might have been.
Do I really need this ?
I mean you can get an orgasm in a harmless and inexpensive way.

Any thoughts ?

Tobacco helps to think in a moment of crisis, apparently.

"The smoke filled his lungs, and it was as if the nicotine were being injected into his bloodstream, clearing all the obstructions."

(Jo Nesbo, The Snowman)

I has just occurred to me that Marcus Aurelius was of a highly phlegmatic disposition.
So perhaps he was so slow that he hardly made any mistakes and hardly took any risks.

..sigh!