Having smoked for years, I want to share some first-hand information with you. When I look back, most of my partners were non-smokers. Even my wife is a non-smoker. I guess they're right when they say opposites attract. But there was something else about them that attracted me. Their tolerance.
Tolerance is an exquisite human attribute. It entails allowing individuals to be free, letting them be different and letting them be themselves, regardless the flaws they might have. And the feeling that someone loves you despite your flaws or weaknesses is truly liberating. This is what true love is all about. Forgiveness. But when it comes to loving someone who smokes, it also entails taking care of their health. It's legitimate to ask yourself whether the two of you will age together. How many years together do you have left?
Smokers, by contrast, are highly intolerant. Especially towards those who are constantly getting on our case about smoking. As I designed the Quittr cigarette case, my wife told me this is probably the only »anti-smoking« gift that she would ever dare give to me without fear that I would file for divorce. And while she was exaggerating slightly, it wasn’t far from the truth. After all, smokers are somewhat allergic to good-hearted advice about leading a healthier life and all the facts associated with smoke-related risks. And while this is far from saying that spreading awareness about the dangers of smoking is not beneficial or necessary, I personally believe that any efficient approach should be based on positive psychology.
Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that studies human happiness, satisfaction, well-being and all related notions. The term “positive psychology” was first used by psychologist Abraham Maslow in his 1954 book entitled Motivation and Personality. Maslow is known for his hierarchy of needs, which start with basic physiological needs, such as food, water and oxygen, and rises through needs for security, belonging, reputation and knowledge to aesthetic needs and the need for self-realization.
Years ago, researchers at the Brown University and the University of Oxford conducted a study about the effects of positive psychology on quitting smoking, focusing predominantly on improving the moods of people who were attempting to quit smoking by following the principles of positive psychology. After all, the negative adverse effects of quitting smoking include mood swings and depression, so it is highly important that each individual who starts this journey receives adequate support, encouragement and positive thoughts from their environment. The study results indicate that positive psychology is highly efficient in quitting smoking.
And this is where you, our partners, enter the picture. You are the ones accompanying us on our journey of self-realization, helping us reduce and quit smoking. And as holds true for all other dimensions of self-realization, we will be thankful for your support, encouragement and good will, especially in times when we are weak and less determined. If living with a smoker demands a great deal of tolerance, then any support with helping us quit smoking relies highly on your positivity.
