If i give up smoking will my personality change?
I hate to tell you this, but yes it will. It’s not a bad thing really, as I’ve come to find out.
Your personality will be one that is productive, and not driven by a reward that has nothing to do with what you are trying to accomplish. You’ll have more concentration than you did before, leading to that very same productiveness.
Your new self will face adversity, instead of running from it, and you’ll be more respected by people around you that do not smoke. You’ll have more self esteem, which leads to more self worth. You’ll stop forcing yourself to always be one step away from being able to smoke.
Smokers will say you are a jerk now, mainly because you are not on the same bus to death that they are. You’ll be hated because you are no longer a smoker, and ‘better’ than they are. You’ll also have a change in behavior and you won’t want to ‘hang out’ with those that won’t return the favor of understanding you don’t want to smoke any longer.
In all, you will change when you stop smoking. Anyone who says you’ve changed for the worst are obviously not looking at the big picture, and just wish you’d start smoking again.
1MsTekLady on Sep 16, 2007 at 4:56 pm:
I agree with you. I have definitely changed since I quit smoking and the change is for the BEST! If folks don’t agree then that’s too bad…that’s THEIR problem, not mine!
I know relationships with my smoker family and friends will change. Oh, well, that’s life! Everything must change…life is full of changes. Not to sound like a big ‘ol beeyatch, but when it comes to my quit, it is all about me!!! Period! I will do whatever I have to do to remain smoke-free.
If something gets in my way or comprises my quit, I will have to cut it off, even if that means cutting off certain relationships. Real friends will be happy for me and understand, as for others, who cares?
2Stan on Sep 16, 2007 at 6:16 pm:
You know, this is a great post! We do change quite a lot after we quit! It made me think of all the ways I’ve changed…and I’ve discovered more change than I thought had happened.
3phreaki on Sep 16, 2007 at 6:27 pm:
I wrote this due to quite a bit of negative feedback in the press about personality changes, and being for the ‘worse’. I disagreed with it, and I certainly haven’t tried to kill my wife.
I also had one person insinuate that I had become more argumentative, aka ‘asshole’ since I quit. I simply didn’t have a pacifier in my mouth anymore, and i love it!
4Alex on Sep 22, 2007 at 9:22 am:
3 days as a non-smoker and all of my friends & family (except 2) are smokers. I see envy in their eyes and comments. Nobody (among smokers) made a positive comment on my quitting! One said :” Ah, you can’t really quit! It is too difficult. I guess in a year you will be back smoking again!”. He also mentioned, how good smoke he bought this time etc…
The other said: NOTHING!! I mean com’on the person knows me for years, knew how much I needed this, and never ever did count on my strength. When I finally did it, he acted like nothing changed!
I hate to say it, but I guess this is a good way to choose good friends vs fake friends…
5phreaki on Sep 22, 2007 at 1:44 pm:
The worst is when you have a friend say he knows it’s killing him. Almost as worse is someone saying smoking tobacco is natural, it has 4,000+ chemicals in it, but Chantix, a one chemical drug is not.
Remember, you still have a risk for lung cancer, you’ve smoked. They may never get lung cancer, but statistics say you have less risk now.
When you hit your month, or one year mark, I’d bet they’ll start their discovery of how much healthier you are. Congrats, and don’t start again because of them, no friend should lead you to your death.
6yellowkate on Jul 21, 2008 at 12:08 pm:
I’ve just quite with my partner, and its been tough with arguements most days. The love for each other reasons the stress as it will mean that we will be able to ahve healthier children, animals, nice smelling house and a longer lasting marriage. The reality of my mother being diagnosed with lung cancer this year and the pain of potentially loosing her because of a 40 year smoking habit is beyuond belief, which is why I was so determined to make sure I will not purposefully put myself through that with the next closest people to me.
As a friend said, if you are determined enough to go through the initial feeling of a bad breath, coughing and feeling sick, bad skin, low energy and wasting time thinking about your next fag, you have the determnaion to quite.
This message was great to suuport my changes in personality, health and well-being.
Big Love