# Actions that have negative consequences, but you do them anyway. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 22, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946 "2010-02-22T04:27:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/1 "2010-02-22T04:27:14Z")
I eat around 300 to 600 calories of chocolate a day. It’s bad for my health in the long run but I don’t care. I have no plans on stopping. I also drink coffee every day. It’s bad for my teeth and creates a dependency, but it will take too much effort to quit. Plus all it takes is one day where you need an energy boost and you start the dependency over again. I crack my knuckles. No way I’m stopping this. It feels too good and the possible damage is very vague and, to my knowledge, unsubstantiated. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/2 "2010-02-22T04:47:16Z")
I just smoked a cigarette. ---
**Author:** ![dukette71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@dukette71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dukette71)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/3 "2010-02-22T04:49:25Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > I just smoked a cigarette. Me too. And I have been quitting for 3 months. I hate this habit. I don’t know if coffee passes for a bad habit thought. Some studies show that it has health benefits. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/4 "2010-02-22T13:44:43Z")
I’m a boring health nut, but I routinely take hour-long, scalding hot showers that really make my bacne flare up. I know from experience taking only short, cool showers would help tremendously. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/5 "2010-02-22T14:20:58Z")
> [@dukette71](#): > > Me too. And I have been quitting for 3 months. How can you _be quitting for 3 months_? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Krebbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@Mr.Krebbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Krebbs)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/6 "2010-02-22T15:36:45Z")
I smoke cigarettes, I drink daily and I do not eat enough, let alone healthy food. > [@Mangetout](#): > > How can you _be quitting for 3 months_? 😕 Believe it or not, some smokers do successfully quit by decreasing their daily use gradually or after a series of failed attempts. In my experience, the latter category are generally older smokers developing health consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/7 "2010-02-22T15:46:44Z")
> [@Mr.Krebbs](#): > > Believe it or not, some smokers do successfully quit by decreasing their daily use gradually or after a series of failed attempts. I’ll believe that, for suitably small values of ‘some’. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/8 "2010-02-22T15:48:59Z")
A lot of the ones already mentioned (hot showers, coffee, cracking knuckles). My additions to the list: - Wearing sexy heels. They squish my toes together, scrape against the back of my heel, and don’t do my calves any favors, but at least my legs look good! - Talking on the cell phone. I guess this one is arguable, but I talk on the phone enough that if cell phones really do emit radiation waves that cause cancer, I’m going to die a premature death. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/9 "2010-02-22T15:52:00Z")
I smoke, drink, eat fatty foods, drive a bit too quickly and pick at scabs before they’re fully healed. I no longer have unprotected sex and/or sex with multiple partners over short periods, but that’s probably only because I’m in an long term monogamous relationship. Also, aging. > [@Mangetout](#): > > How can you _be quitting for 3 months_? 😕 Poorly. ---
**Author:** ![MitzeKatze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@MitzeKatze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MitzeKatze)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/10 "2010-02-22T16:01:50Z")
I drink Diet Pepsi. Constantly. To the exclusion of water on most days. In fact, I just finished a can and will go get another from the fridge the second I hit the submit button. I am sure there are health consequences, but I have not yet experienced any and I get killer caffeine withdrawal headaches if I don’t have it, so I will keep drinking it until it becomes cost prohibitive to do so. I also take really long, really hot showers (sometimes I overheat myself and have to lie down before I fall over) and don’t get enough exercise, and can go all day long reading on my computer without interacting with another human being. [Which is probably a negative action for my computer too- how many hours a day can a laptop be used before it dies?] And I eat crap most of the time when I eat at all (mostly homemade crap though so I can feel a little more self-righteous about it) and I don’t sleep much- but I blame that on insomnia more than habit- all of which will eventually catch up with me. Now that I re-read this I sound like a right mess. 😉 But aside from some recent unrelated health issues (weird intestinal problems that the doctor assures me are unrelated to eating/drinking habits and went so far as to okay unlimited amounts of Diet Pepsi when I was on full liquids immediately after surgery) I am in great shape so far health-wise. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/11 "2010-02-22T16:58:01Z")
I drink more wine/beer/vodka than I should. I do not use tobacco, but I smoke. BUT I know I will not live forever, and generally prefer quality over quantity anyway. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/12 "2010-02-22T20:43:31Z")
I smoke. Down to 2 to 3 a day, but still. The funny thing is: I’m a runner. Currently training for a half marathon in May. Don’t care. I like smoking, dammit. I’m sure I’ll quit when I start really upping my mileage, but so far it hasn’t really affected me too much. (Ran last season not smoking after I had quit, then started again so I have some basis for comparison.) I’m also addicted to nasal spray. I just can’t quit! I find the feeling of being not able to breathe out of my nose so horrifying I keep using it, even though I know that’s whats causing the dependency. Every eight hours, like clockwork, sometimes more. I try to time my last spray of the night so I don’t wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning, not being able to breathe, needing to use it. It’s terrible. I also smoke things other than tobacco. Pretty much every other day, on average. Negative consequences of that being it makes me lazy, eat a lot and hurts my chest after awhile. That’s why I try to restrict it to evenings, after dinner, when I’m not planning on doing anything or eating anything anyway. I figure I’m able to hold down a professional job, exercise regularly and lead an otherwise active life, so other than the actual act of smoking, it’s fine. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/13 "2010-02-22T20:54:15Z")
> [@lezlers](#): > > I smoke. Down to 2 to 3 a day, but still.. I wonder how bad that is for you? It seems like such a small amount that it wouldn’t really make much difference health wise. If I was able to only smoke twice a day, I may just happily keep it that way. I quit two years ago because there’s no way I’d be able to just smoke two a day. ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/14 "2010-02-22T21:06:11Z")
I procrastinate a lot and am easily distracted by the Web. Like I really should be working right now instead of hanging out here. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/15 "2010-02-22T21:14:57Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > I wonder how bad that is for you? It seems like such a small amount that it wouldn’t really make much difference health wise. If I was able to only smoke twice a day, I may just happily keep it that way. I quit two years ago because there’s no way I’d be able to just smoke two a day. Dunno, really. I assume it’s bad because, hey, it’s smoking a cigarette. I exercise so much and eat so healthy though, I pretty much consider it a wash. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/16 "2010-02-23T14:29:34Z")
I have a sweet tooth, but I generally watch what I eat and I exercise regularly so it really isn’t a big deal. When I consider the long long list of things I _don’t_ do that most other people do, I refuse to beat myself up about it. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/17 "2010-02-23T14:38:14Z")
I love to lay out in the sun in the summertime. Sometimes I don’t bother putting sunblock on my legs. Luckily I’m pretty tan and don’t burn easily. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/18 "2010-02-23T16:08:35Z")
It’s more what I don’t do. I don’t exercise. I don’t visit a doctor or dentist regularly. I don’t avoid naughty foods. And I don’t care. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/19 "2010-02-23T16:16:24Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > I have a sweet tooth, but I generally watch what I eat and I exercise regularly so it really isn’t a big deal. When I consider the long long list of things I _don’t_ do that most other people do, I refuse to beat myself up about it. That’s my take on it, too - I don’t drink, smoke, drink caffeine, do drugs, eat too many fried foods or stay up late. The chocolate and jellybeans in my cupboard are there to stay (well, not these ones - I’ll eat these ones. The idea of chocolate and jujubes in the cupboard is here to stay.) The long hot showers is one of my weaknesses too - I know it dries my already dry skin out more, but it feels soooooo good. Then there’s The Dope when I should be out looking for work. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/20 "2010-02-23T16:17:43Z")
I stay up too late. Over and over again, I get caught up with reading or doing something on the computer and I know it’s late and I’ll be tired in the morning and I hate being tired. I’m not one of those people who can say “wow, I’m tired” and then kind of shake it off … I am miserable for hours after I wake up after not getting enough sleep. And then there’s another good book or mindlessly interesting thread online and I’m going the whole thing all over again. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946.md?page=2)