# 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:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/41 "2010-02-23T23:43:01Z")
Bite my fingernails. It looks awful and it’s embarrassing and I chew them so far back it HURTS, but I keep doing it. I know what addiction feels like, because even considering the idea of having fingernails makes me shudder. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/42 "2010-02-24T00:01:46Z")
> [@MitzeKatze](#): > > 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 used to, too. I was probably drinking the equivalent of 12 - 15 cans a day. After my doctor complained about my blood pressure I switched from caffeinated to caffeine-free – gradually, and with no withdrawal headaches. Initially, I I cut my caffeine consumption in half by alternating regular diet with caffeine-free diet. Then, every 2 or 3 days I would reduce my caffeine intake by 1 can. Eventually, I got to where I was only drinking one regular diet Pepsi a day. When I eliminated that last can, I had no side effects. Of course, I was still drinking as many caffeine-free cans as I used to drink regular diet. Then I went deaf in my right ear. My ENT doctor said that, while the evidence isn’t definitive yet, there is a small chance that all the aspartame from the diet soda was the cause. (I now drink no diet soda at all.) So there can be health consequences… J. ---
**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 24, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/43 "2010-02-24T01:36:58Z")
> [@dukette71](#): > > It’s the two steps forward one step back method. As you can see, it is not the quickest or most painless way. > > yeah, I suck. Heh. IMO, it’s probably a mistake to entertain the notion that giving up smoking consists of more than one step. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/44 "2010-02-25T06:40:31Z")
I consume too much caffeine and sugar. I have cut down on soda to the point of allowing myself one can of Coke per week, but replaced it with iced coffee and/or iced tea. I also love dark chocolate and Merlot, even though I know both give me migraines. Other things I do even though I know they’re bad for me is sleep too little and spend too much time at the computer. I should be getting ready for bed right now, but I just _have_ to check my LiveJournal first… ---
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/45 "2010-02-25T15:03:44Z")
Procrastination is the bad habit from which most of my life problems derive ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/46 "2010-02-25T20:18:29Z")
Not doing my work in a timely fashion, even though I have a lot of it and doing it later only makes it more stressful and annoying. Speaking of work… \ ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946/47 "2010-02-26T01:39:52Z")
I constantly compare myself to people who are younger than I but who are much more successful financially; I drive myself insane wondering where, when and why I went wrong. I don’t deal well with stress; my method of coping is to develop raging incapacitating migraines. Nothing I’ve ever tried will stop them except codeine and I love codeine; I have a history of codeine abuse but I have learned to not abuse it. I take it only when I need it and not when I want it. But it isn’t easy. I drink far too much Coca-Cola but I refuse to cut down, much less stop. I have problems with authority and always have. I’m an emotional wreck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actions-that-have-negative-consequences-but-you-do-them-anyway/529946.md?page=2)