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The Thinking Man's Choice
Contact is made. Nerves order the heart to pump faster. Adrenalin surges to action. Nerves constrict the blood vessels in the extremities of the body. Skin temperature drops. Fingers and toes grow colder. Blood pressure jump. An alcoholic or a dope addict in the first stages of a "cure"? A man being catapulted into outer space? No! These effects stem from smoking just one cigarette.
The United States Public Health Service is issuing continual warnings to smokers. If they abstain completely from smoking, their chances of acquiring lung cancer will be one in 275. Their chances of dying of lung cancer will be one in 10 if they become heavy smokers─two or more packs a day. Lung cancer is fatal in 95 per cent of all cases.
But in spite of glaring evidence and frequent warnings, the public is smoking more and more. The Department of Agriculture estimates that this year's consumption of cigarettes will reach 180 packs per person fifteen years of age and over. How many cigarettes does this mean per person?─3600.
Why is smoking such an important problem? Because smoking is not a mere habit, as so many think it is. No, it is more serious than that. A habit can be broken easily enough, but an addiction cannot. Smokers lapse into helplessness! Daniel Schubert, of the University of Chicago, quizzed 226 students at a large Northwestern college about their smoking habits─why they started, what satisfaction they got, and if they wanted to stop. According to Schubert, they wanted to quit smoking; but they couldn't.
If one is addicted to cigarettes, he is dependent upon them physically, as well as psychologically. What is it, if it is not addiction, that motivates a man to go out in sub-zero weather to buy a pack of cigarettes? If necessary, he will drive ten miles late at night to find an open drugstore. What is it, if it is not addiction, that makes a moocher of an otherwise charming young girl?
I was talking to a professor not long ago who had just quit smoking. He told me what most of you already know─that once the habit is started, watch out! It is next to impossible to stop smoking. I asked him how he ever managed to quit when he had been smoking over a pack a day for ten years. Listen to his story.
"Well, I cut down to one-half pack a day for the first week.
I was touchy most of the time. The slightest irritation made my nerves jangle and my head want to explode. The next week I smoked five cigarettes a day and had an even worse case of nerves. Then the following week I chewed gum and sucked on mints, candy, and pipe stems. Frankly, I wasn't sure from one moment to the next if I could keep going. Somehow I made it."
Many of you know what this professor is talking about; you, too, have tried to break the addiction, but have failed. In the few minutes we have here today we can analyze the motives at the root of our smoking problem.
Perhaps we can assure those who do not smoke, (and I am happy I can still include myself in this group), to nip in the bud the urges of those who are about to begin smoking, and to encourage to cut-down those who are already confirmed smokers.
Let's begin with group pressures. We race to maturity, to grow up all at once. We want poise, selfconfidence, and lots of friends; we want to be accepted.
This need for acceptance reminds me of an incident that occurred in a campus sorority house during the "rushing period" last fall. A sorority member offered a rushee a cigarette. Eager to please and not to seem different, the girl blurted out a confident, "Oh, yes, I'd love one!" The active struck a match, was calmly extending it toward the rushee when the flustered freshman met the active half-way with cigarette in hand. The active was thunderstruck. You can imagine her mixed emotions while striving to stifle her amusement and at the same time to understand that the poor rushee had never smoked before. In the excitement of the moment she was only concerned with being accepted.
Then there is the girl who is seated in a group, not knowing what to do with her hands. First, she rolls and unrolls the curl behind her left ear; then she rummages in her purse for some article to wave as a prop. An inspiration flashes, and she remembers the package of Kents in her coat pocket. Why didn't she think of them before? She always did think women who smoked looked mature. What a convenient prop to have brought along. Convenient? Yes, sophisticated? No. Years ago, a woman was thought sophisticated if she knew how to smoke. Men were impressed. But today the picture is changing, as everyone knows how to smoke─age eleven or up. Perhaps now the novelty should be the nonsmoker?
Now I ask you. Is a woman charming if she can sit with her hands folded gracefully in her lap, or is she more charming while fidgeting with one cigarette after another? And you men specifically─which do you prefer─the lady who needs no props to have poise, or the lady who thinks a cigarette makes her more alluring to you? Take a good look at a woman sometime when she is inhaling. She drags hard, makes a puckering noise with her lips, tosses her head back drawing a deep breath─then bellows the smoke out like the gust from a rocket launching. She may even go so far as to blow smoke rings for you. Is she dainty? Is she feminine?
The power of suggestion is another strong motivating factor in our lives. Haven't you watched someone yawn and suddenly felt your own mouth gape open. You let the power of suggestion get the best of you; and before you realized it, you, too, were yawning. Now, couldn't this same power induce you to smoke? Why not, especially through the medium of advertising.
I am reminded of a "Mostly Malarky" cartoon that I recently clipped out of the Chicago Tribune. Malarky strolled into a drugstore. Standing before the counter, he scratched his head in silence. Finally, he muttered to the clerk, "I want the thinking man's cigarette, but I can't seem to think of the name." Poor Malarky. He only wanted a package of Viceroy as the "thinking man's cigarette." After all, if he is a thinking man, as he thinks he is, he should, by all means, smoke his own brand.
Advertisers are further toying with men's egos by appealing to their hidden desires to be energetic, vigorous, and potent. Marlboro, with its hairy-chested male smoker, has set the pace. The cigarette is made to project the image of a rugged, rough-and-ready guy. Doesn't this explain why many cigarette ads display great flexing of masculine muscles?
The woman, too, is a victim of advertising. Vogue cigarettes catch her eye. Why? Because they come in pastels. How perfectly exciting for the female world! Just think! She can now buy cigarettes to match her wardrobe; and what's more, she can purchase matching cigarette cases and lighters in any color of the rainbow, with jewels or without.
Yes, we are frequently victims of suggestive devices. Dr. Ernest Dichtter, head of the Institute for Motivational Research, has conducted a series of studies for ad agencies on the subject of smoking. He states, "People smoke, not because of the taste of cigarettes, but because smoking provides them with certain psychological satisfactions they can get in no other way." He adds that cigarettes are involved in a man's struggle for survival, stability, and security. I am afraid I cannot agree with Dr. Dichter, for I believe that a man can survive and can find security without cigarettes. He needs food, he needs shelter, he needs love and companionship; but can't he satisfy these needs in ways other than smoking?
Rationalization makes a strong impact on our lives. Are we cultivating rationalizations as an excuse to smoke? I am afraid we are. No doubt 50 per cent of us here have used as an excuse to continue smoking, this very common remark, "If I ever stopped smoking, I would gain ten pounds." Perhaps! A cigarette at 4p.m. does not contain the calories that a milkshake does. But the healthy way to lose excess pounds is to eat the right kind and the right amount of food.
We again rationalize when we buy filter tip cigarettes. We assure ourselves that the filter reduces any danger, but according to the July, 1957 edition of Reader's Digest, "The tar and nicotine reduction possible through a filter ranges from 7 to 17 per cent. These percentages are too small to be really protective." With a perfect filter no smoke could seep through─just hot air. So many people believe that filters are the solution that filter tips will account for about half of this year's output. Can't we admit that we are being duped to form a habit that is detrimental to mankind─a habit that leads to addiction?
So you begin to wonder if maybe you should quit smoking─that, after all, you are an individual. What would happen to you tomorrow if some conclusive proof should suddenly come forth─proof that cigarettes are a one-way ticket to death? What would you do? Who do not smoke, you've seen why others start the habit and the risks they are taking. Be on your guard. You, who have the urge to start smoking─you are perched on a fence and can jump to either side. Which will you choose? And you, who are already confirmed smokers, are now confronted with the hardest question of all. If you wanted to stop smoking, "Could you? Could you break the addiction?"
Jean Nicot, the Frenchman who gave his name to nicotine, believed that he had discovered a miracle drug. Today we try to filter out nicotine because of its harmful nature. The modern Jean Nicots believe that smoking makes the woman more attractive, more desirable─the man more masculine, more independent.
We say we are thinking men! Well, are we thinking? Cigarette, anyone?
到位了。神经命令心脏跳动加快。肾上腺激素开始涌动。神经促使人手脚处的血管开始收缩。皮肤的温度下降了，手指、脚趾渐渐变凉，血压升高了。这些症状是不是发生在一个酒鬼或一个吸毒成瘾者接受"治疗"的第一阶段？抑或是一个人正被弹射到外层太空？不！它们仅来自于吸了一支烟。
美国公共健康服务中心正不断地给烟民们发出警告。他们被告知：如果他们彻底戒烟的话，他们得肺癌的可能将是1/275。如果他们成了一天吸两包烟以上的瘾君子的话，那他们死于肺癌的比例将是1/10。同时必须指出，100个肺癌患者中有95人将最终死亡。
然而，尽管这些吸烟有害健康的证据毋容置疑，并不断向人们发出警告，但吸烟人数还在不断增多。农业部估计，今年的香烟消费量将达到人均180包（15岁以上者）。这将意味着每人吸多少支？3600支。
为什么吸烟是一个如此严峻的问题？因为它不是许多人所认为的只是一个习惯问题。不，它远比习惯来得厉害。一个习惯能轻易地改变，而吸烟一旦上了瘾，就难以自拔了。芝加哥大学的丹尼尔·舒尔伯格曾经对西北一所较大的大学的226名学生就吸烟习惯问题做过一次调查──是什么原因使他们开始吸烟的？他们从吸烟中获得了什么快感？他们是否有戒烟的打算？从舒尔伯格的调查结果来看，那些学生想戒烟，但是办不到。
如果一个人吸烟上了瘾，他即在生理上对香烟产生了依赖感。如果这不是一种瘾的话，那它是什么？是什么力量能促使一个人在零度以下的恶劣天气里出门去买烟？如果必要的话，他甚至会在深夜开十英里车去寻找一个仍在营业的杂货店。如果那不是一种瘾的话，它又会是什么？它怎么会使原先一个迷人的女孩变成一个无所事事、游手好闲的人？
不久前，我和一个刚刚戒烟的教授进行了一次谈话。他告诉我你们大多数人已知道的：一旦抽上香烟，当心！因为要戒烟几乎不大可能。于是，我问他，他是如何养成了一天吸一包烟以上的习惯并持续了十年之后，能成功地戒掉了烟瘾。让我们来听听他的故事吧！
"唔，我在一开始的第一个星期里减少了吸烟的数量，每天只抽半包。在那段时间里，我很容易发脾气。稍有点不如意，就会使我极度烦躁，脑袋也像要裂开似的。第二个星期开始，我每天抽五支烟，那时，我的精神状态更糟了。在接着的第三个星期里，我试着嚼口香糖和薄荷糖，当然还有烟斗杆。坦白地说，能不能坚持下去，我也不能肯定。可不知怎么的，我还是做到了。"
听了他的故事，你们中的许多人知道他在说什么了。因为你们也曾经尝试过戒烟，只是你失败了。现在，让我们花几分钟来分析一下吸烟的根本动机。
这样说，也许我们能够让那些不吸烟的人（我很高兴我自己属于这一类），在要吸烟时就打消这个念头，并鼓励那些已经上瘾的烟民减少吸烟数量。
让我们从外界压力影响这个角度开始分析。我们希望成熟，希望一下子能长大。我们需要平衡、自信和朋友，我们更期盼被人接受。
这种希望接受的愿望使我想到了一件事。那是去年秋天，在一所大学的女生联谊晚会里发生的事。那时，正在举行一个争取新会员的活动。一个联谊会成员给一位新生一支烟。这个新进大学的女孩急切地想取悦他人，不愿做得与众不同，于是，她自信地脱口而出："噢，好的，我很想来一支！"于是，那个递烟的人划了根火柴，平静地伸出手去给她点烟。与此同时，这个新生慌慌张张地拿着烟迎了上去。看着她的样子，递烟的人震惊了。你可想像那复杂的表情。一方面，她努力抑制着自己，不让自己笑出声来；另一方面，她又深深地理解这个可怜的新生──她以前从未吸过烟。而这个新来的女孩在这个激动的时刻，什么也不顾，只在意她是否被接受了。
让我们再来看一个例子。在一堆人中，坐着一个女孩，她不知道自己的手该怎么放。一开始，她用手反复地拨弄着左耳后的卷发，接着翻弄着钱袋，想找东西握在手里，这样可显得自然些。突然一个念头从她脑子里冒出来，她记起在外衣口袋里还有一包健牌烟。为什么她不早些想到它们呢？她一直认为吸烟的女人看上去更成熟一些。拿着香烟打发双手该有多方便啊！方便？是的。老练？不！在许多年前，一个女人要是知道如何吸烟，人们会认为她很老练，男人们也会被她吸引住的。但是现在，这种观念早就不存在了，因为，现在每个人都知道如何吸烟，甚至八岁的孩子也不例外。现在，不吸烟可能反而是件新鲜事了。
现在让我来问你，如果一个女人坐着，双手交叉着优雅地放在膝上，而另一个女人，双手一支接着一支地抽着烟，哪一个更有魅力？有一个女人不需要任何物体来平衡她的手脚，另一个女人却认为烟能使她对男人更具诱惑力。作为一个男人，具体地说──你喜欢哪一个？好好看看一个女人吸烟的样子，你会看到，她狠命地吸烟，撅起双唇发出一阵"嘶嘶"声，接着往后一仰，把烟深深地吸了进去然后就像火箭发射时喷出的尾气一样，大口地喷出烟雾。她甚至还会向你吐烟圈。这么一个女人，你能说她俊俏，你能说她有女人味？
在我们的生活中，暗示的力量是促使我们行动的另一个关键因素。你有没有这样的经历，当你看到别人打呵欠时，你也会不由自主地打起呵欠来？原来，这已影响了你，在你还没意识到你将干什么之前，你已经这么干了。那么，这种同样的暗示力量会不会也促使你去吸烟呢？怎么不会呢？尤其是广告媒体的影响。
我回想起最近我从《芝加哥论坛》上剪下来的一个名叫"莫斯特立·马拉基"的卡通画，内容讲的是马拉基逛进了一个杂货店，他站在柜台前一言不发，却使劲地抓脑袋，最后，他向售货员嘀咕道："我想买有头脑的人吸的烟，可是我好像想不起它的名字来了。"可怜的马拉基，他想要的仅仅是一包总督牌香烟，广告商却把它描绘成有头脑的人抽的香烟。毕竟，每个人都认为自己是一个有头脑的人，人都是这样认为自己的，他无论如何应该吸自己牌子的烟。
广告商们不断地玩弄男人的自我，即激发他们那种想要精力充沛，充满活力、健康力的内心愿望。万宝路，起了带头作用。它的烟盒上是一个长满胸毛的男子汉。于是，万宝路就有了一个粗犷的、豪放不羁的男人形象。这难道不正解释了为什么众多的香烟广告里，展示的往往都是男性肌肉的强有力的收缩吗？
女性，同样也是广告的受害者。时髦的香烟往往吸引了她们。为什么呢？因为那些烟往往以彩色粉笔状出现。女人的世界是多么令人激动啊！试想一下，她们能够买到与衣服相配的烟了。此外，她们还能够买到与烟匹配的五彩缤纷的或镶嵌着夺目的珠宝的烟盒及打火机。
的确，我们常常是带有诱导性物件的受害者。动机研究院的负责人欧内斯特·狄彻特博士，曾为广告公司在吸烟方面进行过一系列的研究。他指出："人们吸烟并不为了烟的味道，而是因为通过吸烟，他们能够获得一种通过其他方式难以得到的心理上的满足。"他补充道，香烟同一个人为了生存、稳定、安全而奋斗有很大的关系。我恐怕不能同意他的观点。我认为，一个人没有烟也能够找到安全感。一个人需要的是食物、住房、爱与友情。难道他不能通过吸烟以外的方式来满足他的这些需要吗？
自我辩解对我们的生活有很大的影响。我们是不是在把自我辩解用作吸烟的借口？恐怕是这样的。毫无疑问，我们中有一半的人把这类话作为一个借口来继续吸烟，"我一旦戒烟，我体重将增加10磅。"可能会这样！在下午4点吸的一支烟里不含有一杯牛奶所含有的热量。但是，健康的减肥方法不是通过吸烟，而是吃合适的和适量的食物。
当我们购买带过滤嘴的香烟时，我们又自己辩解、找理由，我们使自己相信这个过滤嘴能过滤掉任何有害物质。但根据1957年7月版的《读者文摘》上的一篇报道："通过一个过滤嘴，焦油和尼古丁含量可能会减少7％～17％。可这百分比太小，远远起不到真正的保护作用。"如搞出一个完美的过滤嘴，那就没有烟而只有热空气能够通过了。如此多的人相信这种过滤嘴是一个解决吸烟有害的好方法，以致于它的产量大约占今年卷烟总产量的50％。难道我们不承认我们正在受骗，慢慢养成一种对人类有害的习惯──一种会让人沉溺于其中，难以自拔的习惯？
因此，你开始怀疑你是否有可能戒烟──毕竟，人是一个独立的人。如果明天一些结论性的论据一下子成真，完全证明了香烟是通向死亡的单程票，那么，对你有什么影响？你会怎么做？你，不吸烟的人，亲眼目睹了为什么另一些人染上了吸烟的习惯，他们正冒着怎样巨大的风险。所以，当心！你，有想吸烟欲望的人，正坐在栏杆上，你随时可跳向任何一边。你会选择哪一边呢？嗨，你，一个已经吸烟成瘾的人，现在正面临着严峻的问题。如果你想戒烟的话，"你能吗？你能克制你的烟瘾吗？"
让·尼古丁，这个给尼古丁命名的法国人，相信他发现了一种神奇的药物。今天，我们试图把尼古丁过滤掉，因为它是有害的。而现代的让·尼古丁们却相信吸烟能使女人更有魅力，更令人向往，男人更男性化，更独立。
我们自认为是有头脑的人。那么，我们真的有头脑了吗？香烟，谁想来一支？
常识普及：英语演讲稿种类：1。叙述式：向听众陈述自己的思想、经历、事迹，转述自己看到、听到的他人的事迹或事件时使用的。叙述当中，也可夹用议论和抒情。2。议论式：摆事实、讲道理，既有事实材料，又有逻辑推断，立场坚定，旗帜鲜明。3。说明式：对听众说明事理，通过解说某个道理或某一问题来达到树立观点的目的。