The pleasure principle is the idea that we seek the gratification of our immediate needs which result in our individual pleasures and, the relevant hypothesis, that the pain principle is that in pursuing these pleasures we are merely searching for a means to avoid pain. This is, of course, a very basic understanding of Freud’s theory and frankly I feel at present there is no further need to elaborate on the entirety of Freud’s definition. This basic concept, alone, has led me into a spiral of contemplation and reminiscence of my on-again, off-again, complicated relationship with Marlboro lights, Newport, American Spirits and virtually every other brand of cigarettes under the sun.

The immediate need being the overwhelming urge to reach into my pocket, where I am sure to find my, metaphorically speaking, love. That pleasure, especially on the heels of a three hour long history class on a Saturday morning, is overwhelming. Yet again this is just a very basic example of the many that can be attributed to the pleasure principle however what fueled a great deal of recollection on my part was the latter, the other side of the coin and equally valuable, pain principle. Most importantly calling forth the questions: what the hell was I thinking in picking up my first pack? What’s more, what is it that keeps pulling me towards this self-destructive habit? I have, after all, dropped it entirely as though it was a passing trend that had outlived its relevance attributing it to the rebellious nature of youth, being the only reason that bound me to it at any point in time.

I realized then that it had transcended a mere habit or even an addiction, which I managed to conquer in the past with base willpower, but that the shackles which bind me to it are neither of those. I no longer necessarily get any sort of satisfaction from smoking, nor am I driven by an addiction to it physically. So why do I continue to indulge in this self-destructive process, now both unfulfilling and seemingly irrelevant to me? That is, in essence, the pain principle. Not to delve too deeply into my own misfortunes or emotional turmoil in this post but in remembering them I began to understand that the reason why I continue to smoke, to some extent, is that has become increasingly more difficult to drown out my recent complications, responsibilities and seemingly insurmountable challenges laid before me. Smoking creates a false sense of pleasure that distracts me, if only momentarily, from those feelings. Even though each cigarette no longer possess the calming, heady feeling of freedom it once did, they serve to diverge my focus from any unnecessary distractions or ill thoughts to the simple process; inhale, exhale, cough, repeat.