We are much stronger than we imagine - much, much stronger and far more capable.

So how can it be that we are obsessed with smoking, an activity that is totally opposed to our survival code of sticking to life no matter what?

There are two reasons:

We are not at the North Pole or in the Sahara desert or the Amazon jungle. Quite the opposite - where we are seems to be safe and in order.

Our precious life is not in any tangible danger, it is only the stress and the pace that gets to us, and a cigarette seems to help.

We are addicted, so it is the addicted person within us that makes the decision to continue smoking.

The first reason has been mentioned previously, but we will review it once more. Please be patient and don't underestimate the virtue of repetition. Also be aware that each time an idea is reviewed it may shed a different light.

Patience pays!

We have 'forgotten' the primordial code of survival simply because we are not generally in a survival situation. We are no longer hunter-gatherers, and we mostly live in urban societies. Particularly in the West, we surround ourselves with as much safety as possible - armies and police, law and order, legal systems, insurance policies, routine health check-ups, secure buildings, well-lit streets, seatbelts and air bags … the list goes on!

Life is safe and secure, so we don't have to live in our survival mode. We have transcended those primordial times when nature was a constant threat. We have outsmarted nature and built cities of concrete and chariots of steel. To keep nature at bay we have fenced it off in national parks and zoos.

We have concurred, we have mastered, but for this we pay a price.

Now that we don't have to stand ready and on guard we can also afford to be feeble. We can indulge ourselves and become spoiled, and even complain about any petty disturbance to our lives.

We no longer confront the elements and life is not as tough as it was - we have forgotten our primordial survival code because it is so remote. And so we have adopted another code to live by. This code explains perfectly well why and how we lead our lives.