HEALTHY TAXING

I remember an old saying, You might force a horse to the stream, you can never force it to drink water. It’s clear that we humans can be destructive, especially when it comes to our emotions. When we start thinking emotionally, we stop thinking rationally. And when we stop thinking rationally, we make bad decisions that end up affecting our lives and way of living in ways we can’t control. A man starts smoking, he loves the feeling of it, and before he realizes he can’t help himself. Whenever he’s angry and needs to calm down, He smokes. Whenever he’s depressed and needs to cheer up he smokes, whenever he wants to celebrate he smokes and just like that he even starts smoking because he always feels like smoking. And even when there is a very clear warning sign on the pack of the cigarette that says smokers are liable to die young, he still smokes it.

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I went out with a friend the other day to a bar, And while I ordered pepper soup and a bottle of water, my friend asked if I wanted Palmwine. I just smiled and politely declined the offer. That was when he bought for another person who was with us on that table. When asked if he wasn’t going to be drinking, he said he quit drinking 8 years ago. According to his story he quitted it because he noticed that his health was declining by the day and Beer was becoming expensive. He still loves alcohol though, and takes it once in a while, but has quitted taking any form of beer because it’s too expensive and he saw it wasn’t good for his body. Now here I am thinking, what if all the brands of alcohol become expensive and you would have to buy it two to three times the current price and would still end up paying tax for it.

I don’t think it will eradicate drinking per se, but I’m certain that a lot of people like that friend of mine would have to look for other methods of feeling good aside from drinking. There are addicts who will never stop, but will have to limit their consumption rate. Of course if the government should make Alcohol and cigarettes expensive and also add tax to it, a lot of people will hate the government but at the same time live a more healthy life because they can no longer afford the luxury of drinking or drinking to stupor. There are those however who will be able to still afford it no matter how expensive it becomes, but that is when we realize that as good as money is, the lack of it sometimes shields us from ourselves.

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I discovered this by the things I bought when I was in school, and the things I buy now that I’m working. I remember when I just started working, I was so intrigued by the money I was making that I had this silly Idea to live a wayward life for a day and see how it would feel. Well, I did and it didn’t end well. But imagine if I never had the money, such a thought would never have even crossed my mind. I would always say I’m an adventurous person and someone who likes trying new things. That day I just decided I was going to get drunk and stay in my house, but then it ended badly for me lol. Money brings out the worst in people and I think if the government should add taxes to waywardness, it will affect what people abuse and inspire some to work hard to afford the wayward life.

THIS IS MY RESPONSE TO HIVE LEARNER'S PROMPT FOR WEEK 164 EPISODE 3