I wanted to single out one paragraph from this article I linked to about James Randi…
Randi has never smoked, taken narcotics or got drunk. "Because that can easily just fuzz the edges of my rationality, fuzz the edges of my reasoning powers," he once said. "And I want to be as aware as I possibly can. That may mean giving up a lot of fantasies that might be comforting in some ways, but I'm willing to give that up in order to live in an actually real world."
I've never done any of those things and I sometimes have a devil of a time explaining to people why not. Every so often, someone takes it as a condemnation of them for doing one or all of them, or as my attempt to feel superior to them. The smoking part is easy. I dislike being around cigarette smoke so much (and sometimes feel nauseated from it) that the last thing I want to do is ingest it directly. Once, I asked a smoker near me to smoke in the other direction. Just to be an asshole and assert his right to smoke anywhere he damn pleased, he turned and blew smoke in my face. I felt so sick I threw up on his pants.
I didn't do that intentionally but I wish I had.
So that's why I don't smoke. What about the non-drinking? Well, I could say it's because I've seen friends and one very loved one killed by drunk drivers and also seen friends destroy their own lives by drinking. But that's not the basic reason.
Really, it's just kind of an instinctual thing. I just have no yearning to drink alcohol or take drugs. To the extent I have a rational, explainable reason, it's kind of like what Mr. Randi says…plus I'm usually quite happy with my mood and see no reason to try altering it.
If you get something out of it, great. Don't let me stop you. Also, if you get to the point where someone should stop you, don't count on me to stop you. And if you must smoke, don't do it around me. Especially if you're wearing your good pants.