Smoke more for a Healthy Economy!
Oh no! I thought I was the only one provoking smokers to quit by ordering them to Smoke More!
Of course this was in the context of a session of Provocative Therapy, where I always obtain specific permission to satirise, make absurd suggestions and advise people to do more of their aberrant behaviour. Only then do I ‘advise’ smokers to smoke more, and only think of quitting when symptoms such as chest pain start bothering them. This is because Provocative Therapy is the highly effective clinical application of reverse psychology and humour.
However I now see that I’ve been totally usurped in this role by officials in Hubei province in central China who have commanded citizens to smoke more cigarettes to help the economy! So I asked myself: ‘Is this extreme altruism or state sanctioned Provocative Therapy?’
To answer this important question I perused the I Ching and the complete works of Confucius but to no avail. Apparently there were some things that not even the great philosopher and humorist thought worthy of satire.
So on to one of my favourite books of all time: Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching.
I dearly love this book because it seems to suggest that truth can only be apprehended in the mystery of paradox. This resonates strongly with the ethos of Provocative Therapy which uses reverse psychology, paradox and humour to catalyse patients into locating their own solutions to their problems, owning them, articulating them and enacting them. Alas not even the master of benign paradox had anything to say about smoking though he did have plenty to say about leadership and rulers.
The best rulers are scarcely known by their subjects;
The next best are loved and praised;
The next are feared;
The next despised:
They have no faith in their people,
And their people become unfaithful to them.When the best rulers achieve their purpose
Their subjects claim the achievement as their own.
You can read more words of wisdom from this wonderful book here.
So perhaps the rulers of Hubei are not really into Provocative Therapy at all but advocating something far more altruistic and philanthropic than has ever been dreamed of. Smoke for the Economy! Although your health will surely suffer, the health of the Economy and that of the State will improve. If you disagree you are very selfish indeed.
Anyway the headline provoked me to read the Tao Te Ching again and that has to be a good thing.
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