--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I asked a coughing friend of mine why he…" description: "\"I asked a coughing friend of mine why he doesn't stop smoking. 'In this town it wouldn't do any good,' he explained. 'I happen to be a chain breather.'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/robert-sylvester-75964_chains_i-asked-a-coughing-friend-of-mine-why-he_2440896.jpg" --- # I asked a coughing friend of mine why he doesn't stop… ![“I asked a coughing friend of mine why he doesn't stop smoking. 'In this town it wouldn't do any good,' he explained. 'I happen to be a chain breather.'” quote by Robert Sylvester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/robert-sylvester-75964_chains_i-asked-a-coughing-friend-of-mine-why-he_2440896.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/robert-sylvester-75964_chains_i-asked-a-coughing-friend-of-mine-why-he_2440896.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/robert-sylvester-75964_chains_i-asked-a-coughing-friend-of-mine-why-he_2440896.jpg) > “I asked a coughing friend of mine why he doesn't stop smoking. 'In this town it wouldn't do any good,' he explained. 'I happen to be a chain breather.'” [Robert Sylvester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sylvester/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A smoker rationalizes his habit as inevitable, reflecting denial and acceptance of harmful behavior. **In simple terms:** He sees smoking as unavoidable. Key Takeaway Challenge rationalizations. Themes addiction denial health Mood somber critical Type motivational educational When to use this quote - smoking cessation - public health campaigns Key Concepts behavioral economics psychology Questions to Reflect On - Why do you justify harmful habits? - What alternative narratives can you adopt? A Different Perspective Rationalization may mask deeper issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asked Coughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-coughing-486808/) [Chains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chains/) [Coughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coughing/) [Coughing Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coughing-friend-486809/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Mines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mines/) [Smoking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoking/) [Smoking Town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoking-town-486807/) [Stop smoking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-smoking/) [Tobacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tobacco/) [Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/towns/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [If we see you smoking we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/if-we-see-you-smoking-we-will-assume-you-are-on-fire-and-take/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [You don't need treatment. The fever, inflammation, coughing, etc., constitute the healing process. Just get out of their way and permit them to complete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-m-shelton/you-don-t-need-treatment-the-fever-inflammation-coughing-etc/) [Herbert M. Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-m-shelton/) > [So you want to know all about me. Who I am. What chance meeting of brush and canvas painted the face you see? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/so-you-want-to-know-all-about-me-who-i-am-what-chance-meeting-of-2/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [I really like playing with Mike Doughty from Soul Coughing. He was cool. He opened up some shows for us. I liked playing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-jennings/i-really-like-playing-with-mike-doughty-from-soul-coughing-he-was/) [Mason Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-jennings/) > [When I wake up in the middle of the night when I hear one of my kids coughing or crying, I think about Syria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-power/when-i-wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-when-i-hear-one-of-my-kids/) [Samantha Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-power/) > [Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people from coughing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-richardson/acting-is-merely-the-art-of-keeping-a-large-group-of-people-from/) [Ralph Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-richardson/) > [“I only know two kinds of audiences - one coughing, and one not coughing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/artur-schnabel/i-only-know-two-kinds-of-audiences-one-coughing-and-one-not-coughing/) [Artur Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/artur-schnabel/) > [Fake coughing in front of smokers just to make them feel guilty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fake-coughing-in-front-of-smokers-just-to-make-them-feel-guilty/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acting is the ability to keep an audience from coughing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-louis-barrault/acting-is-the-ability-to-keep-an-audience-from-coughing/) [Jean-Louis Barrault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-louis-barrault/) > [He asked me if I was doing ok... I don't think he knew he would get this sort of response... // right now I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alla/he-asked-me-if-i-was-doing-ok-i-don-t-think-he-knew-he-would-get-this/) [Alla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alla/) > [The last time I seen Eazy-E, we were at a meeting at the House of Blues with me, Big Hutch and Jada Pinkett Smith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kokane/the-last-time-i-seen-eazy-e-we-were-at-a-meeting-at-the-house-of/) [Kokane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kokane/) > [The worst moment was when I was performing and I was about to sing, but I choked. I had a tickle in my throat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brown/the-worst-moment-was-when-i-was-performing-and-i-was-about-to-sing/) [Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brown/) > [I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-have-seen-war-i-have-seen-war-on-land-and-sea-i-have-seen-blood/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian said, "Mmm. O positive, my favorite." Keith sprayed out the wine he'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/keith-was-just-bringing-the-glass-to-his-lips-when-adrian-said-mmm-o/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [What a wonderfully exciting cough,' said the little man, quite startled by it, 'do you mind if I join you?' And with that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-a-wonderfully-exciting-cough-said-the-little-man-quite-startled/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) ## More by Robert Sylvester > [I happen to be a chain breather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sylvester/i-happen-to-be-a-chain-breather/) [Robert Sylvester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sylvester/) > [My brother-in-law wrote an unusual murder story. The victim got killed by a man from another book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sylvester/my-brother-in-law-wrote-an-unusual-murder-story-the-victim-got-killed/) [Robert Sylvester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sylvester/) [Explore all 3 Robert Sylvester quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sylvester/) ## More Chains quotes > [Unchecked, the new tolerance will sooner or later put many people in chains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/unchecked-the-new-tolerance-will-sooner-or-later-put-many-people-in/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Chains of conformity click in tiresomely monotonous unison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/the-chains-of-conformity-click-in-tiresomely-monotonous-unison/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [I don't have a huge amount of gear, but on the software side, I have a number of plug-in chains that act as abstracted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hopkins/i-don-t-have-a-huge-amount-of-gear-but-on-the-software-side-i-have-a/) [Jon Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hopkins/) > [We don't have a farm-to-table food safety system. I keep saying this. It came as a big surprise to the FDA that tomatoes were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-nestle/we-don-t-have-a-farm-to-table-food-safety-system-i-keep-saying-this/) [Marion Nestle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-nestle/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) [Christy Nockels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-nockels/) > [How can I set free anyone who doesn't have the guts to stand up alone and declare his own freedom? I think it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/how-can-i-set-free-anyone-who-doesn-t-have-the-guts-to-stand-up-alone/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [I'm bigger than you! I'm higher on the food chain - get in my belly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/i-m-bigger-than-you-i-m-higher-on-the-food-chain-get-in-my-belly/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [The chains will fall off freely, no more worries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dl-watson/the-chains-will-fall-off-freely-no-more-worries/) [DL WATSON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dl-watson/) > [I am ever mindful of the legacy of my grandfather, the founder of this Kingdom, who had said to me that he perceived his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-hussein-i/i-am-ever-mindful-of-the-legacy-of-my-grandfather-the-founder-of-this/) [King Hussein I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-hussein-i/) > [Think about it: we went into slavery pagans; we came out Christians. We went into slavery pieces of property; we came out American citizens.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/think-about-it-we-went-into-slavery-pagans-we-came-out-christians-we/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [To one who is accustomed to thinking a lot, every new thought that he hears or reads about immediately appears as a link in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/to-one-who-is-accustomed-to-thinking-a-lot-every-new-thought-that-he/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Man's ethics must not end with man, but should extend to the universe. He must regain the consciousness of the great Chain of Life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/man-s-ethics-must-not-end-with-man-but-should-extend-to-the-universe/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [To sigh, yet feel no pain; To weep, yet scarce know why; To sport an hour with Beauty's chain, Then throw it idly by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/to-sigh-yet-feel-no-pain-to-weep-yet-scarce-know-why-to-sport-an-hour/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) [Browse all 1,639 Chains quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chains/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I asked a coughing friend of mine why he doesn't stop smoking. 'In this town it wouldn't do any good,' he explained. 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