326. The psychology of nicotine

Nicotine is everywhere - but not in the way we once knew it. It’s not just in cigarettes anymore. It’s in sleek vapes, tiny pouches, lozenges, gum, even diffusers marketed as 'wellness'. And somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like a vice and started looking... aesthetic. Clean. Even, normal.
In today’s episode, we unpack the ever-present boom of nicotine and what it reveals about our generation’s relationship with coping, craving, and control. Because this isn’t just about addiction - it’s about soothing anxiety, chasing focus, managing overstimulation, and the ways we self-medicate under pressure.

We explore:

• Nicotine as a stimulant and a coping mechanism
• Levels of conformity and links to the ‘in-group’
• How nicotine got rebranded for a new generation
• The role of dissonance in maintaining the cycle
• How to break the bad habit loop

Whether you’ve used nicotine yourself or just want to understand why it’s seems like everyone has a vape – this episode is for you.

 

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