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Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Addictions

Zen's post about the dangers of Dihydrogren Monoxide and this recent amusing thread at SHumps made me stop and think about addiction.

Previously I have tried (quite hard) to get myself addicted to various things. Why? I don't know...maybe because everyone else was doing it. Maybe because other people seemed to successfully use addictions to blot out all the bad things in their lives. They seemed blissfully unaware. I wanted to be blissfully unaware. So much so I that gave addiction a try. Several times.

All attempts were unsuccessful. Maybe I don't have an addictive personality.

Now I am thinking...perhaps I am actually addicted to certain things, but maybe those things are not the traditional types of things people get addicted to. Surely I can I say I am addicted to Dihydrogen Monoxide? Although I must admit I don't actually like it. Does that fit in with what an addiction is? Or is there more to it than that? I remember a discussion with Bob about whether or not we were addicted to hydric acid. I don't think we reached a conclusion.


Comments:
But not here. Here, we are safe! Here we can speak! No wonder I'm addicted to this site. Thank you Suze. And whilst I'm not an addictive type person, I do enjoy doing things with intensity, 110% and all that. I'll take the Guinness tip and squirrel it away for the right moment.
 
AL, I didn't miss the sculling Guinness comment. Things I like jump out at me when skimreading. Although I am a little confused about why. Is it a mind-altering experience?
 
Zen,

DO you think intensity is related to addiction? Maybe if you are an intense person or live life intensely you are less likely to get addicted by things like cigarettes, alcohol, food etc.

People tell me I am intense (although I would never have said so - I would phrase it more as other people are asleep).
 
Is intensity related to addiction? Wow. Interesting (tough) question. I've generally thought addiction represents a desire to plug a hole. People want holes plugged to feel whole. If you spend too much time worrying about the hole (or lack of whole) the need to plug it becomes overwhelming. It would seem to be also an issue of imbalance, as holes get squashed when other things, in other areas of your life start getting pushed into the whole of your life.

Intensity might be related to the rush you feel when you think you've plugged the hole. You enjoy that moment of plugging, you need to do it again and again. You want to feel the buzz when the hole is plugged, and for that moment you feel whole.

But if we are all spiritual beings having a physical experience, intensity becomes important because the physical is providing the connection to the spiritual. Perhaps it is why we are here on this earth. Suddenly, that experience can become connected with the reason for being, and becomes an addiction. Oops. Where does that leave me?
 
Zen, interesting answer. Which raises a whole lot more tough questions :)

One of the reasons I asked is that I also think that addiction is related to hole-plugging. However, although this theory fits with my observations of others, it doesn't quite fit with my personal experience. I feel holey yet I am unable to get myself addicted to anything. Maybe other people are holier than me. Maybe I have been attempting to plug my holes with the wrong things. I don't know.

Of course, the other reason I asked is that I like asking difficult/unusual questions :) I must admit I don't quite get the question or all it's implications. I am not even sure if it makes sense. But I can't say for certain that it doesn't make sense. I guess I should go and think about it a bit more.
 
The last anonymous was me. I am having difficulty word-verifying...
 
As you say - you've been trying the wrong things!

Maybe the hole is round, and the possible addictions you've tried are square. Since a square addiction doesn't fit into a round hole, you move on to something else. Pick up something round, and try to fit it in.

After all, some people are square for being addicted to unhealthy things. I've never pegged you for being square, and I don't think your holes are from an unholy nature.

But I also like the other method - squash lots of different things in to a larger area, and see if the holes shrink.
 
Of course! Other people's addictions don't fit my holes! I should know by now that what fits for other people probably won't fit for me.

Although sometimes I like to think that I don't get addicted to things because I am so much better adjusted than everyone else ;)
 
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