this is a pretty generic title because i think a lot of things fall under it. originally i was just going to call it "Drugs & Alcohol" but then I realized gambling and other habits (like playing videogames) also involve the same kind of discussion.
- These things have good effects and bad effects. if they didn't have any good effects then nobody would do them. if they didn't have bad effects then everybody would do them.
- It seems the common pattern here is a trade of long-term benefits for short-term benefits.
- I think the big question is, then: Will a certain activity result in more good in your life than if you didn't do it?
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Drugs
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Some great descriptions here:
http://www.quora.com/How-does-it-feel-t ... -on-heroin
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Alcohol
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- Alcohol has good effects and bad effects. if it didn't have any good effects then nobody would drink it. if it didn't have bad effects then everybody would drink it.
- the good effects of alcohol can include: a feeling of euphoria, being energetic, feeling less nervous/stressed out. this can lead to really good things like making new friends more easily, feeling less shy, etc. it's been called a "social lubricant".
- the bad effects of alcohol can include: impaired judgment, impaired vision/coordination, blacking out, decreased motivation to work for longer-term benefits. this can lead to really bad things like car accidents, losing your job, ruining relationships, etc.
- I think the biggest problem with alcoholic drinks nowadays is the extremely high strength of them. my understanding is that for most of man's history alcoholic drinks had much lower concentrations of alcohol. most of the problems people see from alcohol seem to be a result of getting extremely addicted / intoxicated, which would seem to be much more difficult with more traditional, less potent alcoholic drinks.
- I personally drink alcohol very sparingly, and only when with other people who are drinking (e.g. I'll have a beer or a glass of wine). I never drink hard alcohol (although I have tried it), but I'll take a sip of a mixed drink if someone asks me to try it. Up until I graduated college I didn't drink at all (except for rare occasions).
- People often ask me why I don't like to drink as much as other people. The reason is that I worry about the loss of control that it seems to bring. I've done things I've regretted in the past by getting so angry I lost control of myself, and I'm worried about that happening with alcohol.
- John T Reed claims to have never had a sip of any alcoholic drink; his dad was a pretty bad alcoholic. Reed has a much more aggressive opinion of alcohol than I do.
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Gambling
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Videogames
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