They say that addiction is for the weak. Addicts, are (apparently) those who cannot control their emotions and succumb to that one bad habit again and again till it consumes them completely. Consumes their lives, their rationale, their bank balances, their senses, their thoughts, their future, their perceptions, their relationships, their sanity. Consumes their soul. And irrevocably, at that.
To the contrary, I believe that there a lies a certain amount of strength to be an addict. An addiction is a choice to let your whole and soul be taken over by something external. To let go. To lose control. To hand over the power and take chances. To be risqué. To really revel in the pleasure and pain of the addiction without being too chicken to experience the roller coaster ride that if offers. The first step is the hardest step. Takes you straight into the unknown. But as the affair progresses, it takes balls to have full knowledge of how something will destroy you, your life and everything you know and value, but still continue to let yourself fall deeper and deeper into it. It takes commitment to give up everything for one thing and I amazed by those who succumb to their addictions and choose a deviant, possibly fulfilling yet short existence.
Note: This post and I do not condone drugs, cigarettes (sex is an exception :), but be safe) or other addictive substances. I am dead against it and you would know if you ask my poor smoker/druggie friends who I have nagged for eternity now. This post just offers another perspective. Being a non-smoker and a non-druggie often makes me wonder what it takes to be one.
9 comments:
You scare me. No, really, you do.
@ alok: why?
well said.
debatable but an extremely thought provoking logic.
one day hopefully we will debate this.
Thank you so much, now I don't feel so bad being addicted to something/someone, "Addiction till benediction" as my good friend would say ;D
"Addiction" is a label that draws instantaneous defiance, because it draws in unsocial tags like "selfish", "recluse", "hopelessness" or just plain "unreasonable". One tends to be oblivious to it until pointed out for until that time it may be misconstrued to be a temporary attachment, a self-fulfilling prophecy, but then, show me someone committed and I'll show you an addict!
@fictitioustruth - debatable definitely... I will wait for that day.
@anand - you ain't addicted to nothing bad my friend. your addiction will show you the path of enlightenment..... ;) trust me.
I do not think it warrants a debate. Your premise itself is flawed. An addiction is a weakness. For a substance or otherwise. And it sucks you in. It takes will and metal teeth to get out of it, not to stay on. Its like getting carried by a current. Its the path of least resistance. If your opinion is that money, resources and health are reasons why an addict would reconsider putting up with it, or would require "strength" to go on, it couldn't be more wrong. As much as I like looking at the "other perspective" I think the idea of this post does exactly what you set out not to do: justify or worse, glorify weakness/cowardice/inadequacy/the likes.
@anand
I think there is a very thick like between addiction and commitment. One is about compulsion and the other is about integrity and conviction.
@ hari - point taken.
@ hari: i'm sure there is no debate...
"An addiction is a weakness."
or an addiction is a choice
"For a substance or otherwise. And it sucks you in."
Or it gives you direction
"It takes will and metal teeth to get out of it, not to stay on."
or It takes courage to hold on against all conventional beliefs/resistance and exercising personal freedom and choice
"Its like getting carried by a current.Its the path of least resistance."
Really, least resistance?
"If your opinion is that money, resources and health are reasons why an addict would reconsider putting up with it, or would require "strength" to go on, it couldn't be more wrong."
Have you by any chance seen "No smoking"? Any comments on what the movie is all about.
And trust me i'm not confusing addiction and commitment or passion.
And again as you said "there is no debate"
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