Overall, are drugs good, or bad, for people?

[ajblaise]

If it wasn't for modern medicine, we'd all be dead by the age of 40.

Just on that note alone.. drugs FTW.

 

[Clownmaster]

well yeah, but the increases in food preparation and clean water, as well as adding nutrients to foods we eat has helped us survive longer too and thats without aid of drugs.

 

[ajblaise]

well yeah, but the increases in food preparation and clean water, as well as adding nutrients to foods we eat has helped us survive longer too and thats without aid of drugs.

I don't know, people didn't have high fructose corn syrup clogging their arteries back then. And I guess it doesn't matter how good your food is, if you're dying of smallpox or polio.

 

[Lateralus]

I don't know, people didn't have high fructose corn syrup clogging their arteries back then. And I guess it doesn't matter how good your food is, if you're dying of smallpox or polio.

You consider vaccines to be drugs?

 

[Shaula]

Recreational drugs (including alcohol) are for human entertainment. And much like sex, it is generally considered a taboo of human society. There are dangers in having unprotected sex just as there are dangers in taking drugs from who knows where. In my opinion drugs are not inherently evil or good. It's just a form of entertainment that can be easily abused.

 

[mlittrell]

i haven't seen much good come out of drug use. most of the time it ends up wrecking the users lives. but they were probably gonna be screwed by something else anyway.

 

[cascadeco]

I personally think that anyone who uses "any substance" to make themselves feel better has willpower issues and should look at themselves why they need an artificial substance to make them feel good, be happy, be stronger, etc...

I also don't care if people use it as long as it doesn't effect other people. Now that is the million dollar question...

This is kind of my take on it.

Personally I have a hard time respecting people who use recreational drugs as a means to be happier/reach a different level/mellow out/any other emotional reason. Because it is possible to achieve that stuff without any of it - it's just a longer road to see sometimes how to do that - it's all mental/emotional, anyway.

But yes, like you, I've been guilty of the same with alcohol. And perhaps through my experience that's why I am now more critical of those who partake in regular recreational use of anything. Drank considerably back when I was 19-20, and it WAS fun. But I was also using it as a 'crutch'/shortcut to ease up anxiety and for other emotional/social reasons. When I really realized all of that, I cut myself off for nearly a year and am now very careful about my motivation when it comes to drinking.

 

[Geoff]

This is kind of my take on it.

Personally I have a hard time respecting people who use recreational drugs as a means to be happier/reach a different level/mellow out/any other emotional reason. Because it is possible to achieve that stuff without any of it - it's just a longer road to see sometimes how to do that - it's all mental/emotional, anyway.

But yes, like you, I've been guilty of the same with alcohol. And perhaps through my experience that's why I am now more critical of those who partake in regular recreational use of anything. Drank considerably back when I was 19-20, and it WAS fun. But I was also using it as a 'crutch'/shortcut to ease up anxiety and for other emotional/social reasons. When I really realized all of that, I cut myself off for nearly a year and am now very careful about my motivation when it comes to drinking.

+1

I turned myself into a social-only drinker for those very reasons.

 

[nozflubber]

Personally I have a hard time respecting people who use recreational drugs as a means to be happier/reach a different level/mellow out/any other emotional reason. Because it is possible to achieve that stuff without any of it - it's just a longer road to see sometimes how to do that - it's all mental/emotional, anyway.

What's the significant difference betwen achieving a desired level of neural activity through proximal stimulii factors (drugs, excercise) versus distall sitmulii (people, scenery, prayer)? especially if you concede that it's all "mental/emotional" anyway... what's the big deal between using a chemical as a crutch vs. using personal interaction as a crutch? sounds like a bias to me.

And what if they can't get what they need from the latter? Fuckups like myself can't be happy or properly stimulated when around people, animals, kids, whatever it is you do - all I think about is "I need to get the fuck away from these people so I can think." The only thing(s) that have let me take flight with my theories and concepts has been alcohol and weed. Excercise helps, too, but I've never been around a group of people and gotten any of the intellectual revelations I need as an INTP when around people.

 

[Qre:us]

"It smells like shit on the carpet...as I take hits from the bong" -Dem insane in the membrane.

YouTube - Slightly Stoopid - This Joint

Very....*puff* *puff* goooooooooooo
.
.
.
....d.

 

[Lateralus]

What's the significant difference betwen achieving a desired level of neural activity through proximal stimulii factors (drugs, excercise) versus distall sitmulii (people, scenery, prayer)? especially if you concede that it's all "mental/emotional" anyway... what's the big deal between using a chemical as a crutch vs. using personal interaction as a crutch? sounds like a bias to me.

It is biased. It's an opinion. The idea of being dependent on any substance is a weakness as far as I'm concerned.

 

[nozflubber]

It is biased. It's an opinion. The idea of being dependent on any substance is a weakness as far as I'm concerned.

And being dependant on people to be happy isn't a weakness? (saying it's "normal" doesn't negate that it's a weakness, BTW)

 

[Lateralus]

And being dependant on people to be happy isn't a weakness? (saying it's "normal" doesn't negate that it's a weakness, BTW)

Am I weak because I need water to survive? That's not much different than what you're saying. Humans are a social species. Humans, as a species, don't need drugs to survive, only a subset of the species requires them (or at least believes they do).

 

[redacted]

You can take this question in any sense you wish, but about all psycho-actives collectively.

Drugs have certainly had a big effect on human history--economically, politically, artistically. Lives have been lost over them, lives have been changed by them. Is it arguable that drugs may have been a positive experience in the long run, in that they teach us something about ourselves?

Drugs don't kill people, people kill people.

 

[nozflubber]

Am I weak because I need water to survive? That's not much different than what you're saying. Humans are a social species. Humans, as a species, don't need drugs to survive, only a subset of the species requires them (or at least believes they do).

Yes, you are weak. You are dependant. My point here is that it's an insignificant claim to say "You're weak because you need beer to loosen up"... because you're basically saying, as you adequately put, that the person is human.

 

[Lateralus]

Yes, you are weak. You are dependant. My point here is that it's an insignificant claim to say "You're weak because you need beer to loosen up"... because you're basically saying, as you adequately put, that the person is human.

I'm no more dependent than other homo sapiens, which is fine with me. You are more dependent. You have less control.

 

[Nonsensical]

If you want my young, uneducated, 16 year old point of point of veiw, and one who has never tried any drug, I would like to say that I think that drugs can be okay for people, as they can help the mind, and like a lot of things, they do have effects on the body, obviously. I think that most commonly is that people take them too much, and too far, and can be put into a dangerous sense of mind. It's kind of contradicting, whether they are good or bad, but as for your mind and life experiences, I think the more stuff you try or do in life, the good and the bad, has, generally, grants you wisdom and knowledge, if that makes any sense at all..after all, I know nothing of drugs or addiction, so I can't put in an educated statement. My comments are directly in a general way, that the more you try, the better off you are, which is my mindset, but too much of anything is bad.

 

[Valiant]

Drugs are bad, m'kay?

 

[Lateralus]

Drugs are bad, m'kay?

Actually, I think drugs are fine. Most of them are very beneficial to mankind.

 

[ajblaise]

You consider vaccines to be drugs?

Yes, who doesn't?

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