by The Kid | Nov 30, 2020 | What is the most dangerous addiction in our society?
“Technology? Drugs? Money? Materials? Worldly appearance? Power? Feeling good?
These are all certainly monstrous addictions plaguing our societies today. But is there a deeper level to each of them?
I believe, yes. There is an umbrella covering each of these facets of our societal addictions…. and that umbrella is an addiction to… SUFFERING. Hear me out:
I suffered today because a girl from a dating app didn’t text me after saying she would. I suffered for hours, and still feel a twinge of suffering – almost a full day later. Never mind the million things to be inexplicably grateful for – I would rather choose to focus on suffering. But why?????
Since each of our infancies, we have been cultivating an addiction to suffering. Why? Because it is easy. It is familiar. It is constant. It is predictable. It is not ‘suffering’ inherently, however. Ultimately, what we are cultivating from infancy is a delusional sense of self that exists ‘separately’ from the world outside our bodies.
This notion is a complete confabulation, yet it gets drilled into our identity. Now, what happens is that this fundamentally mistaken view of the world naturally branches off into every facet of our lives. We feel separate from the world, and thus, we act selfishly. We do so in order to protect ourselves from perceived ‘threats’. There is an underlying ‘dis-ease’, anxiety, and disequilibrium within each of us – the voice of the ‘true self’ speaking through the facade, saying “Look deeper! Break free!”
We must decipher between “liking suffering” and “choosing suffering because it is familiar.” For the vast majority of us, the case is the latter. We choose suffering over and over again – why? Because it is the most familiar thing in the world to us. We know it back and front, head to toe.
When we attempt to solve any other addiction, I believe we are only putting a band-aid on a deeper wound. We are simply doomed to liberate ourselves completely until we liberate ourselves from our primary addiction to suffering.
I could go on forever talking about this – but to conclude: Everyone has the ability to break free from the chains of suffering. It is simply the effect of a delusional view of reality. The moment we see things for how they are, our suffering will cease. When we habituate this new view, the suffering will never see the light of day. It really is that simple.”
by Crystal J | Nov 30, 2020 | What is the most dangerous addiction in our society?
“I don’t know about the whole world…but in the USA, I would have to say opioid addiction. We are having a crisis here with overdoses at an all time high.
Pharmaceutical companies put out large ad campaigns in the 90’s advertising supposedly “safe” opioid medications, with little chance of addiction, for those plagued with chronic pain. Physicians started prescribing these medications in record numbers.
Later, it was found that the pharmaceutical companies had essentially lied, or misrepresented, the actual risk that comes with these medicines. Lawsuits were levied against them and they were fined monies that were a drop in the bucket compared to the profits they made off of these drugs.
The damage was done. Large numbers of people were addicted.
Years later when the problem became apparent, opioid prescribing became highly monitored and restricted and those addicted found other sources: usually heroin, which is cheaper and more powerful.
It gets worse.
Heroin requires large amounts of the poppy plant for production so dealers found another synthetic opioid-fentanyl-which can be produced in a lab. Fentanyl is MUCH more powerful and dealers would mix it into the heroin, or just simply sell fentanyl outright.
That is when overdoses shot up dramatically.
Yes, I would have to say opioid addiction is currently the most dangerous addiction, at least in the USA.”
by Doug R | Nov 30, 2020 | What is the most dangerous addiction in our society?
“Wow what an amazing topic. I can go in so many different directions with this topic but I have lived through a cocaine addiction and a heroin addiction and I honestly believe the most dangerous addiction is to: MONEY,POWER, & GREED. This is very much to the detriment of our children. Children grow up in daycares while both parents slave away to have bigger houses and nicer cars.
- Society’s idea of a “successful person” consists of bragging rights regarding which college we attend, what we study in college, the type of car we drive, wat we look like, what our significant other looks like, etc.. ..We make as much money as we can just to be able to buy status symbols A.K.A. useless objects such as Boats, Brand Name Clothes, Jewelry, Furniture etc. Just to impress the other people in their lives. Furthermore, we want to brag about our kids’ accomplishes in academics sports. The desire to prove the extent of our successes drives us to focus on the superficial aspects of life.
I believe that people are becoming more isolated, more indifferent, and more entitled, due to the content of music and movies, combined with the stressors of society and becoming overwhelmed.
This addiction has caused our country to want to remove God from classrooms classrooms and even courtrooms. The more we refuse tobelieve in God the more We Believe that we become our OWN GODS.
This fixation on physical appearance is also very degrading to society. Social media making has hijacked young girls’ minds making them want to look like Kim Kardashian, who has had so many plastic surgeries, that level of beauty is unattainable.
As society loses touch with the importance of personal relationships due to the breakdown of the family unit, as well as the advent of the internet. social media, and video games. How can the next generation have genuinely fulfilling interpersonal relations with other people when they are raised by televisions, video games, and social media?
We buy a $200 pair of jeans while we know damn well there are millions of children starving in Africa. We as a society find it acceptable to ignore our moral consciences and remain indifferent to disparity and human suffering.
This world today teaches us that life all about getting what we want and doing what feels good. An entire generation seems to be dying off from drug addiction because the pressure gets so overwelming. They are taught concepts contrary to what the human conscience feels is good and just. They have so much to prove and just want love and approval but end up depressed if they just can’t pull it off. They have become terrified of admitting failure and haven’t been taught proper coping mechanisms to deal with failure in a healthy way, so they resort to self medicating while searching for approval and companionship with the hoards of other people feeling the same way.
Basically, we as a society have become so greedy, disconnected, and so self-centered I fear it is too late to correct the damage we have done.
This is not the way society should be, but this is the way it has become… WHY? Humans used to live in tribes and forage for food, but This addiction to MONEY, POWER and GREED is so dangerous because everybody agrees with it and there are almost no memories of a different way of life.“
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