@Contrarian said: Exactly. My initial point though was that it is rare for someone to actually like acohol the first time they try it. They acquire a taste over time and certainly like it, but the persistance is largely due to peer, social pressure. You may be amongst the exceptions.
I think you grossly underestimate "the exceptions." Given the incredibly large, vibrant wine and beer cultures around the world, all striving not to make the most poweful beverages, but the tastiest ones, to assert that the taste is only a biproduct of peer pressure is simply foolish. If a lot of people didn't genuinely enjoy its taste, it wouldn't be American society's drug of choice. Also, It may very well be that you simply can't stand the taste of alcohol, but I would recommend having sips of your friends every once in a while. The variety between different types of beers and wines in huge, encompassing an entire realm of uniques tastes. You may one day try a drink that you actually like. I'm not sure of how much drinks you've tried, but I would refrain from judging the taste of alcohol if your sampling is just shitty beers. Bad beer is absolutely revolting, and the taste alone makes me feel sick. While some mass produced beers are okay, in general they're not worth your time unless you're solely in the business of getting drunk (although imported mass produced beers sometimes have a higher standard of quality. Smaller, local brews are where it's at. A Dogfish Head or River Horse... Yum Yum Yum.
@Contrariansaid: I can't agree with that at all. It is the "right of passage" argument that is without foundation. I have never tried any illicit drug, yet people say the same as you about marijuana. I don't need to experience it for myself to know it is bad for you, full stop. We have mushrooms that grow all around our home that you can "trip" on (not fall over). I have never been tempted to try them either. Your argument applies to everything - I have never tried gay sex, so how do I know I won't like it? My brain tells me I am straight, so I don't consider it. My brain tells me alcohol (& drugs) are bad for me, come with great risk, so I see no point in experiencing it just for the sake of it. No-one needs to experience alcohol, you just choose to do it. I will go to my grave content I have missed nothing abstaining.
Okay. First of all, marijuana is not nearly as bad as legal drugs such as alcohol or tobacco. Given, at least you're consistent with your logic. I think people who rant against marijuana's harms and then proceed to go drink until the black out are the worst. I don't think you're a hypocrite. However, when you say "I don't need to experience it to know it is bad for you, full stop." it really irks me. Your perception of MJ is entirely based on stereotypes and misinformation. I don't mean to sound mean, but I think you should spend five minutes reading its wikipedia before making any conclusions about cannabis. I won't take this conversation to a tangent, but I will say at the very least it doesn't cause cancer nor kill brain cells, nor damage long term memory (only while intoxicated). It's disappointing to me to see alcohol and marijuana, two very different drugs, lumped together. I won't say most, but a lot of smokers I know enjoy smoking but not drinking; it helps them feel in control and think clearly, which is the opposite for many when they drink.
As for "your argument applies to everything" portion of your reply, this is silly. For one, your brain doesn't tell you, "you're straight bro." When you look or think about anyone, you may or may not feel attracted to them. Based on these tendencies, you form a sexual identity, but next to nobody experiences sexuality as a binary, despite the insistence that it falls into 2 (or 3, or 4, etc.) categories. You do not receive a dogma and act accordingly. You have feelings (or lack of feelings) based on the the experience of seeing someone.
Secondly, this doesn't apply similarly to drugs because unless you feel physically repulsed by beer or weed , which might be the case due to social conditioning or simply taste (whether you like the sight and aroma or not), you're judgment is not made by your brain alone. It is made by what you have heard and how you interpret/reflect that. You can make the choice not to do something without the experience of doing it, but from my POV, that's not a choice. It's a reaction.
Lastly, Yes. You should account for health risks by consuming drugs responsibly and in moderation. It is obviously a poor idea to mess up your life just to do drugs. But there is value in doing things "just for the sake of it". It's the same reason we do everything. To add to our human experience or experience pleasure or catharsis. What is the point of life, if not to experience our own measly portion of the what's out there for us to do. Keep in mind that I'm not a especially hard partyer. Due to antibiotics I've had to take, I haven't been drunk in 9 months, high in 3. Drugs are not a reason to live or be happy, but a compliment to my life as a student, brother, and artist. Of course I don't do drugs just for the sake of it. That's ridiculous. It's my mantra to do every thing for a reason. As for my experiences with alcohol and marijuana, the reason was to have a nice evening, socialize, think about life, etc. Other experiences, like mushrooms, have had larger, more existential reasons behind them. These experiences have value to me, and that's simply because they are a good fit for my life. They might not to you, but can you really judge if you won't even consider them. I realize my logic may seem flawed when I say that you shouldn't do things for no reason and that I do drugs for a reason. But I didn't find my reasons until I had given the experiences a few tries. I use to think drugs were a futile way of escapism, but as with all things, I found that answer to be simple and inadequate as I became older. I just feel you should give yourself a chance to judge drugs on their own merits, rather than forming opinions without both sides of the story.
I hope I don't sound like a dick, I only mean to educate on why I think giving new experiences a shot is important. Every year I look back and think about how strange my past views were, and what I've gained and lost in changing. Your anti-drug beliefs may be valuable to you, and I don't mean to diminish or disrespect them. But I was much happier as a person after I opened them up to conversation, and I wouldn't want to see some who was in a similarly scenario not get the chance to do the same.
- le_zane
Log in to comment