So I have come to realize that no one can really get rid of addiction. We can't really banish it, so we merely transfer the addiction around. When we hear the word 'addiction' we automatically assume the worst; we think of drugs, porn, or something that negatively affects our lives. However, I have come to realize that addiction can be in all forms positive and negative. Addictions can range from needing drugs to get through the day or needing to confide to Jesus to pass by.
Personally, I don't find addictions that bad until they begin to deteriorate either your social, mental, or physical well being. I used to be addicted to video games... and in ways I allow myself to have relapses on the occasion. Yes, I would lock myself away to play hours of MMOs to achieve "character perfection". It took me years to realize that, while socially interacting with people across the world, I was really isolating myself. While I would be able to share common interests with many people, I would never be able to connect with these people in real life. They will always be an internet barrier away. And while there is always the possibility of getting on a plane and flying over to meet them, it is often thought as taboo (or at least weird) to do so.
After a period of time, I began to reflect on what I was accomplishing both in game and with these people I've met. In the end... this game does not positively affect the well being of my life and I had to stop wasting my life in it. What do I do with all the time I used to dedicate in this game? Of course, you find something else to put time into. Lately I've been putting my time into the pursuit of knowledge. It seems like anything I don't know has suddenly become an interest and I want to research it. Switching from a negative addiction to a positive one is always a good thing :)
So, what do you consider positive/negative addictions? What addictions do you have and would you want to change it?
About Me
- iZonedOut
- Everyone comes to the point where they see darkness in front of them. It's up to them to find a way to make their tomorrow a little brighter. I live one day at a time making the most I can, when I choose to. ;) Read on and dive into my psyche.
It seems like you've reached conclusions many people know from the start. A lot of people are addicted to sports, some to eating, and some to alcohol. But we all understand that they are addictions.
ReplyDeleteBut the most interesting thing is that you say that there can be a positive addiction. No addiction is positive. To become so dependent on something external to you is automatically a negative, which is one reason why every strain of thought meant to create emotional and spiritual and mental perfection involves detaching one's self from the world and worldly things. All else is tantamount to dependence, and, therefore, a hindrance.
You're also wrong in your assumption about what is accomplished in a video game. Sure, you've set a standard belief as to what happens in a video game if you become too attached. But what if someone doesn't spend too much time on a game? They accomplish personal self-enjoyment, and maybe even self-fulfillment if their daily job is unsatisfying. I wouldn't be surprised if someone who works at McDonald's plays World of Warcraft after they get home from work, but I also wouldn't say they would be addicted just because it is a habit. Either way, to say nothing is accomplished is a huge overstatement.
So, what do I consider positive/negative addictions? I consider all addictions negative. What addictions do I have and would want to change? Alcohol. I don't do it excessively, but I do know I haven't gone a week without drinking for the past 8 years of my life.
While I see that an addiction itself is a negative attribute, it can have overall positive or negative results. In that respect, I can say that having an addiction to exercise could be positive, while having an addiction to eating could be negative. There can always be a counter to each example, but the results will show either a positive or negative result.
ReplyDeleteIf someone were stuck in a mundane lifestyle and were to use video games as an escape, it may start as a habit but can easily turn into an addiction. But someone who jumps on to play a video game for an hour after a stressful day of work isn't really addicted. It starts to become an addiction when you continuously urge to perform that specific action and it becomes bad when you start sacrificing necessities for it.
I didn't say that nothing was accomplished; I stated that it didn't positively affect the well being of my life. For the time I put into the game, I did not come out with many positives. I was spending about $1000 a month, isolating myself and letting my performance at work slip. On the positive side, I did make two friends I still keep in touch with... yeah, that's about it. The rest was just momentary periods of "personal self-enjoyment" that quickly faded. My experience with MMO gaming is a negative one, and since I have an addictive personality, I try to stay away from MMOs now.
Thank you for your words though, I do use them to find ways to get over adversities and broaden my ways of thinking :)
"ad·dic·tion
ReplyDeletenoun
the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma."
source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/addiction
"Addiction can also be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity despite the negative consequences associated with it. Pleasure, enjoyment or relief from actual or perceived ailments would have originally been sought; however, over a period of time involvement with the substance or activity is needed to feel normal."
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction
None of that is positive.
I would find that definition a slight misrepresentation of addiction. I would go by Webster's definition:
ReplyDelete"Addiction: 1: the quality or state of being addicted "
"Addict: 1: to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively "
In the definition you provided, there would be no room for a mild addiction, which I am arguing can provide a positive outcome. Now, I'm not saying that the dependency itself is positive, but rather the outcome of a negative behavior can produce positive attribute.
For instance:
If a chef were addicted to cooking, the need to cook could lead search for better recipes. Inevitably, his cooking will become better. Now, the need for him to feel normal through cooking is negative, but the delicious food made would be viewed as positive.
Food, and Bad humor. I'm trying to switch them out for for and promotion of my work. Like all other successful people.
ReplyDelete