SoberRich
Member
As I recount in my journal I am battling two addictions, alcohol and porn, and I try to be brutally honest in talking about the process. It is not insignificant that both of my addictions are to products that are legal and more than this, accepted and supported by society. They are "normal", but I would like to actually question this. What do you do when your primary goal is to quit things that society tells you aren't a problem. That is our conundrum. I think about these things a lot, and to be honest I am very pessimistic about society. The more I educate myself, the more I learn, the more pessimistic I become when I look at the outside world. This stuff, of course, is outside the scope of this forum, but I'd be happy to talk about it in my inbox. In Aldous Huxley's a Brave New World sex and drugs play the role of pacifying the population. Interestingly enough we are drawn into details about an actual sex company through the eyes of one of our main characters. She is almost constantly taking the free drugs, which arguably tells us that she is not too happy about her "chosen" occupation. In one instance of sober insight, she seems to question what she is doing entirely, before immediately re-medicating herself into passivity. We find this same theme in non-fiction as well, with many authors discussing this phenomenon, which is a very risky move indeed. It is risky to point to the man behind the curtain.
So, how do we remain firm in our convictions when just by taking this journey we plant ourselves firmly against the culture we live in? I'm not particularly religious, although I am sure that going to church can help. I am sure it helps a lot of people here. I do like to read books about pshychology and spirituality. It helps me to understand the processes I find occurring in my life. I think there has to be a source of meaning that helps us fortify our positions. I rarely tell anyone about my journey against either of these addictions, but the culture can influence us in other ways, through advertising, or just moving around in a world where these things are considered normal.
And here is where I want to turn to some definitions. I argue that porn and binge drinking are NOT normal. When I look outside I can't help but feel that people confuse the words common and normal.
The dictionary says that common means "prevalent; occurring often". It is a very plain word lacking judgment.
Normal on the other hand. The dictionary says that it means "conforming to a standard; usual; typical, or expected."
Clearly these words do not mean the same thing. When people say that porn and alcohol are normal, surely what they mean that they are common. These things are far from normal.
Would we say that a father and husband of 40 binging on porn and hanging out at bars is normal? What about the university student, who should be studying or getting a good night's sleep before an exam? What about the newly married husband who should be doting on his wife?
Maybe it is time for us to take back the word normal with our actions. We are the ones being normal. Because we don't let these products take over our lives.
Just a thought.
So, how do we remain firm in our convictions when just by taking this journey we plant ourselves firmly against the culture we live in? I'm not particularly religious, although I am sure that going to church can help. I am sure it helps a lot of people here. I do like to read books about pshychology and spirituality. It helps me to understand the processes I find occurring in my life. I think there has to be a source of meaning that helps us fortify our positions. I rarely tell anyone about my journey against either of these addictions, but the culture can influence us in other ways, through advertising, or just moving around in a world where these things are considered normal.
And here is where I want to turn to some definitions. I argue that porn and binge drinking are NOT normal. When I look outside I can't help but feel that people confuse the words common and normal.
The dictionary says that common means "prevalent; occurring often". It is a very plain word lacking judgment.
Normal on the other hand. The dictionary says that it means "conforming to a standard; usual; typical, or expected."
Clearly these words do not mean the same thing. When people say that porn and alcohol are normal, surely what they mean that they are common. These things are far from normal.
Would we say that a father and husband of 40 binging on porn and hanging out at bars is normal? What about the university student, who should be studying or getting a good night's sleep before an exam? What about the newly married husband who should be doting on his wife?
Maybe it is time for us to take back the word normal with our actions. We are the ones being normal. Because we don't let these products take over our lives.
Just a thought.
