When you look, think, feel, and dream of something with hours on end, what do you see? Part of American culture lies within addiction, obsession of particular objects, people or random things. Depending on the severity of these particular things, they may either be minor or require legal sanctions.
There are particular addictions involving controlled substances that are demonized by society. The use of these drugs are definitely illegal, but the real question is why do we fall in these pit traps. Taking it from an anthropological standpoint we have to take a holistic view on the issue. Are there consequences for not giving in to the particular addiction? For example, are peers pressuring the individuals and pushing them down these stray paths? Do we seek out these dangers ourselves? Are personal reasons enough to justify these actions? Is our environment primarily to blame for these behaviors. Does upbringing affect the events leading up to this behavior?
Other behaviors are just as detrimental. Addictions to computers and the aspects associated with them. For example video games, there are people who neglect real life events. How did they come about to deciding on going on with the bare minimum in other aspects of life, but at the same time they are so passionate about the other drive in their life? Is that what addiction really is? A passion deemed taboo by society? A quasi-forbidden fruit we seek for diverse reasons. Is such a passion worthy of the negative criticism it receives? Subtly, society as a whole fractions off desirable and undesirable behaviors ultimately assigning stigmas to them.
What types of "passions" do you have? How did you come about to embrace or condemn your "passion"?
Your speculation that addiction might be a "passion deemed taboo by society" is quite interesting. I suppose that something becomes an addiction when it interferes with other aspects of our lives. Of course, we are much less likely to classify overindulgence in socially-acceptable behaviors such as work and exercise as "addictions" even though they might rightly be labled as such.
ReplyDeleteI've grown up with my mom constantly saying "todo en exceso es malo", translating to anything in excess amounts is bad for you. Which i believe is completely true, even if this habit may not be an addicting habit, it can turn into one. Now, i believe that upbringing and the relationship one has with their guardians or whoever they turn to for moral guidance plays a huge role in decision making later on in life.
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