A is for
addiction.But what does that word mean? A quick glimpse at a dictionary will reveal to us that it is
“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.”
In other words, it is something that we cannot leave undone without dire consequences. Pain, mental or otherwise, is the result, though its degree and type may vary quite greatly. For instance, it might present itself as physical pain as nerves are stimulated by the lack of some input, such as a narcotic substance.
Perhaps it would be continuous anxiety, a sense of loss that would ceaselessly cause distress and cast a dark shade over one's mind. It could result in inability to focus on matters for any longer period of time or it could cause a person to forget matters. Depending on the addiction, going without the object of the slave-like worship could cause very drastic symptoms in the person, even to the point of death.
Not that I've ever been addicted, myself.
Obviously.
If the definition given to us by language is in any way accurate to the real issue – which, I might point out, it isn't always – we can see many aspects of our lives that cause habits that we couldn't do without, easily or not. To bring about a necessary, genetically and physically imposed addiction, the act of eating is brought forth. I doubt any would honestly disapprove of eating, as long as it isn't in excess. The addiction is socially tolerable as going without it would lead to decay and death.
However, there are boundaries where the amount of indulgence becomes questionable to the public. If one eats too much, they are a pig, a selfish glutton who cannot control themselves enough to stop them from wrecking their bodies. After all, moderation is necessary for a healthy body – at least in the case of food. Thus those who eat too little, usually for the sake of thinness, are stupid and self-destructive, focusing their attention on naturally wrong things by depriving themselves of energy.
Energy that everyone else agrees, silently and subconsciously, could be used for something better. Of course, as is human nature, all but a handful think only of others this way. Self-reflection is a difficult task for many, but addictions are harder to face than many other sides of our minds and souls because they are a sign of weakness, of lack of strength and genetic imperative wants us to be strong, the alphas of the pack in any and every way we can. Hence, when we fail, we fail that subliminal urge and we experience a grief that we cannot trace, because it is not within our being but our being itself that shudders with loss and shame.
But then again, aren't we weak for giving in to the old order of nature? Wouldn't we be stronger if found in ourselves the power to cast aside nature and inflict harm on ourselves at will? Strength is meaningless without purpose, it is heard now, accompanied with the rolling of eyes. Even a child knows that. However, the argument forgets two details.
On one hand, strength great enough can create itself a purpose; reason for the existence of something does not have to come from without – it can also come from within. Instead of fate, there is destiny, but only if there is enough strength to break free from the shackles of the dreaded foe of free will, hindsight. Humans are not efficient like machines, but that is only because we have reason not to.
The other detail is the one of possible divine guidance of any sort (and by any I mean that it can range from an intuitive hunch to someone creating existence and then telling one of the inhabitants of it a few billion years later that here's what you have to do). In the presence of such influence, external self-purpose in a way, something works in mysterious ways. Doesn't say a lot, I know, but then again, we humans rarely listen a lot.
So should we really indulge ourselves as we please? It is a moral dilemma, mostly. Selfish people would say yes, selfless people would say no, due to the resource question involved. What one overuses and abuses, another cannot use at all. But that – if it indeed is a problem – is a much larger one than simply eating too much. Closely related and an ocean is made of small drops, but they are small drops nevertheless.
Just to give coherence a good last kick, a question: in this day and age, is strength necessary? Do we really have to be strong, not to survive, but to live?
