Addiction by chance versus Addiction by Design with Intent

April 19, 2025 by Joshua
in Addiction, Freedom, Habits

That something in poppy can be extracted into something that addicts (opiates), that fruit and grains can be fermented into something that addicts (alcohol), or smoking tobacco can addict, or that gambling addicts are all chance results from nature. People may have found ways to capitalize on and profit from that addiction, but no one created the effect. Evolution did.

By contrast, we now know how to addict people to things like video games. We know how to make substances that addict and to lower the costs of making them. We know how to refine addictive things to make them yet more addictive.

I see a major difference between the first type and the second. I’m starting to distinguish them by name: addiction by chance and addiction by design. I think we should stop confusing them so we start considering if addiction by design qualifies as destroying liberty, which I see compelling government action, even to people who promote limited government. I know of negligible numbers of people who want government not to protect liberty.

morning syringes

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