Category Archives: Addiction

Read about and Watch Bruce K. Alexander and Rat Park

on March 9, 2024 in Addiction

Regular readers know I write about addiction here a lot, especially the heavy addiction in Washington Square Park, where I see syringes all the time, as well as people smoking rocks in those small glass pipes. I guess it could be crack, meth, or other stuff. As you might expect, addiction features heavily in my upcoming book. I sent a part to podcast guest and bestselling author of The Urge,[…] Keep reading →

This week’s selected media: March 3, 2024: The Road to Serfdom, Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man, the Social Dilemma

on March 3, 2024 in Addiction, Tips

This week I finished: The Road to Serfdom, by Friedrich Hayek: I quote Milton Friedman in my book a lot and kept coming across Hayek’s name while reading him and about him so I finally read Road to Serfdom. I wish I had earlier. Hayek wrote this book in the early 1940s, watching Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini rampaging across Europe, destroying freedom. He promoted freedom. If he were alive today[…] Keep reading →

My latest life-changing rule for visiting web sites

on February 26, 2024 in Addiction, Choosing/Decision-Making, Freedom, Habits, Tips

I used to waste three or four hours a day browsing social media sites, generally Reddit at the time, but others too, in particular after telling myself not to spend that much time on sites. I found some useful guidelines to reduce wasting time on screens. Not all time on screens is wasted, so I wanted to reduce wasted time but maintain productive time. Existing rules that have served me[…] Keep reading →

Talking to people about the environment is like talking to addicts about people they hurt.

on February 8, 2024 in Addiction

I notice people rarely talk about themselves and the environment. They’ll express outrage, recount facts, and say what other people should do, but not about themselves. So I’m thinking more about why. Seeing the overlap between behavioral addictions like social media, binge-watching TV, and gambling, and behavior that requires polluting reveals the overlap with why talking to addicts about their addiction goes nowhere. Addicted people resist acknowledging hurting people and[…] Keep reading →

One reason why talking to addicts about their addiction goes nowhere

on February 7, 2024 in Addiction

I recently wrote about how Trying to lead an addict to admit their addiction or that they are hurting others (or themselves) is like trying to catch a fish with your bare hands. I’ve been thinking about why. Generally addiction means you’re acting against your own values, hurting others. An addict may say he or she doesn’t see that he or she is hurting others, but likely some part of[…] Keep reading →

Trying to lead an addict to admit their addiction or that they are hurting others (or themselves) is like trying to catch a fish with your bare hand.

on January 27, 2024 in Addiction

I spoke recently with a guy who went through Alcoholics Anonymous. I tried to show him that we are addicted to behaviors that pollute and deplete. He agreed with that assessment. He agreed he was once addicted to alcohol, but he wouldn’t acknowledge that he was experiencing addiction with his polluting, depleting behaviors. To clarify, he didn’t disagree with anything. He just wouldn’t acknowledge he was addicted today. He acknowledged[…] Keep reading →

Americans are so addicted, they can’t see our unbalanced their “balance” is

on January 19, 2024 in Addiction, Perception, Relationships

Every time someone tells me they balance their behavior regarding the environment, guaranteed the next thing they say will concern only themselves. They want to help the environment but they want to live their life too. They want not to pollute but they can’t afford not to fly. They want to eat less meat but they want to stay healthy. For one thing, most of what they say doesn’t make[…] Keep reading →

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