I really wanted to title this post 'On Drugs; A Stimulation-Response Analysis' but that would sound like I would be describing the effects of various drugs, which I'm not. Although it would probably be a fascinating read. This post is an in depth, logical, analysis of why I personally believe that as a society we can not dictate what is or isn't appropriate (or legal) for people to put in their bodies as adults.
I will start by describing how I view EVERYTHING in the world, as a series of stimulants, and their resulting responses. We live in an action-reaction world, the most complex system known to man. At some point I made the decision to reorient my life in accordance with this action-reaction model. I do something, that thing will have consequences, those consequences will either be favorable or distasteful to me and the people around me. So logically one will pursue stimulation with positive consequences for themselves and/or the people around them. Now let me be clear, this is NOT just about drugs/substance, but literally everything in life. Why do you listen to certain music? Why do you hang out with certain people? Why do you watch movies? Why do you go to work? Why do you exercise? Why do you join a club or church? Because to you, the positive short or long term consequences of those actions outweigh the negatives. It's that simple. That is the essence of 'liking' something. It is a stimulation that you respond to favorably overall. But the key to this system is that it is all according to you as an individual. Responses to stimulation varies from person to person to a huge degree, which is why we like different foods/music, have different friends, believe in different Gods, or no God at all. Because on a neurological, intellectual, cultural, emotional, spiritual, and physical level, we have different responses to things. So that in and of itself should be enough to invalidate any argument condemning, or trying to understand why someone makes a decision in their life, particularly one that doesn't affect anyone but themselves. (Continued observations of people judging the hell out of each other, and me is what inspired this post) So when I say I don't judge I am not saying that I don't feel the urge to condemn someone who makes a decision that I don't understand, because I do, everyone does. I don't know why that person behaves how they do, but it evokes a negative stimulation. The difference is that I am at a point where I refuse to come to any sort of conclusion about that person and try to not comment at all because I refuse to let stimulation control my life. This is probably getting hard to follow but in short I am beginning to understand that we don't understand anything. Which is what prevents me from condemning or judging someone else, without a basis for what I feel and why, how can I pretend that I have any sort of superior idea to someone else? Of course the paradox of this being that that very sentence invalidates any claim anyone in the world ever makes, including myself... but hey if you haven't fallen asleep yet keep reading! The sex drugs and rock and roll come next.
So with that not-so-brief synopsis of my thoughts on stimulation-response, I will apply those ideas to the biggest legal, moral, and intellectual grey areas in our society, the use of substance. And I mean every substance, caffeine, cannabis, psycobilin, alcohol, opiates, tobacco, sugar, etc. There are tons and tons of them, legal and illegal. Obviously the legal ones aren't an issue, you are free to use or not use them as you choose, which is how it should be, but I think that it is a good basis to begin with. Lets start with the two fully legal (all ages) substances that I listed above, but the example can be applied to all legal substances!
Caffeine and sugar, two things that often go hand in hand, are fully legal and actively promoted in the world, particularly in the U.S. Now people use these substances or not, based on their INDIVIDUAL stimulation-response analysis of them. There is huge room for abuse for both substances, caffeine being highly addictive and detrimental to growth as well as functionality if used in excess, and sugar being quite frankly your 'healthy' weights worst enemy. But at the same time millions of people around the world are able to balance their use of these substances and lead normal lives. Those who can't however are faced with the consequences. Let's jump to the extremes. A caffeine addict on a massive scale would literally crave caffeine all day, being willing (by their own stimulation-response) to go out of their way to have it, or being unable to function without it. At this point their friends/family would likely advise them to quit it, but at the exact same time be entirely opposed to having the substance banned entirely. The same goes for sugar, some consume it in excess, and suffer accordingly, possibly to the point where it hinders their life, and similarly their may be some effort to have this individual reassess their use of the substance, but not a large scale effort to ban sugar. The INDIVIDUAL is being held accountable for their actions, monetarily, relationship wise, etc. because it was the INDIVIDUAL making the decisions. The substance was perhaps a catalyst, but the substance is only a tool, it is amoral, not inherently good or bad. Just because people crash cars doesn't mean we outlaw them. Just because people become obese doesn't mean you should go and blame silverware.
Now on to the other substances listed. I only separate by legality and societal view because that is how it is, not because I believe it is how it should be. All substance should be treated the same. Starting with alcohol/tobacco we see can observe that millions of people worldwide have run the stimulation-response analysis on these substances (albeit often subconsciously) and made the decision to partake in them. Both have extreme health and addiction consequences, and both have destroyed countless lives and families. But at the same time thousands of people are able to partake in the usage of these substances and continue to function quite well. The same is true for the illegal substances on that list. Many individuals chose to partake, and all deal with the consequences, positive and negative. The substances continue to be tools.
The issue is that somehow, someone decided that some substances are innately bad, and forbid the usage of them. And from a logical standpoint, it seems reasonable that one should try to avoid things likely to lead to negative consequences. But, (returning to my argument of judgment made earlier) who are we to say that the simulation-response system created in one individual is innately wrong or right? Why do we allow someone else's fine tuned system of understanding be applied to a large scale population? It doesn't make sense. In my mind it is equivalent to outlawing a certain kind of music, or food. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it is wrong for anyone else to like it. We live in a society of free will, one must deal with the consequences of their decisions accordingly however. You are free to kill someone, but you must understand the severe repercussions of doing so. But that is not true with many substances. You are not free to use them, out of the fear of the potential of the negative consequences as perceived by someone else. Now that seems unfair.
In my opinion all substance should be legal for personal use. One just has to be aware of the consequences. If you as an individual CHOOSE to do heroin and become addicted (like caffeine but only much more severe) you have to deal with the consequences of that action. Whether it be you were hospitalized, or you turned to crime to fuel your addiction, you will deal with the consequences. But if you are a functioning heroin user, you get to 'enjoy' the 'positive' consequences of your decision, and if you don't let it interfere with other things like work or family life in a negative way, nobody can tell you that you are doing something wrong. They may have a separate stimulation-response outlook on it, but that doesn't make it wrong.
Much more timidly, cannabis use is this way, and being in a radical time of virtual decriminalization in some parts of the country, and a federal opposition strong as ever, it seems only fair to discuss it in closing. How can one's decision to smoke weed be innately wrong? It may be against your stimulation-response analysis, but that doesn't mean your simulation-response analysis is applicable to the whole world. If one smokes and becomes a lazy stoner stereotype, the consequences of that are on THEM, not on the substance itself. But if you smoke and maintain functionality, and enjoy the positive consequences without adversely affecting other areas of your life (like the last 3 U.S. presidents for example) how can anyone tell you that your decision is wrong? It is no more wrong than liking different foods, listening to different music, or having a different favorite color.
The stimulation-response model of living life is not innately correct, but it is not avoidable, and being aware of that will help all of us in our decisions in the future, and hopefully make us all less judgmental of all decisions, particularly those persecuted unjustly by the law. You deal with the consequences of your decisions, but the tools of those decisions are not to blame. I have broken numerous bones skateboarding, but that doesn't mean I should blame my skateboard. I made a decision based on stimulation-response, and dealt with the consequences accordingly. I apply this philosophy to everything, and have grown from it as a person. But it would be hypocritical of me to thrust it at you as 'truth'. It is merely my observations, and my view of the world and stimulation-response analysis of it is no more correct than anyone elses. So I guess in actuality I can't criticize the active condemnation of substance at all, because it is equally as misunderstood to me as substance use acceptance is to them. All I can say is do you, and be ready to deal with the consequences of that. Don't let those consequences be useless however, positive and negative, grow from them, learn from them, appreciate them as the facets of life that define your existence.
PEACE AND LOVE AND ALL THAT HIPPY SHIT I LIKE TO SAY.
-Jeremy
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