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> Addicts "make poor choices" because their brains are wired that way. I reject this statement. Even if people are more prone to addiction, that doesn't excuse

by ythl 10y ago

> Addicts "make poor choices" because their brains are wired that way. I reject this statement. Even if people are more prone to addiction, that doesn't excuse their choices. Otherwise you could excuse serial killers by saying "Oh well, his brain was wired that way. He got derived sexual satisfaction from torture and killing. He couldn't control his actions; he's not responsible for his choices." Once you blame genetics, then suddenly nobody has accountability for anything. "Oh, he did X? He didn't have a choice, his brain was wired that way."

dota_fanatic 10y ago
Why can't both be true. For some people, they're prone but overcome their instincts through nurturing and support from their environment to be different. For others, they're VERY prone, and lack nurturing and support from their environment to be different. It's incredible to me how quickly we support, nurture, even worship people who are born into extremely good circumstances with all the advantages of the modern age, who are able to exercise common sense and ethical behavior (did they deserve it?), while others are blamed and despised when they were born into extremely poor circumstances, disadvantage after disadvantage (did they deserve it?) Context differs wildly and yet everyone is held to the same standards and expectations, when we're all just barely evolved higher intelligence, with severely flawed wetware. It's fucking ridiculous.
ChoHag 10y ago
You can say that, and won't even be wrong, but saying that an actor is not control of its actions is not the same as saying that they must not be restricted in their ability to act upon others. A serial killer is not locked up because he or she is a serial killer but to protect the rest of us who are not. A drug user is locked up because he or she is a drug user, not because the rest of us need protection from a near-comatose stoner.

by ythl 10y ago

dota_fanatic 10y ago

Why can't both be true. For some people, they're prone but overcome their instincts through nurturing and support from their environment to be different. For others, they're VERY prone, and lack nurturing and support from their environment to be different. It's incredible to me how quickly we support, nurture, even worship people who are born into extremely good circumstances with all the advantages of the modern age, who are able to exercise common sense and ethical behavior (did they deserve it?), while others are blamed and despised when they were born into extremely poor circumstances, disadvantage after disadvantage (did they deserve it?) Context differs wildly and yet everyone is held to the same standards and expectations, when we're all just barely evolved higher intelligence, with severely flawed wetware. It's fucking ridiculous.

ChoHag 10y ago

You can say that, and won't even be wrong, but saying that an actor is not control of its actions is not the same as saying that they must not be restricted in their ability to act upon others. A serial killer is not locked up because he or she is a serial killer but to protect the rest of us who are not. A drug user is locked up because he or she is a drug user, not because the rest of us need protection from a near-comatose stoner.