5 ms·
It's interesting that society (especially the conservative side) frowns upon substance abuse, and often thinks of it as a moral failing. Yet so much of our cult
by toomanybeersies 8y ago
It's interesting that society (especially the conservative side) frowns upon substance abuse, and often thinks of it as a moral failing. Yet so much of our cultural output has relied on substance use/abuse.
Hemingway and Bukowski with alcohol, Philip K Dick with amphetamines, Hunter S Thompson with practically every substance, practically every musician with every substance under the sun.
Art and altered states of mind seem to go hand in hand.
- 52-6F-62 8y agoI was giving it some thought and was about to post something similar. I also remember a quote— by whom I forget—but probably one of your selection: “I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, but it worked for me”. Take that one with a grain of salt— maybe it worked for humanity. There’s something to be said for the ones who stared into the abyss and reported back...
- enobrev 8y agoHunter Thompson has said it a few times in print, though I don't know exactly where. I've definitely read it in at least one of his letters. I first found the quote in a video of him at a podium answering questions for college students. Probably on YouTube but it was a long time ago.
- 52-6F-62 8y agoI think you're right about the lecture moment. I forget which doc as well, but it rings a bell for sure.
- camjohnson26 8y agoOr maybe openness to experience causes both high creativity and openness to experimenting with substances. Correlation/causation and all that.
- pm90 8y agoAh the virtuous cycle of creativity and experimentation.
- emersonrsantos 8y agoAyn Rand comes to mind, cigarettes and amphetamines, and it clearly displays in her personal life: paranoia, anger, rage. Also Steve Jobs marijuana and most famous LSD habit, according to him, one of the "two or three most important things" he ever did in his life.
- yesenadam 8y agoYou could look at the people with creative output and ask how drugs help, or you could look at 'non-creative' people and ask how drugs stop them being creative.. Or maybe artists just take/enjoy/use drugs 'because' humans take/enjoy/use drugs. You just only hear about it when it's someone famous for something.