4 ms·

Because one person thinks he has it under control at this time, I don't see how advocating for wider acceptance of drug classes that have killed and destroyed t

Because one person thinks he has it under control at this time, I don't see how advocating for wider acceptance of drug classes that have killed and destroyed the lives of millions every year is even a story that deserves a platform. This was a good story to flag.

yboris 6y ago
It is interesting to me how ready we sometimes are to dismiss others' self-reports. This is akin to doctors in early 1900's (and even now) simply ignoring women's self reports of pain. When a person reports something about their own life and internal state, you need to have overwhelming evidence before you can dismiss what they are saying. On what grounds do you dismiss the author's claims about their life? He clearly has his life well-enough-together to get an essay published in a reputable science magazine.
- altcognito 6y ago
  I'm not dismissing his account, so you should read my comment closer. I don't think I would use getting published as evidence that somebody "has their life together". Again, I don't care if he does have his life together. It may entirely fake, it can be temporary, and it can be one account. Look, I'm wholly for the idea of not shaming people who use drugs. I am also wholly against treating drugs which have established track records of destroying lives as recreational or not a problem when used regularly, especially to avoid personal problems. So I'm strongly against publishing essays which tell a soft story to play down the millions of other stories, which this absolutely does. Why doesn't he talk about how this impairs his motor or thinking? Is he somehow magic, isn't the entire point to alter his conciousness? No, it's all positive about drugs. Ridiculous. Why doesn't he point to the side effects? Using alcohol as an example of how "harmless" drugs are is obscene. Alcohol destroys millions of lives every year as well. If he wants to sell tolerance of people's choices in the name of the freedom to ruin your own life, then so be it. Don't soft peddle me bullshit. Could we have a story about all the men and women who had their entire lives destroyed by drugs as a counter example?
  - yboris 6y ago
    We do hear (literally) hundreds of stories about how drugs destroy lives. Growing up in the US, there would be nearly a yearly assembly where we were told about (exaggerated) dangers of drugs. One story was "a mother put her child in the oven" and other horrors. Hearing an opposing point of view is a breath of fresh air for people who are fed up with the one sidedness and hysteria. Stories distort reality. They oversimplify and hide details. Think about a parallel: pizza. People in the US are notoriously (unhealthily) overweight. Should we be hysterical about someone who says "I can eat pizza without going overboard"?
    - altcognito 6y ago
      Comparing heroin to unhealthy eating is an interesting take.

yboris 6y ago

It is interesting to me how ready we sometimes are to dismiss others' self-reports. This is akin to doctors in early 1900's (and even now) simply ignoring women's self reports of pain. When a person reports something about their own life and internal state, you need to have overwhelming evidence before you can dismiss what they are saying. On what grounds do you dismiss the author's claims about their life? He clearly has his life well-enough-together to get an essay published in a reputable science magazine.

altcognito 6y ago
I'm not dismissing his account, so you should read my comment closer. I don't think I would use getting published as evidence that somebody "has their life together". Again, I don't care if he does have his life together. It may entirely fake, it can be temporary, and it can be one account. Look, I'm wholly for the idea of not shaming people who use drugs. I am also wholly against treating drugs which have established track records of destroying lives as recreational or not a problem when used regularly, especially to avoid personal problems. So I'm strongly against publishing essays which tell a soft story to play down the millions of other stories, which this absolutely does. Why doesn't he talk about how this impairs his motor or thinking? Is he somehow magic, isn't the entire point to alter his conciousness? No, it's all positive about drugs. Ridiculous. Why doesn't he point to the side effects? Using alcohol as an example of how "harmless" drugs are is obscene. Alcohol destroys millions of lives every year as well. If he wants to sell tolerance of people's choices in the name of the freedom to ruin your own life, then so be it. Don't soft peddle me bullshit. Could we have a story about all the men and women who had their entire lives destroyed by drugs as a counter example?
- yboris 6y ago
  We do hear (literally) hundreds of stories about how drugs destroy lives. Growing up in the US, there would be nearly a yearly assembly where we were told about (exaggerated) dangers of drugs. One story was "a mother put her child in the oven" and other horrors. Hearing an opposing point of view is a breath of fresh air for people who are fed up with the one sidedness and hysteria. Stories distort reality. They oversimplify and hide details. Think about a parallel: pizza. People in the US are notoriously (unhealthily) overweight. Should we be hysterical about someone who says "I can eat pizza without going overboard"?
  - altcognito 6y ago
    Comparing heroin to unhealthy eating is an interesting take.