Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Drug envy


"In this research, envy is typically described as a painful emotion that emerges as a result of upward comparison to advantaged others, who possess something that one covets but lacks. Envy is an unalienable part of social interaction, with people experiencing this feeling in private and workplace settings, or any other environment, where inter-personal interactions take place. On the positive side, benign envy was shown to lead to learning, motivation, better performance, and achievement. On the negative side, malicious envy leads to [a] desire to harm the envied object and breeds hostility. Endured over longer time periods, envy can damage one’s sense of self-worth, result in group dissatisfaction and withdrawal, lead to depressive tendencies, reduce perceptions of well-being, and [lead to] poor mental health."

This segment has been taken from a German report, entitled Envy on Facebook: A Hidden Threat to Users’ Life Satisfaction?, published in the second decade of the 21st century. The report specifically examines the social media phenomenon, but, funnily enough, I couldn't help but be reminded of the global drug situation during the same time period.

Even though countless people are yet to realize that drugs are primarily a source of pleasure—thereby explaining the frequency with which they are used by the vast majority of humans—the fact remains: if you just happen to find yourself in a situation where the drug/s you most appreciate is/are illegal, and too many days have been spent walking past people who are joyously enjoying their drug/s in licensed venues, or glancing at promotional material for events that rely on the liberal consumption of legal drugs to be successful, then why wouldn't you progressively breed feelings of resentment, alienation, envy and hostility? I dare say it may be akin to the feelings that developed for women when they were denied the right to vote; or slaves in the United States who just could not comprehend why they couldn't also sit on their own porch at sunset and enjoy a pleasant meal with their family—or something like that.

I could go on, but anyone with a functioning brain will be able to read the aforementioned paragraphs and connect the dots. Maybe ponder this when you are next anticipating your caffeine hit or awaiting paracetamol for that headache, and then think about that really angry person you once read about, who held someone up for money.

6 comments:

  1. I've always believed that the punitive attacks society rains upon the drug user are promted by a resentment fostered by a form of envy. An envy borne of the 'ordinary' persons view that junkies are somehow cheating and taking a shortcut to happiness. Failing to put in the hard yards that your average pleb does to achieve that blissful state that exists 'out there' if you only work hard enough to get it. Then discovering the destination they seek is a mirage, with the anger and hostility generated targeted at those they consider to be cheats in the nirvana game.

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    1. I apologize for my very belated reply, but I feel similarly, and I think this kind of deep-down resentment can be applied to other forms of stigma/judgment. But who is going to admit that they are actually envious? So much easier to point the finger and condemn.

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  2. very good info, thanks for the article interesting

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  3. All types of addiction and addictive person on the type of narcotic or drink a certain disease, but what is the psychological and behavioral worsening and may be fatal if the person did not succeed in the face

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    1. I apologize "addiction treatment", but I am unclear of what you are articulating here.

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