addiction

Bilingual

The Acceleration of Addictiveness
2 months ago
- Addictive substances and activities are concentrated forms of less addictive predecessors, driven by technological progress.
- Technological progress is accelerating, leading to more things we like being transformed into things we like too much.
- Society develops social antibodies to new addictions, but this process is slow compared to the accelerating rate of technological change.
- Individuals must increasingly rely on self-discipline and eccentric strategies to avoid addiction, as customs may not protect them.
- The author's personal experience with Internet addiction illustrates the need for deliberate avoidance, such as taking long hikes without digital distractions.
The Island Test
2 months ago
- A test for addiction: pack what you can't live without for a weekend on a remote island.
- Author's addictions are books, earplugs, notebook, and pen.
- Earplugs ensure quiet for thinking, especially when starting new ideas.
- Notebook and pen help capture ideas and prevent worrying about forgetting them.
- Books provide distraction but are not entirely healthy; author may try giving them up in the future.
FanDuel sent personal message from Phillies star to gambling addiction
3 months ago
- Terry Thompson lost $1.5 million and wagered $18.5 million on FanDuel, becoming a VIP who received perks like Super Bowl tickets and a personalized video from Bryce Harper.
- The personalized video from active MLB star Bryce Harper to a VIP gambler raises ethical concerns about athlete-bettor relationships and gambling addiction, though it may not violate MLB policy.
- FanDuel's VIP program, including a dedicated manager who encouraged betting, is alleged in a lawsuit to intentionally maximize addiction, with Thompson's losses leading to financial ruin and a suicide attempt.
- MLB's stance on gambling has shifted from opposition to partnerships with sportsbooks, allowing player promotions, while recent scandals involve umpires and players in betting-related controversies.
- Experts criticize the use of active athletes in personalized messages to high-stakes bettors as exploitative and potentially exacerbating addiction, with calls for leagues to reconsider such associations.
Sixteen Failed Attempts to Write a Eulogy for My Father (2024)
3 months ago
- The author attempts to write a eulogy for their father, recounting 16 failed attempts and reflecting on their complicated relationship.
- The father died alone in a motel room, having alienated everyone in his life due to drug addiction, violence, and abusive behavior.
- The author describes their father's manipulative love, which included intense declarations of affection mixed with threats, control, and emotional abuse.
- The father had a history of drug use, job losses, evictions, and financial instability, leading to his isolated death.
- The author's family had a pattern of abusive men, including an uncle who shot his girlfriend and another who abandoned his children.
- The author struggled with guilt, anger, and grief, trying to reconcile their father's moments of insight with his destructive actions.
- The father's death was discovered five days after he died, with the autopsy citing heart disease and chronic alcoholism as causes.
- The author reflects on how their father's abuse shaped their own parenting, striving to break the cycle of trauma.
- In a final meditation, the author practices a compassion exercise for their father, expressing forgiveness just before learning of his death.

addiction

The Acceleration of Addictiveness

The Island Test

FanDuel sent personal message from Phillies star to gambling addiction

Sixteen Failed Attempts to Write a Eulogy for My Father (2024)