The world is besieged by addicts. These people are dependant upon alcohol, opioids, prescription drugs, nicotine, weed, etc. These drugs change the "mental state" of these folks to a greater or a lesser extent. Those who suffer from a drug or an alcohol addiction often find themselves living a homeless existence in the streets of cities around the world. In many instances these people live on the edge of contemporary society and therefore pose a minor threat to the social order of modern life. Indeed, in many cases we simply look the other way. We ignore the impact that a drunk has on a family. We ignore the impact that a drug addict has on his or her parents. We ignore the fact that addiction is a "nuclear bomb" that destroys families, precincts, schools, individuals, groups, nations, etc.
But this riff is not about that common expression of addiction as bad as it is and as harmful as it has been. This riff addresses an even more pervasive impact of addiction as it affects the "state of mind" of all of us to some extent [see photo].
This addiction is based in ideology [right, left, centre]. It is based in theology [obsession with the carbon-based economy, a specific religion, a spiritual illusion, or a utopian delusion]. It is based in social tribes [us against them]. It is based in language [alt left or alt right]. It is based in conversation [projection of ideas onto others to deny their free will]. It is based in Cliques [peer-based group think]. And so on.
The information which we all feed off 24/7 is addictive in some form or other. This data or information is our equivalent of alcohol, weed, opioids, and prescription drugs. We like to think of information as a neutral, or a non-biased actor, within our communications and thus in our overall "state of mind". And whenever this is true for anyone of us then our general "state of mind" is expansive not contractive. Perhaps that "state of mind" is immune from addictions. However the reason that information can become "wildly addictive" for us is due to the fundamental need we harbour to belong to a group or to a tribe. And it turns out that a group or a tribe with strong social ties will have a shared set of truths which will clash with those held, and promoted, by their rivals.
Clearly a drug addict depends upon his or her daily hit of data or information that it sends to the brain. Surprisingly [for me] a similar process seems to take place for people who depend upon a daily hit of data or information that supports his of her version of the truth.
Richard
Newminimalism promotes: * originality * low-cost living * creativity * loyalty * less fluff
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