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tweet by Johann Hari: The core of addiction is not wanting to be present in life, because pour life is too painful a place to be. This is why imposing more pain or punishment on a person with an addiction problem actually makes their addiction worse.

  • This is anecdotal, but I think it’s a good qualitative example. When I was marginally employed I was routinely drinking, smoking, and getting high. Well as routinely as I could afford. Even when I was homeless, first thing I did when I scored $40 for a day’s work was go and buy a tallboy and a pack of cigarettes.

    Fast forward, and now I have a fancy WFH job with good bennies and a future, and I no longer drink, smoke, or do drugs. Part of that is age, but it’s not like I didn’t want to quit those things. It’s just that it got easier when life got more relaxing, and I could just chill out rather than try to escape.