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Comment by tunap | Hacker News Reader

Absolutely an individual choice. Why someone chooses to continue to detriment is an infinte pool of rationalizations.

I did it for the entertainment & group inclusion(poker). I justified it as I didn't lose $200, I paid for several(sometimes many) hours of entertainment. Then one time I ran out of time while I was up several hundred. The next time was again time constrained and I walked w/ $700.* The last time I met an old friend I haen't sen in 15 years and we blew our cash on drinks talking about old times. I figure I'll never be this close to even ever again so I haven't played again in 9 years.

*I'm still way behind, but figure the odds of recouping more are stacked against me.

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funny thing about addiction. I agree that in the beginning it's a choice. But i think every event biases the choice a little bit. So, if it's go to the movies or go gambling, the first time around it's a 50/50 split. then next time around it's a 40/60 split, the next time around 20/80 split. Clearly the rate of bias modification curves vary from person to person.

That, in and of itself isn't bad, nothing wrong with always picking gambling when you have some free time and money.

With addiction, of any kind, it kind of creeps past the point of free time and money. Preferring X over sleep, work, food, whatever other things are important is where it gets pretty rough for people.

So anyway, yeah, there's an element of personal choice. When the biases get so strong, it's hard to recognize that a choice is even being made. People don't exactly choose to brush their teeth in the morning, it's just something that happens as part of the morning routine. It's technically a choice, but the bias is so strong, people rarely consider not brushing their teeth. (as a somewhat silly example)

Good thing toothpaste isn't addictive... hope the Crest folk aren't reading this. Very good point, though. I was lucky, I had several positive experiences in a short time period and could rationalize my decision to desist. I have failed repeatedly to mirror that experience with my other addictions, cigs and sex. *

* More so than just getting a lot, I was missing work, foregoing important events and losing sleep to engage with any woman who gave me permission. Aging & perpetual lack of funds cured that one for me, although it is always on my mind. I can not credit that to any personal strength.

edit:reword last sentences and fix *s

This does make me wonder why there's not an AM and PM toothpaste sub category. AM toothpaste with caffeine and PM with some type of mild sedative. They could double sales

There surely is AM toothpaste: https://www.powertoothpaste.com/

I always figured toothpaste for sensitive teeth contains local sedative.

Any toothpaste with menthol (pretty much all of them) contain a local sedative, it's just not addictive

At least in India there use to be an addictive toothpaste. The toothpaste had nicotine and it was common to see people with a brush in their mouth 24x7.

http://doctor.ndtv.com/faq/ndtv/fid/51302/How_can_my_addicti...

i think the difference is that gambling directly activates the dopamine centers in the brain. to the extent that they discuss this during work meetings to make them more addictive. when you center your work discussions on how to make something more addictive, you are dealing with something that can cause addiction. i guarantee you that nobody in the crest plant has ever had a discussion like this.

I almost stopped smoking, but I justified having a few at work and after work because I got to hang out with my colleagues socially, and I don't like to drink without a cigarette.

I employ the social rationalization, too. And what's a smoke break without a smoke? The secondary benefit for me is one of my early cessation attempts I knew I couldn't succeed if I drank so I quit drinking and never recommenced after I started smoking again.

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