Comments on The Individualist: Sober (why I am)

Great post, Chris. I completely agree with what yo...

2009-11-14T16:19:39.383-08:00

Great post, Chris. I completely agree with what you are saying. People do drugs when they want to avoid something - be it bad environment, bad friends, etc. Prevention is always the better option, but sometimes circumstances get in the way, and that's when I would justify the temporary use of short-term solutions.

It seems to me completely insane to put drugs and alcohol on a

OK. You know what my opinion happens to be, I've t...

2009-10-12T13:42:32.280-07:00

OK. You know what my opinion happens to be, I've told you. I also know that it is useless to claim that you are wrong/right, since both of those ideas are subjective. I do however believe that you are not capable of fully grasping the idea that you truly cannot understand the nature of "drugs" without having tried them.

Let me clarify several key points about my position

I think we can all agree that the argument from ar...

2009-08-02T11:34:34.949-07:00

I think we can all agree that the argument from art is rather silly. Drugs and art is hardly causational. When you abuse a drug, you are merely inhibiting or exciting certain neurons. Therefore, you are not creating anything you could not have created sober. It's a classic confusion of correlation and causation.

Some people think that marijuana is enlightening. Well, when you

Of course it's really my position. I'm not just tr...

2009-07-19T18:15:32.696-07:00

Of course it's really my position. I'm not just trying to be an ass to you. These are really truly my beliefs and I'm curious about yours, what you think and why you think them. I like talking to people who think differently than I do because it gives me another perspective. Everything is perspective.
Why isn't photography considered art in it's purest form?

I am aware of that, I was just trying to see if th...

2009-07-19T17:50:38.770-07:00

I am aware of that, I was just trying to see if that was really your position.

I believe art is the re-creation of reality to express something of value to you. I think to do this in its purest form requires a sober mind and the ability to reason.

But there are of course other things that are aesthetically pleasing such as photography that some might call art, but I would

I asked you to tell me what you think art is, not ...

2009-07-19T15:57:07.566-07:00

I asked you to tell me what you think art is, not what it isn't. So let's say I smoked three bowls, got a bunch of markers and created the best picture I've ever done. Would it not be considered art because I was high?

Well, I guess I am curious if I glued two Popsicle...

2009-07-19T15:54:00.071-07:00

Well, I guess I am curious if I glued two Popsicle stick together would you call that art? I created it didn't I?

Or what if I created a pipeline from my house to the water main? It seems to me that art as something that you create isn't exactly sufficient.

And what exactly is your definition of art, Chris?...

2009-07-19T15:47:45.924-07:00

And what exactly is your definition of art, Chris? I was under the impression that art is something you create, whether you're stone cold sober or not. But perhaps I'm wrong, being the little cliffjumper that I am.

Mind altering drugs impair rationality and conscio...

2009-07-19T15:30:40.757-07:00

Mind altering drugs impair rationality and consciousness and by definition would have to reduce anything that they produce to mindlessness.

I have no problems with drugs such as caffeine that has no effect on rationality and consciousness. However the only point of being drunk or high is mindlessness or insanity.

Though something aesthetically pleasing may come as a result

I never said drugs were required to create somethi...

2009-07-19T15:18:06.092-07:00

I never said drugs were required to create something amazing, because they're not. But creativity is NOT necessarily "reduced to mindless" as you said. Unless you've actually tried creating something while you're on drugs, you cannot have a real opinion on whether or not it increases or decreases your ability to make something "worthwhile". And I don't care if

For one thing, I personally could care less about ...

2009-07-19T13:50:59.118-07:00

For one thing, I personally could care less about those movies but also considering that not all great master pieces have been done under the influence drugs, its clear that its not required. And certainly the art I enjoy is not drug related.

Don't knock it until I have tried it? I am curious... have you tried gay sex? Or how about sex with animals? How about hitting yourself in

You do realize, don't you, that many classics such...

2009-07-19T11:28:05.573-07:00

You do realize, don't you, that many classics such as Alice and Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz were created on drugs?
Don't knock it until you try it, Christopher. Either you've never done any "drugs", or you haven't done the right kind. I know plenty of people that smoke weed to meditate, to be in the right state of mind to be enlightened. The same with mushrooms.

ah I can always count on Jesse's "anonymous" comme...

2009-07-16T20:35:28.110-07:00

ah I can always count on Jesse's "anonymous" comment.

I am not sure if you were being sarcastic with the property rights comparison but in case not, I didn't mean to compare them morally, but both psychologically are equally an evasion of reality and a revolt against man's proper existence.

A person may steal a single jelly bean from a store and the

i don't think comparing mild alcohol consumption a...

2009-07-16T20:28:22.145-07:00

i don't think comparing mild alcohol consumption and the evasion of property rights to be a great comparison...

Rand herself had quite the nicotine addiction while writing The Fountainhead and she seemed to pull through things alright!

I don't want too hear one more thing, til you've tried a glorious cheesing session, and traveled to the breastiary with kyle'

I would have to disagree. While some aspects of wh...

2009-07-14T22:59:59.122-07:00

I would have to disagree. While some aspects of what it takes to achieve happiness are probably subjective (for example one person might need to be doctor while the other a teacher)but I think the basic principles are the same.

Self respect (which I think is a vital part of happiness) can't be equally achieved by watching TV all day or by going out and being productive and using

i see what you are saying and i understand, but yo...

2009-07-14T22:50:26.587-07:00

i see what you are saying and i understand, but your idea of happiness could be completely different from another person's definition. however, i don't agree in drug use either.

i see what you are saying and i understand, but wh...

2009-07-14T22:48:54.272-07:00

i see what you are saying and i understand, but what your idea of happiness could be completely different from another person's definition. however, i don't agree in drug use either.