Why not to try new things
You only live once, why not try new things right? Well, the more I think about it, the stronger evidence I find. I’ll use alcohol as a simple example then expand on the stimuli later.
If you don’t want drinking alcohol to become a regular part of your life, why try it at all? There are two scenarios:
- You dislike it and do not participate
(outcome is the same as not trying it) - You like it and indulge
(outcome is it becomes part of your life)
So, logically I’d think you should only try it if you are okay with it becoming part of your life. Otherwise, this is a good reason not to try new things. Now say you appreciate the social aspect and the cool factor associated with having a drink – go for it! As long as you’d accept that lifestyle change then have fun!
Experimentation risks
Where this becomes more dire is experimentation and curiosity. I don’t want to get addicted to X but I’m curious about it so I’ll try it. That is dangerous. Every time you try something new, the possibility for option 2 is there. You cannot control which outcome occurs. If you’d like to try a hard substance, you need to understand that there is a chance that you enjoy it. And if you enjoy it and it wasn’t “that bad” then why would that be the only time?
I strongly recommend living vicariously or imagining experiences where outcome #2 would be undesirable. True, strong cravings only show once you’ve already dabbled. You can avoid that and stay out of harms way. I am of the opinion that most people are incredibly inept at self control and discipline. The easiest way to support discipline is to never stray from it. Avoid temptation instead of trying to resist it down the road.
It’s the good old “curiosity killed the cat” scenario.
You can still have fun
Say you have always wanted to sky dive and you’re aware of this group that goes regularly and are adrenaline junkies. Does that mean you should avoid them? NO!
If you are okay with the worst possible outcome of joining the group’s activities and have the financial stability to participate without harm, go for it! As I’ll explain in the last section, this is how some of the strongest human connections are formed.
A group you’re introduced to heavily into the NFL and you’ve never followed before. Do you need to avoid them? No. If you can handle the consequences of losing Sundays for half the year in front of a TV, give it a shot!
Smaller examples that can still lead to trouble
While the smaller examples above can be harmless, some minor decisions can turn into much worse habits without a clear deterrent. Take food for example. If you were never exposed to highly processed sugars, desserts, pizza, waffles, pancakes, etc. You’d probably be happier and healthier than most. If you were exposed to them and have to fight the urge to indulge, then you can be frustrated and unhappy trying to maintain a healthy diet.
Part of me wonders if eliminating highly processed and addictive foods would make the country a better place to live or if it would cause an uproar when people struggle to exist without their stimulus.
None of this is to say that people can experience something, enjoy it, and not over indulge. It is more or less explaining that some people will and the risks should be understood before acting. Lower risk activities don’t need as much thought, others may.
Natural human tendency makes it hard to not try new things
Why this becomes such a challenge, even in the higher risk scenarios is simple human nature. If a friend tried something that their loved and got a high level of stimulus from, they will likely want to share it with you. Humans naturally want to share experiences, especially good ones. That means your friends that you trust that have exposed themselves to a tempting new stimulus will likely at least offer for you to try to join. Some are less pushy than others, but the trust in the friendship makes it that much more enticing.
The appearance of low impact paired with trust and pressure from peers leads a substantial percentage of our population to an indulging path. This is not meant to scare or dissuade one from living their life, but it is meant to build awareness. Knowing what you are doing and the possible outcomes is important. The decision an individual makes with that knowledge is up to them.
Read more awareness pieces like this here!