We are all aware of the negative consequences of taking drugs.
Some people ruin their lives, the lives of people around them, and sometimes even lose their lives to drugs.
The addiction one encounters from taking drugs can cause them to slip onto an uncharted path, one without any sign of forgiveness.
The constant numbing of mental and emotional pain just to get through the day doesn't just effect the users life, but can effect the lives of those around them.
For some people who fall into the deathly grip of a drug or alcohol addiction, they simply don't know any better.
We see many drug users in lower income neighborhoods and part of that is due to the constant exposure of those around them using drugs.
People are influenced much easier when in the presence of others who are already doing drugs or drinking alcohol, especially on a young impressionable mind.
This doesn't go without mentioning that young children can even be exposed to them at a young age from parents who take them, which can have incredibly negative consequences on a young mind.
Some result to drugs and alcohol from severe emotional and psychological pain, which can stem from deep rooted childhood trauma.
Maybe the child had an abusive parent or a lack of quality parental role models growing up.
The point is, there are many reasons as to why someone could fall into the trap of a drug or alcohol addiction.
Any kind of addiction can have severe consequences over a long enough time frame.
We see more addictions in the modern age in the forms of sex and attention, which also has severe psychological and emotional consequences.
But today, I want to talk about the worst drug you could possibly take.
The worst drug of all is right under our noses on a daily basis, constantly feeding our minds with its poisonous venom.
The worst drug of all is taking someone else's word for something without your bring given proof....
Yesterday, I talked about the the greatest enemy of truth being the lack of one's ability to think for themselves and make logical decisions.
Thinking is an art form, and the lack of being able to think for oneself is the most sure path to lacking fulfillment.
In other words, being easily influenced by everything that you consume will keep your mind trapped within a system that is designed to keep you there.
The freeing of the mind and allowing creative thought to flow is the only way to free your mind from the system.
So the more you consume everything around you, the more easily influenced you will become, and the more you will continue to dig yourself into a trap!
We inherently know that when it comes to people, some will just tell us everything that we like to hear.
While hearing kind words and things that confirm our own biases, the question then becomes: how viable is the source?
Simply put: where is the proof?
The rise of social media has presented humans with perhaps the biggest trap of all.
Social media has pros and cons just like anything, and some people have figured out a way to leverage it to provide value to others.
However, how one chooses to use social media will determine the depth of the trap they set for themselves.
The more you consume everyone else's thoughts and beliefs, the more they influence your own.
The more you consume other peoples thoughts, the more you will begin to think like them.
The more you consume what everyone else is wearing, the more you will want to dress like them.
The more you consume what everyone else is doing, the more you will want to act like them.
But what about you?
Where is your creativity?
What makes you who you are?
While platforms like social media have benefits for producers in their own right, the average consumer doesn't stand a chance in finding true fulfillment.
The average consumer doesn't stop to think about what they are consuming, it just makes sense to them in that moment.
There are quality content producers on social media platforms and I will always give credit where credit is due.
There are people on social media that are leading the charge with the intent of making their mark on the world by providing genuine value to others.
With that being said, we have to look at the macro scale.
The social media producer is making profit off of the average consumer, and sometimes not in the most genuine sense.
We see this with the rise of things like online pornography.
As mentioned above, the average consumer is easily influenced by what they consume regularly.
The reason why things like online pornography have become so prevalent in modern society is because of ease of influence.
One person sees another person doing it and making an easy profit, so in turn, they also decide to do it for the same reason.
While I wont get into the psychological consequences of such behavior, as they can be found recent blog posts of mine, the point that I am trying to make is how easy it is for someone to become influenced by others via social media.
The long term consequences of pursuing short term gratification are catastrophic to one's life.
This is why I emphasize so heavily on thinking being an art form.
Instead of just accepting what we are consuming, we have to stop and think about what it is we are actually consuming.
Does what we are consuming actually make sense?
How did this person come to the conclusion in which they speak of?
If this person is doing X, does it make sense for you to do it?
What if what they are doing isn't true to your character?
Unfortunately, we all have to try things to see what works and what doesn't, but the worst thing you could do is fall into someone else's trap just because it is working for them.
Figure out what makes you different - what makes you you.
Find your purpose to find true fulfillment in life and don't resort to the addictive drug of social media unless you can figure out a way to optimize it to leverage yourself to further fulfill your purpose.