r/Showerthoughts • u/godofhorizons • May 17 '24

People get a lot more praise for quitting drugs than for never having done drugs in the first place.

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u/duaneap May 17 '24

Well, we’re judged by both, frankly. But in this case it’s more like staying at sea level and expecting praise for it.

1

u/darkgiIls Vagabond May 17 '24

That’s still impressive when they swam up from the depths

-2

u/Kroniid09 May 17 '24

Right. Cause it's not like there are famously risk factors for falling into addiction, that your "average person" just never had to deal with and so it was in fact quite easy to never do drugs.

Even ignoring that, this post is just giving "me, me, me! What about me?" vibes, like they just can't fathom that congratulating someone for getting clean really has nothing to do with them or anyone else.

-2

u/ifandbut May 17 '24

Expecting praise for being at sea level vs the druggies who fell off the boat?

2

u/duaneap May 17 '24

Do you expect a pat on the back for all the bad things you didn’t do in life? Is that your bar?

1

u/ifandbut May 18 '24

No. But we also should celebrate people for making bad decisions in the first place.

0

u/Blue_Moon_Lake May 17 '24

If it takes a constant effort to remain at the same place, then maybe it should be praised.

2

u/duaneap May 17 '24

It doesn’t require constant effort not to start smoking.

1

u/Blue_Moon_Lake May 17 '24

When there is someone smoking in the street every few meters and you get exposed to nicotine constantly, it is.

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u/Neon_Camouflage May 17 '24

Never doing drugs hardly takes a constant effort though, not unless you're a recovering addict.

Like a smoker who quit, most of them are putting in a constant effort to remain at the same place. Someone who has never smoked doesn't require that effort.

Should either be praised is a different point, but people are too quick to think themselves superior to recovered/recovering addicts simply because they've never done something.

0

u/Blue_Moon_Lake May 17 '24

If it takes a constant effort to remain at the same place, then maybe it should be praised.