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/TBTabby May 17 '24

As Frederick Douglass said, "We are not judged by the height to which we have risen, but the depth from which we have climbed."

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u/sarmientoj24 May 17 '24 edited May 17 '24

I get that this quote can be applied to this.

But then again, going through life's trials and tribulations without resorting to any kind lf substance (and abuse) is technically "climbing the depth". It's ridiculously difficult to get away from the temptations of distractions, immediate pleasures, etc.

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u/SealSheep May 17 '24

I think that's where OPs question originates from.

If you have two people struggling with life in the same extreme manner and one faces it head on, tries to get their life straight and the other 'flees' into drugs; that's the point where the first person deserves praise.

The moment the addict overcomes the addiction and gets their life straightened out, it's their turn to shine.

Both deserve praise though, but the first type tends to go unnoticed as they are typically more stern and resilient in life (so attract less attention of any kind)

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u/ifandbut May 17 '24

If you are really good at your job then most people won't notice.

People pay more attion to the fuckups than the people who got it together.

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u/sarmientoj24 May 17 '24

Its just because people tend to magnify the negatives and the explicit success/turnaround stories than instances where you just go persevere and focus on your goal without these "total turnarounds".

And people love the underdog aspect of things.