Ponder
1yr ago
I can do small talk and sometimes even get a bit of enjoyment from it. The problem IRL is that many people's beliefs are so intertwined with their politics. If I talk about something completely unrelated to politics they might bring up progressive stack concepts as a way to discount a source.
I do talk about things they are interested in too, but they aren't interested my truth-seeking style of discussing the topic. I like to pull in a lot of data, consider all sides of an argument, and explore the topic in novel ways. Most IRL people seem to just want the social confirmation/validation of their deep thoughts instead of wanting to think in a scientist/rationalist adjacent style.
The thing is I've found online spaces where I can talk about deep things in a way all participants enjoy. We use our real names and do video conferencing. So some of this is specifically me being frustrated by IRL people because they are so different than my far away friends that I talk to virtually.
decide if what you really want is to have a conversation with another unique human .... or to have an audience.
Sometimes I'll watch a podcast where 2 people get deep dialogue on a subject. I'd like to be participating in conversations like those without being on a podcast.
Ponder
1yr ago
That's interesting. I do sometimes take NAD+ precursors, but I never realized that it might help prevent hangovers.
Ponder
1yr ago
Almost everyone I know supports my sobriety. I have a few friends that say things like, "we miss seeing you at the bar it is more fun when you're here", but that is no big deal.
This issue is more that alcohol allows me to get into a playful state that makes socializing fun. If I stay sober for long periods of time my interest in socializing goes down and I tend to get fixated on special interests. I get bored with IRL conversations because nobody wants to have deep conversations or talk much about the things that I find interesting.
Ponder
1yr ago
When I drink I aim for .05-.08 BAC, but sometimes I'll get as high as .1 BAC. I have a series of controls in places to make sure I stick to that that when drinking. I don't get hangovers. I just want to limit negative effects as much as a I can. I have noticed that certain parts of memory (like word recall) feel a bit worse as I've gotten older and I don't want alcohol to exacerbate any memory issues.
I'm not in many social settings where I'm expected to drink and I know how to politely decline alcohol in these settings. The issue is more that drinking gets into a playful mood and allows me to practice humor and different ways of being charismatic. When I don't drink for long periods of time I start to lose my interest in socializing and the more creative/playful parts of me get weaker, which makes it harder to connect with people.
Ponder
1yr ago
I've been sober since December, but I think I might start drinking once a week again in order to improve my social life. I've made some progress at sober socializing, but then I got to a plateau where I started losing interest/motivation. The people I meet IRL aren't interested in having deep conversations about the things I'm interested in, and navigating modern conversation norms is exhausting.
Can you prevent most of the long-term damage from alcohol by boosting glutathione to quickly break down the acetaldehyde?
How effective is this supplement stack at preventing the negative effects of alcohol?
Before drinking: emoxypine, milk thistle, S-Acetyl L-Glutathione
After drinking: Dihydromyricetin, Pyroglutamic Acid, Succinic Acid
Ponder
1yr ago
You are correct I'm not asking if I should belong to a religion. I was pondering the concept of 'Religion of No Religion' that John Vervaeke talks about
...we need to do something like what religion used to do. We need a comprehensive set of psychotechnologies that are set within communities of practices that allow for the comprehensive transformations of consciousness, cognition, character, and culture in a way that is analogous to religion...
Ponder
1yr ago
Is there anything that you can only get from belonging to a religion that you can’t get from secular alternatives?
There are things that you can get from both religion and secular alternatives (such as moral guidance, community, solace). Is there something about religion that makes religion the better place to seek them?
Ponder
2yr ago
you would have to be totally disconnected from reality to think a single piece of media reshaped someone's entire worldview.
A single piece of media can get someone to buy a product. A single piece of media could make someone decide to try a drug, or always avoid that drug. A single meme can cause people join online groups and that can lead to real-world consequences. It is directionally correct that media reshapes people's worldviews. Some people just steelman the main points to more reasonable positions instead of responding to the literal content of the post.
More generally, people lose interest in things over time. A video game can be fun at first, but then you get to the end and lose interest. You realize there are more fulfilling ways to spend your time. You skim top-level posts for the few topics that most interest you and ignore the rest. You can predict what will happen if you post a reply. There is no longer an expectation of getting into a novel conversation or learning something new.
Ponder
2yr ago
This is already an issue with prescription drugs that are far more addictive and dangerous than psychedelics. This risk could be further mitigated by diversion control requirements like: the newly legal drugs must be stored in a locked location that only adults have access to, a log must kept anytime the drug is consumed/sold/gifted.
If a parent allowed kids to consume the drugs then they could face harsh penalties under the existing laws regarding providing controlled substances to a minor.
Ponder
2yr ago
I definitely knew people who did coke on weekday afternoons in college, presumably cost wasn’t an issue for him.
But coke is usually a social drug and he was found alone. If he wanted a stimulant to use alone I assume he had access to prescription Adderall or Ritalin. I don't have personal experience on this subject so this is just speculative guesswork.
Also, I thought fentanyl test strips are often ineffective for eg laced coke because it could be just a tiny fraction of the powder that’s fentanyl, so the strip could come back fine even if the drug isn’t?
That is true that there is a detection limit on test strips. You could just test a larger sample, but then you'd have to turn the coke/water mixture back to coke or take it sublingually.
Ponder
2yr ago
When I left reddit I removed all my posts and comments
I think some people have taken this even further. Intentionally poisoning the AI training data with false facts or doing SEO type shenanigans to get it to promote their products.
Ponder
2yr ago
I’m paranoid I’m doing something laced now and have largely cut out doing anything now.
There are safety precautions when taking something that didn't come from a pharmacy:
- Fentanyl test strips
- Reagent test to make sure you got the expected substance
- Never use alone and have Narcan on hand. That way if you have an adverse reaction someone can call the paramedics in time.
dealers either sell both and cross contaminate or lace other drugs to get people addicted.
The dealer's incentive is to get people addicted to something that will get the user coming back frequently to buy more. Fentanyl is cheaper by weight than many other drugs and doesn't last very long before it puts the user into withdrawals and causes them to seek out more.
If a first-time user comes in for drug X and then get addicted to fentanyl the dealer then has a daily recurring revenue stream.
In this case a potential pipeline is that the deceased user started with a party drug in the past, but it was laced with fentanyl and he then became addicted. Like you say it is hard to imagine what other drug he would have been intending to use on a weekday afternoon that would have been laced.
some would say things like legalize drugs to kill fentanyl and people get “safe” drugs
The DEA scheduling system is absurd. They should make some of the safer ones legal (especially psychedelics) so that:
- People are getting a pure substance
- People can create safe environments to use the legal drugs in (because if the drug is legal then you can legally have medical and support staff in the environment).
- Takes money away from the drug dealers (who are selling impure/laced product) and creates tax revenue (which can be used on support services to get people to quit more dangerous drugs).
Ponder
2yr ago
That’s a good point, but I think the court can ultimately conclude if something is addictive. This would be similar to how the court can conclude if something qualifies as a religion. They use a list of characteristics common to established religions and say these things indicate something could be a religion, but at the same time realize that not every religion would meet all the criteria.
Furthermore, people can become addicted to video games, gambling, or porn and there are some established criteria for what those addictions look like. In the DSM-5-TR Internet Gaming Disorder is included in the section recommending conditions for further research:
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Preoccupation with gaming
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Withdrawal symptoms when gaming is taken away or not possible (sadness, anxiety, irritability)
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Tolerance, the need to spend more time gaming to satisfy the urge
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Inability to reduce playing, unsuccessful attempts to quit gaming
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Giving up other activities, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities due to gaming
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Continuing to game despite problems
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Deceiving family members or others about the amount of time spent on gaming
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The use of gaming to relieve negative moods, such as guilt or hopelessness
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Risk, having jeopardized or lost a job or relationship due to gaming
Ponder
2yr ago
I wonder if there are any parallels between this case and lawsuits against tobacco companies where those companies had been covering up the health risks associated with smoking. I'm not very familiar with the cases. I'm thinking there is probably some precedent that if you have internal data showing something is dangerous/addictive and then you continue to present it as not dangerous/addictive then that opens you up to legal liability.
Since social media companies collect tons of data to optimize engagement on their platforms they probably have something that shows they know social media is addictive. If you have that internal data then you put out something that says, "Facebook builds its products to create value, not to be addictive" https://about.fb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/What-The-Social-Dilemma-Gets-Wrong.pdf then I could see how this case has some legitimacy. It could also be strategically correct. They know social media companies will settle out of court to avoid a discovery process that would expose the internal documents showing that social media is addictive.
Ponder
2yr ago
trying to figure out how to treat my depression without making my dick not work
You could use supplements like Icariin/Yohimbine or prescribed pharmaceuticals as a temporary solution.
...maybe find a kinky alt girl with weird makeup...I have this intense craving for sexual novelty. I want to explore kinky sex...
A lot of your desires for novelty and kinks could probably be explored with your current partner. Work on training your imagination so that you can feel different things when you are intimate with your partner. Get creative with the use of costumes/makeup/props/toys. Exploring many kinks is best done with someone you know deeply and are comfortable with.
Ponder
2yr ago
Do you have any recommendations on which series is best (1959-1964, 1985-1989, 2002-2003, 2019-2020)?
Are there any episodes that you felt stood out above the rest?
Ponder
2yr ago
Does anyone know of a sci-fi anthology series like The Outer Limits (1995-2002 TV Series)? There is something about this series that I don't seem to find in shows that are recommend as similar. The things I like most about the show are:
- It felt connected to real-life psychology concepts (like the unconscious mind)
- The future uses of technology mostly seem plausible
- Twist endings
- Most episodes felt like there was a meta level moral commentary on human nature.
The closest show I've found is Black Mirror.
Ponder
2yr ago
I've tried DL-Phenylalanine alone and didn't get much of an effect at 500mg.
However, when taken before Kanna it did seem to give a small mood + focus boost to the Kanna effects. Kanna itself upregulates VMAT-2, which causes more monoamines (including dopamine) to be released. Kanna also does many other things, so it is hard to exactly say what mechanism caused the subjective effects.
I've also tried Oroxylin A which has a Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor component. This felt much stronger than the dopamine precursor. I would say it felt somewhat like caffeine, but more noticeable and clean. It also synergized well with Kanna and enhanced the mood + focus effects.
I've had really mixed results with Kanna and I've used it less than 10 times. These combinational anecdotes may just be a coincidence. Sometimes I barely notice the Kanna and then when I take the same dose again the mood and focus boost is much more noticeable.
I once lived in an apartment complex that would have occasional events where you could have snacks and meet with the neighbors. It was a good way for people in the complex to meet others and socialize.
Maybe if you proposed an informal event that had food and games (yard/board) where the main purpose was getting to know your neighbors there would be some interest. There seems to be demand for this type of thing. People like to know their neighbors but need someone else to take initiative and come up with a reason for people to meet.
Then at this event you could briefly talk about the neighborhood org and also ask people if they have ideas for future events and would be interested in helping organize the next one.
ETA: If I was invited to an event where the main purpose was to get me to join an neighborhood org I would probably decline because that could lead to work and commitments that I'd prefer to avoid. It sounds like a ploy to get me to do unpaid work. However, if someone was organizing an event to meet the neighbors I'd be much more enthusiastic because that sounds casual and fun. Then if I was vibing with the neighbors at the casual event and someone brought up the neighborhood org I'd be much more inclined to help out with it.
Ponder
2yr ago
The only reliable way to meet people in person anymore has been, in my experience, through academia. I had decent dating success in graduate school, though I think that might be more a statement about me/the social settings that I thrive and in
I think you're on to something here and you may be able to replicate this success by carefully selecting the IRL settings. Two key things that help IRL are (1) finding a place with singles that you find attractive and (2) places where you can be in a position of slightly higher status/expertise relative to the other people in that setting.
Things like volunteering or running a niche book club are potential places where you might be able to find success.
Ponder
2yr ago
Why did you join the org?
Other people might want to join for the same reasons as you.
If you can't think of a good reason why you joined then why not just leave the org and let other people handle it?
Ponder
2yr ago
There may be some unfulfilled part of your mind is inaccessible to the conscious mind. It is alerting you that you are ignoring it by manifesting as unhappiness. You could try to get in touch with that part of your mind through things like Internal Family Systems, Internal Double Crux, a therapist, or psychedelics.
Once you have a better idea of what this unfulfilled desire is then it should be much clearer what you need to do differently in your life to feel happy. It could potentially be a lack of some type of deeper connection with people and/or the world.
Ponder
2yr ago
Another comment mentioned testosterone and I will add n=1 that when I supplement testosterone (Cistanche or Tongkat Ali) I feel slightly more competitive.
I will also add that I don't like artificial competitions like sports or video games. I do things because I enjoy them not because I need to compare my results to others. I focus on collaborative non-hierarchal endeavors such as attending support groups and book clubs. That makes me much happier. IMO building things together with people feels better than winning competitions. Sometimes there is a small competitive component such as wanting to your local organization/club to be held in higher esteem than similar organizations, but that would never preclude me from helping out my competition if they asked nicely.
Ponder
2yr ago
I haven't fully fleshed this one out but big pharma appears to have some amount of control over the FDA.
There are effective and unique Russian drugs (https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/08/16/an-iron-curtain-has-descended-upon-psychopharmacology/) that the FDA goes out of their way to keep out the hands of Americans. You can't get them prescribed by US doctors and the FDA has been cracking down on vendors that sell them (https://liftmode.com/product-discontinuation/). It is legal to import and sell them if you market them as 'not intended for human consumption' but they appear to be cracking down on this by arguing that the vendor knows that customers are buying with the intent to consume them.
If the FDA really cared about it's stated goal of 'protecting the public health' then it would create a safe and legal path for these drugs to be obtained by Americans. Since the FDAs actions benefit American big pharma at the expense of public health I would assume that big pharma has some amount of influence/control over the FDA.
There is a weird sense of freedom that comes with truly believing you will never find another suitable relationship. It opens you up to trying weird things. If you believe everything that you do will leave you single and alone then there aren't any real consequences to your future relationships by trying new things and failing.
You could try weird/new things to break out of your thought pattern. In certain contexts you are correct that dating gets hard past a certain age, but you can change the context to make it easier. There are lots of places you can seek unconventional relationships, but you have tunnel-vision and have already dismissed them.
Also, if you are going to be alone forever you might want to look into communities that explore spiritually/contemplative/meditative practices to alleviate your suffering. Being connected to something larger than yourself may help provide a sense of meaning/purpose in your life.
I don't think you will be alone forever. I think you just have given yourself too many constraints on how to approach the problem and it is preventing you from discovering a clever solution.
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