All Americans Are Addicts

We are all addicts. Every time we watch a news story, movie, read a book or listen to a podcast, make friends, ratchet up a political cause, attend a good speech or hear sermon in church, have a sucess at work, get a promotion — if it engages us it “pushes a button” of fear, happiness, patriotism, injustice, satisfaction, rage, well-being, inspiration, racism, respect for authority, resentment of oppression, nostalgia, outrage, optimism, romance — the list is endless. This is NOT an esoteric theory, we can connect anyone to a laboratory blood analysis machine and literally physically detect the changes in blood chemistry. Our bodies are fabulous and sophisticated pharmacies.

The problem in America is we are nearly wholly non-reflective. Few do meditation, breathing exercises, quiet time or any form of objective work toward self awareness. We walk and bump through the dark chambers of our conscious and unconscious existence without even a candle.

The solution is not easy or 3 steps or 42 steps. It is an admission of a problem that will only become more painful as we spiral into an abyss of pursuing the illusions of our egos. The problem with our ego is it doesn’t know what it doesn’t know. Doing consciousness investment, reflection, meditation, psychedelic trips, breathing practices, psychoanalysis, journaling, life pattern observation with courageous and rigorous honesty is slow, tedious and awkward. It is easier to work harder, watch a movie, have a romantic fling, have a few beers, buy a new thing or try a new exercise routine.

Absent a radical change in our collective consciousness (which would fly in the steel jawed teeth of our political, economic and cultural status quo) combined with advances in AI and connectivity will do to us what we will not do for ourselves. And it will happen in this decade. Before 12–31–2029 our fate will be cemented. Here’s looking at you kid.