Addiction as Entrenchment

Showing only those parts of the discussion which lead to #745 and its comments.

See full discussion instead
  Log in or sign up to participate in this discussion.
With an account, you can revise, criticize, and comment on ideas.

Discussions can branch out indefinitely. Zoom out for the bird’s-eye view.
Dennis Hackethal’s avatar
Dennis HackethalOP revised 12 months ago·#744· Collapse
3rd of 3 versions leading to #745

My conjecture

Conjecture: addiction is the result of the entrenchment of a conflict between two or more preferences in a mind.

Picture a smoker who wants to give up smoking but also really enjoys smoking. Those preferences conflict.

If the conflict is entrenched, then both preferences get to live on indefinitely. The entrenchment will not let the smoker give up smoking. He will become a chain smoker.

Criticized1oustanding criticism
Dennis Hackethal’s avatar

How is this theory new?

Criticism of #744
Dennis Hackethal’s avatar
1st of 2 versions

Prevailing explanations of addiction (#734) attribute it to desensitization. My theory doesn’t do that.

Criticism of #733Criticized1oustanding criticism
Dennis Hackethal’s avatar

Superseded by #746. This comment was generated automatically.

Criticism of #745