The Lotus Eaters

[Cornelius Plautus]

Recently, I was thinking of the damaging aspects of marijuana (fitting, I suppose for 4/20) and came to the conclusion that it robs individuals of their drive to live and their competitive edge. I have great plans for myself, and I need all my mental faculties in tact to pursue them, and besides that, I want all my memories to be as lucid as possible and I want to do as many positive things -travel, education, enlightenment, love- as possible before I am hit with old age, for regret is a bitter drink that does not satisfy, but rather increase the doleful cravings of the drinker. As I thought this, a certain Odyssey passage came to mind, The Lotus Eaters:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

From Ismarus we sailed, with heavy hearts for the loyal friends lost, though happy to have escaped death ourselves: nor would I let the curved ships leave till we had called three times in ritual to each of our luckless comrades, who died there on the plain, at the hands of the Cicones. But Zeus, the Cloud-Gatherer, stirred the north wind against our ships, in a blinding tempest, hiding the land and sea alike in cloud, while darkness swept from the sky. Headlong the ships were driven, sails torn to shreds by the force of the gale. In terror of death we lowered the masts on deck, and rowed the vessels wildly towards land. There we stayed for two days and nights, troubled at heart with weariness and grief. But when Dawn of the lovely tresses gave birth to the third day, we upped masts, hoisted the white sails, and took our seats aboard, and the wind and helmsman kept us on course. Now I would have reached home safely, but as I was rounding Cape Malea, the north wind and waves and the ocean currents beat me away, off course, past Cythera.
For nine days I was driven by fierce winds over the teeming sea: but on the tenth we set foot on the shores of the Lotus-eaters, who eat its flowery food. On land we drew water, and my friends ate by the ships. Once we had tasted food and drink, I sent some of the men inland to discover what kind of human beings lived there: selecting two and sending a third as herald. They left at once and came upon the Lotus-eaters, who had no thought of killing my comrades, but gave them lotus to eat. Those who ate the honey-sweet lotus fruit no longer wished to bring back word to us, or sail for home. They wanted to stay with the Lotus-eaters, eating the lotus, forgetting all thoughts of return. I dragged those men back to the shore myself by force, while they wept, and bound them tight in the hollow ships, pushing them under the benches. Then I ordered my men to embark quickly on the fast craft, fearing that others would eat the lotus and forget their homes. They boarded swiftly and took their place on the benches then sitting in their rows struck the grey water with their oars.’

This passage is one of the top reasons why I love classics: the messages of ancient authors often reflect humankind today. One could replace the lotuses with any illegal drug today and the story would still be accurate. And I suppose that it is doubly true because of what drugs do to people: rob them of their ambition, put them in a false state of joy that only seduces them and places them in a state of malaise and disallows them from dreaming. Some may defend certain drugs because they bring happiness, but that happiness is forced and effervescent, rather than the happiness derived from accomplishment or love. So what am I trying to say? People have always been tempted with the allure of abandoning their dreams and forsaking hard work for torpid contentment, but it has always been the strong (of body, mind, and constitution) who have become respected, as well as saving their peers from destruction. Personally, I find comfort in the passage, as it reminds me that while there are a million ways to fail, success can always be achieved when one is strong of heart and mind. I feel as if a message like this is valuable still.

Addendum: Please don't take offense at any of this. This is just a though I wanted to voice and see whether or not there was any level of agreement. I'm not calling drug-users worthless or bad people, but simply saying that they've lost their way, and that there is always a way to put them on the right path.

[Elfdude]

Luckily studies show regular marijuana users more often then not are college aged kids who are more likely to graduate and get better paying jobs than those who abstain.

[gambit]

A lazy man does nothing with his life, people blame the man.
A lazy man who smokes pot does nothing with his life, people blame the pot.

Curious.

[Jabberwock]

The OP makes it sound as if all marijuana users are like the potheads that are shown in movies.

[Denny Crane!]

One could replace the lotuses with any illegal drug today and the story would still be accurate

I wonder what gets a person like the OP this brainwashed?

[Arch-hereticK]

I'm pretty ambitous, I enjoy an occasional narcotic indulgence much the same as chocolate. I think it's much more relaxing than alcohol and nurtures a nicer atmosphere than violence inducing beer.

[Denny Crane!]

I'm pretty ambitous, I enjoy an occasional narcotic indulgence much the same as chocolate. I think it's much more relaxing than alcohol and nurtures a nicer atmosphere than violence inducing beer.

Yes but you are clearly forgetting that it is in a different class of drugs because it is legal, which ergo makes it safer and you know why that is? Because! You see how I did that?

Forget the science, and the scientific advisers telling the government different, they don't have the cheque books that the alcohol companies do and don't have vested interest in making serious legislative change.

I'm actually slightly concerned that this came from a content writer, I seriously hope not a political one otherwise I'm going to be casting slightly askew glances at the editor.

[Amorphos]

I actually agree with the op, but only up to a point. If you smoke cannabis all the time all day every day, then you will fall into a spell similar to that of the lotus eaters ---- from experience. The strength of it these days made me give it up, its equal to drinking neat whiskey or stronger.

Occasional use, sure why not. Also why not legalise it and make a few billions from it, perhaps a weaker version of it?

If I remember correctly, the lotus eaters [or at least some parts of myth] also portrays being seduced by women and not doing anything because you are constantly at it, but we wouldn’t advise against having sex with women.

All things in moderation eh!

[Cornelius Plautus]

I'm actually slightly concerned that this came from a content writer, I seriously hope not a political one otherwise I'm going to be casting slightly askew glances at the editor.

I am not a political content writer, but that you would assume that I am unworthy of my position without anything near a halfway decent understanding of who I am seems to be unfair.

I actually agree with the op, but only up to a point. If you smoke cannabis all the time all day every day, then you will fall into a spell similar to that of the lotus eaters ---- from experience. The strength of it these days made me give it up, its equal to drinking neat whiskey or stronger.

Occasional use, sure why not. Also why not legalise it and make a few billions from it, perhaps a weaker version of it?

I never said that these drugs should be illegal, I just said they should be avoided. In fact, I'd rather drugs like marijuana be legalized because it does serve an extremely valuable purpose to those who need it. I'd rather see my trusted local convenience store clerk selling FDA-approved marijuana with Surgeon General's warnings printed on the side of each package than some unsavory character selling criminally grown pot in a back alley. To me, 'legal' does not mean 'government condoned' but rather 'government regulated' and when something is regulated, it is safer for all. Indeed, legalizing all illegal drugs would be a great benefit to society, because when they are regulated, it is the government rather than criminals profiting from their use. I am not unreasonable, and while I object to the use of narcotic drugs, I still think that we are ought to legalize them. After all, drugs have been a part of society for quite some time: they're here to stay, and rather than persecute them and drive their use into dangerous grounds, why not take advantage of them?

[Amorphos]

Cornelius Plautus

I agree with most of what you say and the overall sentiment, but I am not so sure about legalising all drugs.

[Denny Crane!]

I am not a political content writer, but that you would assume that I am unworthy of my position without anything near a halfway decent understanding of who I am seems to be unfair.

Don't need to, there was enough to go on in the unfounded assumptions in your OP.

[Arch-hereticK]

It's not incredibly different to drinking too much coffee or eating too much chocolate, or even playing too much video games.

As a "wise" man once said "All things in moderation."

[Elfdude]

IMO the lotus eaters were a commentary on the idea that just because you could was no reason to indulge. Not that you shouldn't indulge. The Greeks had a duality to this concept epitomized by moderation. The other side to this was the Greek hydra which represented the same drive to indulge, no matter how much you attempted to suppress it it simply multiplied in strength. In their mind it spoke of weak will to not be able to abstain, but it also spoke of naiveté to attempt to resist instinct indefinitely.

[Poach]

Things like pot are helpful in moderation, and I don't quite understand why it is illegal yet alcohol is legal. That is another debate for another thread though, and I'm neither pro nor anti legalisation as I know little of the subject matter.

Anyway, the story of the Lotus Eaters isn't a warning against drugs, it's a warning about infatuation and how it clouds the mind and, in the short term, makes one abandon long term goals regardless of how sensible in order to further indulge in the object of the infatuation. Be it a woman, a drug, a game or this strange Lotus.

[gambit]

I don't quite understand why it is illegal yet alcohol is legal.

politics

[Katsumoto]

I always wonder why people need to turn to outside sources to enjoy themselves or relax. Everything you need is already inside. The mind is a much more powerful relaxant than any drug in the world.

[Arch-hereticK]

I always wonder why people need to turn to outside sources to enjoy themselves or relax. Everything you need is already inside. The mind is a much more powerful relaxant than any drug in the world.

This is true, but drugs are more fun. Particularly when baked into something exquisite, it's a sensational symphony. Those things can be done with concentration and training, but probably not before middle or old age, by then the youthfull curiosity and desire to experience things have faded to a certain degree. Live life while you can I suppose.

[Amorphos]

Your brain can make you high in seconds? Can it at all?

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

Drugs are a symptom of unrestrained hedonism. Too bad that a moralizing message like the OP's meets this kind reaction: it is a sign that all morality has been tossed into the garbage, and our society dutifully reflects this.

Our happy pot smoking executives, judging by the trends of the past decade, are also more likely to wind up in fraud and corruption schemes like Bernie Maddoff's, Goldman Sachs' or Worldcom's. Welcome to the XXI century, where fortunes are made entirely upon fraudulent speculation (which has outpaced industrial productivity since the 1970's).

[gambit]

Drugs are a symptom of unrestrained hedonism. Too bad that a moralizing message like the OP's meets this kind reaction: it is a sign that all morality has been tossed into the garbage, and our society dutifully reflects this.

No, unrestrained drug use is a symptom of unrestrained hedonism.