May 1, 2012

  • Would You Stop Me? (Hypotheticals)

    I find it interesting how some people quickly make huge life changes. In the blink of an eye, Sarah is dating Jeff, not John, and somehow Joe ended up in Los Angeles doing something with computers instead of his day job in Greenville. We see these updates on our social networks, and most of us barely bat an eye anymore. But I'm curious: do you ever act on changes you see in your friends?

    Let's have some fun with the hypothetical, shall we? Suppose I start talking about how pot has calmed me down and how I feel much more alert and peaceful by smoking. I become so pot-obsessed I even miss work one day. Yet, I seem to be truly happy and enthused.

    Do you express any concern to me and try to get me to stop? After all, I'm a fairly tight-wadded straight-arrow goodie-two shoes stick-in-the-mud squarepants. That doesn't sound like the me you know. I'm breaking my own rules. And I don't live in a West state with liberal pot possession laws: I could get caught.

    But I'm so happy! and it's my choice! and really, I'm old enough that I've probably heard all the arguments before. You're probably wasting your time. And what if I get mad at you, cut you off, and then end up quitting anyway some time later? You wasted your breath.

    Your choice?

Comments (22)

  • I believe that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. That includes marijuana. So I'd probably try and stop you. 

  • That's what friends are for, to look out for each other, to speak up. 

  • I'd say drugs rot your brain, don't do it. 

  • I'd try to get you to stop...and most likely be unsuccessful

  • It depends what the person is doing and how good of a friend they are.  When my sister gets into dangerous territory, i tell her.  She never listens, but i feel better

  • depends on how well you know the person and if you think they're going to listen. I have a friend that KEEPS making bad decisions, but every time I talk to her about it she's like "I know" and then doesn't do anything. I'm not going to force her to do anything, she's an adult and can make her own decisions... am I bad friend for that? I don't think so, because I'm still there to support her, I just think its something she needs to learn on her own.

  • I'd leave you alone.  You're a grown man and can make your own decisions.

    However, if you were to do something stupid and dangerous, like go driving while stoned out of your mind and totally shitfaced, then I'd gently suggest that maybe you seek some help.  Again, not going to nag.  Nagging never accomplishes anything.

  • I think it depends on how much you care about the person and how close you are. Now my dog on the other hand will try to give advice to anyone! :P

  • I'd definitely try convincing you to stop.  Something that dangerous both for you and for those around you is not something to be ignored for the sake of social ease. 
    If this situation occurred with a friend I could physically interact with, you can bet I'd be right there every day, trying to get him to see what he's risking.  

  • You'd have some 'splainin to do mister.

  • i would say whoa i didnt think you would do that then that;s it 

  • I... might ask you about it, like privately message you and be like "what are you thinking?! I know you're wise enough to at least not be publicly posting on facebook about your illegal activities!" 

    But, otherwise I don't really think I would nag, because I would know that you already knew the effects and potential consequences of your actions because you're smart.

  • I could not stop you, but I would speak my mind, 'cause 'that's just how I roll'.  hehe

  • Oh, well pot is a gateway drug so I would immediately try to get you hooked on crack, then heroin, then...um...horse tranquilizers? Uh...then...elephant suppositories, then amazonian frog secretion..uhhhh then...Mr. Clean? Yeah. Yeah, that's what I would do. I wouldn't rest until you were lying dead in a ditch with a bottle of Mr. Clean up your ass. Wanna be my friend???

  • My flesh really HATES confronting people, and I do just about everything I can to avoid it. However, there have been times when I've been convicted to do so, and doing so has cost me some friendships, but I know I couldn't live with myself if I'd not said anything. I'm in the midst of similar situation now, and it's all but killing me, but I keep going back to Joab's words in II Samuel 10: "... may the LORD do what seems good to HIM." We're to obey in what we know to do, though we're never guaranteed a particular result – that's all in the hands of God.

  • In that situation, I most likely wouldn't say anything unless you asked about it specifically.  I don't care if people smoke pot as long as they're not doing it around people who don't want to inhale it (myself included), or people who don't have a choice in the matter (like small children).

  • i say you exchange pot for chocolate. :) or ice cream. it sure makes me feel better. :D

  • I would make sure you understand what you were doing and find out your reasons for starting smoking and your feelings on the matter.

    If it didn't seem like you were harming yourself or others then I'd let you be. Far be it from me to keep people from changing.

    However if you were harming yourself or someone else then I would do my best to help you see this and one way or another stop said harm.

  • Missing work while smoking dope is a common symptom of your addiction and I would drag your happy butt to a narcotics anonymous meeting.

  • I'd follow you to the next buy, wait until you left, kick in your dealers door dressed as a DEA agent, steal his cash, flush his stash after taking passed photos that make him appear to be informing, and threaten to send them to his connection if he didn't leave town immediately.

    My name is Michael Weston. I used to be a spy.

  • Try to stop you?!? Hell no! You are captain of your own ship here, dude!

    I might ask you questions about pot smoking to see if the answers YOU come up with might cause YOU to rethink your actions. But that's YOUR job!

    But your life is your ship to cruise, or wreck, or risk, or sail, as you see fit!

  • It honestly annoys me when my friends do that. Like, one friend barely ever talks to me and one night, tells me she likes only seeing her boyfriend once a week; the next morning she says she feels bad asking him to see her more than that; the next week it turns out that boyfriend dumped her and she went back to someone else she (told me she) was annoyed with; all these random changes happen out of nowhere and I'm like, "Why wasn't I notified of this before I found out via your facebook?!?!"

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