Which Camp Do You Fall Into?

[RuRoRul]

I normally don't like to vote the "middle" option because basiaclly no one thinks of themselves as extremely anything, but I had to here. It seems a bit like the options are basically "Are you exactly like me, or do you drink/smoke/take-drugs/get-tattoos/cook-meth/etc.?"

[ZirconBlue]

I'm the same as Blob (  ). . I've just never felt the need to try getting drunk or high or cigarettes or whatever.

You do realize that one can drink alcohol without getting drunk, right?

[gmillerdrake]

I'm the same as Blob (  ). . I've just never felt the need to try getting drunk or high or cigarettes or whatever.

You do realize that one can drink alcohol without getting drunk, right?

Man, I wish that we're the case for me. I do not possess the ability to have one or two drinks. Once I start....there was no stopping until every drop I could get my hands on was consumed. I really wish I could enjoy a beer or two with buddies at the bar or a BBQ....I just cannot. Took me years to realize it, but I'm an alcoholic through and through.

[rumborak]

This kinda reminds me of the picture of the hipster who is mainstream because anti-mainstream became too mainstream.

But yeah, total agreement on the beer and wine part. I drink beer because of the awesome flavors. Sodas are not only bad for you, but the taste palette is pretty dull.

[Kotowboy]

I'm the same as Blob (  ). . I've just never felt the need to try getting drunk or high or cigarettes or whatever.

You do realize that one can drink alcohol without getting drunk, right?

Yes - but I don't enjoy the taste either.

[Podaar]

I'm the same as Blob (  ). . I've just never felt the need to try getting drunk or high or cigarettes or whatever.

You do realize that one can drink alcohol without getting drunk, right?

That might be true for you and me...perhaps many others as well but I've known some people who simply can't. I had to stop serving wine with dinner when a certain buddy of mine would come over. Everyone at the table would have half a glass and he'd polish off the bottle. Then I'd catch him sneaking down to the bar in my basement looking for another bottle or to fix himself a cocktail after dinner! Very uncouth. 

[Dark Castle]

I guess I fall into camp 3. I try and do what I want to, and don't try and do what I don't want to.

[senecadawg2]

Yes, I know people who do that. Soda is worse for you than beer, though 

Kind of depends on the quantity 

I suppose I like the fact that I am an individual and just following the crowd kinda diminishes that.

Okay, I'm going to have to challenge this a bit. I don't think choosing to drink or do drugs makes you less of an individual. Do you listen to music? Watch TV and/or movies? Go to the park? TONS of people do these things; they're just activities that don't make someone a conformist if they participate in them. Of course if someone just drinks just because his/her friends do, that's one thing. Personally, I do it because I enjoy it. I love the taste of beer, and I love how many awesome beers and varieties of beer there are. Having an interest doesn't mean I'm following any crowd.
Similarly, I tried mushrooms because I was REALLY curious to try them, not because I felt pressured to do what my friends were doing. Ya dig?

And yes, I dig 


I also think it's funny how tattoos somehow got lumped into this discussion. I get that the original question wasn't necessarily ONLY about things that are unhealthy, but that was implied. Might as well talk about hairstyles while we're at it 

[Kotowboy]

Primarily un-healthy. But It can also be about following a crowd to be trendy...

I understand that a tattoo can & should be a very personal statement - but i've seen some people online say things like :

" As soon as I am 18 - i'm covering myself in tattoos and getting massive ear tunnels"

Do you even know what tatts you want or why ? Are you doing it just to rebel ? because you can ? because it's the in-thing ?

My understanding is - a tattoo should be very personal and something you want to have on your skin forever.

Not because everyone else does it, so you may as well too. My brother is Christian and he has a bible verse on his arm.

Obviously it's important to him and he didn't just turn 18 and go and get LOVE & HATE on his hands for the fuck of it.

[Dark Castle]

I hate the idea that tattoos have to be some deeply personal statement about who you are. I like Hellboy, so I think I'll get a tattoo of his arm on me. I like Grimes, so maybe I'll get a part of one of her album covers on me. Oh hey, that owl looks pretty cool, maybe I'll get that as well.
To me, tattoos are just a way of decorating your body 

[Kotowboy]

That's why they don't make sense ( to me )

When you're young you put up posters in your room and when your mood changes - you can take em down again...

If you get a tattoo on a whim - that's it. You have it forever.

[Dark Castle]

And they'll look fabulous~ 

[Podaar]

I'm uncomfortable with the very idea that there are proper and improper motivations for one doing what they want with themselves. It's perfectly fine to impose these ideas on oneself but where others are concerned I'd prefer it if we all would mind our own business.

[Kotowboy]

I have no problem whatsoever with other people doing what they want to themselves.

I can only speak for myself and try to explain why I won't be getting a tattoo or a piercing any time soon. x

It just seems to ME - that if you were going to alter your body permanently - it would be more logical to be something you really REALLY wanted or

had some significance.

That would be the only reason I would get one. x

[bout to crash]

Tattoos are different for everyone. I know some folks who would NEVER get a piece they haven't thought about for over a year, and I know others who have sort of a theme going and just keep getting more and more tatts to fit it, but don't necessarily give too much thought to the specific tattoos they get (like someone I recently met who's covered in a bunch of fairies, for instance). Then of course there's the person who walks into the shop and says "I want a tattoo!" and picks something off the wall. To me that's kind of lame and I would never do it, but it's a personal choice and hey, it keeps tattoo shops in business.

All of my ink has significance to me, that's for sure. I didn't spend a TON of time deciding on all my tatts, but I don't regret any of them. Fun fact: my first one, a Majesty logo, was something I thought about for YEARS until I turned 18. I got it at 18, and ended up getting it covered up recently

[Kotowboy]

If I ever did - it would probably be a Green Day or Star Trek related one

[Podaar]

If I were ever to get a tattoo I'd go to Kore Flatmo and have him do mural on by back of Michael Angelo's David with David covered in Kore type tattoos.

https://plurabella.com/

[Jaffa]

Um.  Third option, I guess?  I certainly don't try everything, but I can't exactly relate to the 'try nothing' mentality, either. 

For instance, I've tried alcohol, I just don't seem to like it very much.  I've yet to find an alcoholic beverage I actually enjoy the taste of.  I mean, I've had some fruity drinks that tasted pretty good, but they would have tasted just as good, if not better, without the alcohol.  It was the fruity I enjoyed, not the booze.  Same think with whiskey and coke - it tasted alright to me, but a plain old coke tasted miles better.  Meanwhile, I've tried straight whiskey, and thought it tasted like shit.  I've tried wines, champagnes, vodka, rum, gin, and a few different beers, and none of it has appealed to me. 

Plus, while I've never gotten drunk, I've gotten tipsy, and quite frankly I hated it.  I don't like the feeling of losing control of myself or my senses, and that was exactly how being tipsy felt to me: like I was just slightly out of control. 

So, I've certainly tried alcohol, but I don't drink it very often.  It's not because I'm afraid of liver disease or blackouts or anything like that, it's just that I don't like the taste and I don't like feeling tipsy, so I've got no reason to drink alcohol. 

Cigarettes?  Never tried em, never will.  Everyone in my family smokes, so all my life I've had front row seats to all the damage it can do. 

Tattoos?  Sure!  I don't have any yet, but I'm pretty confident that I'll get one in the next couple years.  In fact, I'm thinking about getting that symbol in my avatar.  Sitting on the idea for a while before I make a decision, but I might end up doing it. 


So, yeah, third option.  I don't really worry about how many times I'm going to live, I just sort of take life on a case-by-case basis. 

[Kotowboy]

Yeah - i've also tried a few alcoholic drinks - but never liked them and "beer" just makes me gag. Like literally - like i'm about to be sick because of the taste.

Same with wine - probably the worst "drink" i can imagine. Just sour and unpleasant.

So it's half out of choice and half because I hate the taste.

[Implode]

I have no problems with alcohol, but I drank soda as a kid. I still don't. So drinking anything fizzy is difficult for me. I'll still drink a beer at parties sometimes, but it'll take me like 40 minutes to finish it. I'd rather have a mixed drink or just water in those settings.

[Kotowboy]

I try not to drink fizzy drinks when i'm out and choose an alternative but :

1.) I haven't found anything supposedly healthy that I like the taste of MORE than an ice cold coca cola on a hot day.

2.) Orange juice etc is just way more expensive. If a 500ml bottle of coke is £1.20 then you pay the same for 300ml of Orange Juice.


You're left with 1L of water for like £1 - which is healthy but hardly tasty...

[Sketchy]

3 - I'll try a lot of things (including pig brain and turtle, the former was not nice and the latter was bony), but I'm steering well clear of Morris Dancing.

[Laura]

I think I fall in the second category on a really pathetic level.  I wouldn't even take the prescribed painkillers after my wisdom teeth came out because I was so afraid of them.  Hell, I tried to talk the guy out of using anesthesia on me 10 minutes before the actual surgery took place, but before I even finished my argument, I was out. 

I'm just a wimp, tbh.

[Kotowboy]

I'm definitely not afraid of painkillers.

But I absolutely take them as sparingly as I can allow myself.

If you take the maximum recommended amount for as long as possible - they will lose their effect.

I usually wait as long as I can bear it between doses and then take the minimum amount to stop the pain.

I don't want to get dependant on them & also I don't want them to stop working because I take so many.

[MoraWintersoul]

@ the people who don't drink: Don't you go to bars with friends, or BBQs? I'm not suggesting you get smashed, but do you drink soda the whole night?

I tend to just drink orange juice

[robwebster]

a. You only live once so i'm gonna try everything. get tatts, smoke, take drugs, get drunk etc etc.

b. you only live once so i'm gonna take care of my body & I wanna be as healthy as possible and remember as much as I can.


This isn't meant to be preachy. Just curious to see how many people fit into each camp.

Or Maybe There is a third way ? If so - enlighten me

I try the things I want and don't the things I don't.

I generally enjoy new experiences, and prefer to participate, do silly things and get stuck in than to watch on from the sidelines, but I don't want a tattoo so I haven't got a tattoo.

[wasteland]

@ the people who don't drink: Don't you go to bars with friends, or BBQs? I'm not suggesting you get smashed, but do you drink soda the whole night?

Water. Chilled, in big amounts. And you know what? With time, and without any actions on my part, nearly all my friends switched to water as well. And to be honest, I rather enjoy superalcoholics, but I just never drink outside.

[Jaffa]

I think I fall in the second category on a really pathetic level.  I wouldn't even take the prescribed painkillers after my wisdom teeth came out because I was so afraid of them.  Hell, I tried to talk the guy out of using anesthesia on me 10 minutes before the actual surgery took place, but before I even finished my argument, I was out. 

I'm just a wimp, tbh.

Wimp?  You didn't want anesthesia when having your wisdom teeth removed, you refused to use the prescribed painkillers afterward, and you're calling yourself a wimp?  I think you're a fucking badass!     God, when I had my wisdom teeth removed, I wished I had been prescribed a higher dosage of painkillers. 

[Kotowboy]

When I had my wisdoms out - I wanted to be unconscious .

Although coming around was a very odd experience.

[millahh]

Tattoos are different for everyone. I know some folks who would NEVER get a piece they haven't thought about for over a year, and I know others who have sort of a theme going and just keep getting more and more tatts to fit it, but don't necessarily give too much thought to the specific tattoos they get (like someone I recently met who's covered in a bunch of fairies, for instance). Then of course there's the person who walks into the shop and says "I want a tattoo!" and picks something off the wall. To me that's kind of lame and I would never do it, but it's a personal choice and hey, it keeps tattoo shops in business.

All of my ink has significance to me, that's for sure. I didn't spend a TON of time deciding on all my tatts, but I don't regret any of them. Fun fact: my first one, a Majesty logo, was something I thought about for YEARS until I turned 18. I got it at 18, and ended up getting it covered up recently

All of mine were thought about for a long time prior (knew what i wanted for at least six months before pulling the trigger)...and got my first one at age 32.  Probably getting #4 in a couple of months.  And they're much more about self-determination, rather than anything to do with being a DudeBro...I'm a 37 yr old professional, so the dudebro thing would be absurd...and I'm the only one of my friends who has them (wife notwithstanding).

As far as the other stuff, it's infrequent that I get really drunk, and when I do, it's home with my wife.  Same for weed.  Smoked a few cigarettes in college, but they weren't for me.  Never tried anything harder than weed...I tend to be a little weird about self-control, and don;t like taking things where I can't stop if I don't like the effect.

Anyway, I suppose I go for option C...pick what's right for you...it's not all-or-nothing, and those groupings are arbitrary anyway.

[kári]

I went with try everything. Especially if you are young, I strongly feel that you just sometimes just go with it, even though it may not be the most responsible option. Life is full of possibilities and I don't want to miss out.
I don't think I've ever done something I really didn't want to do, and I'm not saying anyone should. Most of the time I just weigh the pros and cons and then make my decision. Kind of like I would never try injecting heroin, but I have taken other much less harmful substances just to see what it's like.

I think applying this on a sexual level is also very important. I know I'm a very sexual person, and I'm open for a lot of stuff (well relatively, being on the internet for so long I know there's a LOT of stuff I probably wouldn't do ). I get that some people aren't, but it just seem strange not to try something you fantasize about just because you think that you shouldn't.

[adameastment]

I think I'm in both camps, I would like to try most things once (within reason). I have tried Cannabis a few times, I used to drink alcohol regularly while at university but I am still wanting to lose a lot of weight and get fit so in that respect I want to do as much as possible to live longer.

[Lucien]

I voted nothing, yet it depends on what you mean. Most everyone here applies it to drug/alcohol use, which is why I said none.

I don't give a damn how many friends I lose by not wasting away in nasty-smelling pools of alcohol. In reality, the only drink I would ever consider drinking is the mead that my mother makes for her friends in the Society.

And, just like tea and coffee, there's a specific aspect of the taste of ALL alcoholic drinks that remains the same. In my life I will never become drunk. Losing control of myself... No. I don't like tea and coffee either (though iced mocha is amazing)

Cigarettes/cigars: Nope. Not at all. Never.

Drugs: I used to take ADD medication, which really never did anything to me. I just decided to up and stop taking it period, one summer. Honestly, I've felt a lot better since then, and I honestly doubt I had ADD in the first place. Painkillers/fever/cold medicine? Only if I really, really need it. Anesthesia? I've gone down once. That was probably the strangest thing that ever happened to me. Sure, if I needed it, I'd go again. What you guys consider drugs? HELL NO. My dreams are trippy enough as it is, and my synesthesia probably helps that. I feel like the brain damage the drugs advocate could possibly take my synesthesia away, something I will NEVER risk.

[Jaq]

I picked mystery third option just for the sound of it, but here's my answer.

I'm a recovering alcoholic, so there goes drinking right out of the way. I never did much in the way of drugs when I did party, so that was out too. I can't say with my awful dietary habits and my ludicrous caffeine intake that I treat my body like a temple, but I don't drink and I don't do drugs. Nor do I judge those who do too harshly (I did break up with an ex over her pot use, but it was because she really became a different person when she started smoking, so there was nothing left to keep me there.) I take anti-anxiety medicine and allergy medicine. Don't smoke, due to seeing my grandfather die a long, horrible death from lung cancer. That about covers it all.

[Dublagent66]

Well, nobody can try everything and everybody has tried at least one thing so it's the 3rd option by default.