A question for our non-smoking, non-drinking, non-recreational-drugs-using, romance seeking Escapees

[Capt. Crankypants]

Look, I dunno if anyone reads this far into the thread but whatever, we'll roll with it.
First off, I do none of these things. Non-smoker, I drink VERY VERY rarely, and will never use drugs (I love the law, and am brutally passionate about it).

Anyway, yeah blah blah I've never tried it so I can't talk and all that shit, but lets get past that. But what do you actually DO while you're drinking and doing drugs? I see those as ways of making doing absolutely nothing more interesting. If you abstain from these things, as I do, and get out and actually DO stuff with yourself, sport is a great example, then you don't need these things and are generally better off without them, not purely from a health perspective, but you're just incapable of doing enjoyable things under the influence, like driving to and from fun venues. If you do drink/drug drive, I probably hate you already, and you need to wake up, before you kill someone.

I wonder just how alone I am in my opinions. Let's find out.

 

[steampunk42]

i'm pretty happy...yeah....i find ways to enjoy life without artificial needs....also...im allergic to cigarettes....that kinda helps

 

[Lim3]

Non-smoking, non-drinking, non-recreational-drugs-using, romance seeking....

I've been lucky with dating and romance this year (go me), but I did go through a 3 year ... rut... where I did match the description. I wasn't unhappy, but at the same time I wasn't completely happy.

 

[Lisolet]

I used to do it all, smoke, drink, drugs, sex. Now it's just sex though it's no longer casual. I've seen way too many lives destroyed by drugs and alcohol and consider myself incredibly lucky to be free of them. I don't get self-righteous about any of it except alcohol and the kind of sex that screams of desperation or self-loathing.

Want to know the best thing about the clean and sober life? When you feel good it's because you feel good; when you feel bad it's because you're sick or something real happened that made you sad. You're not sick because you have a hangover (I thank myself daily for never having a hangover again) or are crashing from some drug or cringing as you remember what you did last night.

And I'm a pretty happy person all in all. I go out alot, I work hard and have really advanced in my career since my party days. This results in me having enough money to do just about anything I want, buy what I want, travel and go on great vacations. It's kinda neat how that works out.

 

[Trebort]

If you need extras to be happy, i pity you.

I thought that.

 

[MisterStaypuft]

Think of fun as a gas tank. There are a billion ways to fill it, but you for some reason think that a certain 4 ways are neccessary. Who's uncreative and boring again?

Frankly it's sad that you need to alter your consciousness just to enjoy it. That's not happiness.

 

[CaseySmith]

I like to have a lager every so often, drink wine with many meals that I enjoy. A cigarette/cigar/spliff every blue moon (around once or maybe twice a year). And yah, sex is just sex, but I do have a habit of growing attached.

There's one thing though that both me, my brother, my dad, and practically anyone else in my family think : "Never trust anyone who can't enjoy a good drink." and from experience, this is held true for myself; many who don't hold this criteria seem to be very wishy washy people.

 

[Macgyvercas]

Well, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I do drink (not a lot though, maybe one or two beers maximum), and I am still a virgin (and don't plan on going out of my way to change that).

Apart from the fact that I don't understand people in general (and women in particular) I'd say I'm pretty happy.

 

[Jedoro]

Well, I'm certainly a non-smoking, non-drinking, non-recreational-drug-using, romance-seeking Escapist, and I quite enjoy my life. I don't need for something to be "more fun," it's either fun or it isn't and that's all I need. Hanging out with sober friends is fun, hanging out with drunk friends is fun, there isn't much of a distinction to me.

I'm not going to say my life is amazing, but I'm relatively happy. I just like being able to take responsibility for myself and not be able to give excuses. Now, this isn't bashing people who drink or take drugs, but I can't say I did or didn't do something because I was drunk or tripping balls. I like making my own choices and not having anything stop me from making them, or having an altered self make them for me.

Smoking, I tried it once and it was just annoying, plus I don't like the smell, so I don't smoke. Haven't tried drugs, but none of the experiences sound too appealing to me. I mean, yeah, I could probably do with a distraction from my own mind, but I can take anything I dish out to myself. Alcohol just tastes bad to me, and I can't stick with something long enough that has an "acquired taste."

Now in my view, "a gentleman has no vices, but he allows you your own." I'm not going to tell anyone to stop doing those things altogether, because some issues don't have a clear right-or-wrong defined for them (maybe drugs do, since they're illegal, but I digress), just don't push them on me. I've actually almost gotten violent when people have kept trying, so... do it if you want, but don't ask me to.

 

[child of lileth]

Yes. Glad we had this discussion.

 

[Your Nightmare]

Why would I drink when i'm not even legally allowed to do so?

I'm happy. I don't need to waste my money on these things when I have other means of doing so. PLUS, I don't see any benefit from smoking/drinking/drugs - it's pretty stupid if you ask me

 

[Eponet]

Then again, like my somewhat offensively worded original OP, it's simply a matter of perspective, no?

Not really, it doesn't look like that's what you were saying at all.

"My life is better than yours" is quite clear cut.

 

[loremazd]

If you need extras to be happy, i pity you.

To be fair, this one swings both ways.

'If you can enjoy the little extras in life, I pity you'.

There's more little extras in life than casual sex, drugs, and alcohol. Music, culture, travel, fishing and camping, photography, art, dance, acting, writing, gaming, dating, and love. I enjoy all these things and would rather spend my money persuing them then the first three.

Plus there's just the akwardness of those things. I dont have sex with people I don't connect with, I dont think I could even enjoy sex with people I don't connect with, that's not to say I dont enjoy looking at a fine package, but getting into it if you don't know anything or cant stand the other person just doesn't happen for me. Parties, ehh, I like hanging with a small group of friends, but I don't like the taste of beer, and har liquor is expensive as all getout, so I get wasted with them very rarely. As for drugs, never had an interest in 'em, dont care to.

So in answer to your question, yes, people can be happy, because there's a billion things out there that provide personal gratification.

My question to you would really be "why do you think I should do things I don't want to do?" I know what sex is like and how I want to have it, I know what getting drunk is like and when I want to do it. As for drugs, cigarette's smell bad and I dont wanna mess with the hassle of getting a dealer and all the headaches that come with that.

 

[duchaked]

Nah, I'm a real man, only boring people get bored...wait just kidding xP but no, I thought I'd be one to abstain from it all, but alas no. However, I'm pretty sure I'll stay away from drugs and smoking for sure. The rest...well heh...college. (Responsibly, still...reckless sure, but I wouldn't say "casual". Not in life decisions or gaming xD lol)

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I do not smoke (or smoke)
I do not drink
I do not engage in casual sexual affairs
I do not engage in drug use.

I am a happy person. Tried alcohol; hated the feeling of dizziness while laying down. I also don't understand people who claim to like the flavor of beer and wine. They have a powerful flavor sure but, it is a very bitter flavor (one which I would assume belongs to an expelled bodily fluid). Tried casual sex but hated the feeling of being used and forgotten. I have not tried drugs of any kind because I associate them with people I don't want to emulate.

I don't care if other people do those things but, I don't want them pushing it on me since I don't push my way of life on them.

 

[Lukirre]

I don't drink, I don't smoke, and I don't use recreational drugs.

I do, however, have an interest in sexuality (but it's with a woman that I've been with for three years now).

When I examine it, I agree with you. Yes, my life seems rather boring.

But when I'm living it, my life isn't boring.

I dunno what else to say.