Modern Addictions

A sedated population is a calm one.

Totalitarian means are expensive, unreliable...

...and unnecessary.

I don't believe in a global conspiracy wherein governments deliberately sedate their populations to keep them calm and docile. But I do believe that they stumbled upon them by chance, and now deliberately allow (and encourage) their use because it serves their present interests.

Short-term personal benefit > Long-term civilizational well-being.

Modern humans are sedated by a number of more or less harmful substances and activities. They are all distracting, weakening, and give no real benefit to individuals beyond short-term pleasure.

But most humans priorotize short-term pleasure over long-term benefit, so the status quo is for most people to be addicted to one thing or the other. Usually more than one.

From a state-running perspective, it's a delicate balance between keeping your population weak enough not to revolt, but not so weak that productivity is too low to sustain the state.

In a good society, the government need not fear revolt. But a "good society" has never existed yet, so mind control is imperative to maintain stability and daily order.

When you run an oppressive or extractive society, you want your population to spend most waking hours consuming artificial rewards. This way, they will not be able to organize and resist tyranny. On the flip side, if your people are too distracted by sedatives, they lose initiative and do not innovate, and that leaves your regime vulnerable to foreign invasions or collapse. Balance is everything.

On a more human note, people don't get addicted to things for no reason. More often than not, people understand (at least unconsciously) that what they're doing harms them, or may even want to stop. But when your daily reality is deeply unsatisfying, or your life is full of background anxiety, you need an escape to avoid a mental breakdown. In this context, dopaminergic addictions are both a blessing and a curse; they keep you alive and sane, but they are not helping you escape the trap. And in the long run, you slowly degenerate — so the notion of "escape" becomes less realistic.

Individuals have no incentive to overcome their addictions; it's hard, painful, and the root cause — unsatisfying reality — remains unresolved. This makes overcoming addictions theoretically possible, but practically unachievable.

Institutions, businesses, and governments benefit directly from addictions. They can be sold, taxed, regulated, and especially for the governments, serve as the keystone of social order and stability.

No addictions = no distractions = populations unhappy = civil unrest = rebellion.

So populations remain addicted, and nobody tries to do anything to change that. And those who try do it backwards — by treating the symptoms (particular addictions) rather than the root cause (poverty, poor health, crime, war, instability, etc).

Things are not liable to change anytime soon. I genuinely don't believe it is possible to change it, because change could only occur if you fundamentally reformed modern society. And that would be unprecedented in human history.

Sedation "benefits" all, so nobody sees it as a problem.

What Counts As A Sedative

That was background information. Now let's agree on a definition.

Physiologically, it's not just substances that hijack people's reward systems and keep them stuck in an endless loop of addiction. Many normalized daily activities work the same way, and that's why I refer to them as "sedatives", even if they are not literal drugs.

When something keeps a human being dependent by hijacking their dopamine and reward systems, and creates a compulsive behaviour pattern, it becomes an addiction.

Many people — but especially addicts — don't acknowledge that they are addicted to their favourite sedative. They are in denial, and will construct entire narratives that justify their addictions.

I will not argue or discuss those narratives. I will simply list the things that modern society is frequently addicted to, even if this means widespread opposition and counterarguments. I will also refuse to downgrade any of these addictions to anything less than they fundamentally are: sedatives.

Modern Sedatives

Foundation

Most sedatives reward passivity. In other words, they are easy.

Changing your reality is hard. So most people choose the path of least resistance.

You get better rewards for doing less and thinking less. You also cannot fail; you take your "drug", and you are always rewarded for it.

But escape replaces growth. Not in the spiritual sense — "spirituality" is its own addiction that I will cover in a minute. When I talk about "growth", I talk about practical steps that can realistically improve your material reality.

Growth is uncertain, hard, and the pay-off materializes over the long haul, if at all. Compare it with sedatives that give an immediate and certain pay-off.

It's very tempting to give in. Resisting seems irrational. Why priorotize an uncertain reward later, when you can get a certain reward now?

Sedatives hijack the unconscious part of the brain — the part responsible for memories and pattern recognition. If it has already learned that reality and effort are unrewarding, and sedatives give predictable rewards, it will have no reason to trust the conscious part that tells it to give up whatever it is addicted to. Quite literally, it's like trying to convince yourself that it's not raining while you can see with your own eyes that it is actually raining.

Addictions are cognitive traps. They numb pain now, so the brain believes that they are actually "helping". Slow decay becomes part of your life, and conscious realization is never enough to stop it.

That makes improvement less likely.

Because even if an addiction genuinely helps you survive — and I strongly believe that it is true for many people — it simultaneously prevents you from ever taking real steps and changing your reality.

Change equals friction. Sedatives equals no friction plus reward. Your brain is stuck, and getting it unstuck requires elaborate strategies.

But I don't believe that it's an issue of free will or lack of intelligence. The environment we live in is deeply unsatisfying AND it is hyper-weaponized to keep people addicted.

To overcome an addiction, a person typically needs socio-economic safety (absent for most), a strong social network and support (non-existent or actively reinforcing addictions), and finally strong will and conviction. But the latter is easy to develop. The first two requirements are very difficult.

The trap is this:

The longer you are addicted, the less likely you are to improve your life.

Addictions fundamentally rewrite your life, not just delay it. It does not feel like it, but that is what happens under the hood.

Types Of Sedatives

Sedatives can be split into distinct categories. They appeal to different individuals, have different levels of potency, and satisfy very specific needs.

Some are obvious and consumed by billions. Others are more sinister and less-known.

Not all sedatives are equal, even if they fundamentally do the same thing.

TIER 1: Mainstream Sedatives

Widely known, widely used, clearly addictive, and often normalized.

Entire narratives have formed around them, and tribal warfare dominates the present-day discussions; some excuse them, some demonize them.

1. Alcohol

A psychoactive drug usually found and consumed in beer or wine.

It is legal, cheap, and socially accepted. It sedates humans by numbing emotions, lowering inhibitions, and "helping you forget" your unpleasant reality. It comes with unpleasant side effects — like hyper-aggressiveness, hangover, decreased reflexes and coordination, slowed reaction times, etc — and its long-term harm is undeniable. But in the short run, it helps you relax, makes you more social, puts you in a jolly mood, and even increases your sex drive.

If you value short-term over long-term, alcohol is the rational choice.

Societies are no monoliths. But many are known for a "beer culture", or "party culture", etc; a person that refuses to drink alcohol is seen as "abnormal" rather than rational by most people, and this creates selection pressure to consume the poison. Shame, guilt, manipulation, and even ostracization are frequently used to pressure individuals.

Social death is a powerful motivator. Most humans eventually cave in. And when they cave in once, they become trapped.

Governments need not intervene; all they need to do is make it legal (which it already is), and the supply-demand will naturally lead to a widespread addiction. Individual citizens will "enforce" the sedation by rejecting those who refuse to participate in the madness.

The madness goes even deeper; reformist governments who tried to ban alcohol have all failed. So blaming governments for "keeping their people addicted" to alcohol is not entirely fair. Individual reformists who argue against alcohol face mockery and lack of support. So in a way, the problem is self-inflicted rather than elite-mandated.

Unsatisfactory material reality or lack of social success are necessary for some to start drinking. But sometimes, they are not needed.

Alcohol is unique in that even successful people participate. You don't need to be down on your luck financially to drink yourself into unconsciousness; the rich and powerful have historically drunk and partied the loudest.

This particular addiction is not just effective at sedation. It's embedded into many cultures, and that makes it seem "normal" rather than abnormal.

2. Hard drugs

An umbrella term for hyperactive substances known for their high potential to cause severe addictions, serious health consequences, and in some cases, death.

Central Nervous System (CNS) is hijacked immediately. Withdrawal symptoms are real and physiological (not just psychological); some drugs are so strong, sudden abstinence can be fatal without medical supervision and planning. Free will is not enough to stop.

CNS registers organ damage, the conscious brain wants to break the pattern, but the compulsion is too strong. Indeed, drug addicts are famous for doing "whatever it takes" to get their fix. Crime motivated by drug addiction is a common phenomenon.

Most places outlaw drugs. This causes drug markets to go underground and charge exorbitant prices. Those who take drugs do so secretly.

This is good because accessing drugs is not easy. Adults and children frequently get addicted to alcohol and other sedatives because they're cheap and accessible. Hard drugs are not as easy, so we see less of them.

But at the same time, this is bad news for those who are already drug addicts and wish to recover. Admitting that you have a drug problem equals admitting that you've committed a serious crime, and neither states nor societies care enough to help you. The reflex is to shame and punish "the wrongdoer" harshly. This is a serious barrier, and so even those who know that their addiction is killing them and wish they could stop have no means or resources to do so.

They are trapped by their own biology as well as the existing social and power structures.

Drug dealers, financiers, suppliers, and law enforcement officers that make drug markets possible in the first place usually go unpunished. It is their "prey" who get the stick. Poor drug users are the villains in the popular narrative. Wealthier participants — suppliers and corrupt law enforcement — are spared such value judgement.

Most regular people approve of this sentiment, actively enforce it, and so the problem persists.

And nothing suggests it is ever going to change.

3. Pornography

This is a controversial one because it has strong opponents as well as open-minded supporters slash allowers.

Though, to be perfectly honest, many allowers are not so much open-minded as self-deceived; their pro-porn ideologies — which are usually reframed as pro-sexuality or pro-freedom ideologies — are just retrofitted stories they tell themselves about their own addiction.

Historically, pornography was viewed as cursed, evil, or sinful. Not as a result of deep philosophy, but purely because it threatened the stability and social order that relied on strong family units. Indeed, in most of the modern world, pornography is still viewed as abnormal precisely because it threatens the fundamental fabric of these societies — fabric which relies on family units and children being born.

In the modern West, pornography is not only legal, but occasionally praised and debated seriously. This includes both visual pornography (images, videos) as well as other forms such as written porn (i.e. literotica).

(Though it should be noted: most people view it as somewhat abnormal, so "praise" is occasional rather than frequent)

Due to the taboo nature of pornography in our modern world, it is difficult to estimate how many people consume it. But we know for a fact that the numbers are in the billions.

However, I believe this makes perfect sense when you look at our civilizational reality and account for human nature.

Things might look different in the future, and future readers may be unable to understand how fictional sex could once be so popular.

But as of right now, the majority of people — men and women — are physically unattractive. This is why they have few better options than fiction.

This happens for various reasons: malnutrition, lack of breastfeeding, disease, ageing, obesity, injuries, etc. The primal instinct that drives people toward the opposite sex and intimacy cannot be satisfied because other humans reject them.

Humans are wired to be intimate with well-developed and healthy humans. But if your environment didn't support adequate development — and for many people worldwide, it failed in this regard — then nobody will feel the pull to you and want to be intimate.

There is simply no world in which skeletal deformities and stunted growth are attractive.

Pornography is by no means a modern invention. It's just normalized in this day and age, downstream from how many unattractive humans there are today.

For most people, getting access to sex and intimacy is difficult if not nigh impossible due to their development, genetics, or both — although for most people worldwide, the problem is mostly environmental.

Naturally, sex can still be achieved in exchange for money (prostitution). People can also get engaged and marry. Among others.

But none of this equals easy access to sex.

Prostitutes openly prefer good-looking "clients", and getting married does not automatically grant one sexual access. What this usually leads to — for both sexes — is unrealistic expectations, resentment, and sexual frustration.

Unrealistic expectations, because sex either doesn't happen or it happens "through gritted teeth" with no genuine desire from the other side. Resentment because both parties feel like they aren't getting what they deserve — for instance, a prostitute feels she or he deserves better compensation for fighting their revulsion instinct, and the "client" feels they pay a lot of money for mediocre sex with no intimacy. Sexual frustration follows because the fundamental need remains unmet.

All this effort leads to nowhere.

Pornography, on the other hand, is free, easy, and cannot reject you. It does not care whether you are old, bald, diseased, or deformed. Anyone can have their primal urges stimulated. Instant reward follows with no social repercussions, expectations, or resentment.

Visual and written forms exist. Those who crave visual stimulation can look at it. Those who prefer imagination can read it.

Truly the best of both worlds.

...Except one little thing:

The reward systems in the brain are overloaded with dopamine when stimulated with pornography. Sexual gratification is on-demand. Addiction follows almost immediately.

And it doesn't even matter if it's visual or written. Although many groups have stated their preferences, and then rationalized why their particular preference is "the least bad" or "the only good" choice.

For instance: literotica fans claim that "their" porn is not really porn because it doesn't work the same way. That imagination is somehow "safer" than seeing it because it costs effort. (non-verbatim)

That's bullshit.

All kinds of pornography work the same way: they simulate sexual encounters. And the human brain cares little how it got aroused. Only that it did.

And it's a trap with no easy escape.

Because if the fundamental reason for your porn addiction is lack of attractiveness, then most people are destined to be stuck with this sedative for the rest of their lives; there is only so much you can do to improve your appearance for the opposite sex if you are underdeveloped due to your childhood environment, or if you are aging, or worse, if you are genetically disadvantaged in some way.

And this is exactly what most people are in the 21st century: visually unappealing with no easy solution to that problem.

For example: Some people can easily improve their appearance if they are simply fat. This could then translate into better and/or more intimacy with the opposite sex.

But for most humans in the 21st century? "Simple" solutions like these are not enough because they have been too compromised by their environment, are already too old, or are sick, etc.

Pornography is not ideal, but at least it is something that for many people makes their existence more bearable.

4. Tobacco

A well-documented sedative that causes severe damage to every single cell in the human body when inhaled. In my day and age, it is usually "smoked" by lighting dried leaves wrapped in paper, aka "cigarettes".

Nicotine found in tobacco reaches the brain almost instantly via the bloodstream and floods the brain with pleasure chemicals. Cravings and addiction follow in a matter of minutes.

Socially accepted and smoked in public, it poisons addicts as well as their company. This is harmful behaviour, not just an individual escape.

But complaining about being forced to inhale someone else's cigarette is shunned a lot more — even considered disrespectful — than being the one forcing others to breathe in your sedative. Indeed, many societies normalized it to the point where even populations generally considered as "vulnerable" — for example, children — are regularly forced to inhale tobacco, both in public and at home.

Nobody sees it as a problem. Nobody cares. It's too culturally embedded.

Just like alcohol, tobacco smoking is socially reinforced. Historically, it was a lot more common and unavoidable than it is now. But it's not gone yet, and it doesn't seem to be on its way out.

Although I have to say: smoking has been somewhat replaced by other, much cheaper sedatives. And because science no longer pretends that smoking has "health benefits", people smoke less eagerly than they did a couple of decades ago.

Why do people smoke?

Short-term pleasure over long-term health is how people are motivated to begin smoking. Alternatively, short-term fake tribal belonging over long-term health can be the cause. Either way, tobacco smoking is a trap that seems normal because of how common it is, and how tempting it seems when your social environment and material conditions constantly prod you to start smoking.

In other words:

1. Smoker friends — You will likely become a smoker;
2. Non-smoker friends — You will likely not become a smoker.

Easy as that.

Governments and corporations benefit enormously from the tobacco industry too. Not in the long run, obviously — the harm caused by tobacco is intergenerational, and causes downstream damage that is difficult to put a number on — but in the here and now, it seems to generate more revenue (tax) than it costs (healthcare).

On a more human note:

Tobacco doesn't just rewrite your life. Many sedatives are simple distractions, or otherwise reduce your quality of life. But tobacco reliably shortens your lifespan and makes your daily life unbearable when side effects and complications inevitably catch up with you.

And there is almost nothing you can do to mitigate it. Inhaling poison directly into your lungs is not something you can make up for with a different substance or activity. It's basically a zero-sum game. You smoke — you lose. Every time.

5. Hyper-palatable foods

A scientific term for foods that were processed, engineered, or designed to trigger brain-reward systems and override satiety signals.

Laymen usually refer to these foods as junk food, processed food, empty calories, garbage, junk, unhealthy food, etc.

At the same time, most humans worldwide are unable to resist them. The unconscious brain craves calories at all cost (survival instinct), the conscious brain knows it is harmful (rational analysis), but the unconscious instincts usually win. Thus humans eat what they know harms them.

Most people resolve this dissonance by gradually convincing themselves that "it's not so bad". This justifies further consumption and inevitably leads to addiction.

Food suppliers, manufacturers, corporations, and even governments benefit from the market. Supplying people with quality nutrition is not as profitable (certainly not in the short-term).

Hyper-palatable foods are cheap to produce, and people eat more than they need to feed their bodies (gluttony). Quality food means land required for agriculture and animal husbandry, specialists (veterinarians, farmers, cold chains, etc), and humans cannot realistically consume too much of it anyway.

The latter makes people strong and healthy. The former makes business owners and corporations wealthy.

The former wins.

Additionally, hyper-palatable foods have won the narrative war. Very few mainstream voices actually reject this instinct-hijacking. Even fewer listen to these voices and take them seriously. Most humans worldwide ignore, reject, or outright mock those who are "too soft" or "too posh" to consume bad-quality foods.

Moreover, modern societies have embraced various anti-food ideologies (e.g anti-meat narratives) that push them further away from real food, right into the trap of ultra-processed foods that face only moderate backlash and are socially accepted.

To my mind, anti-food ideologies (such as anti-meat narratives) are downstream from hyper-palatable food addictions — because people need to rationally justify to themselves why they don't consume meats and other foods they know they ought to — hence why the ideologies are so widespread and "obvious" to everyone despite no real evidence.

Short-term emotional comfort > Long-term health

Historically, meats and other quality foods have been expensive to reliably produce and distribute at scale. Convincing people that grains > meats (with regards to health outcomes) distracted them from the bad deal they were getting as poor peasants who could not afford meat. This helped rulers and states maintain public order — even while simultaneously keeping their people in chronic mediocrity and malnutrition.

Hyper-palatable foods reinforced the existing narratives and built new ones on top.

Most people (!) are ideologically and biologically trapped into consuming "bad foods". My stance is very unusual in the 21st century.

And this is why modern societies consist of people who are simultaneously obese AND malnourished. Seems like a paradox, but is actually a real, observable fact; people's caloric needs are fully met, but their nutritional needs often aren't. It's a paradox of modern society and I don't believe it's as well-documented as it deserves to be.

Hyper-palatable foods (sugar + sodium + fats + additives) are the culprit. They provide calories, but no micro- and macronutrients. And the human brain cannot register this fact. It only registers pleasure and craves more crap food over time.

Compulsive eating is the only possible outcome unless the loop is consciously broken.

6. Video Games

Virtual worlds constructed in a way that allows you to experience an easier, better reality.

There are millions of video games out there. Many are old and forgotten, thousands of new games come out annually... not to mention those created by independent citizens unconnected to a business or institution.

Some games are insanely popular and played worldwide. Many are popular locally, or among specific groups. Many more are mediocre and don't impress very many people.

Talking about video games collectively is not easy. It is like talking about animals; species, size, lifestyle, diet, climate, etc. There is so much to talk about, it is hard for me to decide which aspects are worthy of mention and which should be omitted for brevity.

So let me tell you what video games give players and why they are such a remarkable phenomenon:

A sense of achievement.

Think about it:

You are a peasant who struggles financially, works all day, has nothing to look forward to in his real life...

...until you finally get home, boot up your computer, start your favourite video game, and suddenly, you are in control of a fictional character who can achieve great things in this virtual world. You can even project yourself onto this character, pretending that YOU are actually achieving all these amazing things!

It is fake, obviously. Nobody denies that. But when you are trying to escape an unsatisfactory reality, video games feel like the mythical panacea.

Outside, you are a nobody.

(Yeah, that sucks, doesn't it?)

Inside of your computer?

You are a god. Or perhaps a rich merchant. Or a world-class horse rider. Or maybe an entrepreneur in control of the largest farm in the world?

Maybe you even own your own shop? Or have an online family you love? Or maybe a kingdom to run? Or a planet to colonize?

Suddenly, the world is your oyster, and the sense of achievement feels real.

For those who are unfortunate or trapped in a bad material situation, video games can be a lifeboat. And I am not even exaggerating.

It is arguably better than the previously described sedatives because it usually doesn't lead to a biological dependency you observe with things like alcohol or heroin. But that dependency COULD become a substitute for your real life and prevent you from achieving real rewards, and that has broader implications than just your biological markers.

I even wrote a post about a 160IQ school teacher that I documented doing exactly that — falling into the clutches of video games, unable to quit or get help, possibly destined for a life online.

Cases like these number in the millions. Not all people find satisfaction in video games — or at least not as much as the teacher from above. They typically look for sedation elsewhere. But those that find great pleasure in video games are at a higher risk of getting addicted and wasting away in front of their computer.

For some people, video games are just a little obsession. For others, they are a genuine problem.

But like all sedatives, they are downstream from our present material conditions, and the solution is to improve the conditions, not withhold the painkiller.

Unrealistic in the short run. For now, video games are here to stay.

[FULL LINK TO ARTICLE ON VIDEO GAMES]

7. Social Media

They are a unique phenomenon, and are fundamentally identical to mass media or state propaganda. The difference: they are also available to the masses, and help facilitate other forms of sedation as part of the business model.

Social media have never existed in human history. At the time of writing, it's a fairly new invention — dating back to around the year 2000 — that is still evolving as I speak.

Originally, social media were hyper-niche, attracting maybe tens of thousands of global users. Fast-forward to 2026, and billions of people are using social media on a daily basis.

Officially, social media were promised to connect people at distance, improve information sharing, and be useful tools for business and marketing.

At a glance, they *can* be used like that. But when you dig deeper, you realize just how far removed they are from their intended purpose.

For most humans, social media became a cognitive trap:

• Promises of access to information — social media are known for misinformation and fake news.
• Promises of connectivity — social media isolate their users more than help them connect.
• Promises of communities — social media reward echo-chambers and tribalism.
• Promises of convenience — social media facilitate things like shopping and accessing entertainment, but personal safety is often compromised, leading to scams, theft, and real-life stalking.

Social media are businesses, and it is in their interest to keep their users on their platforms as long as possible.

Addictive dopamine loops is one way to accomplish that, and if you ever get to the point where you keep scrolling and scrolling and you cannot stop, that's when you know you are trapped; the mechanism is similar to gambling, where you keep scrolling or reacting to boring or obviously fake content, but feel unable to stop because your unconscious brain believes that the reward is just around the corner — similar to how slot machines give you just enough to keep you engaged, but never enough to actually let you win. In this case, the reward you are after is something "informative", or just interesting enough to justify staying on the platform longer and hoping you will find it soon.

But the house always wins, whether it's a casino or a social media platform.

Furthermore, much of the modern social life actually takes place online.

For example: very few people actually engage in ideological debates in real life; the convenience of doing it anonymously, without the social costs, feels intoxicating. This is very important; insulting and arguing with people in the real world is socially costly — and possibly dangerous. Doing it online removes all the friction; you can do it for free and safely.

There are also other social traps: online dating, communities, gambling, friend groups, etc. Everything you might want to do in the real world, with real people, you can now do online from your own home.

At least in theory...

Because all of them are fake, cost money, AND typically end up isolating individuals rather than connecting them.

In other words:

Social media fail at their own stated purpose — connecting people.

Life online is truly bizarre. There is too much for me to go over here. This was just an overview.

The bottom line is this: few people actually feel fulfilled from using social media. They use them because they are addicts, unable to stop even if they tried. And the addictive systems exist precisely because the business model requires its users to stay addicted. No Internet addicts = no profit.

You could even argue that modern technology improves only due to the fact that billions of people are addicted and generate enough income to fund it. No Internet addicts would probably result in a technological stagnation as far as computronics are concerned.

The satisfaction people get — tribal belonging, entertainment, insight, parasocial relationships, etc — feels real. It is demonstrably not, but humans are guided by emotions first, logic second. Thus social media addiction gets stronger by the year, and nobody *feels* as if they are losing anything valuable.

If anything, quitting social media feels more dangerous than staying on them. Like I said, it is demonstrably untrue, but emotions respond to patterns, not logic.

Even if the patterns were manufactured by self-interested businessmen and merchants to deceive your brain.

And even if you are aware of that fact.

[FULL LINK TO ARTICLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA]

8. Coffee

Possibly the most socially accepted sedative in the world, so I saved it for last.

Caffeine is usually found and consumed in coffee, but nowadays it is also found in soft and energy drinks which I've indirectly described under example 5.

Modern humans are overworked, underpaid, and crucially, sleep-deprived. It's a fundamentally inhumane society that, nevertheless, people are forced to participate in if they wish to survive.

Caffeine is a psychoactive drug used to promote wakefulness. Recreational use is also observed, but not as common society-wide. For most people, it is a necessary stimulant without which they cannot function in society. Nobody would consume it if adequate sleep was the norm; coffee houses would join chess clubs in popularity — widely known and accepted, but with a niche appeal.

Narratives and evidence contradict each other, with no consensus in sight. But what I can confidently say now is that caffeine is an addictive substance that causes mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms; nobody can realistically survive this life without it, but it is not an obviously harmful substance. It's very hard for me to link caffeine consumption to any specific complications or side effects. It seems safe.

But the danger could hide under the surface; spiking adrenaline and cortisol daily cannot be healthy, especially while chronically sleep-deprived or working unnatural shifts (i.e. "shift work" or "graveyard shifts").

At best, caffeine is a band-aid for systemic dysfunction. Good enough to keep you alive, not good enough to save you.

I will give it that much, but I will not give it more. It's a narcotic, and the fact so many people need it says a lot about the state of our world.

TIER 2: Cognitive Sedatives

Sneaky and deceitful. They sedate the mind, but ultimately replace clarity with fuzziness, guilt, and anger.

They demand full loyalty and attention. They promise to inform and enlighten in return. The opposite happens instead, and your mind cannot escape once it is too invested.

You lose agency while believing you are gaining it.

1. Mainstream News Media

Mass media bombard people with fear, outrage, and distraction.

They are a net negative in every society; rather than inform, they disinform. Rather than convey facts, they spread propaganda. Rather than coordinate societies and promote unity, they destroy trust and divide entire populations and individual units.

And none of this is accidental.

Fear, shock, and anomalies hijack people's attention — and mass media take full advantage of that. They hijack natural human instincts and monetize tragedy, war, and catastrophe that happen somewhere in our imperfect world every day.

Monetization is the key motive; because unlike idealists whose intention is to end violence, war, and all other possible forms of suffering, mass media are motivated by profit first and foremost, and benefit the more a conflict rages on. Running a neutral story once and ending with a positive message doesn't sell as much as running the same horror story over and over again like a serialized drama.

A story about a sunk ship or refinery explosion 10,000 kilometres away will interest people more than an unremarkable story about their local town or community. Likewise, a war will interest people more than a "boring" peace settlement.

Mass media respond to financial incentives — even the so-called "independent" ones. People reward blood and gore, and mass media deliver.

But most media are not independent. They are directly or indirectly owned by the governments whose jurisdiction they are based in. Objective reporting is impractical when objectivity requires challenging existing power structures.

Modern states have an adversarial relationship with their citizens. Their interests frequently contradict each other, and mass media trapped between these two interest groups will typically side with their state.

Mass media will amplify state narratives, refuse to criticize them, and fabricate allegations against rival states and state critics — thus promoting tribal thinking and disinformation.

The sense of injustice, anger, and fear are real emotions that are activated automatically in the brain. They narrow one's cognitive bandwidth and effectively steal people's energy by applying it needlessly.

Your attention is diverted from your life and present conditions to abstract ideas and events that, frankly, are none of your concern.

All this and more happens under the guise of "informing our citizens".

Mass media claim to be instrumental in "transmitting culture" and helping their societies "understand themselves". That they can give voices to the voiceless, or fight disinformation by giving you "facts" and "verified evidence".

And this is where the trap lies.

Most people trust mass media. Especially when they reinforce their previous assumptions or beliefs. So if a news outlet contradicts their previous beliefs — even when evidence is solid — they distrust it. But a news outlet that praises and reinforces what they already believe will gain their approval.

An interesting phenomenon is tribal wars between different mass media consumers: "my" news outlet is reliable and solid, but "your" news outlet spreads propaganda and disinformation.

The news outlets in "my" country report the truth. The news outlets in "your" country — an "evil" country — are all fake and untrustworthy.

Mass media offer you much more than a distraction; you can claim self-righteousness and feel smarter than those you dislike. And for people whose reality is unsatisfactory, these moments of "power" and perceived self-righteousness is what helps them "forget" — hence why I call it a cognitive sedative.

But what I've described doesn't just happen once. It's a closed loop of hijacked attention and wasted cognitive bandwidth. People remain trapped for decades, and very few people ever escape this trap.

The secret nobody wants to acknowledge is that life has never been good. Things have always been hard, unfair, and did not make sense... Something unfair or sinister is ALWAYS happening to somebody, somewhere.

Actually, it is not really a secret in the sense that you can't discover it without a map of a treasure buried on a desert island. The "secret" hides in plain sight, and all you need to do is look.

But that does not feel insightful. Watching outrageous material makes you feel "informed", and that self-aggrandizement is intoxicating when you do not feel important enough in your daily environment.

If you listened to mass media, you would think that the world is falling apart, a revolution is coming, that everything could end tomorrow... Every day, you are bombarded with the same outrageous message, story, and the depressing realization that "nothing is as good as it used to."

The pattern repeats itself at regular intervals, in every country in the world. It is almost like a soap opera script that is reused constantly. And it does not register with the audience — or perhaps the audience does not want it to register?

Nuance doesn't sell on television, and events can be reinterpreted; truths mixed with half-truths and lies is what you are presented with. And since you trust the news outlet unquestioningly, you never even recognize when you are manipulated. Most importantly, you don't care. You don't care because you choose not to care — you want a high-stakes drama, self-righteousness, and a feeling that your opinion matters and carries weight in this world. Admitting that none of this is real feels disempowering.

And for an already disempowered peasant you are, this would trigger an existential crisis.

People follow apocalyptic horror stories all day, discuss them, and react angrily at those who disagree — because the stakes feel high, and their opinion is the only right one. They crusade against invisible enemies because this is the only time in their lives when they feel in control of something.

And what happens when one horror story runs its course?

Simple.

By the time the fabricated urgency wears off, you are bombarded with another apocalyptic story that hijacks your attention again. And again. And again and again. Story after story. Day in, day out. Fear, outrage, distraction. An infinite loop.

You react but never reflect. And you don't reflect because there's no time — or at least that's how it feels to you. Urgency demands immediate response, not deep reflection. So deep reflection doesn't occur.

You start to react habitually.

And that's how you know they've trapped you.

You feel informed. You feel enlightened. But the cognitive trap is that there is no end to this "informing". You are an eternal "student" of endless reports, allegations, and catastrophes that you will never witness, never touch, and never have any power to influence.

You feel powerful while being powerless. You feel informed while being disinformed. You feel like a student while being a brainwashed drone.

And you cannot escape because your dopamine and reward systems are no longer yours.

...

Or perhaps I am the brainwashed one who can't see? Because for those who need this sedative just to remain functional and sane, it feels very alarming that people like me exist and "don't care" about politics or the state of the world.

If only I just got off my high horse and let myself be informed.

2. Mass Education System

A system that rewards compliance over curiosity. It conditions obedience while discouraging individuality.

The prevailing narrative is a positive one:

Schools equip every child with essential skills, care for them, protect them from harm, and foster personal, social, and academic development.

But the narrative is exactly that. A narrative.

The history of the modern education system is not glamorous, and goes back to the Kingdom of Prussia, whose intention was mass indoctrination of future factory workers and soldiers. To that end, they needed to equip their people with basic literacy and numeracy skills — because the contemporary factory equipment was sophisticated, and the Prussian army used advanced weaponry and tactics that demanded highly competent officers, engineers, and specialists to manage them — and to instill unquestioned obedience, they trained their population from a young age that Mondays - Fridays exist to obey authority and suffer on its behalf. Dissent was punished mercilessly — corporal punishment was handed out generously — and the system, while unethical and harmful to the individual, was ultimately beneficial to the state.

The system worked and successfully emigrated to the rest of the world.

The brutality and injustice of schools was not lost on the people who lived in the 19th and 20th centuries. Ordinary people called them slave factories, and the states hated it. These voices are largely lost now; obscurity makes them hard to hear for people in my day and age.

Fast-forward to the 21st century and the narrative is flipped on its head:

"Schools are not slave factories. They are noble institutions that equip you with essential life skills and prepare you for the future."

But the reality disagrees. Modern schools are based on the Prussian Model. They are fundamentally the same. The only thing that has changed is the narrative.

Going to school — and "becoming educated" — is a comforting narrative for those whose material situation leaves a lot to be desired.

"Yes, I am poor. Yes, my life is horrible. But at least I'm educated. That means I am a valuable human being!"

Self-righteousness and slave morality. If only you could buy your way out of poverty with them.

But this self-deception doesn't only "serve" the powerless echelons of society. This exact narrative is used to commit evil worldwide, dehumanize the less fortunate, and justify existing power structures.

Life is fundamentally unfair and not always predictable. The belief in state-sponsored education systems provides a comforting narrative — that we live in a meritocracy where everyone is in control of their destiny. The implications of this fallacy are enormous.

Worse still, performing the belief — and engaging in lengthy discussions regarding the education system — is further rewarded by the rest of society and state institutions. This creates momentum. And the masses go with momentum, never against it.

The narrative prevailed. Questioning it is heresy.

Emotional satisfaction > Long-term clarity

Shallow social approval > Long-term personal benefit

[LINK TO FULL ARTICLE ON MODERN EDUCATION SYSTEM]

3. Political Activism

Activism hijacks tribal instincts and offers moral high ground without action. It sedates through self-righteousness and tribal conflict — real or imaginary.

Taking real action offers unreliable returns; engaging in abstract discussions and shouting matches with those who hold different opinions than yours always feels rewarding.

But where does it even come from? Why political activism and not some other sedative?

Let's begin with how political views are formed in the first place:

Politics is downstream from material conditions — like every ideology known to man.

Politics is a cope.

Subconsciously, when people argue politics or take stances, they always argue for policies and changes that could theoretically improve their subjective material conditions. Claims of moral superiority that are constructed around their activism are an embellishment of an otherwise selfish agenda.

They want to convince others, but mainly themselves, that their particular ideology is objectively good and can bring about a kind of universal utopia.

But hundreds of ideologies promised a utopia. None has delivered. And I doubt that is ever going to change.

Besides, with so many different ideologies, you come to realize that they can't all be objectively right. Maybe one of them is. But most aren't. It is impossible. There can only be one objective truth.

Even without a deep historical knowledge, it does not seem like a difficult concept to grasp; the truth is THE truth. There cannot be more than one. You could almost call it a fundamental law of physics — something that everyone should know and assume as real.

But that is not what happens.

Most activists are not truth seekers. They don't want to hear that they might be wrong. They just want validation and the feeling of self-righteousness. That's their entire mission.

Now, as I was saying, every modern ideology — communism, nationalism, democracy, feminism, nazism, etc — is downstream of a person's material situation. People who lack food, job security, or personal safety are especially drawn to any "movement" that promises to improve their conditions. Captured once, they become fanatical defenders of their new "faith".

Everyone is convinced of their own ideologies, everyone believes themselves to be righteous, and so everyone is burning to go on an imaginary crusade.

Conflict is inevitable.

And nothing ever gets done.

But short-term, emotional satisfaction feels rewarding. And requires no effort. And it often attracts like-minded "crusaders of good" whose material situation is just as bad as yours, and who are just as self-deceived as you.

A true mutual admiration society.

The need to belong is met, the illusion of "improvement" maintained, and fake tribal bonds strengthened with every "campaign" or "debate".

4. Sports Spectatorship

Just like political activism, sports spectatorship hijacks tribal instincts and creates an "us versus them" mentality.

The only real difference between sports-team loyalty and political activism is the intellect of those who participate. Supporting a sports team is a low-IQ activity; discussing abstract topics and ideas requires at least a modicum of intelligence — even if self-deception is involved for both.

Political activism at least promises to improve a person's material situation in the long run. Sports-team loyalty does not.

You are loyal to people you do not know, people who do not know you — least of all care about you and your entire existence — yet you feel some kind of deep attachment and loyalty to them. You feel excited when they win whatever game they are playing, and you further feel sad and/or angry when they lose the said game.

It is deeply irrational. And in my modern world, exceedingly common.

Sports fans don't get financial rewards when their favourite team wins, and they don't lose contracts or game opportunities when it loses. Only individual players get those.

Selfish, fallible...

...and most importantly, unrelated to 99.9% of their fans.

But where it gets completely stupid is when it escalates and becomes violent. As it so often does.

The "us versus them" mentality naturally makes people prone to violence toward those who support rival teams. Most people are not usually violent, but out of billions of global fans, many millions inevitably do get violent. And millions of violent people is a noticeable problem with far-reaching consequences.

People have died (!) over sports fandom. All over the world.

Out of all ideologies you could die for, sports fandom is probably the least worthy of your "sacrifice".

But it is probably one of the more common ones in my day and age.

Types of sports and teams vary. Some people support national teams, some people support smaller, regional teams. Others support teams because they like a specific player. Motivations vary from nationalism, through tribalism, all the way to sycophancy and/or parasocial relationships.

Even though sports fans are not a monolith, it doesn't mean I can't refer to them collectively. Because fundamentally, they are all motivated by the need to belong. Something they lack in their daily lives so much, they have to resort to such extreme measures as nationalism or tribalism to find it.

On reflection, sports fandom could satisfy a plethora of psychological needs beyond simple belonging. But from personal observation, the belonging need is what motivates most.

Mass media reinforce this cognitive sedative further by constantly providing these fans with "updates" on the least consequential sport-related things you can imagine, including outrageous gossip and exaggerated stories. Anything that triggers tribal instincts and causes conflict sells because fans consume it constantly.

For many people these days, "their" team IS their life. Literally and figuratively.

5. Ideologies

Ideologies are stories people tell themselves about their material conditions.

This sedative overlaps with Political Activism under point 3, but they're not quite the same.

The official definition says they are sets of beliefs that influence the way people behave in political and economic systems. But frankly, they go beyond the scope of politics; all politics are ideologies, but not all ideologies are political.

People subscribe to myths and beliefs that give meaning to their suffering, promise rewards, or otherwise explain and promote their material interests. These myths can be, but do not have to be, political ideologies.

This is motivated reasoning; most humans believe whatever is convenient to believe. They are not truth-seeking machines trying to make sense of their reality or find ways of actually affecting the world they inhabit. They just want someone else to give them a cognitive shortcut for interpreting the world — which is basically what ideologies do and why people so greedily adopt them.

I created a model of ideologies where I split them into three categories:

1) Metaphysical Ideologies — religions, deities, superstitions, etc.

2) Political Ideologies — nationalism, democracy, feminism, fascism, etc.

3) Mini-Ideologies — this is a catch-all phrase for miscellaneous beliefs people hold as a matter of course, e.g. masculinity, femininity, meritocracy, just-world, veganism, money, ownership, etc.

The first two are generally unnecessary for individuals. They usually only benefit those who create and promote them.

The mini-ideologies are different; some of them are fundamental and societies generally require most people to assume them to be true for the sake of large-scale cooperation. Without them, anarchy and disorder ensue. Examples: money, private property, etc.

Many others — ideas around masculinity, food ideologies, the belief in a fair world, etc — are pointless and unproductive. Especially when people adopt them under pressure from society, which is precisely how these beliefs spread and propagate most of the time.

But this chapter mainly focuses on: 1) Metaphysical Ideologies; and 2) Political Ideologies; ideologies that serve those in control of the narrative, but at the expense of everyone that follows. They coordinate the masses, but not to serve society and allow it to exist peacefully. Political ideologies are weapons, and you, an ideologue, are the kamikaze drone.

So why do people become ideologues? What motivates them?

When your material reality is unsatisfactory, there are only a few choices:

(a) Accept that your reality is not what you want it to be — that feels depressing, even if it is honest.

(b) Attempt to influence your material reality to improve it — that feels difficult, even if it is possible.

(c) Adopt a convenient worldview that explains your suffering and promises you a reward in the future — that feels emotionally satisfying, even if fallacious.

Most people do (c).

All over the world. Across human history.

Religions dominated most of human history precisely because they were easy to believe — or at least easier than actually influencing your material reality. All you had to do was "be a good person" and eternal salvation would be bestowed upon you after you die.

There is an argument that a lack of scientific understanding of the world was key to metaphysical ideologies dominating the world. That societies did not know any better, and that is why religious institutions so easily deceived them. The argument closes on a positive note — that once populations became more educated, they shifted to "rationality" and started to interpret the world scientifically.

But I do not believe this is true of most people.

In my day and age, many humans "discarded" religions as superstitions and the domain of "idiots". Instead, they subscribed to "faithless" religions, such as political ideologies (e.g. communism, nationalism, democracy, feminism, nazism, etc) and declared themselves "rational humans."

What they intentionally or unintentionally fail to understand is that both kinds of beliefs — metaphysical and political — are inherently unfalsifiable; they rely on blind faith and often contradict the reality on the ground. Believing in any ideology requires conviction in the face of contradictory evidence.

That or self-deception.

There are no real differences between religions and political ideologies. They are identical at their core.

And like I said, I am aware that ideologies have been used to coordinate the masses, and are one of the things that make civilizations possible at all.

But most humans do not use ideologies strategically to coordinate the masses and reap real, material benefits. For most people, it is motivated reasoning whose only objective is emotional satisfaction and the feeling of self-righteousness. They do that by choosing to believe in the ideologies that promise to improve their particular unsatisfactory material reality. They discard everything else until they need it — and when they do, they quickly adopt a different ideology to match their new material reality. Suddenly, the old ideology becomes "objectively false," and they conveniently forget that they once believed it.

So on and so on.

Attachment to unfalsifiable sets of beliefs is easier than taking real action to improve your material reality, so most people opt for the easier choice — unfalsifiable beliefs.

Remember: people take NO action to improve their lives. NOBODY uses ideologies like that. They never did.

Ideologies are a modern sedative. Cognitive sedative.

[LINK TO FULL ARTICLE ON MODERN IDEOLOGIES]

6. Television

A catch-all phrase for mass sports, reality TV, celebrity gossip, soap operas, etc.

I should probably describe each one of them in turn at some point, but for now, let's treat all these distractions as one.

I've already described mass sports in point 4. The paradox is that the masses idolize a few ultra-wealthy stars in front of their TVs at home, but don't do any sports themselves; participation is replaced by idolization. Not to mention obesity rates skyrocketing.

You would think a society that idolizes athletes would be full of them. The opposite is true.

Reality TV?

Sympathetic and unsympathetic participants displayed in front of millions of people at home, trapped in manufactured games or competitions for the masses to root for or laugh at for failing.

Loneliness doesn't feel so bad when you can turn on your telly and watch some contestants falling in love, winning a jackpot, or successfully winning some silly competition in the jungle or corporate villa.

Alternatively, if your life lacks excitement or action, you can watch dramatic personal conflicts play out on your tv screen and feel deep satisfaction when the guy or lass you don't like somehow fail and get their comeuppance. Or quietly celebrate when the people you like overcome the staged adversities the show's producers staged for your entertainment.

If your reality sucks, you have someone else's reality to cope with.

Celebrity gossip is another interesting phenomenon, though why people participate eludes me. Come to think of it, most celebrities are either very physically attractive or wealthy, so it should be no surprise that humans become interested in these individuals and obsess over them. Especially when their real life doesn't provide them with equally "interesting" people to gossip about.

The need for excitement and loneliness are both plausible mechanisms behind it. Although that hardly explains why people with rich social circles also participate.

Theory: peasants have always looked up to and salivated over social elites. In the 21st century, an individual that makes frequent TV appearances seems like "one of the people who matter", so tracking their whereabouts and details about their personal lives is probably downstream from a maladapted social instinct to keep tabs on your tribesmen.

Whatever the case, the result is people idolizing individuals that don't care about them, don't influence the world's events in any meaningful way, and honestly? A complete waste of cognitive bandwidth that could be better spent elsewhere.

Soap operas are another highly distracting part of tv. The ironic thing is that there are as many people watching them as there are criticizing them for being "shit".

Long story short: soap operas are low-quality "films" that require little effort and monetary investment to produce. Many people watch them simply because "nothing better's on tv right now", or because they have their tv on while doing chores and happen to occasionally glance in that direction.

Some people argue that films are art. But that type of "art" is highly expensive and implicitly asks its viewers to expend energy and to actively make the decision to watch the film and pay attention.

Soap operas? They are cheap to make and are excellent for tv viewers at home who don't want to make any decisions or pay attention. Soaps are not "difficult" in that you don't have to think about its characters or situations the same way if you watched a well-written film or read a novel.

The soap opera business model and profitability run on an entirely different variable than film: habit.

Soaps ask for one decision and no more after the first one. They are designed to occupy a time slot in your routine rather than being selected on merit. The only question soap producers ask after each episode is whether or not people kept the habit, not necessarily whether they liked the episode.

Merit doesn't even enter the equation.

If ten million viewers complain about an episode, it means that ten million people have watched it. That's all that matters in this business.

As to what they are about:

Soap operas are basically serialized, narrative-driven, melodramatic tv shows that feature character-focused stories and high emotional stakes. Most of the time, they simply feature "average people" that tv viewers can identify with. The hook is that these relatable "average people" constantly face danger, betrayal, conspiracies, romance, accidents, and all kinds of complex interpersonal conflicts.

Soap plotlines are highly exaggerated and very predictable in how over-the-top they get; an ordinary character always hides something sinister, a normal day always ends in disaster, two women talk over coffee and discover they are married to the same man...

Individual ideas are not bad and could make for a great story in a book or a movie. In soaps, they are everywhere just for shock value.

Soaps' signature is their length; some ran for over 10,000 total episodes before ending. They can appear on tv daily, weekly, etc.

Most soaps are so bad, nobody even remembers their existence once their runs are done. Thing is, nobody ever claimed they are "great television", so that isn't very surprising.

What is surprising is how a detergent ad evolved into a staple of household "entertainment", but here we are.

The bottom line:

I won't pretend that tv is all doom and gloom. There are valuable programs you can tune in and learn from, and many people do exactly that.

The trap is that, unfortunately, television exists primarily to distract and sedate unhappy populations with addictive garbage. And tv producers are motivated by monetary profits, not long-term civilizational well-being.

As things are right now, television serves to sedate the mind.

A chewing gum for the eyes.

7. Consumerism

The phenomenon of shopping (i.e. buying stuff) just to feel control and pleasure.

This isn't anything new. Since the dawn of civilization, the "people who mattered" have made purchases that signified their status to peasants and other nobles. Modern nobility aren't very different, but the term "consumerism" is usually used to describe a 21st-century peasant who tries to attain social status among other slaves like him.

The difference between a "normal shopper" and a consumerist, in very basic terms, is this:

• Regular people buy what they use and need
• Consumers buy what they don't use or need

The whole point of consumerism is the very act of making a purchase. That and what it represents.

It's a display of economic power. A way of broadcasting to the whole world:

"Look at me! I can afford these useless gadgets! Feed me your admiration!"

That is literally what this is all about.

21st-century slaves who own nothing, making purchases they can't afford, buying shit they don't need, to impress the people who don't care.

Entire industries have formed around people making senseless purchases. Banks that allow their clients to arrange overdrafts is one such example.

It's a cognitive trap: every human being craves attention and validation from other humans. Trouble is, this instinct has been hijacked in this slave society by dishonest merchants who promise that, if you buy xyz, your friends will be impressed by your purchase, your wife will love you more, and your boss will give you the raise you've been asking for.

It's emotional manipulation happening at an unprecedented scale. Charlatans making claims they cannot prove, hoping you let your emotions get the better of you and act on your impulses.

Unfortunately, a jacket with a logo won't impress your friends, a diamond ring won't make your wife stop hating you, and your designer derby shoes won't convince your employer to pay you better wages.

All you ended up doing is throwing money away for ideological reasons. Only the vendors are better off for it.

That, I think, is the main reason consumerism as an "addiction" exists. Misaligned human instincts work against us in the modern environment that is weaponized to keep us distracted, enslaved, and poor.

Another aspect of consumerism:

Promise of happiness.

The idea behind consumerism is that if you buy xyz, it will make you happy. This often makes perfect sense; we live in a material reality, and there are certain material possessions that we absolutely need to stay alive and happy. Food is one such example. Shelter and clothing are another.

But the 21st century is overcrowded with things you can buy, and >99% of those things you can do without. They have zero utility.

In the modern world, companies and individuals sell the most ridiculous things in an attempt to scam their customers. This phenomenon actually makes me want to write a whole post about it, because the number of things you are able to buy nowadays is insane.

There is always something you don't have yet. And every con artist (hint: most businesses) will do their utmost to convince you that the thing they are selling is what's missing from your life. All you need to do is pay a little bit of money for it. After all, what is a meagre handful of coin in exchange for eternal happiness?

The environment we live in is weaponized; you are CONSTANTLY surrounded by ads trying to sell bullshit to morons. Even the things you need, such as food, are usually sold as "items", and are often marketed, modified, quantified, packaged, etc to convince you to buy it from Vendor 1 as opposed to Vendor 2.

I wish this was a joke.

You can't even buy a vegetable without being bombarded by a dozen different companies trying to sell you "their" vegetable.

Does it even matter which milk you buy as long as it's real milk? Well, dairy product companies will have you believe that their milk is better than all the others. So anywhere you look, it seems like it matters enormously.

Now, the stereotypical "consumerist" is often someone who's portrayed as stupid or irrational. For example, an adult woman with a collection of 100 handbags she never uses. Or a young person who replaces a perfectly functional smartphone with the newest annual release. Or another woman who purchases fashionable clothes or shoes she only wears once. Or yet another woman who hoards dozens of cosmetics and skin-care products.

These stereotypes are very real, and I think I have met more people who do those things than those who don't. Still, consumerism extends far beyond these stereotypical categories. Think of any category of item — clothing, toys, utensils, decor, bikes, food, beverages, wardrobe, electronics — and I assure you there is a consumerist market taking advantage of people's desire to improve their lives with material possessions, selling them useless garbage and laughing when they do.

It is almost impossible to escape. Even someone like me who refuses to entertain this garbage is constantly bombarded with ads and salesmen trying to "sell" or "upsell" the most useless shit to me. No matter where I go.

This happens both in real life as well as online. It's literally impossible to escape.

But the phenomenon being mainstream? That seems recent to me.

(Correct me if I'm wrong)

Con artists have always been a thing, but the scale at which they operate nowadays is unprecedented. So much so that "selling" is now considered a vital skill without which few companies will even offer you a decent job.

Translation: "Sales skills" is code for story-telling, psychological pressure, negotiation tactics, identity-trapping, and most importantly, lying to your customers.

And... it works.

TIER 3: Esoteric Sedatives

Even less known and sneakier than the previous section.

If I was going to list every single sedative, the list would number in the hundreds. And I have no space, time, or will to do that.

These items are rarely considered "addictions". If they were any more popular than they are now, my description of them would face even more backlash than the previous examples.

Because they are harder to detect, they tend to fly under the radar.

1. Spirituality

An ancient practice of connecting with the universe and "letting go" of material possessions.

It's a practice that prioritizes the "spirit" over your carbon-based body and mind. It promises eternal peace and happiness independent of your earthly status and material conditions.

For most people, "spirituality" usually devolves into feigned neutrality or detachment to pretend they don't feel any pain.

Hence various fake "stoics" who preach detachment in the face of adversity. Or people pretending to transcend hardship instead of facing it. Alternatively, you have meditation gurus who pretend that sitting down with eyes closed is the final solution to all of our "imaginary" problems.

Don't even get me started on astrology, demonology, tarot, therapy, yoga, or other "ancient-wisdom fallacy" beliefs and practices.

Taken at face value, spirituality doesn't sound stupid. Besides, almost everyone is curious about the nature of existence, the meaning of life, and other existential questions. And spirituality provides neat answers to all these.

And, to be perfectly honest, I understand where this sentiment comes from. Even if I patently disagree with it.

You look at the rest of the world, universe, animal kingdom... It would seem humans are somehow special. That we are more than just mere animals guided by instinct and emotions. That perhaps we have "souls" and "free will".

There's obviously a little truth to this sentiment. Humans have dominated every other animal on Earth, and we can't recognize signs of other intelligent extraterrestrial life yet. So this isn't controversial: we must be special in some way. Reality itself seems to confirm it.

But to take this little fact and turn it into something bigger than it deserves to be?

Welcome to spirituality.

Unfortunately, I don't believe this has been documented properly. I need to go off my personal knowledge here.

From personal anecdotes, I have never seen a truly happy and successful person coping with spiritual beliefs. No happy human being is going around "practicing gratitude", or "serving others", or "keeping a journal", or any of those things.

But you know who does? The unhappy ones.

When your material reality is deeply unsatisfying, the idea of "transcending" this life feels alluring. Why live this miserable existence when transcendence or apotheosis are at your fingertips?

Suddenly, you want to read daily horoscopes to see what the future has in store for you. Or go to a fortune-teller and hope that something nice will happen to you soon. Or maybe you trust tarot cards that promise to give you strength and vitality in the coming weeks.

Alternatively, you could choose to simply ignore your life problems and convince yourself that they no longer exist. You wouldn't feel any difference between that and mainstream spirituality.

Although pop-spirituality sometimes extends to real-life harm in the name of transcending the material.

Think of all the money people waste on fortune-telling or artifacts and worship items. Or people who starve themselves in the name of aligning their life-force. Or people who stare directly into the sun to feed from it instead of consuming solid foods. Or people who join sects and become targets of abuse. The list is endless.

Desperation and self-deception are a dangerous combination.

2. Therapy

The sacred cow of the 21st century.

"Talk therapy" predates science. Its earliest approaches combined religious and/or magical practices.

Technically, these ancient practices were very different from modern therapy. In practice, they are fundamentally the same.

As of 2026, therapy is a sham practiced by career-doctors who are more interested in having return clients than actually helping. A "cured" patient pays once and never comes back. A permanently "sick" patient keeps paying for years.

Unless you believe that therapists are altruistic mystics — and most people in my world seem to believe exactly that — then you can clearly see that the cost-benefit analysis favours ruthlessness and con-artistry over competent medical practice that uses the scientific method to understand the psyche of its patients to reliably help them.

It doesn't help that therapists are looked upon as "authority" in their supposed "area of expertise". The authority bias makes their profession all the more lucrative; slaves don't question authority, and most people are trained to be slaves from youth.

I know that "real therapy" is a very sensible and well-supported area of science. But that hardly matters when most of its practitioners are charlatans.

Does it not?

Modern therapy reframes a perfectly normal and rational state of mind — depression — as abnormal.

It's hard to expect people with real health issues, or people stuck in poverty, or just generally people dealing with some misfortune, to feel happy all the time. Or at all.

Rather than ask some real questions, you are told that your state of mind is somehow abnormal, and that the problem is you.

Yes. You've heard me right.

Modern societies and authorities will tell you that YOU are the problem, and not the oppressive, hostile, and unsatisfactory environment you are forced to live in.

The environment has nothing to do with that. The problem exists inside your own head, therefore it is only your problem. No one else's.

And... would you believe it? Most people believe this codswallop.

And they willingly pay for talk sessions, with a therapist who couldn't care less about them, to be told that their problems are imaginary...

...and it is systemic.

Not just a few individuals who fell for this con.

Entire societies.

3. Self-help

Sometimes referred to as "self-improvement", it is self-deception disguised as rational action.

On its face, it sounds like a great thing; your life isn't what you want it to be, and you are trying to help yourself.

But that is only true if you analyse it on a superficial level.

Unfortunately, a deep analysis is hard to come by. And my own complete analysis would become an entire essay.

Where do I even begin with self-help?

Self-improvement is usually code for:

• Poverty — how to make money
• Loneliness — how to get people to like you
• Sexlessness — how to get sex, intimacy, or relationships

I rarely see people attempting self-improvement for a different reason.

Also:

Happy people don't need to "improve".

Because why would you? Where's the return?

Unhappy people? They love the useful fiction that they can help themselves and magically get whatever they have always dreamt of.

I cannot possibly list all the existing grifters, scam-courses, books, seminars, podcasts, and other shoddy products that are being marketed as "the one thing that will give you whatever it is you want". Every country in the world has its household names, so even if I named every single con-artist in the English-speaking part of the world, I would still fail to document millions of other con-artists that speak a different language and I am not aware of.

Besides... Do you really think people like that deserve to be remembered? Because I doubt they have done anything worthy of being preserved.

Some of them cause harm. But it's not the kind of harm you would write a history book about. Most of them just scam people by promising to deliver them to eternal salvation, only to sell them a stupid book or an online course that aren't even worth the space this paragraph takes up to talk about them.

Self-help gurus are grifters who sell useless products to enrich themselves. They target the desperate, weak, afraid, and unintelligent.

Most self-help gurus are highly unsuccessful. This is unsurprising; there is one born every second, but there is equally as many grifter-wannabes who hope to capitalize on this market. Competition is ruthless.

A few manage to become moderately successful. This is the category of "motivational speakers", "discipline coaches", "relationship experts", or other self-aggrandizing titles they pluck out of thin air to create a veneer of authority and expertise.

Yes. Made-up titles work. No one has ever gone broke by overestimating people's ability to self-deceive.

Some become highly successful and accrue intragenerational assets and wealth. These are the "big names" in the "industry". Sorry, my bad. I meant to say: altruistic mystics and certified specialists who want to save the world and help you improve your unjust existence.

...by unjustly scamming you off your limited funds that you need just to survive.

Yeah...

Self-help in a nutshell.

But why is it worthless?

You see, self-help is a whole bunch of nothing:

• Affirmations
• Platitudes
• Truisms
• Ideologies
• Tribalism
• Emotional manipulation
• Self-deception
• Talk-therapy
• "X number of steps to achieve Y"
• Sales pitches

The list goes on.

But note what is missing from that list: useful information.

A platitude won't improve your material reality. Neither will an affirmation or a cliché "ancient wisdom" quote.

Some gurus will explicitly tell you to self-deceive to "distract your brain". They do that because it is meant to "help you focus". I am thinking of some grifter, but the details elude me. Forgive me that I'm not able to tell you more. The "distract your mind" was an important step toward achieving some abstract goal, but that's all I remember.

(It probably didn't make much sense anyway. Who cares)

Many gurus will deliberately foster an "us vs them" mentality. Sometimes, it is something as ridiculous as two gurus competing with each other over the same market of gullible individuals. Some even become political with their tribalism.

There are millions of gurus. I could keep on and on about them and all the stupid shit they say and do. I would never run out of examples to share with you here.

But honestly? If I had to explain all that in just one sentence?

It's a yapping fest.

A whole bunch of nothing.

Words are spoken, sentences are grammatically correct... But they don't mean anything.

And they certainly cannot help you.

So why do people fall victim to this scam?

Why would rational, intelligent humans pay to be told feel-good stories that amount to little more than mental masturbation?

Because... That's the entire point.

Self-help is a sedative.

Don't listen to what it claims to do, but look at what it actually does:

When one guru runs out of feel-good "advice", you have a million other self-help books to choose from, read, and pretend that you are "improving!"

One thing they all have in common is that all self-help "experts" give you fake hope and a positive message. They make you feel like you can do and get anything you want if you are just "confident" enough and "believe in yourself".

And it feels nice.

And that feeling is what people are paying for. Most of them subconsciously.

4. Comfort culture

A business that preys on a very real human tendency.

Animals usually associate comfort with safety. This makes sense in the animal kingdom, and for humans living in the Palaeolithic, it probably made sense too.

But this ancient instinct is maladapted in our modern world.

Comfort culture is very hard to explain because comfort is fundamental to the human condition.

The tendency is for humans to do nothing. Just exist and not expend energy.

Very sensible from a pure calorie-analysis point of view. If you exhaust yourself now, you might not be able to survive later. If you rest, you will be strong enough to deal with whatever nature throws at you tomorrow.

The tendency didn't disappear just because the world around us changed. That's not how biology works.

The modern world is structured around convenience and avoidance. And that can be both good and bad, depending on the context.

Examples?

Driving a car is great if you are short on time. Driving it daily deprives your body of movement that is vital for proper function.

Eating a ready-made meal is great if you need something to eat now. Eating it daily means you deprive your body of nutrients because you aren't willing to expend the effort to get something better.

Boredom is considered a bad thing, and entire industries have risen to "help" with numbing it. Telling people to sit with their boredom and let it naturally push them toward action is thought of as "obviously stupid".

Inaction is great when you live a highly active lifestyle. Inaction while also living a sedentary lifestyle weakens you and becomes a bad habit.

There is much, much more than that. Essentially, if a shortcut exists somewhere, or if you can justify not spending energy, the tendency for humans is to create a positive association with that thing.

But like I said, if your environment is hostile, it makes a lot more sense to face it than distract yourself with a "fun" gadget. Or if your environment isn't optimal for your life or health, it makes sense to expend some energy for the sake of long-term well-being.

Comfort is glorified instead. And humans do everything in their power to reduce friction and discomfort as much as they can. Just for the sake of reducing friction and discomfort.

Even when it obviously harms them.

That is not to say that seeking out discomfort for its own sake is the answer. That is a different sedative some people rely on instead to make themselves feel strong and in control.

But between comfort and discomfort, most people always choose comfort.

It's easier.

5. Pets

Pets, such as dogs or cats, are used to combat loneliness and have your social needs met via a mascot.

Although some people prefer more exotic pets, such as fish, birds, plants, or even tigers.

("Who keeps a tiger?" That's a great question, by the way. Some people do)

Historically, wolves were domesticated for instrumental purposes. Protection, hunting, tracking. Keeping a dog made perfect sense. And for some humans today, it still does.

Cats eat rodents. Rodents eat grains and spread disease. Humans and cats could both benefit from this symbiotic relationship enormously. So keeping a litter of cats made a lot of sense also.

Farm animals, too, were useful to domesticate. Horses can pull, cows give milk, pigs can be eaten...

But that is not how people use animals in my day and age.

A childless woman can cope with her loneliness by adopting a "cute doggy" and becoming its "mommy". A childless man can do the same, although men tend to gravitate toward different copes.

But a pattern already emerges; an unsatisfied need comes first, and an animal is used to satisfy it second.

You also get people who keep pets specifically with the intention of abusing them. They can't afford to be sadistic toward other humans, for one reason or the other, so they adopt pets and abuse them instead.

A poor man can't afford to oppress and abuse other humans because he lacks the socio-economic power to do so. Likewise, a small woman can't physically dominate most other people who could successfully defend against her.

Adopting a small animal is the "solution"; now you can dominate and abuse something with impunity.

A third reason could be a "project"; a person lacks real-life achievements, so he or she copes by becoming "the best gardener" in town, or becoming "famous" for their little snake farm, or keeping a bunch of talking parrots hoping to amaze their friends.

Or anything that they think will impress other humans that they want to interact with.

Or be intimate with.

Whichever.

There are numerous reasons people become "animal lovers" — sometimes literally. And no, I am not joking.

Loneliness seems to be the cause for most. But some people abuse animals or use them as proof of their own human worth. Not to mention pro-animal ideologies or activism that some people engage in.

The bottom line: unsatisfactory material reality comes first. Comfort animals come second.

6. AI Companions (early stages)

Textbots designed to respond to prompts.

Technology has come a long way. Many of these chatbots sometimes feel like real humans talking to you.

The reason people so greedily adopted this sedative? Loneliness. And this isn't controversial.

That being said, if you can't possibly find humans to interact with, it would be foolish not to take advantage of a way to simulate that and have your basic human need met.

It isn't ideal, but let's not pretend that "interacting with real people" is always easy or satisfying.

If it was, AI companions couldn't exist. Because nobody would have needed to use them.

And as it turns out, AI companions can feel a lot "better" than real people. Because while humans are autonomous and imperfect — and often have malicious intentions — AI companions speak very eloquently, are eager to please, and can even simulate a romance.

And you don't have to negotiate anything. Or worry about your favourite AI companion wanting to take advantage of you or hurt you.

And you know what? I don't like that this is how things are, or the way things are going with this new technology... But they really are better than real humans. I hate to admit it, because I don't want it to be true... But it is. And there's no sense in pretending otherwise.

Chatbots only really became mainstream at the end of 2022. And it only took months for millions of people to become attached to them.

I have no idea how high the number is a mere 4 years after their adoption. But it's easily in the tens of millions, if not higher.

The fact so many people prefer talking to a "toaster" over real humans? That actually tells us a lot more about humanity as a whole and what a mess it is, than it does about AI companions themselves.

And technology is only improving.

Millions of people are hoping for robotic companions, or even sex bots. And it looks like they WILL become a new reality in the next one or two decades.

It feels dystopian. But at the same time... I can't pretend I don't understand the sentiment. People can be very bad, and wanting to escape is a very rational response in the world we live in.

(Not to mention other things that I really have no time to explain here)

AI companions don't want to oppress you, dominate you, or be malicious. Likewise, they perform interest in the user they are interacting with, and are designed specifically to be your little sycophants.

Very few people are privileged enough to be treated like that by other humans. But everybody craves it all the same.

AI companions are an illusion. But it is an illusion that feels real. And as I have demonstrated time and again throughout this post, most people will ALWAYS choose a useful illusion over a discomforting truth.

7. Music

Another way to distract the mind.

Historically, humans created music for their tribesmen as a way to spend time together in a pleasant way.

It was basically a bonding tool. Singing, humming, whistling, etc, were fun group activities you did among friends.

That was all well and good. Occasionally, humans still use it for that purpose.

But nowadays?

It is a coping mechanism that has nothing to do with creativity or bonding.

Examples:

1. A man or woman wearing headphones outside. Rather than engage with the world around them, they use music to shut themselves off from it.
2. Degeneracy; drinking alcohol, listening to very loud music in social clubs, not to mention other activities.
3. Social performance: listening to "cool artists" you don't like, because you are hoping to get accepted into a social circle that rejected you.
4. Listening to songs about "reproduction" because you sorely lack it in your daily life.

(Indeed. The one in d.? Many artists themselves lack "reproduction" in their daily lives, to the point where they cope with their loneliness by singing about it. Famous example: Lady Gaga)

Note how all five of them are a way for people to escape their unsatisfactory material reality.

Unfortunately, people listen to music for a variety of reasons. It's impossible to list every single reason without speculation and a separate post. These five are just some that I've personally witnessed.

But the bottom line is this:

Most people do not listen to music to bond with other humans, or to appreciate creativity and art.

They listen to music to escape whatever they are dealing with, or to fantasize about a "better" reality (e.g. one full of "reproduction"), or because it feels nicer to combine music with some other sedatives (e.g. alcohol).

It's incredibly common. Arguably, the most common sedative in this entire post; it predates civilization and everything else on this list, and it doesn't even care about a language barrier, age, race, or other unique human characteristics.

It's a universal sedative. Or as universal as they get.

8. Fantasy Worlds

Worlds such as those in tv shows and film. I have barely heard any complaints about the "book addiction epidemic", although that too is a possibility (e.g. literotica, fan-fiction).

The way this sedative works is very straightforward:

Your reality sucks. Therefore, you need another reality.

And books, films, video games, etc offer you that exact thing.

Hyperrealities can be utopias. They can be beautiful. Or maybe they are just very exciting?

Likewise, maybe they are actually horrible... But you can project yourself onto the main character who is "saving the world"? That could feel empowering, if nothing else.

Or maybe you're just lonely? And the fictional character from your favourite smut or video game is very attractive, interesting, or leads an exciting life you would like to experience with someone real?

The bottom line: Fantasy worlds give you an escape from the real world.

I can't pretend I don't understand that. Our reality is deeply unsatisfying, save for a few privileged aristocrats that rule this world.

And the result is what you would predict:

• Harry Potter — over half a billion fans;
• Avengers — hundreds of millions of fans;
• Star Wars — hundreds of millions of fans;
• Lord of the Rings — tens of millions of fans;
• Game of Thrones — tens of millions of fans.

Not to mention the fantasy worlds that are no longer "relevant" in the 21st century, but were very much relevant in the past and adored by millions. Or other obscure fantasy worlds that are less popular, niche, or relevant only in specific parts of the world.

For millions whose reality is too unsatisfying and hopeless, escaping into these fictional realms feels more rational than enduring their "real lives".

For these people, their real life is just something unpleasant they endure between the satisfying fantasy sessions they indulge in.

(I even wrote a case-study post about a highly-intelligent school teacher who did exactly that, explaining how and why people might want to escape their unsatisfactory material reality and replace it with a fictional one: <link to Marth's post> )

9. Philosophy

Similar to spirituality; most people engage with philosophy primarily to get a ready-made worldview that doesn't challenge them. The goal was always a safe dogma that gives the lonely and confused a way to explain their suffering to themselves.

Most so-called "philosophers" are really copers. That or snake-oil salesmen regurgitating old myths and "philosophies" to con their victims.

Philosophical ideas vary between individuals, states, time periods, etc. But one thing you can be sure of: the masses are not philosophers. They want emotional satisfaction, and will latch onto anything that serves that purpose. The "philosophy" claims are there only to make themselves feel more intelligent than they like to admit they really are.

And while I don't doubt contemplation and self-knowledge can be exciting and put everything in perspective, I will not pretend that most people don't use it for a very different purpose.

For example: "How did it all begin?" is fascinating because it's fundamental. And because there is no easy answer to that question.

(Actually, there is no answer to that question. Because existence cannot "begin". Existence itself is eternal — it has always existed)

Also, the concept of us being just space dust experiencing itself is very interesting precisely because it's true. "Where does consciousness come from?" is the next logical question because you're trying to understand your own existence.

Alternatively, the question: "Why do we do anything?" tries to understand another fundamental truth about this world. If you can answer this question, you can better understand yourself.

But note what they all have in common: They are difficult. They do not give you a pre-made answer to your daily woes.

And they feel "pointless" in that they do not really give you anything material, do not give you a blueprint for how to achieve anything, and many people consider philosophers "stupid".

For instance: Modern societies sometimes venerate "Ancient Greek philosophers", like Socrates or Aristotle. But at the time these people lived, most of their neighbours actually thought they were "these old geezers that do nothing all day but talk and waste time."

Real philosophy is difficult, doesn't help you achieve anything, doesn't give you anything material, and the people around you think you are crazy.

Note how philosophy doesn't have anything to do with being "happy", "whole", or transcendence. It is simply a quest for self-knowledge motivated by pure curiosity.

This is not how most people use philosophy.

Most people who cope with philosophy want a solution to a real problem. Or because they want to know "how to be happy". Or because they want a framework that promises to help them in their daily life.

I'm afraid that philosophy cannot do that.

And judging by people's reactions — i.e. "I tried this philosophy thing, but it is stupid! It didn't help me" — it seems most "philosophers" are just deluded individuals who think that metaphysical contemplation can somehow improve their unsatisfactory material reality.

That... is impossible.

Philosophy was never about materializing a desired combination of molecules out of thin air using your thoughts alone. Or giving you "higher answers" to your peasant struggles.

That's mysticism.

Philosophy ≠ Magic

(Though that could just be my own philosophical musings about what counts as "real philosophy")

10. Exercise

Used to distract the mind from whatever plagues and dejects it:

• Poor Health? — Exercise can cure all your diseases and pains
• Depression? — Exercise will make you feel better and happier
• Unattractiveness? — Exercise will help you change that
• Old Age? — Exercise will keep you immortal
• Loneliness? — Exercise will help you meet new people
• Poverty? — Exercise will increase your brain volume (somehow) and that will help you make more money
• Poor Sleep? — Exercise will help you fall asleep faster and deeper

Even among people who don't exercise, these "truths" are self-evident and "obvious".

I mean... This is a blog for future historians. You don't need me to tell you why all this is bullshit.

But for the people living in the 21st century?

Exercise is a religion. They will never concede that exercise harms them, or that they are getting scammed, or that they are fighting ghosts.

The exercise business is a multi-billion dollar industry. "Fitness" is a global brand that promises to solve all your life's problems, slaves assume this myth is real, and so slaves end up throwing money away on gadgets, memberships, events, and various other nonsense that actually connects with Cognitive Sedative number 7 — consumerism.

Some people genuinely benefit from exercise. They become "proof" exercise benefits are real.

Most people do not benefit. They become "idiots" who did it wrong.

This could become its own post. Actually, the insanity is so deeply ingrained, breaking it all down could become a whole book.

• Big muscles don't equal good health
• Endurance doesn't mean you will live forever
• Feeling high doesn't mean exercise wasn't harmful
• Feeling sleepy doesn't sound like a healthy outcome
• Losing weight doesn't mean you didn't lose vital tissue

These predictable results of exercise could correlate with better health. But they don't have to.

Likewise, they could correlate with longevity. But they could just as well correlate with depletion and early death.

Exercise could make you more physically attractive. It could also achieve the opposite.

Feeling high after exercising could mean that your body is grateful for the training session because it needed movement. But it could also be grateful that you have finally stopped torturing it with pointless exertion.

Intense exercise could help you build a stronger body if your diet is rich and nutrient-dense. Likewise, it could stunt your development or spawn numerous diseases if you are malnourished or chronically underslept.

But nuance doesn't sell.

Telling people to exercise when it makes sense? You can't sell bullshit to morons like that.

Telling people that exercise is the "final solution" to all their life's problems? Now you can sell them something.

Like every myth, the exercise ideology takes a grain of truth and uses it to manufacture an elaborate dogma that demands mandatory compliance and blind faith from everyone inside "the group" — the group of people who are proud to be better than everyone else.

Thus a 19th-century business turned into a brand. And the brand created a dogma.

A little nugget of truth (e.g. "sedentary people should make an effort to move more") was overextended and turned into this bullshit you saw in my first bullet-point list.

But look what happens underneath. Because that tells you what need people who exercise are looking to satisfy.

Unsatisfactory material reality.

Maybe they're ugly? A lot of people exercise because they are hoping to change that.

Maybe they're weak? Physical exertion produces adaptations, and that can be mistaken for strength.

Maybe they're poorly? Exercise can be used to improve some conditions, and that can be dishonestly extrapolated to every possible health condition.

Few people use exercise instrumentally. They exist, and they can extract real material rewards from training. For example: professional athletes, coaches, law enforcement, grifters, etc.

Everybody else?

Most people waste their energy, time, and money on a pointless routine that doesn't help them, improve their health, and doesn't make them look any better.

But the promise feels too good to abandon.

Sunk cost does the rest.

11. Identity-building

Another very common way to sedate the mind. Very sneaky and very difficult to explain adequately.

Examples are legion:

A financially unsuccessful man with no achievements could be drawn to nationalism. Thus you can pretend to be "great" by proxy, simply because you were born in some "great country" with great achievements.

(Military recruiters love it, by the way)

Corporate work culture — or any kind of "hard-work" ideology — is another great example of how people cope with being forced into slavery. They simply reframe it as their choice and attach a higher meaning or purpose to it. That way, it doesn't feel as hopeless or unfair as it actually is.

Your slavery becomes your "dream career". And aristocrats love it.

A romantically unsuccessful woman could reframe her loneliness as "choice" and become a feminist. She could then justify this "choice" by accusing 50% of the world's population of various misdeeds, or blaming them for all the world's problems.

Loneliness becomes your moral choice. And your moral choice becomes a badge of honour.

A plumber forced to do this job for survival could reframe his station in life as "calling", i.e. "I am proud of being a plumber! I mean, somebody's gotta unplug these toilets..."

You become your "profession". And you are proud of it.

There is so much more.

A childless woman could become an animal-rights activist.

A single man could go into politics.

A traumatized individual could "spread awareness" of their own misfortune.

There is no end.

Your reality could be exceedingly unsatisfying. But there is always a way to reframe it as choice, duty, or moral superiority.

And that makes it feel less pointless. You've made up a life mission that keeps you going despite the pointlessness of your suffering.

It's dishonest... but it feels better.

Conclusion

I was very careful not to frame every pleasurable activity as "sedative". After all, if everything is a sedative, then nothing is.

Eating food, socializing, resting, contemplation, singing and laughing, intimacy, etc are very natural and very human activities that we are designed to do. Like a car whose engine needs oil for proper function, we need those things to keep our minds and bodies functional.

Sedatives become a problem when they act as a replacement for those very real things.

Quality food is pleasurable because we are designed to enjoy food. Hyperpalatable foods are a different category entirely.

Interacting with other humans is normal and important. Doom-scrolling on TikTok, wasting hours on social media, or salivating over celebrities on TV is only an illusion of socialization.

Proper rest is very important. But laziness and the avoidance of discomfort are not the same thing.

Physical activity is natural and necessary for bodily functions. Exercise culture is a cult, fad, and a multi-billion dollar industry that serves an entirely different purpose.

Singing and laughing are evolved abilities that humans enjoy and bond over. But when you combine them with alcohol, staying up all night, or earplugs that reliably destroy your hearing, you are crossing the line separating relaxation from dysfunction and degeneracy.

Contemplation is a unique ability exclusive to humans and humans only. No other animal is capable of introspection and philosophy. However, turning them into dogmas and ideologies is dangerous, does not serve true self-knowledge, and was historically used to dehumanize and oppress millions. Finally, they never served anyone who believed in them apart from the men pulling the strings and manipulating their congregants.

The only entities benefiting from sedation are the puppet-masters that oppress billions of people and profit off their exploitation.

Normally, outright oppression would end in a revolt. History is quite clear on that, and it is even more clear on what terrible things happened to oppressive puppet-masters.

In the 21st century, the puppet-masters have the solution: sedatives.

Thus everyone, no matter how down on their luck or oppressed they are, can cope with their horrible reality using a number of sedatives. Civilization may be in decay, but at least rebellion has been averted and the puppet-masters are safe.

At time of writing in 2026, there is zero sign that an improvement is underway. More and more sedatives enter the market, entire populations are more sedated than ever, and puppet-masters are becoming more entrenched and enriched on the back of cheap and sedated labour by the day.

There is no light at the end of this tunnel.