[FRIAM] Another COVID remedy?

[Steve Smith]

On 8/14/20 6:02 PM, thompnickson2 at gmail.com wrote:
>
> I dunno.  Do you cringe at taking a drug that would increase your
> assertiveness and sexual interest?  Do you cringe at taking a drug
> that diminishes non productive rumination and makes you more
> proactive?  Mind you, I am NOT asking you if you take such drugs, but
> whether you cringe at the thought of taking them.  
>
I have never been a tobacco smoker/nicotine addict but among those I
knew when it was common/en-vogue and the few who remain, it looks to me
like a universal drug with primarily positive side-effects (excepting
emphysema, cancer, heart disease, but those are always "way down the
road").   Nicotine "picks you up when you are down", "levels you off
when you are anxious", "helps you wake up", "helps put you to sleep",
"pairs well with a good meal", "suppresses hunger ", "sharpens your
mind", etc.!!!  

When the townfolk were up in arms with torches and pitchforks against
smoking (indoor public spaces, then outdoor public spaces, then
anywhere/everywehere) I used to joke with them that when they got done
with the evil tobacco, they could start in on another widely used evil
substance...   one that you could also smell throughout the house when
anyone prepared it, one that also gives you strong-smelling breath, one
that also stains your teeth... etc.   which of course is the good ole
coffee/caffeine.  Virtually none of them saw the spoof coming and all of
them were deeply offended that I would compare the two... and yet ...

I'm convinced (with virtually no evidence) that our two 2020 candidates
are both running on a much more sophisticated cocktail of pharmacuties
than JFK is reputed to have been dosed with by HIS personal doc
regularly.    How many lines of Adderall does each candidate snort
before the debate to "sharpen up"?   Maybe *that* could be the opening
scene at the debates instead of a coin-toss?   Biden seems to keep a
modest exercise schedule which has the charm of adjusting body/brain
chemistry toward the "helpful",   But then a cheeseburger and a
Tweetstorm can be pretty stimulating to some folks too!

>  
>
> N
>
>  
>
> Nicholas Thompson
>
> Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology
>
> Clark University
>
> ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com <mailto:ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com>
>
> https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/
>
>  
>
>  
>
> *From:* Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> *On Behalf Of *Gary Schiltz
> *Sent:* Friday, August 14, 2020 5:40 PM
> *To:* The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group
> <friam at redfish.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [FRIAM] Another COVID remedy?
>
>  
>
> Oh boy, that's sure to get some flames going! Even reasonably social
> beings like myself cringe at the thought of "people could take a
> substance to boost their cooperative, pro-social behavior." Social
> engineering writ large. Maybe it would work in China or other
> countries that have a very high opinion of working for the common
> good, but I think we're many generations away from such an idea
> working in the USA.
>
>  
>
> On Fri, Aug 14, 2020 at 5:09 PM Steve Smith <sasmyth at swcp.com
> <mailto:sasmyth at swcp.com>> wrote:
>
>     https://theconversation.com/morality-pills-may-be-the-uss-best-shot-at-ending-the-coronavirus-pandemic-according-to-one-ethicist-142601
>
>
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