Addictions, + And –

TUES., AUG. 23, 1994, 3:06 PM
OFFICE, PULLIAM HALL

The first class is over, and the second one comes up soon. In the context of the above title you are continuing your addiction to teaching, quite a positive one from My perspective. While it often may seem good to complete a class and have no such responsibility for a time the addiction inevitably kicks in, and you are glad to commence the process, yet again. As with most addictions you can go without the stimulus for some time without discomfort because you know that there will be a new beginning soon. If there were to be no more regular classes how difficult would it be to adapt to such a loss?

The way I’m using this word… or concept…is: an addiction is a dependence upon some substance, some action, or some situation or circumstance for pleasure and to avoid pain. When you have it or are doing it you feel good, and when it is gone or otherwise not available it is a hard adaptation, painful even. By this description you are addicted to the classes you teach, to this office and this Department, to this University, and to the colleagues you have here and across the country. Retirement would mean the permanent loss of the classes and this fine office…and diminished relationship with colleagues, both here and countrywide. You still could come on campus and enjoy its various beauties, but it no longer would be your “home.”

This is a positive addiction, and, as with a negative one, you would have to substitute something comparable, perhaps even as a substitute addiction. Later I shall comment on what such might be.

One of the dominant values of your culture is that addictions are not desirable. Preferable is personal control, so that you can decide whether to follow a particular course of action or not, with relatively free choice. What do I say about this? If the substance or the action is doing more harm than good then I approve of this value. But if the good is greater than the harm then I either accept or even highly approve of the addiction. You exhibit an addiction to your home brew and some other alcoholic drinks. You have misused these somewhat in the past, but very rarely now, with no apparent harm coming from the drinks… and some good, warm feelings. You still have some control, and you don’t have any evidence of harm that results.

Some substances or activities that produce addictions in others are not attractive to you. Smoking, gambling, use of illicit drugs, having new cars, eating excessively, holding positions of power… none of these are addiction to which you are likely to succumb. You read your newspapers regularly, but they are not extensive. You are not a compulsive TV watcher. You are addicted to the small simple crosswords at which you can succeed, but not to large and difficult ones (except perhaps, on long plane trips).