7 ms·

Well I know I can't be the only person who had to look this up: >Teetotalism refers to either the practice of, or the promotion of, complete personal abstinenc

by danford 12y ago

Well I know I can't be the only person who had to look this up: >Teetotalism refers to either the practice of, or the promotion of, complete personal abstinence from alcoholic beverages. I mean, I kind of inferred, but this is my first time hearing the term. Anyway, I only drink on special occasion or when I go out to a fancy restaurant. Other than that it's copious amounts of marijuana.

colinramsay 12y ago
That seems like we need a follow up poll then - do you smoke weed! The discussion resulting from "do you smoke weed but not drink alcohol" might be interesting too?
- nebstrebor 12y ago
  Is Twitter's management team on HN? That could skew the results...
- vincentmilliken 12y ago
  Would be interesting to see a poll on smoking weed, I would say a lot of people who do smoke weed would not drink alcohol that often, if none at all.
  - GuiA 12y ago
    They've been done before. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=509614 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=509614 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8021822 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8021822 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7594543 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7594543 Search Google with "site:news.ycombinator.com marijuana ask hn" and variations thereof.
    - vincentmilliken 12y ago
      Awesome thanks!
- newaccountfool 12y ago
  Why leave it at that? Why not ask everyone if they do amphetamine daily or just once a week?
  - raverbashing 12y ago
    Ahem "After 1971 he also took amphetamines, despite the concern of his friends, one of whom (Ron Graham) bet him $500 that he could not stop taking the drug for a month.[17] Erdős won the bet, but complained that during his abstinence, mathematics had been set back by a month: "Before, when I looked at a piece of blank paper my mind was filled with ideas. Now all I see is a blank piece of paper." After he won the bet, he promptly resumed his amphetamine use." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Erd%C5%91s#Personality http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Erd%C5%91s#Personality
    - NotOscarWilde 12y ago
      It's important to remember this, quoting from another HN comment [1]: > Erdős was a heavy user of many other stimulants (like coffee), but only started to use antidepressants and then amphetamines in 1971 when he was 58 after his mother died. He was already established as a first rate mathematician (he should have won the Fields Medal), and using amphetamines to work 19 hours a day was his way of coping with the death of his mother. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8316764 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8316764
grn 12y ago
I haven't seen the term before too. It's etymology is interesting: 1830s, from total, the reduplicated tee being an intensifier – “T-total” (see https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/teetotal https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/teetotal).
- ggchappell 12y ago
  > from total, the reduplicated tee being an intensifier – “T-total” Interesting. I wonder if there are other words formed in this same way. (Can't think of any.)
  - ggchappell 12y ago
    UPDATE: I could not find any other such words in the more traditional dictionaries. But Urban Dictionary has some informal usages that follow that pattern: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=a-alike http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=a-alike http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gee-gawker http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gee-gawker http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=p-pissed http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=p-pissed
netcan 12y ago
A while ago I was listening to some podcast discussion on beneficial "drugs" and some of the problems of classifying things as drugs, harmful or beneficial. In any case, 'even alcohol can teach you some things" came up. It got me thinking. Most people experience (or semi-knowingly exhibit) reduced inhibition. If you're able to pay attention and observe, experiencing reduced inhibition has a side effect of shedding light on the existence and the nature of your inhibitions otherwise. It's interesting. It's not a 'nature of compassion' type of enlightenment, but potentially interesting nonetheless. There's a resurgence of interest in psychedelic spiritual practices. The use of drugs in religious or cultural context is extremely ancient, possibly predating fully modern humans. But alcohol is also a part of that tradition. In fact, the use of alcohol in religious ceremony survives and is widespread in Christianity, Judaism and many other religions. Ketamine is addictive and potentially harmful in several ways. Many are adamant that it's interesting and beneficial as well. I'm not sure those statements are competitive.
- tomp 12y ago
  I definitely learned a lot by drinking. Quite a few times, I went into a meditative state, where I was observing the way I feel/think/act while being drunk. Or I would go over the events that happened, before I got completely sober (and forgot most of what happened). I think I'm much more honest and open because of it (not always a good thing, but it's aligned with my principles and I like living like that). I don't drink that much any more.
- uptownJimmy 12y ago
  I learned a TON from booze. But at some point it stopped helping and started hurting. Dunzo.
- yodsanklai 12y ago
  I can relate to that. The first few times I smoked weed, I noticed I was able to listen to music much more deeply. Somehow, it taught me how to appreciate music in a different way.
  - netcan 12y ago

by danford 12y ago

colinramsay 12y ago

That seems like we need a follow up poll then - do you smoke weed! The discussion resulting from "do you smoke weed but not drink alcohol" might be interesting too?

nebstrebor 12y ago
Is Twitter's management team on HN? That could skew the results...
vincentmilliken 12y ago
Would be interesting to see a poll on smoking weed, I would say a lot of people who do smoke weed would not drink alcohol that often, if none at all.
- GuiA 12y ago
  They've been done before. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=509614 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=509614 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8021822 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8021822 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7594543 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7594543 Search Google with "site:news.ycombinator.com marijuana ask hn" and variations thereof.
  - vincentmilliken 12y ago
    Awesome thanks!
newaccountfool 12y ago
Why leave it at that? Why not ask everyone if they do amphetamine daily or just once a week?
- raverbashing 12y ago
  Ahem "After 1971 he also took amphetamines, despite the concern of his friends, one of whom (Ron Graham) bet him $500 that he could not stop taking the drug for a month.[17] Erdős won the bet, but complained that during his abstinence, mathematics had been set back by a month: "Before, when I looked at a piece of blank paper my mind was filled with ideas. Now all I see is a blank piece of paper." After he won the bet, he promptly resumed his amphetamine use." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Erd%C5%91s#Personality http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Erd%C5%91s#Personality
  - NotOscarWilde 12y ago
    It's important to remember this, quoting from another HN comment [1]: > Erdős was a heavy user of many other stimulants (like coffee), but only started to use antidepressants and then amphetamines in 1971 when he was 58 after his mother died. He was already established as a first rate mathematician (he should have won the Fields Medal), and using amphetamines to work 19 hours a day was his way of coping with the death of his mother. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8316764 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8316764

grn 12y ago

I haven't seen the term before too. It's etymology is interesting: 1830s, from total, the reduplicated tee being an intensifier – “T-total” (see https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/teetotal https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/teetotal).

ggchappell 12y ago
> from total, the reduplicated tee being an intensifier – “T-total” Interesting. I wonder if there are other words formed in this same way. (Can't think of any.)
- ggchappell 12y ago
  UPDATE: I could not find any other such words in the more traditional dictionaries. But Urban Dictionary has some informal usages that follow that pattern: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=a-alike http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=a-alike http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gee-gawker http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gee-gawker http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=p-pissed http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=p-pissed

netcan 12y ago

A while ago I was listening to some podcast discussion on beneficial "drugs" and some of the problems of classifying things as drugs, harmful or beneficial. In any case, 'even alcohol can teach you some things" came up. It got me thinking. Most people experience (or semi-knowingly exhibit) reduced inhibition. If you're able to pay attention and observe, experiencing reduced inhibition has a side effect of shedding light on the existence and the nature of your inhibitions otherwise. It's interesting. It's not a 'nature of compassion' type of enlightenment, but potentially interesting nonetheless. There's a resurgence of interest in psychedelic spiritual practices. The use of drugs in religious or cultural context is extremely ancient, possibly predating fully modern humans. But alcohol is also a part of that tradition. In fact, the use of alcohol in religious ceremony survives and is widespread in Christianity, Judaism and many other religions. Ketamine is addictive and potentially harmful in several ways. Many are adamant that it's interesting and beneficial as well. I'm not sure those statements are competitive.

tomp 12y ago
I definitely learned a lot by drinking. Quite a few times, I went into a meditative state, where I was observing the way I feel/think/act while being drunk. Or I would go over the events that happened, before I got completely sober (and forgot most of what happened). I think I'm much more honest and open because of it (not always a good thing, but it's aligned with my principles and I like living like that). I don't drink that much any more.
uptownJimmy 12y ago
I learned a TON from booze. But at some point it stopped helping and started hurting. Dunzo.
yodsanklai 12y ago
I can relate to that. The first few times I smoked weed, I noticed I was able to listen to music much more deeply. Somehow, it taught me how to appreciate music in a different way.
- netcan 12y ago