(DAY 128) Exploring the Desire for Self-Inflicted Stupefaction

I have been thinking about why people choose activities that stupefy them. The word comes from Leo Tolstoy’s essay “Why Do Men Stupefy Themselves?”.

When observing his own life, a man may often notice in himself two different beings: the one is blind and physical, the other sees and is spiritual. The blind animal being eats, drinks, rests, sleeps, propagates, and moves, like a wound-up machine. The seeing, spiritual being that is bound up with the animal does nothing of itself, but only appraises the activity of the animal being; coinciding with it when approving its activity, and diverging from it when disapproving.

Seeking Escape: The Quest for Temporary Relief

Some people may use substances or other activities to get a temporary break from pressure, worry, or emotional pain.

Coping Mechanisms: Dealing with Emotional Turbulence

These can also become ways of coping with emotional difficulty. A temporary reprieve does not resolve what is underneath, and relying on it over time can make those problems worse.

Societal Influences: Cultural Norms and Peer Pressure

Social norms, peer pressure, and media portrayals can also influence people’s choices and sense of belonging.

The Complexity of Leo Tolstoy: A Literary Conundrum

I find Tolstoy’s point of view difficult to pin down. His novels and essays explore human nature and morality in ways that leave room for different interpretations.

All human life, we may say, consists solely of these two activities:

1. bringing one’s activities into harmony with conscience, or
2. hiding from oneself the indications of conscience in order to be able to continue to live as before.

I find his writing compelling and perplexing. Talking about it with other readers and returning to the text can reveal new interpretations.

I am still trying to understand both the reasons people seek stupefaction and what Tolstoy is arguing in his essay.