<p>Still thinking about it, but I think just the decision for a high schooler to smoke/drink just says something about character. When it comes to alcohol, I again just don’t think high schoolers are mature enough to get drunk. When it comes to weed, I think that high schoolers have no business there. </p>
<p>If I met some highscooler and they told me they drink/smoke, I’ll ask Why do you drink/smoke? I don’t see an adequate answer other than “I enjoy it” (Because really that’s all there is to pot/alcohol). And I’ll feel disapproving of them because there’s nothing respectable about having fun through illegal/getting drunk means. Perhaps they could play the whole “but I do it responsibly and it’s very possible for people to drink/smoke responsibly”, which is a perfectly viable argument but again, it’s sorta flawed. Take sex, for example. If a high school guy/girl has had a lot sex (but maturely with say a bf/gf) and told me he/she has had a lot of partners, it would technically be OK, but it would be unreasonable for that person to expect me to not think lower of the person. Being defensive about it only exacerbates the issue even more, and it gives off an immature aura of perhaps a rebel/overconfident person. And it doesn’t help that sex is legal and pot isn’t lol.</p>
<p>So I think that if you do it, don’t expect certain people to not think lower of you. And that’s a reason enough to abstain from it, especially in high school. In college, alcohol turns from an indulging/rebellious act to a social convention, so I feel it’s much more acceptable (though moderation and maturity are still key). </p>
<p>Still thinking about this though. <em>philosophical mode</em> lol :D</p>
<p>You should never assume something about a person by their actions. Just because you don’t drink doesn’t make you an amazing, focused person, because I’m pretty sure I’ve met horrible, unethical, and extremely unfocused people who don’t drink and don’t do drugs. It’s just like saying that, since I’m in the garage, I’m a car.</p>
<p>It doesn’t bother me if people do those things because they enjoy it. It bothers me when people do it impress people or make themselves seem like a total B.A. haha. Or if they do it because their friends do (yes, the exhausted peer pressure statement, but it bothers me nonetheless).</p>
<p>Also, I’m a junior in high school, in the top 5% of my class with a 4.0 unweighted, take 4APs, work two jobs, take care of my siblings in the evenings while my mom woks (after a long day at school/work myself), I have three officer positions in clubs, I’ve spent my summers in science programs and internships, and I play three instruments. I got a 2190 on my first SAT with minimal studying (as in one day of cramming). I care for my friends, my family, and my future more than most people I know and I have more responsibility than people twice my age. </p>
<p>That said, once in a while when the opportunity has arisen I have tried weed/had alcohol. I don’t think this says anything about me as a person. I’ve met many people who are spoiled rotten, unmotivated, unappreciative brats who don’t do these things. It’s not a defining characteristic in a person’s character. I think it’s a personal choice and I don’t know why people waste their mental energy judging others. Worry about yourself. </p>
<p>Also I don’t think this really related to coccaine/murder. Weed/alcohol son even compare to coccaine in effects, consequences, or even accessibility. And murder is hurting someone else. Weed/alcohol doesn’t hurt anyone but yourself.</p>
<p>CrazyPluto, why would you ever think lower of someone for having many sexual partners? If the person is not cheating and is not hurting anyone, there is absolutely nothing being done wrong. Sex is one of our primal instincts, and for you to think lowly of someone for partaking in it says a lot about YOUR character, if you ask me.</p>
<p>If it’s for religious reasons, that’s fine, but understand that not everyone is religious and that a holier-than-thou attitude is never attractive. You sound quite conceited and prudish when you immediately dismiss someone as “inferior” just for doing something you don’t do. If no one is being hurt, then it is, quite frankly, none of your business.</p>
<p>Also, someone being addicted to cocaine does not make them a bad person in any way. The fact is, many bad people are addicted to cocaine, but that is because hard drugs attract bad people. This relationship is not exclusive. </p>
<p>I do not do coke, nor do I advocate doing it in any way. I just want to let you know that the transitive property (or law of syllogism, idk it’s been a while since geometry lol) does not apply here. Many people who do coke are bad. That doesn’t mean that doing coke automatically means you are bad. </p>
<p>Murder is completely different. If you are harming someone else, you are bad. Period. If you are harming yourself, you need help. Period. </p>
<p>I just wanted to set it straight that committing murder is not the same as doing cocaine/heroin/meth.</p>
<p>I’d just like to clarify that my earlier post was not suggesting that there was a defined relationship between drug use and high grades. I was simply giving my experience to inform some of the people on this thread that believe in all cases drug use has led to immediate problems.</p>
<p>Why is it such a big issue to want to have a vice and relax sometimes??? Not all people who drink and smoke are idiots and not all people who don’t are intelligent. You can’t judge everyone who drinks or smokes by the stoner kids. Can drugs be bad? Sure. Are they always? Nope. Everyone relaxes in their own way, and if you want to sit on your ass in front of the TV or eat an entire carton of ice cream, nobody’s going to judge you for that, although both of those things are unhealthy for you. You can’t fairly knock it until you’ve tried it, imho. And to all the kids who say they will only drink wine…you have no idea how amazing hard liquor is.</p>
<p>I don’t think the people that don’t do drugs “sit on their asses all day and eat ice cream”. Just because you don’t do drugs doesn’t mean you’re not social…</p>
<p>Also, you can’t argue that watching TV is more unhealthy than doing drugs, even though I don’t really watch much myself. That just isn’t a comparison at all. I don’t care what other people do, but when you try to play it the other way, saying that people who don’t do drugs are being unhealthy and unsocial, it kind of annoys me.</p>
<p>Maybe that’s not what you were implying, but either way I see people who do it a lot. Like people who are heavy drug users try to convince me that they are being really healthy and that it would be a good addition to my lifestyle or whatever. And they try to tell me that after they get high on weekends it helps them get super focused for school. That’s cool if it’s your way of relaxing and stuff, but I find it a bit irritating when people on drugs try to make the case that they are making healthier choices than I am.</p>
<p>You completely missed the point. amandaaaaa was saying that everyone has their own way of relaxing, whether it’s weed, eating a tub of ice cream, watching tv, and so on. Nowhere did she make a statement that all non drug users are non-social, you made that up. </p>
<p>Furthermore, I could argue that eating a tub of ice cream in front of the tv as more health risks than smoking. Have you ever heard of a vaporizer? It eliminates all the negative affects of weed because it literally vaporizes the weed - there is no smoke. You are only inhaling the stuff that gets you high. I’m pretty sure eating a fat tub of ice cream is worse than that, yet people wouldn’t ridicule you half as much if you tell them you eat a tub of ice cream to relax.</p>
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<p>No one here is trying to convince you that it’s healthy, or to start smoking. You are making generalizations based on the small sample size of stoners from your school. I don’t think being high correlates to doing better in school, but I don’t think that using weed responsibly correlates to doing worse in school either. You sound quite elitest in this paragraph. You are not better than the student who casually uses drugs/drinks a few times a month on the weekends. You are not necessarily making healthier decisions than him either. To put things in perspective, I’ve never smoked before and I wrote this lengthy response simply to respond to your elitest statement above.</p>
<p>I was in no way trying to be elitist in any way. I’m sorry it came across that way. I don’t look down upon people who do that, that’s why I hate when people who do that stuff look down upon me. I will admit to trying things, so don’t think that I don’t even understand. And that is exactly what I was trying to say, that maybe that wasn’t what she meant, it reminded me of other circumstances. Though I do think it is a healthy choice to not do drugs, and I mean that in the least elitist way possible. And I don’t condone things like sitting in front of the TV eating ice cream, I was pointing out the generalization she made. But I see now that that’s not what she meant.
I think if you met me, elitist would be the last thing you would think of me. I try really hard to not judge people in anyway, and that is exactly why I hate being judged myself. I just thought amandaaa was saying that all people who don’t do drugs partake in consuming huge masses of ice cream, hah. I obviously didn’t read it correctly. And yes I completely agree, watching TV and eating ice cream is NOT a healthy choice, and I don’t try to convince people that do drugs to stop. Because it’s what ever they want to do. And if they enjoy it, I’m glad they’ve found a way to relax. I have friends that do all sorts of drugs on the weekends, and I have friends that have never tried anything. I don’t treat them any differently because of their choices.</p>
<p>So please try to understand where I’m coming from, before you label me elitist. I didn’t label amandaaa as being irresponsible (like some actual elitist people do) because I know it is probably not true. Being elitist would be flat out saying I’m better than you because I don’t do drugs, and you are irresponsible and reckless because you do. That just isn’t my thought process at all. And I don’t think there is a certain type of person that does drugs. It is just a choice and it doesn’t define who you are. I’m sorry to both of you if you thought I was judging in that way.</p>
<p>Yeah, helloel, I think you missed my point. I wasn’t making a generalization about people who aren’t involved in that stuff, I was just trying to give an example of vices people have that aren’t necessarily the healthiest that we don’t condemn them for. I think people should make their own choices and be judged individually, and I know smokers who are super intelligent and smokers who are complete idiots. I don’t think it’s the best idea to go home and roll a joint every night after school, and I don’t, I have too many ECs but I don’t think we should judge people who do that every once in a while. I hate the big bad wolf crap that comes with drugs…people that you would never think do stuff, do.
I don’t think you were trying to be elitist, I think you actually misunderstood my point, so there’s some clarification. All things in moderation, my friends :)</p>
<p>Okay good, I completely understand. I’m glad you didn’t think I was being elitist! Because I was wasn’t trying to prove anything, I just thought you meant something other than you did.</p>
<p>I think the drinking age should be lowered to 18. It would take most of the notoriety out of underage drinking, and maybe we wouldn’t have so much of a problem. </p>
<p>But if weed was legalized, I feel like more people would abuse the right to get high. However…it seems like California’s doing alright… :)</p>
<p>I know plenty of smart people who drink and smoke pot. I have no idea why they do it, but they probably have their reasons.</p>
but I don’t think we should judge people who do that every once in a while. I hate the big bad wolf crap that comes with drugs…people that you would never think do stuff, do.