Originally posted by: aswedc
You know what's funny? That you failed a semester of college.
Because of gaming? Hell no. Because of genetics? Wrong again. It was because of you. Because you lacked the self control and maturity to go to class and do the work.
Way to take responsibility.
Do alcoholics choose to become alcoholics? You bet. I chose what I got too. Life is what you make it, and I know it. I made bad decisions. I screwed up.
Now... in my opinion people generally won't screw up without being tempted. Rich people aren't as tempted to steal. Gay guys don't have to worry about looking at girls lustfully. Likewise, I believe certain people can get hooked on things more easily than others because of cravings of the understimulated frontal lobe. If you don't have that predilection, you won't have any difficulty saying no. You still have control if you're willing to fight it, but some have a harder time than others.
People are all tempted by different things. I can still remember realizing something very important watching other students play in the sandbox. (Yes, it was that long ago.) I wondered why they destroyed their sand castles at the end of recess. It made no sense to me. I wanted to keep mine and work on it over a period of several days. Later I learned the difference between greed and avarice. What I was experiencing was greed: the simple desire to have more. What they were experiencing was avarice: the desire to gain the illusion of wealth by depriving others of it. I've never understood avarice my whole life; it's never even entered my mind. I've never been tempted by it, and I never have to worry about getting caught up in it.
Let's take another example. I hate watching TV. As a result, I'll never be tempted to waste all my time watching it. Others like it and become couch potatoes as a result. People who hate the taste of alcohol are less likely to become alcoholics.
Addictions are more dangerous to people who really get a lot of stimulation out them.