I would like to express my appreciation for a column by Zita Magloire, “Food, sex additions thrive in America,” in the Feb. 14 edition of The Reflector. Magloire makes some insightful and vital points concerning addictions to sensual pleasures-something that far too many people may be inclined to ignore.
The main thing I want to do is express my deep appreciation for such a fine and timely column; however, it might behoove any civilization inclined toward addictions to mere sensual pleasures to question whether it is on a road of such an obsession with pleasure that its survival lies in the balance.
Addictions to food and sex-two very basic animal drives-might be a warning signal that the obsessed individual or society has largely lost a respect for the more vital moral and spiritual values, overemphasizing animal drives.
Human individuals or societies do not thrive in the long term if they focus excessively on sensual gratification, rather than subscribing to values that emphasize the spiritual and moral dimensions of the human being. And the latter demands that we apply discipline to our lives, as opposed to traversing the path of least resistance, which inevitably leads toward demise and destruction.
Finally, I want to restate my admiration for a column (such as Magloire’s) that might help many among us to wake up just a bit to the fact that addictions-even addictions to food and sex-can largely destroy the vitality and viability of an individual or a society.
Joseph Shrock is a senior mathematics major. He can be reached at [email protected].