who nurses a bottle of gin in a paper bag at nine in the morning or who sneaks off at every opportunity

一個人在早上九點喝了一罐裝在袋中的杜松子酒，或是一找到機會就鬼鬼祟祟地溜出

to light up another cylinder of marijuana. However dramatic and tragic such cases of addiction might be,

再點燃另一支大麻菸抽的人。不管怎麼樣，像是這類撼動人心以及慟人的上癮行為

they are simultaneously hugely reassuring to most of us –

對我們大多數人而言，的確可以大大地安撫我們的心

because they locate the addict far from ordinary experience, somewhere off-stage,

因為這些癮頭是我們平常不會經歷到的、無法攤在檯面上的

in the land of semi-criminality and outright breakdown. Such examples are dangerously flattering,

一種半犯罪以及徹底的崩潰。這些例子邪惡般地令人著迷

categorising addiction in a sentimental way that lets most of us off the hook – and at the same time,

雖然對我們大部分而言，誠實地認清癮頭會使得我們得到解脫－不過同時

cuts us off from identification with, and therefore sympathy for, the most wretched victims of addiction.

會讓我們無法得到他人的認同感，因此同情那些深受癮頭控制的可憐人

There are, in truth, far more addicts than we think. Indeed, if we look at the matter squarely:

事實上，成癮人比我們想得還要更多。的確是如此，如果正視這樣的事情：

we are pretty much all addicts. The official statistics on the consumption of hard drugs or alcohol

我們也都算是成癮人。對這藥物成癮或是酒精飲用的官方統計數值

don’t begin to give a fair representation of the issue.

無法清楚地呈現問題發生的原因

We need to define addiction in a new way: addiction is the manic reliance on something, anything,

我們要從新定義癮頭：癮頭是對某物、任何事物的一種瘋狂依賴

in order to keep our dark or unsettling thoughts at bay. What properly indicates addiction

為了要遠離我們那些黑暗或是動搖不定的想法。準確地來說癮頭

is not what someone is addicted to, for we can get addicted to pretty much anything.

不是指某人沉迷於某物，因為我們對任何事物都會有所沉迷

It is the motives behind their reliance on it – and, in particular, their

癮頭就是一個依賴的動機－特別是，他們

desire to avoid encountering the contents of their own mind. Being inside our own minds is,

渴望能逃避面對他們自己內心的想法。深思我們自己的心靈

for most of us, and very understandably, a deeply anxiety-inducing prospect. We are

對我們大部分人而言，是非常能理解的，一種令人焦慮不堪的未來。我們

filled with thoughts we don’t want properly to entertain and feelings we are desperate not to feel.

有著各式各樣的想法，這些想法令我們不愉快，而我們也非常不想要有任何感受

There is an infinite amount we are angry and sad about that it would take an uncommon degree of courage to face up to.

我們有很多大發雷霆以及悲傷的可能性，而這些需要有無比的勇氣來面對

We experience a host of fantasies and desires that we have a huge incentive to disavow,

我們有很許多的幻想以及永遠不願承認的慾望

because of the extent to which they violate our self-image and our more normative commitments.

因為那樣的想法會破壞我們的形象以及基本的承諾

We shouldn’t pride ourselves because we aren’t injecting something into our veins.

我們不該對這樣的自己有所驕傲，因為我們並沒有為自己注入新的能量

Almost certainly, we are doing something with equal commitment.

絕對可以說是，我們也在做同樣的事

We are checking the news at four minute intervals, to keep the news from ourselves at bay.

我們會每四分鐘看一次新聞，讓我們自己能逃避現況

We’re doing sport, exhausting our bodies in the hope of not having to hear from our minds.

我們會做運動，使得自己筋疲力盡，藉此來忘卻我們自己內心的想法

We’re using work to get away from the true internal work we’re shirking.

我們會埋頭苦幹來逃避我們內心所害怕的事情

The most compelling addictions can sound very righteous to the world. To get a measure

最常見的癮頭不外乎會被人視為正常不過的。要來測量

of our levels of addiction, we need only consider when the last time might have been that we

我們癮頭的程度，我們只需要思考上一次

were able to sit alone in a room with our own thoughts, without distraction, free associating,

我們自己安靜地坐在房間與自己交談是什麼時候，沒有外在影響，就自己

daring to wander into the past and the future, allowing ourselves to feel pain, desire, regret and excitement.

勇敢地回顧以前以及預測未來，允許我們自己感受痛苦、慾望、後悔以及興奮

We may start to see how much we have in common with the traditional addict.

可能就可以發現自己與大眾的癮頭有什麼共通點

When we come face to face with them, we’re not meeting anything especially foreign, just

當我們與癮頭面對面時，我們不是見到一個異類，就只是

a part of ourselves in a less respectable form – opening up new opportunities for kindness, towards them, and us.

我們較不被尊重的一部分－準備打開新機會，善意地迎接他們的來到我們身邊

We could start to think, too, of how we might wean ourselves off our chosen addictive pursuit.

我們也可以這樣思考，就是有多少人可能會因追求癮頭進而拋棄了自我

We need to lose our fear of our minds. We need a collective

我們需要有勇氣。我們要有很多的

sense of safety around confronting loss, humiliation, sexual desire and sadness –

安全感，以便來面對失去、汙辱、性渴望以及悲傷的感覺－

knowing that we will have to keep running away so long as we do not rehabilitate our feelings.

我們要謹記著一直持續地前進，暫時忘卻我們的感受

On the other side of addiction is, in a sense, philosophy – philosophy understood as the patient,

另一方面，癮頭以哲學角度來說，將哲學比喻成一位患者

unfrightened, compassionate examination of the contents of our own minds.

堅強並且關切地檢視自己的心靈狀態

Thank you for watching, liking and subscribing. If you want more, why not visit us

謝謝你們的收看、喜愛、以及訂閱。如果你們想看更多相關的影片，為什麼不

in person and attend a class? Or take a look at our shop at the link on your screen now.

親自來參與我們的課程呢？或是來看看我們的商店，只要現在點銀幕上的連結就好了