Counterintuitive Spring 2023

Rehab is now synonymous with getting a fix. Typically, rehabilitation involves long, tedious meetings that are centered around breaking an individual’s dependence on a substance, that being either drug or alcohol. Vancouver, however, is taking an entirely different approach with the heroin addicts calling their city home. Instead of forcing the abusers to sit through informational lectures on the effects of their drug abuse, they are simply handing out set dosages of the drug itself. This is being done in an attempt to curb drug violence in the streets, following the idea that supplying the addicts with the dope will prevent them from being involved in drug-related crimes or other violent activities. The practice is fresh, and if given time to expand and adapt could result in a much more positive relationship between a city and its drugs.

Crack open a cold beer, sit on your cloud-like sofa, and direct your television to the most intriguing football game. Nothing is better than Sunday football and all the perks that tag along with it. As avid fans of our favorite team, we view the players as celebrities. However, what our society forgets to realize through all the hype and excitement of the three hour gridiron battle, is the strain the game of football puts on the bodies of the athletes we idolize. Specifically the trauma to the brain and the head. Recently, concussions have become a more magnified issue in the NFL, but a majority of football maniacs like myself, don’t fully comprehend the extent of a concussion and the long lasting ramifications that come with the concussion process. All we see is the player who felt a bit drowsy after the previous play, standing on the sideline with the team doctor. Suffering a concussion is a lot more serious than many average football crazed fans believe. It is a life long injury that will and has caught up to some of the gridiron greats.

Today 3,200 tigers roam free in the wild. Approximately 5,000 tigers are held in captivity at zoos around the world. These tigers are given a death sentence when they are brought to zoos for enjoyment and for “educational experience.” Just as humans who are held in solitary confinement express unusual mental behavior,many wild animals have begun to express abnormal behaviors while in captivity, ultimately harming their well being. Based on the dwindling numbers of wild animals, keeping animals in Zoos is an idea that has come and gone; keeping wild animals in captivity is unethical.

Many incorrectly believe the death penalty is the cheapest way to get rid of our worst criminals. It is actually cheaper to keep the prisoners locked away for life than to execute them. According to a former jurist from California named Donald McCartin, he says, “It’s 10 times more expensive to kill than to keep them alive.” Many states still use the death penalty because many of their politicians do not know the statistics behind the costs. Prison budgets are being cut in many states that still use the death penalty. We can eliminate these cuts by abolishing the death penalty, this would help to keep many jobs in the industry.

Daily multivitamins may be convenient but they are also deadly. Recent studies show that not only are multivitamins basically useless, they may even be harming us. Certain studies show increased risk of disease and cancer, resulting from taking multivitamins. Some people argue that you need vitamins in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and in order to receive the nutrients needed. Although convenient, taking multivitamins daily is a horrific substitute to eating healthy. Not only is it better for your wealth, which should be everyones main concern, but it can be a nuisance to your bank account as well. Multivitamins have been keeping pharmacies in business for years, and unrightfully so. Buying healthy foods in bulk is not only healthier but cheaper option. The clear option in this case.

The theory of money persuades the concept of what we believe to be happiness may be true or false, depending on the point of view. The rich believe that the material goods we have available to consumers are a necessity rather than the experiences we share with our loved ones, or those we “cannot live without”. Maybe, even the perception that we share either: material goods (“needs”), or experiences with our loved ones is the true reason for our euphoria, our friends and family. The people (cause) you share these privileges with are the definition to our “happiness” (effect).

Preschoolers are remarkable for knowing when to “flex their muscles”, as shown in the famous Marshmallow Study in the 1960’s where preschoolers had to decide whether to eat a marshmallow immediately, or wait fifteen minutes to get yet another marshmallow. In follow up studies, the four year olds who resisted eating the marshmallow were found to have increased SAT scores and lead healthier, more successful lives than their counterparts who lacked willpower. For years scientists believed that self control was a predetermined trait that remained stable throughout a lifetime, and that trait was evident as young as preschool age. However, a 2012 Rochester study found the reason children lack self control is not because of lack of a unitary trait needed to succeed, but because of lack of trust in the outcome of waiting.

Human beings are superheroes. We can fly, we have X-ray vision, we can climb buildings. We also have the power to change our minds about how we view the world. There is no need to get lost in the everyday routine of life. We are strong, intelligent, capable beings, and the power to live life to the fullest is right in our hands. We only have to accept that there are no limitations to what the world can offer us. If we open our eyes to what inspires us, the world is our playground.

For a mother, providing a comfortable and loving environment for a child will be the most important job she ever does. She will go to great lengths to feed and wash and nurture her child. Motherhood is overwhelming, but a new form of attachment parenting promises relief. Extreme breastfeeding, or breastfeeding a child past the average weaning age into their schooling years, is a troubling phenomenon. The mothers and children involved are blind to the negative repercussions that accompany this act. They are unaware that while attempting to strengthen bonds and nurture their child, they are actually delaying development and denying the child the right to their own personhood.