Note: This is an older text, but I find certain ideas quite valuable.
Rauschfeindlich – hostile to rausch – is the general state of a capitalistic society [1]. Though capitalism does allow rausch in general, but only certain kinds of rausch. This happens through a life-time of socialization and by organizing the society around you.
Here are some basic rules how to be rauschfeindlich:
1. Capitalism
First of all you should create a surrounding that only let certain kinds of rausch exists. If you starve when you don’t have money, you surely realize quite quickly that the Arbeitsrausch (rausch when working) will bring you a lot of food. If you get fired when you come late to work, you realize that the caffeine rausch will help you keep your job. If you only have a little bit time of relaxation during work time you realize that the nicotine rausch makes this time a bit better. Or the MDMA on the weekend to have at least one moment, when you do not think what will happen on Monday.
2. Passiveness appearing as activeness
In you free time you surround yourself with interactive-media that ties you to it. You watch a movie, afterwards you think you done something and didn’t realize that the movie required all your attention. Ever found yourself in a situation where you couldn’t find the attention for a book? But you can stay on the computer for hours, watching Netflix and YouTube all along? A Internetrausch (rausch of using the internet) keeps you active while doing nothing. And your smartphone needs attention all the time. You are in a state where you think you’re doing something, but actually are completely passive. This is good, because then you won’t change anything.
3. Consumable
But we can not eliminate all other rausch-evoking surroundings, as long as we have culture (a library, a concert, a football game, roller coaster park). We allow most of the ones you can consume. Because everything that you can consume will firstly give us money in return and secondly stops you from getting into a Arbeitsrausch when there is nobody who makes money out of it. Get your Adrenalinerausch (rausch when you body produces adrenaline) at the next extreme sport, but make sure you have the money for it.
4. Non-accessibility
Other ones we neglect and/or make them boring. We don’t need so many intellectuals who are interested in learning, so we don’t need to invoke a Wissensrausch (rausch of knowledge). Have you ever tried to find interesting books about science? No, because you don’t need to know that shit, only the people who actually get paid for it need to.
5. Rationality
We have a good system of suppressing rausch kinds, that we don’t value. Most of the times we call it ‘rational’. Have you ever thought about what it exactly means? For example, if you start something you should think beforehand if you have the time for it, if you can really finish it and if it will help you at your career. Otherwise it makes no sense to start it! Therefore we are denying the value of a process and only looking at its – hopefully profitable – output. No reason to get into a Kreativrausch (rausch of creativeness) to write a book that you never finish.
6. Impossibility by reasoning
Surely this is self-understandable [2]: If you can not do it, there is no reason in doing it.
7. Dealing with emotions
One of the best things of rationality is, that you unlearn how to listen to your emotions and how to deal with them. A lot of people – most of the time even unknowingly to them – develop this quirk where they harm themselves because they don’t know how to deal with a emotion. So we know for sure that a Wutrausch (rausch when angered) will not be canalized into a revolution. Let’s better drink a beer and forget about it.
8. Rauschlimit
And obviously we make sure that the society it self uses some particular rules to forbid some rausch. Don’t enjoy too much food in a Essensrausch (rausch of eating) or you will be judged. Don’t consume too much cannabis or you are a looser. Well anyway, if society thinks, something is wrong with your behavior, you are addicted. We make sure, that you think that something is wrong with YOU and not with society.
9. Time when acceptable
Some we only allow on certain conditions. Get into the Alkoholrausch (basically drunk) when ever you want, but not during working hours [3]. We have a lot of complex rules, morals and ethics for that. If you are drinking to early you are an addict. Smoking weed all day or drinking coffee at midnight? Certainly an addict. Kokain to finish your paper that is due to tomorrow? Certainly okay!
There we go, this are some basics rules that this society needs to follow to be rauschfeindlich. There is not much space you have in between these rules and never think of crossing them! It’s not rational!
[2] Tip: a good exercise is to always ask: Why do I understand something? Often you will come to the result that there is an underlying ideology you were exposed to.
[3] Did you noticed that you will get asked many questions when you drink before the accepted time, because it’s socially not accepted or marked as sign of worrisome state? Ever heard that drinking during work was okay and even desirable? How come? It must have something to do with our knew knowledge about drugs, right? RIGHT?