I will admit that I am addicted to intellectual pursuits.
And as they say, the first step is admitting you have a problem.
I love to learn new things. I also love to figure things out and come up with novel solutions to problems. Not to mention constructing things after I've done all the learning and the figuring.
And the reason is probably rooted in the actual physical sensations that I feel each time I reach a goal or a new plateau in my understanding of something. I am totally addicted. It may be the only thing I am actually addicted to.
I've done my share of other physical pursuits, from riding motorcycles to experimenting with certain substances; and I have my daily rituals which I prefer not to do without, like drinking coffee. But none of these things are addictive. I can do without them, and have for periods of time. Including quiting smoking, one of the most addictive habits you can have. And of the things I've stopped doing, it was never hard to do. I just simply decided to stop (smoking).
If I wanted to, if for some reason I had to, I could give up coffee. Or sugar. Or whatever. But I could never give up learning new things. I could never stop identifying problems and searching for the solution. I could never stop constructing things, whether they were physical machines or data models.
And you know why? Because of that physical feeling you get when you've accomplished something. If you've experienced it, then you know what I am talking about. That little twinge, in the back of your neck that travels down your spine and gives you butterflies in your stomach. That euphoric feeling, that epiphanic moment that just sends a delightful little chill down your body, that warm and fuzzy feeling.
Its the best drug there is. Its what keeps all the creative people going, I think. I know it does it for me.
