A recent paper out of the Institute of Grievance Studies indicates that delaying the consequences for poor decision making can yield favorable outcomes for some adults.
According to Professor Leih Der Hosen, The Institute’s Director of Applied Research for the Justification of Enhanced Taxation to Support the Unproductive, enabling certain behaviors can lead to favorable outcomes, particularly when coupled with a sympathetic community setting.
Dr. Der Hosen went on to say at somewhat breakneck speed and with considerable vocal fry, “The idea for this research first came to me while I was pursuing independent study in performance didgeridoo at Evergreen State College. Although my performances really entertained no one to speak of, it is the didgeridoo after all, I did get tremendous support from my community and so I kept pursuing it all the way through to a masters degree. It was on my 7th or maybe 8th consecutive day of psychedelic experimentation when it occurred to me that the only reason I was able to continuously trip for 7 or 8 days was because no one was forcing me to come to grips with the futility of my performance didgeridoo career. It was in this moment of circular logic that I realized that my friends and family, enabling an obviously unproductive collegiate pursuit, might not be totally without merit, as it was in fact this futility that was allowing me to experiment with drugs in ways that most people never have the opportunity to do, which was what lead to this unbelievable insight about consequences from bad decisions not being entirely bad. Of course, I do suppose it goes without saying that none of that would have been possible without the assistance of the trust funds that come from being the great granddaughter of an extremely wealthy industrialist. Does that make sense?”
Dr. Der Hosen’s research focuses primarily on subjects like herself, with an economic safety net, however, she does extrapolate that research out to other communities. Dr. Der Hosen indicates that, “particularly among hard drug users, delaying consequences from bad decisions is desirable. You really don’t want to complicate the challenges of a 4 day drug or alcohol binge with job loss, or worse, prison. That serves no one.”
Although the paper has not been published in a peer reviewed journal, it has been well received by some Academics. Dr. Carl Marks, a post-doc in Grievance Studies at UC Berkeley, indicated “the research really supports our understanding that permanently disassociating outcome from action can in fact lead to tremendous upside for many.” He went on to say, “Just look here in Berkeley, we are coddling large population of terrible decision makers. It is apparent to any compassionate person that enabling hard drug addiction, and creating a culture where petty theft, violent assault and even rape and murder can thrive is the best thing we can do for them, and our community at large.”
Rash Anoladult, a local resident that has been sober for 15 years disagrees. “One of the core tenets of any 12 step program is you can’t help someone that doesn’t want to help themselves. The best thing that ever happened to me was ending up in prison after being arrested for armed robbery at the end of a 3 day meth binge. That jail term was my rock bottom and forced me to turn things around.” Rash, as he is known in the neighborhood, concluded by saying, “F#@K yeah! Consequences – Without them – Lord Help Us! ”