Laborers in Somalia chew khat Soldiers crave their cigarettes. Office workers need their cup of coffee. You can, of course, say it’s just human nature to enjoy an altered state of consciousness. but when it becomes a habit like that, it’s really hard not to see it as a symptom of the slave mentality. The little window of freedom that you have in your otherwise unfree life.

Makes me think of billboards advertising cigarettes to taxi drivers. Trying to associate the break for a smoke with the feeling of freedom.

Or television commercials for coffee. Suggesting you can have a stressful day, but never run out of energy because you “enjoy the aroma“.

When I feel under pressure and have deadlines coming up, I definitely drink a lot more coffee. I do it because I feel like I cannot afford to take a nap. I pull that lever to make myself function. If my kids did that, I wouldn’t consider it healthy.

Not saying Pollan is right. But I wouldn’t call it a completely absurd point of view either.