43 replies to this topic

[kylyssa]

In discussing what Nootropics were safe for me to use with my physician she raised a very interesting question.

"Why do you feel the need to be smarter?"

Please note, I'm not judging you especially as I have the same desire for mental improvement and my actions to attain it are not limited to Nootropics use.

Personally, I have internal paradox. I have always been ashamed of my IQ. Perversely I wish to increase the very difference I feel ashamed of because I feel it represents who I am. I know I'm f-ed up but I have no problem being open about that. You know, I can barely use the term IQ?

How about you guys? What motivates you to use Nootropics?

[mitkat]

I could get all psuedo-philosphical on you and say it's the human condition to perfect ourselves, blah blah...but there's too much in my life I want to get done! Too much work to do, and if nootropics will give me some kind of edge, some sort of look into a greater state of functioning, I'll take it.

I personally have fallen out of favour with "nootropics", as I see them - that being racetam's, etc. I am much more focused on nutraceuticals now, and I see so much more value and safety in those (for the time being). It's funny, in joining Imminst to essentially learn about nootropics and to peek into cognitive sciences, it has helped focused my own academic and career path somewhat away from what it was before That's me getting smarter, by my own merit. *awards self gold star*

[Centurion]

Other than my physical condition, my creativity and humour are the primary sources of my ego. I don't feel the need to improve them, but I would like to look after these faculties so I need not lose them with age.

Kylyssa whether or not its justified that you're ashamed of your IQ, I wouldn't change a thing about you. You're lovely, I think you're great.

[Shepard]

I don't take nootropics because you can't improve on perfection.

[Centurion]

If shepard were on celebrity love island they'd all wind up pregnant including the camera man

[Centurion]

Shepard can slam a revolving door

[zoolander]

I personally have fallen out of favour with "nootropics", as I see them - that being racetam's, etc. I am much more focused on nutraceuticals now, and I see so much more value and safety in those (for the time being).

I agree. I removed most of the racetams from my regime a while back.

[kylyssa]

Other than my physical condition, my creativity and humour are the primary sources of my ego. I don't feel the need to improve them, but I would like to look after these faculties so I need not lose them with age.

Kylyssa whether or not its justified that you're ashamed of your IQ, I wouldn't change a thing about you. You're lovely, I think you're great.

That's very sweet of you to say.


Ashamed might not be the right word. I realize I'm still dealing with my freakshow childhood where my high IQ (there, I said it though my brain screams, "Abnormal!" instead of "high") was both valued and condemned with equal intensity. I got lots of praise and emotional stroking from certain adults for displaying my talents in "freakshow" activities like math bees, toddler chess, etc. On the flip side I got lots of ridicule from other children and from certain adults for participating in the exact same activities. On one side I yearned to be better at these showcases of strangeness but on the other I feared the cries of, "You think you're soooooooo smart!"

[Shepard]

Shepard can slam a revolving door

me > Chuck Norris, Jack Bauer, and Vin Diesel

[fast turtle]

I just want to feel less bored and more motivated, because it feels good, and who doesn't want to feel good? But perhaps I am insecure and being bored is in fact an ideal state of mind.

Immortality itself is another kind of absurdity; I really don't know what I'd do if I lived forever. Probably build a toothpick mansion and then burn it down and rebuild it.

[Centurion]

I'd have lots of sex, travel the world, try every type of food in existance, ditto for drink, read loads of books, music. I would have a hell of a time for a very long time.

[fast turtle]

^^ That all sounds pretty boring to me. Maybe excessive neuronal tweaking has spoiled me.

[kylyssa]

^You poor, poor dear.

[Centurion]

One thing that will always continue to keep me enthralled is interaction with interesting people. Just think if everyone lives forever how much more you can enjoy the company of other people, exploring their viewpoints, sharing their passions and debating all sorts of issues. You can build a house and burn it down on your own, but think of the infinite possibilities of endless interaction with other immortals who are constantly developing, improving and challenging themselves.

[fast turtle]

Well, I'm not depressed or anything, I'm pretty happy being alive, but I don't feel the need to keep experiencing through these eyes and this brain eternally. I do love deep conversations on into the evening with new people, a nice dinner or glass of wine, and a good romp in the bedroom. Most of all, though, I love a good discovery. The problem (or lack thereof) for me is in the concept itself of infinite and an infinitely respawning and prespawning universe in which every infinite possibility will and has occurred, so in this context I have done everything I have ever wanted to do in sometime or another. I feel excitement as well as the next human, but I try and keep that thought in mind in whatever I'm doing. I also don't consider myself entirely an individual but rather also a piece of the life puzzle which exists on this planet, and my concern is moreso for the extension of our species and our empathy towards one another in our individualistic paths. It's all well and fine that I might live another thousand years, but I'd be happier if thousands of malnourished and diseased people were to live another 10 years.

PS: Don't take life too seriously.
PPS (EDIT): I guess the point is, wouldn't be boring if you were alive forever and had the memory of doing everything?

Edited by fast turtle, 14 November 2006 - 03:04 AM.

[jdog]

In discussing what Nootropics were safe for me to use with my physician she raised a very interesting question.

"Why do you feel the need to be smarter?"

Please note, I'm not judging you especially as I have the same desire for mental improvement and my actions to attain it are not limited to Nootropics use.

Personally, I have internal paradox.  I have always been ashamed of my IQ.  Perversely I wish to increase the very difference I feel ashamed of because I feel it represents who I am.  I know I'm f-ed up but I have no problem being open about that.  You know, I can barely use the term IQ? 

How about you guys?  What motivates you to use Nootropics?

I can't understand why someone would question one's desire to be more intelligent...

All of man's greatest acheivements throughout history have hinged primarily on intelligent men. Intelligence to me, is prelude to an increase of available options, and options, are one of the things that gives life its spice.

[mitkat]

All of man's greatest acheivements throughout history have hinged primarily on intelligent men.

I wonder what Kylyssa'll think about this one...

[cmorera]

In discussing what Nootropics were safe for me to use with my physician she raised a very interesting question.

"Why do you feel the need to be smarter?"

Please note, I'm not judging you especially as I have the same desire for mental improvement and my actions to attain it are not limited to Nootropics use.

Personally, I have internal paradox.  I have always been ashamed of my IQ.  Perversely I wish to increase the very difference I feel ashamed of because I feel it represents who I am.  I know I'm f-ed up but I have no problem being open about that.  You know, I can barely use the term IQ? 

How about you guys?  What motivates you to use Nootropics?

because i used to abuse massive drugs and alcohol, and caus a significant amount of damage, so im just try to be normal again.


if i was normal to begin with, i guess the correct motivatino would be to better humanity and others around you with your increased knowledge.

[cmorera]

I don't take nootropics because you can't improve on perfection.

[jdog]

All of man's greatest acheivements throughout history have hinged primarily on intelligent men.

I wonder what Kylyssa'll think about this one...

Yeowch. [lol] Me thinks them troublesome forum fairies made a typo in me sentence. I MENT men and women. [wis]

[mitkat]

LOL, I know, I just couldn't resist

[kylyssa]

All of man's greatest acheivements throughout history have hinged primarily on intelligent men.

I wonder what Kylyssa'll think about this one...

Doesn't bother me a bit. I am a man - a female man. I don't go in for all the feminazi hysterics over semantics.

[xanadu]

I agree that health comes first and mental performance, while important, comes second. You don't want to be like the cartoon figure of a swollen head on pipestem body that can barely move around. This is true mainly because overall physical health is important not only to long life but also to a sense of well being and the ability to enjoy life. No amount of mental pleasures can make up for constant pain or other miseries. However, the thing that separates man from beast is mainly his thinking ability. It's what makes us most human as well as allowing us to control our environment.

Piracetam is the one thing I take that there is no doubt about the fact it's doing something. Well, that and salvia divinorum but thats something else altogether. Pir along with some choline makes a big difference to me. Teenagers and early 20's seem to notice little to no effect in many cases. I also take bacopa, fish oil and other things that may have an impact on brain health. Naturally I take vitamins, minerals, spices and other supplements for health. Diet being important for body and brain health means I avoid refined sugar and flour along with known toxins like aspartame etc.

The common herd will often attack those who seem different. They will attack superior traits as well as those which are inferior like physical differences and so on. This is seen most often in children because kids are more primitive than adults. This sort of treatment can leave scars that stay with the person for life. Even today it's still fashionable to taunt kids for being nerds if they like math or science. Many of us here were probably targets of such taunting at one time or another. In a few hundred years or longer, they may look back on this period as being just slightly more enlightened than the salem witch trials.

[mitkat]

Doesn't bother me a bit. I am a man - a female man. I don't go in for all the feminazi hysterics over semantics.

Nor did I think it would bother you, just rabble-rousing. And it's not a matter of mere semantics at all - I failed an ethics paper for using the phrase "in all of man's history..." Thankfully, I got a chance to edit and re-submit.

[zoolander]

I guess we have all heard the references between the brain and computers with the information in the brain being the software and the brain regions the hardware. Then for me the use of nootropics is a little like overclocking your processing chip. It's going to speed things up but there is always the risk of doing some damage.

For example, overclocking your dopamine systems with agonists and enzyme inhibitors......risk=psychosis

Cavet Emptor!

I like the way your practitioner thinks kylyssa. She is looking at pyschosomatic influences. Your own sense of self worth. I don't think she is questioning the use as much as she is questioning your reason for using. I too share the same feeling of being intellectually inept. I'm scared to take an IQ test. I don't think it would a good representation of intelligence for me. When I graduated from high school I recieved a complimentary pass because they needed to bump up the number of students who passed that year. I was a real rebel and one of those students where the teachers always said "If he payed attention more in class he would do really well". I wasn't interested. Then I sat an entrance exam to get into university and score 11% out of 100%.

So with the comp. pass for high school and the 11% score on the entrance exam I labelled myself stupid. I was only stupid because I hadn''t found my passion yet. You know what happens when you find your passion?? Well I paid to get into university and in doing so bypassed the entrance exam. Money talks baby! I only paid for the first year though. In my first year I scored the highest mark (>95%) on every exam that I sat. Why? I'm sure alot here know this but when you find something that you are passionate about you excel. The smartness comes in the search. The search for the things you enjoy in life. That's why I could study the long hours and get the marks. Damn! I studied 8 hours everyday (10 on weekends) and this was outside of class time. I loved it! I really enjoyed the looks on the arrogant private schoolies faces when they looked at the marks each semester to see me, the rebellous suburbanite punk rocker winking at them with a grin. It was a more of an up yours to the system that drives you to earn credentials in the so-called "elite white collar" jobs that we may not even enjoy doing rather than a F*** you to them. Find what you love and fill you life with it I say! That's why my life is all of the place. Punk Rocker with a PhD, Buddhist, vegetarian, Karaoke addict. You don't need to be smart to enjoy life.

I'll get off my soap box....

So, if taking nootropics can open up a more enjoyable life for you kylyssa then go for it. Your here. It's a great place.

Edited by zoolander, 16 November 2006 - 11:48 PM.

[cellfighter]

For example, overclocking your dopamine systems with agonists and enzyme inhibitors......risk=psychosis

Nootropic Advisor can you cite references for your statement? I've taken deprenyl on and off for depression through my doctor and I found it very helpful for motivation. I would hate to stop taking it because you believe it could cause brain damage.

[Shepard]

Nootropic Advisor

As far as I know, there is no Advisor for the nootropic section.

[cellfighter]

Sorry i thought Zoolander was an advisor.

[kylyssa]

Nootropic Advisor can you cite references for your statement? I've taken deprenyl on and off for depression through my doctor and I found it very helpful for motivation. I would hate to stop taking it because you believe it could cause brain damage.

His concern is psychosis. If your doctor has prescribed it for depression and you are under a doctor's care I wouldn't base a decision to quit deprenyl on one discussion board comment. I didn't and I got a much stronger version of the comment, I'll have you know. It's been working very well on my "atypical depression" which is practically a miracle because shortly after beginning it I went through a number of life stress situations including the loss of a loved one. Of course I still became depressed but it was only natural depression. Not that I recommend losing someone you love but it's interesting to have a perspective on what biochemical depression feels like and what psychological depression feels like.

[kenj]

I would hate to stop taking it because you believe it could cause brain damage.

A great thing to consider, is to actually work on using ones own judgement, or if one is currently not able to do that, simply work closely w/(a) skilled professional(s) to A) train such judgement and B) discuss such important health-related issues, instead of ever relying blindly on free-of-charge internet advise... But don't we know that already?