Does Pool appeal to addictive personalities?

[9BallPaul]

WARNING: Parents, keep your children off this thread. Mature content to follow:


Since reaching geezerhood last summer (OK, I'm 60), I've done lots of soul searching about the way I've conducted my life. Not all of it is a pretty picture, but essentially I feel I've lived a stand-up life and taken advantage of no one.

However, I've also realized I'm an addict.

I'm addicted to coffee -- it's the first thing I do in the morning.
I'm addicted to newspapers -- picking them off the porch comes next.
I'm addicted to tobacco -- I blame the Army for selling them so cheap in the PX and sending me to places where I was either terrified or bored out of my mind. Both made me want to smoke, and I've never shaken it, hard as I've tried.
I'm addicted to pool. Soon as I've had my coffee and smoke, I break my first rack of 9-ball in my basement game room. I'll rack at least 50 or 60 games before the day concludes. Slowly, I get better.
I'm addicted to marijuana, because the pipe comes out every day at sunup and stays with me all day long. I apologize to no one.
I was once addicted to cocaine, but I kicked that, thank god.
I could be addicted to pain pills -- mostly Vicodin -- if I could get my hands on them. Sometimes I get lucky.
I'm addicted to food, for obvious reasons.
I'm somewhat addicted to this forum, inasmuch as I logged on about 3,000 times while all the recent upgrades were happening.

And maybe above all, I'm addicted to women. Becky and I will do our 35th anniversary later this year, and without her, I surely would have ended up in the gutter.

So this is my Valentine's Day post. Please forgive me.

 

[chin0]

WARNING: Parents, keep your children off this thread. Mature content to follow:


Since reaching geezerhood last summer (OK, I'm 60), I've done lots of soul searching about the way I've conducted my life. Not all of it is a pretty picture, but essentially I feel I've lived a stand-up life and taken advantage of no one.

However, I've also realized I'm an addict.

I'm addicted to coffee -- it's the first thing I do in the morning.
I'm addicted to newspapers -- picking them off the porch comes next.
I'm addicted to tobacco -- I blame the Army for selling them so cheap in the PX and sending me to places where I was either terrified or bored out of my mind. Both made me want to smoke, and I've never shaken it, hard as I've tried.
I'm addicted to pool. Soon as I've had my coffee and smoke, I break my first rack of 9-ball in my basement game room. I'll rack at least 50 or 60 games before the day concludes. Slowly, I get better.
I'm addicted to marijuana, because the pipe comes out every day at sunup and stays with me all day long. I apologize to no one.
I was once addicted to cocaine, but I kicked that, thank god.
I could be addicted to pain pills -- mostly Vicodin -- if I could get my hands on them. Sometimes I get lucky.
I'm addicted to food, for obvious reasons.
I'm somewhat addicted to this forum, inasmuch as I logged on about 3,000 times while all the recent upgrades were happening.

And maybe above all, I'm addicted to women. Becky and I will do our 35th anniversary later this year, and without her, I surely would have ended up in the gutter.

So this is my Valentine's Day post. Please forgive me.

I partially agree that pool seems appeal to addictive personalities, but only to those who love to strive better and it is really to those who finds an interest in the game.

Paul, from what you are currently addicted to and what you have shaken off for the good, you seem to have a great life, I am sure you enjoy man, because that sounds like one hell of a great day. :thumbup:


Happy shooting!

Chino

 

[Cameron Smith]

I don't thinks so. I do have an addictive personality, before pool it was the guitar. I had trouble of thinking about anything else.

I believe if you go on any forums about any activity you would find people much like ourselves.

If there is anything that makes pool particularily addictive is the ability to practice on your own. Very few games can be practiced as effectively without a partner. Golf, Bowling and Darts come to mind. In otherwords you do not need an enabler.

Essentially what got me started was when my friends lost interest in going to the pool room every Friday. It was at that point I decided I wanted to keep playing and started going in the afternoons before we went out Saturdays.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

Ha, a guy has to have a few vices or life ain't worth living, right.
If it isn't hurting your finances, relationship, family etc, then it isn't an addiction, just a fun obsession. And that comes directly from my wife, who is a psych nurse and an addiction counselor, who is also addicted to pool along with me.

 

[jgpool]

August 9th

WARNING: Parents, keep your children off this thread. Mature content to follow:


Since reaching geezerhood last summer (OK, I'm 60), I've done lots of soul searching about the way I've conducted my life. Not all of it is a pretty picture, but essentially I feel I've lived a stand-up life and taken advantage of no one.

However, I've also realized I'm an addict.

I'm addicted to coffee -- it's the first thing I do in the morning.
I'm addicted to newspapers -- picking them off the porch comes next.
I'm addicted to tobacco -- I blame the Army for selling them so cheap in the PX and sending me to places where I was either terrified or bored out of my mind. Both made me want to smoke, and I've never shaken it, hard as I've tried.
I'm addicted to pool. Soon as I've had my coffee and smoke, I break my first rack of 9-ball in my basement game room. I'll rack at least 50 or 60 games before the day concludes. Slowly, I get better.
I'm addicted to marijuana, because the pipe comes out every day at sunup and stays with me all day long. I apologize to no one.
I was once addicted to cocaine, but I kicked that, thank god.
I could be addicted to pain pills -- mostly Vicodin -- if I could get my hands on them. Sometimes I get lucky.
I'm addicted to food, for obvious reasons.
I'm somewhat addicted to this forum, inasmuch as I logged on about 3,000 times while all the recent upgrades were happening.

And maybe above all, I'm addicted to women. Becky and I will do our 35th anniversary later this year, and without her, I surely would have ended up in the gutter.
So this is my Valentine's Day post. Please forgive me.

We will celebrate our 35th on Aug 9th. Congrats to you. :grin:

 

[Gregg]

A bad addition is one that is detrimental to others around you at work, family, and Friends.

That said, you made it to 60, respectfully, so your addictions could not have been that bad, no?

Of course I would need more info. to do a full assessment, but why would I want to do that?

 

[JimS]

If it feels good I will, sooner or later, become addicted to it. Pool is just so dammed cool that I'm always intrigued by it. Always. I average 350 balls potted a day and do 650 some days. I'll never get tired of it and I'll never get really good at it. But every shot is different. Every shot is a whole new ball game. Every shot is a whole new challange. Yeah... it's addictive.

 

[SUPERSTAR]

I don't think that it appeals to addictive personalities.

I do think that in every bunch of people that form the next generation, you will have 1 maybe that becomes a junkie.

But i do not have an addictive personality.

But i do have an obsession with doing things well.
So i think that is what initially motivated me to learn how to play.

I'm not the type of person that enjoys doing things poorly.

Maybe the question should be if it caters to perfectionists.

 

[9BallPaul]

Good observation

Yes, I'm a perfectionist also. In pool, you're only rewarded for a perfect hit -- the ball falls or it doesn't. Even when posting, I'm compelled to edit misspellings and such.

So perfectionism seems to tie into it.