h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

thank you for this entry. I myself am straight edge, and i've never really heard it explained so well.

as a struggling entry writer myself, i know how irritating it is to see your discussions forum empty, so i thought i'd say, "well done!"

Hey, thanks. I've decided to add 'sXe' to my name, now that I know a few people might recognise it.

The best thing you could do, if you think it's good enough, is to say what you think of the entry in the Peer Review forum. There's a thread for it on there somewhere...

*returns the favour*

I've never heard of this article's subject before, but I certainly found it very interesting and well-written. I think its thread has been pushed off the bottom of the page - what did the editors think of it?

Personally, I think the Straight Edge philosophy is a rather excellent idea. I might become sXe myself, except that a) I don't think I'd need it any more (at least regarding alcohol) because I'm almost grown-up - as the article mentions of ex-sXe people, b) I never really found peer pressure anywhere near strong enough to even think about taking drugs, and c) I like alcohol and thrive on coffee. (None of these comments are intended to knock the philosophy at all.)

Hey, thanks Pete. The forum is submerged at the bottom of the PeerReview page... I'm just biding my time waiting for someone to (hopefully) reccomend it.

That's the thing about sXe - it DOES seem to be a good idea, but I think, like with religion, people can take it too far and destroy what it set out to do.

I like alcohol, too - especially Cider. But I have decided that for now I'm not having it - not until I've finished Uni, I think, unless this binging obsession has eased. If you've got a moment, take a look at this Guardian article to see what I'm, I suppose, 'rebelling' against.

And don't worry about 'knocking' the philosophy. A lot of people do, and not without good reason. And if you did, I wouldn't mind, because we all have opinions and it doesn't mean that I think I'm neccessarily right.

I think that when it comes down to it, Straight Edge is really a label for something a lot of people are anyway.

for me, it's about rebellion. almost all of the other kids at my high school drink, and being straight edge sets me apart. then there's my desire to actually REMEMBER my nights, my dislike for parties... you get the idea.

high schoolers seem to think the point of drinking is to get totally drunk off their a**es, and i think it's stupid. as for drugs... i'll break the law when it comes to speed limits and driver's license restrictions, but i don't really intend to start taking illegal drugs. i'm a bit of a control freak, and it scares me to think that something little like that could make me lose control.

in short, i don't need those things to have a good time. being straight edge was a natural choice for me.

I live near Portsmouth, which (I once heard) has, or had, the highest concentration of pubs in any city in the UK. Certainly, it's rare to be able to go out in Portsmouth, especially Southsea, after dark without finding a couple of drunks shouting themselves hoarse. However, they're all in their early middle age, and most are either bald and fat or deathly skinny.

There's an Edited article called 'Teenage Issues', which mostly deals with peer pressure:

http://www.h2g2.com/A364646

It doesn't mention Straight Edge, but it deals with all the same sorts of issues that Straight Edge brings up.

I ask again: what did the community think of the sXe article?

Ah yes, I remember that Teenage Issues entry well. Here's what the community have been saying: http://www.h2g2.com/F48874?thread=92173 (not a lot).

Hiya, Sea, Pete and Big T. I enjoyed the entry a lot, and I appreciate the sXe philosophy. I think it will be really bad if it becomes a stereotypical, intolerant, faddish thing. As for me, I've also never heard of this movement before, but it describes me pretty well. I go a bit beyond it actually. I'm not a teen, and as a teen I wasn't straight edge - I drank. Now that I'm an adult I don't drink and I don't intend to do it ever again. I'll be 29 in a few months.

I dislike drinking alcohol very strongly. Not only because it dehumanizes people when it's done in excess, but also because it's an addiction, too many people do it, and mostly it's a meaningless ritual. Whenever there's a party or a social thing there's drinking. You don't see anybody without a can of beer or a glass of wine in their hands. It's so silly. It's as if they can't function without it. It's a ridiculous prop. And they are always so anxious to make me drink something. If I say I don't drink alcohol, they ask: "Coffee? Tea? Coke? Fruit Juice? Milk?" It's as if they believe if I'm not standing around with a glass in my hand, I'm not having fun! How preposterous! I can stand around with my hands in my pockets or behind my back, or sit with my hands on my knees, or anywhere else, and have fun. I can sit and think, and watch people and listen to what they say. That is fun. But it seems as if other people consider me a performing monkey. If don't eat or drink something, they get upset. The monkey isn't doing anything. Why isn't it doing anything? Quick, make it do something! Give it a glass! Yay - the monkey drinks! See the monkey drink! Oh, joy!

The same with smoking. It seems to me to be a ritual. When people sit or stand and relax they aren't satisfied with just doing that - they must do something else as well. So they smoke. A person sitting and smoking is doing something and therefore comforts other people. People can smoke if they don't want to do anything or don't want to talk to other people and still want to appear to be doing something. Or maybe they feel that their hands and their mouths need to be in constant activity or else they feel useless. The nicotine fix is merely an added bonus and a useful excuse.

At parties, people doing stereotypical things comfort the other people. "Sally's OK, she's stuffing her face with potato chips. Jimmy's OK, he's drinking a beer. Lizzy's OK, she's making inane, meaningless small talk. Benny's OK, he's smoking." So we have all these rituals, and they help us to appear to be doing something worthwhile when we're actually doing nothing worthwhile. So we can have parties and festivities and social gatherings without really interacting, but while keeping up appearances.

And drugs? Is it a case of people leading miserable lives and seeking for some kind of escape from the misery? Wouldn't it be better if people did NOT lead miserable lives and had no need for a fix? Drugs turn people happy and complacent when in fact they should be upset and rebel against misery and meaninglessness. Drugs merely allow people to go on without fixing the underlying problems, as if nothing is wrong, but something IS wrong, and eventually it becomes impossible to deny it. Drug use is just another meaningless ritual that attempts to substitute for real life.

Even sex turns into a ritual. People meet, flirt, and soon enough they boink while listening to loud music because they have nothing to say to each other.

And we end up living empty and shallow lives and never making really intimate contact with each other's minds and souls, never discovering who and what we really are, what life is really about, and what we can really do with the precious few years that are given to us. We accept sham lives that are mere reflections of other sham lives.

I don't drink caffeine, alchohol or soft drinks. I drink nothing that I need to buy because water is all that humans need. Soft drinks are evil because people actually spend large portions of their incredibly precious lives working to develop and manufacture and advertise and distribute products that nobody needs. I eat only products the way they come from farms, because humans need no more than that. All the processing and the chemicals added to supermarket foods add nothing to its value, just a score of potential problems for consumers. I don't use drugs because I am happy with myself and my life the way it is. I try not to use medicine except in emergencies. The mind can be trained to cure most minor ills without outside assistance. As far as relationships are concerned, I don't want anything superficial. I am interested in people's minds, their inner qualities, in emotional and intellectual intimacy and really intense interaction. I reject all kinds of stereotypical mindless crowd behaviour. I reject casual sex. I reject behaviour that enable people to make believe they're doing something worthwhile when in fact they're only killing time. Humans are capable of stunning individuality, originality and creativity, and we have only this single short life in which to make the most of this capability. We must stop dehumanizing and trivializing ourselves and each other.

That is my philopophy, and it kind of fits in with the straight edge credo.

You know, you've summed up how I feel too. If sXe is a label, a stereotype will be formed - and it has. There are factions who are intolerant. It's been around longer than most fads last... though it's members often "lose the edge" because often it isn't neccessary any more.

On your page, you say "If I sound a bit preachy, it's because I care very deeply. I am also willing to listen, I am willing to change my views and be persuaded." - this is also like me. I tend to rant, but am not a bigot and _will listen_.

And I can see from your posting that you share many views with the sXe community at large - it wants to be rid of "crutches". All my friends used to go for piss-ups... if a party is mentioned, the first response is "who's bringing the booze?". I mean, is everyone too socially incapable to hold a conversation with someone in a sober state? I know that's not true, but it does seem that way sometimes.

I wouldn't say I'm quite as strict as you, I'm drinking a Lemsip (solluable paracetemal) right now, on account of feeling awful. . The point is Straight Edge is what you make it. As Ian Mackaye sung in a re-vamped version of the Minor Threat song 'Out Of Step', - "This is no set of rules. I'm not telling you what to say or do. All I'm saying is, I want to be free of three things, whether they be..." etc.

Anyway, that's enough from me.

I'm really bowled over by the positive response to this entry and its content. Thanks everyone! Oooh...

*sea nudges mr t*

[sea] that's three of us... *wink wink* hahaha. just kidding...

I've just applied to be a Sub-Ed. If this article gets approved, and I'm accepted, could I edit it? Please? But if you find another Sub-Ed who knows more about Straight Edge, take him instead... I can't vouch for the accuracy of *any* of the info in the article.

I also hate punk music, but that doesn't seem to be a problem around here

And well done to whoever it was who advertised the article in their nickname. I would never have read it otherwise.

[sea] that would be mr T. yaaaay!!!!

*mutters: i wanna be a sub-ed....*

MAybe you people should stop doing things that you think elevate you from a base of society, and in so doing, become superior to the rest of the people on earth. Try helping people instead of drawing things on your hands.

MAybe you people should stop doing things that you think elevate you from a base of society, and in so doing, become superior to the rest of the people on earth. You don't. You're way isn't the best way. It's just A way. There is no best way. Try helping people instead of drawing things on your hands.

Ah, yes, this is something we need to mention in the FAQ. [The 'do you think you're better than everyone else' thing]

I know it sometimes SOUNDS like we think we're better than other people, but trust me, we don't (or at least I don't, anyway). I never said our way was the best one, you're right, it's _A_ way but it's the way I think is best for me.

I certainly don't go around drawing X's on my hands. And sXe is SUPPOSED to be helping people - a distinctive aspect of the early hardcore punk groups was that they play POSITIVE music which is yearning to change society for the better.

The reason we don't go around "helping" people is most of the time they just don't want to be helped. Who are we to put our lifestyle choices on other people. I certainly don't think I'm better than *anyone* else, quite the opposite.

I think a support group for people who don't want to drink, smoke, use drugs and sleep around wildly would be a case of helping people. I mean it can save lives. Ask yourself this: does my sister think she's better than other people because she's a doctor and would reccommend to them for instance that it would be bad for them if they smoke or drink heavily? Come on.

ah, dear clarke...

i don't THINK i'm better than anyone, i KNOW i am. haha. joke. i was KIDDING. never mind.

we're not better than anyone. we simply choose not to do things that some people choose to do. we're not looking down on everyone by not partaking in alcohol/sex/drugs, we're improving our self-images by being PROUD of ourselves. some people find self-confidence naturally, but for me, it wasn't until i figured out what my morals were. when i decided that i wanted to live sXe, i finally realized that i was a good and worthwhile person. my life is good.

we're not trying to preach here, clarke. we're explaining our beliefs. and we're NOT looking down on anyone, either.

Ok. You all pass my test and gain my seal of approval. Good work.
That sounds sarcastic. I mean to say, you people don't seem anything like the straightedge people from my school. Those people are some scary folks.

So, you're saying we're not scary enough now, is that it?

You've got some nerve...