@Skyknight #213946
I guess it depends on what kind of addiction we’re talking about. I’ve never been addicted to alcohol or drugs, but I seem to have some sort of addiction to seeking and imbibing information (and I’d guess that most of the people on this site are afflicted with the same bug). So even curiosity and knowledge can be an addiction, albeit one that is not necessarily insalubrious. While my “ailment” does cause me a lot of problems with prioritization and time management, I certainly do not mind having it, as my life would be greatly impoverished without it.
I can’t really speak to the connection between addiction and “bliss”, as you call it, but from what I can tell, pathological addictions, particularly to drugs or alcohol, are often far from being blissful, and can be downright miserable. Actual moments of blinding bliss, whether from a religious experience or meth, are elusive and ephemeral, and therefore not much of an impediment to curiosity and knowledge - but the single-minded pursuit of such experiences certainly can be, especially when one has reached the stage of diminishing returns.
Unfortunately, unlike alcohol or drug addiction, wealth addiction entails zero physical ramifications, and therefore, zero “intrinsic” incentives to quit, and is hence infinitely easier to sustain. On top of that, wealth has the perks of, among other things, admiration and envy from others, a much easier time with the criminal justice system, as well as formidable political power. Unless you aren’t a total sociopath and have some capacity to feel a pang of guilt about the deleterious effects of wealth inequality for those who get the short end of the stick, what’s not to like?