Anything that gets the adrenalin moving like a 440 volt blast in a copper bathtub is good for the reflexes and keeps the veins free of cholesterol... but too many adrenaline rushes in any given time span has the same effect on the nervous system as too many electro-shock treatments are said to have on the brain: after a while you start burning out the circuits. When a jackrabbit gets addicted to road-running, its only a matter of time before he gets smashed - and when a journalist turns into a politics junkie he will sooner or later start raving and babbling in print about things that only a person who has Been There can possibly understand.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- High-stress situations sharpen reflexes but chronic adrenaline exposure damages the nervous system, leading to mental burnout and irrational behavior.
- In plain terms
- Too much excitement or stress can eventually break your mind.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid constant high-intensity stress to prevent mental exhaustion.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How much stress is too much for you?
- When did you last feel burnt out?
Another view
Not all adrenaline rushes lead to long-term damage.
More from Hunter S. Thompson
A nervous blonde nymphet who thought that politics was some kind of game played by old people, like bridge.
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