One of the more interesting facets of human behavior is the disregard that some people have for their well-being. These self-destructive traits come in the form of abuse, either with drugs, alcohol, or gambling.
It goes without saying that people gamble because their rewards system is triggered by the thrill of the unpredictability. But are there any more deep-rooted reasons? In this article, we look into three of them as identified by psychologists.
Glitz and Glamour Brought on by Hollywood Depictions
Ever been enamored by the thought of being like Robert de Niro or Joe Pesci in Casino? Or be the living and breathing characters that bot Brad Pitt and George Clooney played in Ocean’s Eleven?
Just like the people’s fascination with the Italian mafia, gambling has been romanticized by Hollywood through its films, and because of this, and more people aim to be like these fictional figures in real life. Of course, any person, whether explicitly or otherwise, have aspirations of being part of the “high society†that big bank casino rollers are a part of, even though their bank account says otherwise.
In this case, it is important to have a clear cut distinction between fact and fiction, and funnily enough, most people (grown adults at that) seem to forget this from time to time.
Nature and Nurture
Many people are introduced to a form of gambling at a young age, whether it is through simple card games or determining who would win a game of rock, paper, scissors between two people. It starts off as a fun little pastime, until someone eventually decides to spice things up and involve some money into the equation.
Pretty soon, things would evolve into placing bets on races to playing a high stakes poker game at your local casino. While nothing is exactly wrong with these practices, it gets tricky when things begin to get out of control.
An Escape from Reality
While there are a good number of professional gamblers, most of the people that make up the gambling demographic have regular lives outside of it. It is when the monotony of their lives get to them that they resort to going on a poker binge, or placing enormous bets on whichever games they choose.
Gambling does provide a certain rush and excitement that will snap anybody out of a rut. But since it can also be addictive like drugs and alcohol, may tend to lose a grip on the reality of their situations, which often times lead to unfavorable outcomes.
As fully grown adults, what you do with your life would be completely your discretion. However, with activities such as gambling where people are prone to incur hard losses, it would be best to always exercise caution and discipline.