Is it time to Vice Versa?
Are your guilty pleasures getting a little too guilty?
Perhaps it’s time to take those Vices (booze, food and Netflix) and like Missy Elliot’s milkshake “Flip it and Reverse it.”
I love language.
I like to think I’ve played around with it a bunch too.
Especially when it comes to the word Vice.
I have a concept called Vice Optimisation — it sounds cool, but for the most part people need to think about it to grasp it.
Who would’ve thought..?
Or they need me to explain what I means.
In actual fact, back it up Benny!
I have to explain the term ‘vice’ sometimes.
And the reason being, that the definition for one person is different for another.
Interestingly all words are subjective, they mean different things to different people, because we are all experiencing our own reality.
Vice just tends to be further down the subjective scale, making it tougher for agreement between philosophers of the soul and pissed dickheads at the bar.
My definition (as of 01.05.2020 & subjective to change ;)
‘The fun stuff we do which can remain fun. But when the relationship with the fun turns sour, can really fuck us up.’
And of course you have Vice — the popular online publication.
I’ve learnt some of my favourite things about drugs, the environmental movement and human behaviour from them.
I’ve pitched a few stories and also had their regular writers pitch them for me.
Nil wins.
Maybe I’d be crowding their vice.
I’m always looking for ways to connect with people and for better ways to explain my brain…
And then just like that!
KAHPOWWWW.
In the middle of a conversation online, I was talking about drinking habits and I put in ‘Vice Versa’.
And you might say, ‘who gives a fuck Benny.’
And I’d say’ I do, fuck you.’
Because I can be sure that for most people this means something along the lines of ‘moving back and forth.’
For the word nerds like me, ‘Vice Versa’ is Latin and from the 17th century and means ‘in turned position’.
ReVERSe.
The work I do with 101 Tokens is just that.
It’s bloody Vice Versa I tell ya!
And it’s not your drinking amounts that need to be reversed- we’re not an abstinence movement — Fuck that noise.
But we do reverse relationships to vices.
For example, you wouldn’t be reaching out to me for a tune-up if the relationship was positive.
Nobody comes to me and says ‘Drinking is really serving me at the moment. Every time I drink life just gets better.’
Some of the more common stories are:
* Every time I drink I do something stupid
* I don’t drink much but when I do I pay for it the next day or week
* I’m drinking every night, not too much, but it’s starting to affect me.
So my work is literally Vice Versa.
It’s a reversal of the relationship.
Either to a completely new relationship.
Like dumping that ex who’s been terrible for you all along.
Or rekindling a once awesome relationship.
AKA Getting back to the honeymoon or honey-booze period.
Now let me caveat the abstinence mention.
Some of my clients, decide to give alcohol the flick completely.
To my surprise we’ve had four do that this year.
But most of them find some form of love again.
They Vice Versa.
So my question to you is:
Can you Vice Versa one of your Vices?
Was there a time when it served you?
Or do you need to create a new story?
Perhaps not.
But perhaps yes too.
It could be as simple as some additional fibre for a clean break or adding some spices to liven up the flavour.
BTW- I realise a poo and cooking analogy in the one paragraph could be disconcerting…
So in summary:
Reread the last three questions, because that’s where I finished this article.
I just wanted to add in the poo joke.
Benny
PS. I’ve you’ve like this article please give it 12 claps. If you’ve loved the fuck out of it max that bad boy out.
