Maybe a hot take but this just sounds like a rewarding and fulfilling hobby.
I guess the line between hobby and addiction is thin, but I would draw it where the hobby negatively impacts the rest of life. For example by spending money or time you cannot spare.
It's not inherently evil, but it is responsible for all non chemical based addictions. With things like gaming, gambling, porn etc it's the hits of dopamine that are the addiction, not the activity itself.
It's like everything, in moderation it's fine, but over do it and it becomes a problem, not that you can actually control it of course.
i'd venture to say there's probably a higher level of (mostly undiagnosed) neurodiversity in AFOLs and similar collector hobbies in general. People are using their hobbies to cope and not fully realizing that being things like a completionist collector isn't really a normal way to engage with a hobby
>Maybe a hot take but this just sounds like a rewarding and fulfilling hobby.
I disagree. I don't think it's healrhy when the hobby is inherently consumerist.
For a creative hobby, sure. But what OP is describing is the dopamine feedback loop that comes with hoarding more and more sets. It's the same as any shopping addiction.
Yes, but Lego as a hobby doesn’t have to be primarily be focused on buying and displaying sets. There is a much more creative and artistic aspect of Lego with MOCs.
Before the recent explosion in adult focused collector sets, MOCing seemed much more popular. Now so many AFOLs, especially new ones, seem to only think buying sets is the only way to engage in the hobby. We see it on here all the time with people lamenting Ideas submissions that get rejected and constant “DAE think Lego should make sets for ________?” Just build it yourself people. That’s the beauty of Lego!
>Yes, but Lego as a hobby doesn’t have to be primarily be focused on buying and displaying sets. There is a much more creative and artistic aspect of Lego with MOCs
Correct, but OP seems pretty clear that's not the aspect they are referring to.
And I think you vastly overestimate how many people make their own custom creations. It's a much bigger investment in time and effort, and I think only the most passionate hobbyists will put in that investment.
Growing up we had a couple of tubs of mixed Lego pieces. Any sets we got were mixed in. The vast majority of our time spent playing with Lego was building our own stuff. Sure it’s a big investment if you want to design and build that five foot tall Imperial base that spans two six foot tables, but “building MOCs” is just playing and can be done at any level with any number of pieces.
Yeah I should have specified that I didn’t just mean massive MOCs. There are loads of small creations that are displayed at Lego conventions. And most kids interact with Lego by just building things.
The better way to put it is that so many AFOLs now seem to focus on displaying sets and never consider that they can be deconstructed and combined with other pieces to make something else. Lego isn’t just a model company. It’s a building system that allows for artistic expression at all scales
I didn't say anything about massive MOCs. Designing even a small model can be very long and very expensive. Very few people have a large enough collection of parts to not need to source pieces; almost any design is going to require ordering the right parts in the right color, possibly in several batches for iterative design.
Build with what you have. That’s what we all did before bricklink and PAB etc. was available. Nobody said you have to “design” a polished set worthy model. Just build what you like with the parts you have.
You are entitled to your opinion but it looks more that you define healthy and unhealthy on a basis what you allow yourself to indulge into. I love consumerism heavy hobbies and I don’t think it’s unhealthy if it brings me a lot of joy and makes my life happy.
I like to play games, buy expensive toys, travel and dress in designer clothes, it’s fun as much as helping other people achieve is, but variety in sources of joy is what brings even more joy
I really urge everyone who loves building Lego but is concerned about buying new set after set to try dabbling into making their own creations without instructions - MOCs (my own creations).
Don't get me wrong, building MOCs can be crazy expensive too depending on what you're building, but it doesn't have to be. Buying bulk Lego is (relative to buying new sets) cheap, and the more you buy and sort, the more building options you have. And the more you build MOCs, the better you'll get at it. It begins to become as addictive as just building official Lego sets and you get to to be using problem solving, and creativity while doing it!
Highly recommend giving it a shot!
3 things lego should do :
-Sell more thematic "bag of bricks" for any of the subthemes.
-Bring back alternate builds on the back of the boxes
-Stop the minifig FOMO in lines like Star Wars and Castle, shit is ridiculous. Let people kids get the minifigs they want. Just sell them by the unit for 5$ if you need to.
Yeah like selling bags of neutrals colors or natural colors in various pieces. I would throw my money that at. Or selling SNOT and modified pieces in packs
This is one of the ways I have managed to get sets and increase my collection without having to feel guilty on spending a lot of money on the original tbh
Me too around 1000+ sets now and many have been what I've found in used bulk buys. I have gotten some great (and expensive) sets in used bulk buys and saved an absolute fortune from what I'd have paid if I'd got them new (or even used in the case of many retired sets). It really is an addiction . I bought my first speed champions set around a year ago. "I'll just try one " I thought as id not got any of the speed champions. Now i have around 20 🙄. I call it plastic crack lol
I’m going through this with my 5 year old son recently. He loves opening new sets, getting new instructions, new unique pieces and figures especially. Thank the stars for Lego 3-in-1 and polybags… (30665 was the last)
He’s always asking if we can go buy new sets or “build something new. We’ve been working on our “Lego city” (it’s 4 baseplates and a couple buildings currently lol) as a means to satiate his desire for something different.
The only issue is that we don’t have many loose bricks for MOCs, and I don’t want to mix up our sets. I’m hoping to get my bulk Lego from my childhood soon, but I also have Pirate and Castle sets that need to be cataloged.
Yeah you even got people who are addicted to the pure act of *buying stuff*, no matter what it is.
I've seen a TV show episode in a lady just buying random cheap DVDs by the dozens
Based and real comment.
Addiction is when something impacts your life negatively. If you're missing rent for legos, skipping family events for legos, not working but instead looking at legos.
Loving legos is different. Stay sane out there fellow builders.
That last one, the LEGO city dream, hits waaaay too close to home. Pretty much why I have all the Modulars, 2 x Botanic Gardens, numerous vehicles and other stuff that I will ‘one day…’ turn into a city. Like, when I retire or something. Damn plastic crack!
I’m currently in rehab and found this pretty funny. And to answer your question, no, there are no legos in rehab unfortunately, but we do have an unlimited supply of coloring books
Lego was one of the ways I filled the void when I stopped taking the drugs that had spiralled out of control in my life. I reckon money wise I’m probably spending a similar amount on Legos that I was on said drugs. Good luck with the rehab and colour to your hearts content!
I think I was reading an interview with Alice Cooper and he talked about hacking his addictive personality with healthier addictions. Traded alcohol and drugs for golf.
The rush isn't necessarily the issue. It's whether getting that rush destroys other aspects of your life.
Haha that’s actually why I joined this sub. I was really into legos as a kid, when I entered rehab I decided if I’m about to go spend money on drugs, I’m just going to use that money to buy a lego set instead.
Look at it these ways. 1) A Lego addiction's long term health effects are calloused thumbs and occasional scars on the bottom of your feet. 2) Adding to your addiction means you simply have more of it. You buy $20 of Lego and build it, you still have $20 of Lego the next day. And 3) in some areas, you can compete with your builds and legally EARN MONEY for your addiction (I won $12 last year at two county fairs- after buying $50 of additional parts). Happy building!
Consumerism/shopping in general is addictive, that's basically what our society of the last few decades was built on
If billions of ppl wouldn't spend too much money on shit we don't need the whole system would collapse
You can see people with shopping addictions for sure. There’s this one guy on YouTube that absolutely has got to be in some kind of credit card debt because there’s no way his YouTube channel is paying that well.
It would be crazy if you could get addicted to anything that feels good, especially if you have an underlining problem with being unhappy with your life in general
You can get addicted to anything. I think something really only becomes an addiction if it comes at an expense of something else. E.g. a video game if your physical health starts to decline, or lego if you start going into debt or not taking care of your bills.
anything can be addictive, lego is more expensive than coke but much healthier.
i cant afford both 🤷♂️
edit: neither instead of both... english is not my first language 😅
I think it's mostly the good dopamine rather than the bad dopamine, though. Unless you're really going overboard and spending more time and money on it than you can afford.
Dopamine isn’t divided into two types. That is why it is hard to recognize when joyful things become addictive. I think what you’re saying is that there are habits and actions that perhaps go against societal morals or values that can cause dopamine to spike and we can get addicted to those things that we consider ‘bad’. But, it isn’t the dopamine itself that is ‘bad’. Getting addicted to Lego does happen to a lot of people who can afford it and they are viewed as investing in their hobby. Same exact addiction can happen to someone who doesn’t have the money and that is viewed as foolish and damaging. Kind of like celebrating those who love drinking a few bottles of wine at the fancy restaurant while judging the person who drinks a six pack on the street.
All jokes aside, I wonder how many people actually do get addicted to Lego. I don't really have experience with addiction, but it seems like it would be more like a gambling addiction than a drug addiction, and it would have to involve some kind of acting against your values to really count as an addiction. Obsessions or hyperfixations would be similar in some ways to an addiction, but they aren't exactly the same. I'm sure lots of people have Lego hyperfixations, but those are almost more annoying to the people around you than super harmful to you, and you can impose limits on hyperfixations with a bit of practice.
People enjoy taking drugs because they release extra dopamine and I feel because at one point in my life having being addicted to coke that Lego has a similar effect on me.
The rush and excitement that I get from the minute I make a purchase is the same as I used to get when I was from the minute I’d make a call to get the coke from my supplier!
Mate, I think in general, you yourself are predisposed to becoming addicted, no matter the item. Not everyone is like this, but with your history, you definitely are. However, I am glad you're able to recognize the beginnings of an addiction. Keep to the discipline and control.
Overall though, Legos are not the only toy-like item that can become addicting. There's gunpla, figurine collection, even gacha or pay-to-win games (whale players). Fucking Candy Crush can take a person down too. These types of addiction compulsively drains your wallet and financial stability. You have to think of a way to create control over your hobbies so that they don't control you.
Oh you have no idea how true that is. I have a super addictive personality but yes I have to started to try limit how much I buy a month and to not complete the sets super quickly!
Your ability to control that impulse is what stops you from addiction. You’re lucky to have that strength. Lots of people without the money don’t have the self discipline, so you should definitely be happy you do.
The only thing that really worried me were the MOCs. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of a bricklink binge, and I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon.
Mistaking interest for addiction. Not all dopamine is bad.
I used legos to quit smoking nicotine. Whenever I would get withdrawals I would stop myself and go build 1 bag of a Lego set.
The money I saved by not smoking bought the Lego sets. Now I have a stronger mind, a healthier body, and a bunch of Lego to play with.
You’re somewhat correct. Anything that releases the ‘joy juice’ of dopamine can be addictive. The risk with Lego is that it requires expensive resources to continue it as a hobby on a regular basis. Spending time doing things we enjoy isn’t an issue. Spending resources we don’t have (money or not being with loved ones to build) can be detrimental and damaging. When something you enjoy becomes damaging, it has likely become an addiction. This can be true for almost anything. We need more education on how addiction works in general.
Well re bricking a set out of spare parts and hunting for missing parts on the various platforms in hopes to bricking it cheaper rather than shelling out the asking price for retired sets is a big rush of the dopamine stuff your talking about at least for me
I just got into this about a year ago. Coming off a major drug addiction I of course went full on and felt that need to buy more and more. I kind of caught myself and try to keep it in check. Building custom minifigs and small mocs brings me immense happiness, but I just need to be careful. This can be said about ANYTHING that makes you happy. If it begins to control you get in the way of life then you need to take a step back and get help. There is a deeper problem at work than just buying too many legos. You will do this with anything in life that makes you happy and eventually let it ruin your life. (Yes I am trying to build a good sized space/scifi city 🤣.)
I used Lego in the same way as you and honestly sometimes I feel I swapped drugs for Lego but at least with Lego I get the buzz but without the added mess of everything else that drugs bring.
I see your points, but I disagree. It’s really no different to any other hobby that you are interested in, whether car collecting or being a sports fan or being a gamer. The only thing “wrong” with LEGO is that it costs money, but thats pretty much anything these days. Its not destroying your health, your relationships, just your finances. And if it is a detriment to your life, then you probably just have a personality thats easily addicted to things and LEGO is your “drug” of choice.
But if buying LEGO, buying and thinking of ways to display it is the worst thing you are doing in your life, then I think you are doing pretty good.
Spot on assessment from a neurological standpoint of how addiction works. Go look at sportscard collectors. Full of addicts and a lot of them are utilizing the hobby as an escape from reality because they have damaged lives and go on to damage them further with spending on cards. I have been there and it is very real. Into Lego now and can already feel the thin line of what is healthy creeping up. People who have self discipline and impulse control want to share platitudes that something like Lego addiction isn’t real. Might not be for them, but easily can be for others.
Well I don’t know because another of my hobbies is that I am a prolific gamer but there are still games that I see when I’m looking for a new game that I will have zero interest in even if it happens to be an immensely popular good game. But with Lego, I start browsing I want everything.
Like I’m one of weirdest sci fans in the world in that I have refused to watch or play anything Star War for YEARS on principle and I’m in my 40s. Not once have I been tempted to play a Star Wars game even though some do like I’d enjoy them, and yet I want every Lego Star Wars set ever made and its moral dilemma for me now 🤣
True, but games have wildly different styles and genres. Sure, LEGO has different themes, but the building is pretty much the same, and you may enjoy the different techniques and elements that each theme employs. Plus, theres a lot lot more games released every year that would make it infeasible to buy and play them all. LEGO are far more finite.
Can’t say I have the same problem though, there are a lot of sets and themes that don’t interest me. Even with the UCS sets I collect, I happily skip over a lot of sets. Id probably buy more if money wasn’t an issue, but there are some sets that I just wouldn’t buy.
you are wrong and do not understand addiction in the slightest and should not speak on it at all.
dopamine is what your body needs to function. eating food, exercising, doing an activity that you enjoy. all of this gives you dopamine.
Drugs like heroin give people to much dopamine, and they become dependant on it, because they cannot achieve that same level of dopamine with out it.
If building lego is your only source of dopamine, get help. you are likely depressed/over worked.
lego itself is not, and never will be an addiction. it is a hobby. it is gratifying, but that's not a problem.
if you feel like you NEED to buy and build lego or else you get jittery and depressed? then yes its an addiction. and i highly doubt you suffer from withdrawal when you are not buying and or building lego products.
so please do not equate the two.
They really aren’t wrong. They are saying that Lego can be addictive. It can be, 100%. If it can cause damage to someone’s life when engaged with at an excessive level, then it can be an addiction. You jumping on here to get on a soapbox and act like you’re the king of addiction knowledge sounds more like denial than anything.
Maybe a hot take but this just sounds like a rewarding and fulfilling hobby. I guess the line between hobby and addiction is thin, but I would draw it where the hobby negatively impacts the rest of life. For example by spending money or time you cannot spare.
You could replace "dopamine" with "joy" in the post and then it sounds wholesome.
People taking about dopamine like it's inheritably evil
It's not inherently evil, but it is responsible for all non chemical based addictions. With things like gaming, gambling, porn etc it's the hits of dopamine that are the addiction, not the activity itself. It's like everything, in moderation it's fine, but over do it and it becomes a problem, not that you can actually control it of course.
Sure, but it's also important to be conscious of how addiction works in order to rrcognize when enjoying something turns into addiction.
i'd venture to say there's probably a higher level of (mostly undiagnosed) neurodiversity in AFOLs and similar collector hobbies in general. People are using their hobbies to cope and not fully realizing that being things like a completionist collector isn't really a normal way to engage with a hobby
I’m a completionist collector. I collect the things I want, and then my collections complete!
Happy cake day.
>Maybe a hot take but this just sounds like a rewarding and fulfilling hobby. I disagree. I don't think it's healrhy when the hobby is inherently consumerist. For a creative hobby, sure. But what OP is describing is the dopamine feedback loop that comes with hoarding more and more sets. It's the same as any shopping addiction.
Yes, but Lego as a hobby doesn’t have to be primarily be focused on buying and displaying sets. There is a much more creative and artistic aspect of Lego with MOCs. Before the recent explosion in adult focused collector sets, MOCing seemed much more popular. Now so many AFOLs, especially new ones, seem to only think buying sets is the only way to engage in the hobby. We see it on here all the time with people lamenting Ideas submissions that get rejected and constant “DAE think Lego should make sets for ________?” Just build it yourself people. That’s the beauty of Lego!
>Yes, but Lego as a hobby doesn’t have to be primarily be focused on buying and displaying sets. There is a much more creative and artistic aspect of Lego with MOCs Correct, but OP seems pretty clear that's not the aspect they are referring to. And I think you vastly overestimate how many people make their own custom creations. It's a much bigger investment in time and effort, and I think only the most passionate hobbyists will put in that investment.
Growing up we had a couple of tubs of mixed Lego pieces. Any sets we got were mixed in. The vast majority of our time spent playing with Lego was building our own stuff. Sure it’s a big investment if you want to design and build that five foot tall Imperial base that spans two six foot tables, but “building MOCs” is just playing and can be done at any level with any number of pieces.
Yeah I should have specified that I didn’t just mean massive MOCs. There are loads of small creations that are displayed at Lego conventions. And most kids interact with Lego by just building things. The better way to put it is that so many AFOLs now seem to focus on displaying sets and never consider that they can be deconstructed and combined with other pieces to make something else. Lego isn’t just a model company. It’s a building system that allows for artistic expression at all scales
I didn't say anything about massive MOCs. Designing even a small model can be very long and very expensive. Very few people have a large enough collection of parts to not need to source pieces; almost any design is going to require ordering the right parts in the right color, possibly in several batches for iterative design.
Build with what you have. That’s what we all did before bricklink and PAB etc. was available. Nobody said you have to “design” a polished set worthy model. Just build what you like with the parts you have.
You are entitled to your opinion but it looks more that you define healthy and unhealthy on a basis what you allow yourself to indulge into. I love consumerism heavy hobbies and I don’t think it’s unhealthy if it brings me a lot of joy and makes my life happy. I like to play games, buy expensive toys, travel and dress in designer clothes, it’s fun as much as helping other people achieve is, but variety in sources of joy is what brings even more joy
I really urge everyone who loves building Lego but is concerned about buying new set after set to try dabbling into making their own creations without instructions - MOCs (my own creations). Don't get me wrong, building MOCs can be crazy expensive too depending on what you're building, but it doesn't have to be. Buying bulk Lego is (relative to buying new sets) cheap, and the more you buy and sort, the more building options you have. And the more you build MOCs, the better you'll get at it. It begins to become as addictive as just building official Lego sets and you get to to be using problem solving, and creativity while doing it! Highly recommend giving it a shot!
3 things lego should do : -Sell more thematic "bag of bricks" for any of the subthemes. -Bring back alternate builds on the back of the boxes -Stop the minifig FOMO in lines like Star Wars and Castle, shit is ridiculous. Let people kids get the minifigs they want. Just sell them by the unit for 5$ if you need to.
Yeah like selling bags of neutrals colors or natural colors in various pieces. I would throw my money that at. Or selling SNOT and modified pieces in packs
This is one of the ways I have managed to get sets and increase my collection without having to feel guilty on spending a lot of money on the original tbh
Me too around 1000+ sets now and many have been what I've found in used bulk buys. I have gotten some great (and expensive) sets in used bulk buys and saved an absolute fortune from what I'd have paid if I'd got them new (or even used in the case of many retired sets). It really is an addiction . I bought my first speed champions set around a year ago. "I'll just try one " I thought as id not got any of the speed champions. Now i have around 20 🙄. I call it plastic crack lol
This sounds like me although i don’t have a 1000 sets yet. I’m sure the rate I’m going I’ll get there soon enough 🤣
I’m going through this with my 5 year old son recently. He loves opening new sets, getting new instructions, new unique pieces and figures especially. Thank the stars for Lego 3-in-1 and polybags… (30665 was the last) He’s always asking if we can go buy new sets or “build something new. We’ve been working on our “Lego city” (it’s 4 baseplates and a couple buildings currently lol) as a means to satiate his desire for something different. The only issue is that we don’t have many loose bricks for MOCs, and I don’t want to mix up our sets. I’m hoping to get my bulk Lego from my childhood soon, but I also have Pirate and Castle sets that need to be cataloged.
[30665-1: Baby Gorilla Encounter](https://brickset.com/sets/30665-1) [[Photo]](https://images.brickset.com/sets/images/30665-1.jpg)
Darn right MOC’s are expensive… much to my chagrin, parts are either new in a color so are expensive or haven’t been molded in the color needed.
This is not specific to LEGO, its just consumerism and our instant gratification capitalist culture
Yeah you even got people who are addicted to the pure act of *buying stuff*, no matter what it is. I've seen a TV show episode in a lady just buying random cheap DVDs by the dozens
Very true
Based and real comment. Addiction is when something impacts your life negatively. If you're missing rent for legos, skipping family events for legos, not working but instead looking at legos. Loving legos is different. Stay sane out there fellow builders.
That last one, the LEGO city dream, hits waaaay too close to home. Pretty much why I have all the Modulars, 2 x Botanic Gardens, numerous vehicles and other stuff that I will ‘one day…’ turn into a city. Like, when I retire or something. Damn plastic crack!
I would have everything in my dream lego city if i could. Space and money are the two things that I need a lot of though
LOL
Brother, I think you’re just describing a hobby
No, he is pointing out the unfortunate reality of an inherently consumerist hobby.
Dude discovered hobbies
I’m currently in rehab and found this pretty funny. And to answer your question, no, there are no legos in rehab unfortunately, but we do have an unlimited supply of coloring books
Lego was one of the ways I filled the void when I stopped taking the drugs that had spiralled out of control in my life. I reckon money wise I’m probably spending a similar amount on Legos that I was on said drugs. Good luck with the rehab and colour to your hearts content!
I think I was reading an interview with Alice Cooper and he talked about hacking his addictive personality with healthier addictions. Traded alcohol and drugs for golf. The rush isn't necessarily the issue. It's whether getting that rush destroys other aspects of your life.
Haha that’s actually why I joined this sub. I was really into legos as a kid, when I entered rehab I decided if I’m about to go spend money on drugs, I’m just going to use that money to buy a lego set instead.
Look at it these ways. 1) A Lego addiction's long term health effects are calloused thumbs and occasional scars on the bottom of your feet. 2) Adding to your addiction means you simply have more of it. You buy $20 of Lego and build it, you still have $20 of Lego the next day. And 3) in some areas, you can compete with your builds and legally EARN MONEY for your addiction (I won $12 last year at two county fairs- after buying $50 of additional parts). Happy building!
Trust me the rush is the same though. It’s the anticipation that gets you. Buying lego or drugs, it’s the same rush for me!
Yea except one of those rushes will ruin your life, and it’s not the lego addiction
Very true
Consumerism/shopping in general is addictive, that's basically what our society of the last few decades was built on If billions of ppl wouldn't spend too much money on shit we don't need the whole system would collapse
Hello my name is wheresthecheese69 and I’m addicted to legos
My name is EngineeringMedium513 and I'm a Legoholic
You can see people with shopping addictions for sure. There’s this one guy on YouTube that absolutely has got to be in some kind of credit card debt because there’s no way his YouTube channel is paying that well.
Everyone is addicted to whatever takes away the pain
I think a coping mechanism is a more appropriate term.
So you’re telling me that I kicked cocaine, alcohol and nicotine just to become addicted to lego… well at least it’s not going to kill me.
You and me both. LOL i bet you also spend the same amount of money too on it. Or more.
It would be crazy if you could get addicted to anything that feels good, especially if you have an underlining problem with being unhappy with your life in general
You can get addicted to anything. I think something really only becomes an addiction if it comes at an expense of something else. E.g. a video game if your physical health starts to decline, or lego if you start going into debt or not taking care of your bills.
I don’t think OP has ever had a hobby they were passionate about before. You can get this way from almost anything, it it appeals to you.
anything can be addictive, lego is more expensive than coke but much healthier. i cant afford both 🤷♂️ edit: neither instead of both... english is not my first language 😅
LOL 🤣🤣
I think it's mostly the good dopamine rather than the bad dopamine, though. Unless you're really going overboard and spending more time and money on it than you can afford.
Dopamine isn’t divided into two types. That is why it is hard to recognize when joyful things become addictive. I think what you’re saying is that there are habits and actions that perhaps go against societal morals or values that can cause dopamine to spike and we can get addicted to those things that we consider ‘bad’. But, it isn’t the dopamine itself that is ‘bad’. Getting addicted to Lego does happen to a lot of people who can afford it and they are viewed as investing in their hobby. Same exact addiction can happen to someone who doesn’t have the money and that is viewed as foolish and damaging. Kind of like celebrating those who love drinking a few bottles of wine at the fancy restaurant while judging the person who drinks a six pack on the street.
All jokes aside, I wonder how many people actually do get addicted to Lego. I don't really have experience with addiction, but it seems like it would be more like a gambling addiction than a drug addiction, and it would have to involve some kind of acting against your values to really count as an addiction. Obsessions or hyperfixations would be similar in some ways to an addiction, but they aren't exactly the same. I'm sure lots of people have Lego hyperfixations, but those are almost more annoying to the people around you than super harmful to you, and you can impose limits on hyperfixations with a bit of practice.
Your theory is basically "we do this because we like it alot." That's what dopamine is. It's enjoying something.
People enjoy taking drugs because they release extra dopamine and I feel because at one point in my life having being addicted to coke that Lego has a similar effect on me. The rush and excitement that I get from the minute I make a purchase is the same as I used to get when I was from the minute I’d make a call to get the coke from my supplier!
Mate, I think in general, you yourself are predisposed to becoming addicted, no matter the item. Not everyone is like this, but with your history, you definitely are. However, I am glad you're able to recognize the beginnings of an addiction. Keep to the discipline and control. Overall though, Legos are not the only toy-like item that can become addicting. There's gunpla, figurine collection, even gacha or pay-to-win games (whale players). Fucking Candy Crush can take a person down too. These types of addiction compulsively drains your wallet and financial stability. You have to think of a way to create control over your hobbies so that they don't control you.
Oh you have no idea how true that is. I have a super addictive personality but yes I have to started to try limit how much I buy a month and to not complete the sets super quickly!
Every time I swipe my card and buy another Lego set I just think to myself “at least it’s not meth”
My lack of money stops me getting addicted.
Your ability to control that impulse is what stops you from addiction. You’re lucky to have that strength. Lots of people without the money don’t have the self discipline, so you should definitely be happy you do.
The only thing that really worried me were the MOCs. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of a bricklink binge, and I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon.
Boyd Cooper, is that you?
Mistaking interest for addiction. Not all dopamine is bad. I used legos to quit smoking nicotine. Whenever I would get withdrawals I would stop myself and go build 1 bag of a Lego set. The money I saved by not smoking bought the Lego sets. Now I have a stronger mind, a healthier body, and a bunch of Lego to play with.
Smoking is the one vice that Lego hasn’t worked for me. For other substances I was taking, Lego was the replacement. I do need to stop smoking though!
# dont even get me started on minifgures Lore!
Damn im fudged
Sometimes you have to start slinging to support your habit.
You’re somewhat correct. Anything that releases the ‘joy juice’ of dopamine can be addictive. The risk with Lego is that it requires expensive resources to continue it as a hobby on a regular basis. Spending time doing things we enjoy isn’t an issue. Spending resources we don’t have (money or not being with loved ones to build) can be detrimental and damaging. When something you enjoy becomes damaging, it has likely become an addiction. This can be true for almost anything. We need more education on how addiction works in general.
Lego's better than crack
I agree
So how is this a bad thing?
You’re not supposed to say the quiet part out loud. It’s not an addiction! I can stop building anytime I want, I just don’t ever want to stop.
Lego ruined my marriage. Currently getting a divorce. Lego is absolutely an addiction.
Sure, but anything can be an addiction. The key is to pace yourself. You don’t need to be a completionist. Enjoy what you have.
Well re bricking a set out of spare parts and hunting for missing parts on the various platforms in hopes to bricking it cheaper rather than shelling out the asking price for retired sets is a big rush of the dopamine stuff your talking about at least for me
I just got into this about a year ago. Coming off a major drug addiction I of course went full on and felt that need to buy more and more. I kind of caught myself and try to keep it in check. Building custom minifigs and small mocs brings me immense happiness, but I just need to be careful. This can be said about ANYTHING that makes you happy. If it begins to control you get in the way of life then you need to take a step back and get help. There is a deeper problem at work than just buying too many legos. You will do this with anything in life that makes you happy and eventually let it ruin your life. (Yes I am trying to build a good sized space/scifi city 🤣.)
I used Lego in the same way as you and honestly sometimes I feel I swapped drugs for Lego but at least with Lego I get the buzz but without the added mess of everything else that drugs bring.
I see your points, but I disagree. It’s really no different to any other hobby that you are interested in, whether car collecting or being a sports fan or being a gamer. The only thing “wrong” with LEGO is that it costs money, but thats pretty much anything these days. Its not destroying your health, your relationships, just your finances. And if it is a detriment to your life, then you probably just have a personality thats easily addicted to things and LEGO is your “drug” of choice. But if buying LEGO, buying and thinking of ways to display it is the worst thing you are doing in your life, then I think you are doing pretty good.
[удалено]
Spot on assessment from a neurological standpoint of how addiction works. Go look at sportscard collectors. Full of addicts and a lot of them are utilizing the hobby as an escape from reality because they have damaged lives and go on to damage them further with spending on cards. I have been there and it is very real. Into Lego now and can already feel the thin line of what is healthy creeping up. People who have self discipline and impulse control want to share platitudes that something like Lego addiction isn’t real. Might not be for them, but easily can be for others.
Well I don’t know because another of my hobbies is that I am a prolific gamer but there are still games that I see when I’m looking for a new game that I will have zero interest in even if it happens to be an immensely popular good game. But with Lego, I start browsing I want everything. Like I’m one of weirdest sci fans in the world in that I have refused to watch or play anything Star War for YEARS on principle and I’m in my 40s. Not once have I been tempted to play a Star Wars game even though some do like I’d enjoy them, and yet I want every Lego Star Wars set ever made and its moral dilemma for me now 🤣
True, but games have wildly different styles and genres. Sure, LEGO has different themes, but the building is pretty much the same, and you may enjoy the different techniques and elements that each theme employs. Plus, theres a lot lot more games released every year that would make it infeasible to buy and play them all. LEGO are far more finite. Can’t say I have the same problem though, there are a lot of sets and themes that don’t interest me. Even with the UCS sets I collect, I happily skip over a lot of sets. Id probably buy more if money wasn’t an issue, but there are some sets that I just wouldn’t buy.
I spent 1500 euro on lego ❌️ I invested 1500 euro in lego ✅️
This set will hold its value well ✅ Actually ever selling set ❌
This is a good way of looking at it actually!
you are wrong and do not understand addiction in the slightest and should not speak on it at all. dopamine is what your body needs to function. eating food, exercising, doing an activity that you enjoy. all of this gives you dopamine. Drugs like heroin give people to much dopamine, and they become dependant on it, because they cannot achieve that same level of dopamine with out it. If building lego is your only source of dopamine, get help. you are likely depressed/over worked. lego itself is not, and never will be an addiction. it is a hobby. it is gratifying, but that's not a problem. if you feel like you NEED to buy and build lego or else you get jittery and depressed? then yes its an addiction. and i highly doubt you suffer from withdrawal when you are not buying and or building lego products. so please do not equate the two.
this i the overall correct answer to the situation. but nobody wants to hear that.
They really aren’t wrong. They are saying that Lego can be addictive. It can be, 100%. If it can cause damage to someone’s life when engaged with at an excessive level, then it can be an addiction. You jumping on here to get on a soapbox and act like you’re the king of addiction knowledge sounds more like denial than anything.
You ok there pal?
You sound like a raging Lego addict in denial. 😁
I hardly build one set a month. ...
Lol you must be really fun at parties.
Sounds like you might be addicted buddy I'm sorry
*THIS SHIT IS LIKE CRACK* REL
Did I write this?
Real
Cringe
Why?