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Let us also not forget that gambling addicts do not have total control over their ability to stop gambling. Gambling addition is biosocial. It is linked to the sensation seeking personality trait, which is triggered by the context in which gambling addicts find themselves. It has been linked to monoamineoxidase levels in the brain and to other hormones linked to arousal. Work in recent years has identified a genetic predisposition.
In that sense, we can all think that perhaps if we had lived his life, we might also have found ourselves making his same mistakes. Or not.
Whatever you think of him, I wonder on what basis any of us can judge him, not his behavior, but judge him? Who are we to be forgiving Art Schlichter?
Schlichter was a great Ohio State quarterback that squandered his chances in life and burnt every relationship he ever had due to his gambling addiction. I wish him well in his recovery and ongoing vigilance over himself. But I don't have to judge him to know that I would not put any money under his control. As someone else said, it is very sad indeed to see so many chances squandered.
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