A society of positive thinkers

I live in Las Vegas, where you can’t even go to the grocery store or gas station store without having to walk past a slot machine. Millions of people come to Vegas each year, hoping that they will strike it big and win the Megabucks slots, or at least walk away with fistfuls of cash from blackjack or craps. But we all know that the casinos always win in the end, and our chances are extremely slim that we will ever win the lottery, or really win the millions of dollars we seek. Despite this, people still come back to Vegas year after year, and lots of Vegas locals gamble every day! Most people only remember their “wins” which is why they keep coming back for more.

The gamble for beauty
You know all those wrinkle creams and beauty gadgets that promise to get rid of all your lines and wrinkles, and give you the skin of an 18 year old? We all know they don’t really work, and that the fountain of youth has yet to be discovered, but we still spend billions a year on the gamble that the next product we buy will finally be the anti-wrinkle/anti-sagging “holy grail.” Each new skin cream is like the pull of a slot machine - maybe this one will finally be a winner, and my crow’s feet will be gone forever! If I buy a wrinkle cream that costs over $100, that must surely be the answer! Or how about one that promises to instantly smooth out all wrinkles?

A society of positive thinkers
We must be eternal optimists, because we are willing to continually gamble on wrinkle products, while even the best product doesn’t live up to its fanciful claims. When a product doesn’t work, we aren’t daunted, and keep using it anyway, according to this study. We fear the aging process so much, that we need something to give us hope that we can circumvent it.

I’m guilty too!
As for me, I’m guilty of playing video poker, even though I know it’s basically a costly hobby (but at least the drinks come free). I’ve also spent thousands of dollars on wrinkle creams and potions, because I completely fear getting old and wrinkly. I’m always on the lookout for the next breakthrough skin care treatment, and keep telling myself it’s only a matter of time before scientists come up with a way to turn our skin and bodies back to that of 18 year olds! There have been true advances when it comes to maintaining beauty - retinoids, Botox, fillers, lasers, sunscreen. For the time being, I’m betting on a wrinkle cure in my lifetime! I need that hope, but in the meantime, I’m being as proactive about anti-aging as possible, just in case that wrinkle cure never comes.detox center