A clear mind is a shield against the fogs of delusion.  It is the wellspring of reason, the foundation of virtue. To forgo the allure of artificial clarity - those fleeting highs that betray us in the end - is to embrace the enduring strength of a mind unclouded by vice.

This is not merely abstinence, but a conscious choice for self-mastery, a commitment to seeing the world with truth's own illumination.