Jess, you gave what reads to me like a masterful, cogent, well-argued overview, but I'd like to add something to it.
There is a point, I believe, in trying to see if someone who seeks the Queen's Commission is easily led, or whether they're capable of standing by their own standards even under pressure.
So I'd make a distinction between these two cases:
- "I never liked the idea, but all my friends were taking it, so I did have a go, but I don't do it any more."
- "As a youngster, I never saw anything wrong with it, so I did try it. But now I've matured a little, my attitude has changed, and I've not taken anything for the last two years."
adr