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Why I don't drink, version #387629871
Articulated this in IM just now better than I have anywhere in awhile, so I decided to post here. Comments/criticisms welcome, if you're so inclined.
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gutwoman: can i ask a question, and you dont have to give an answer if you dont have one
desh: sure
gutwoman: do you have specific reasons for not drinking alcohol/being uncomfortable around it? and do you drink at all
desh: I'll answer, but hang on a bit
gutwoman: k
desh: So there are a few reasons, and which one is the most important changes often.
desh: Plus, there are probably some I haven't thought of yet.
gutwoman: ok..
desh: One resaon is that I have an addictive personality. My love for gambling is evidence of that. Avoiding something addicting is probably a good risk management decision on my part.
gutwoman: yeah
desh: Another reason is that I rather like who I am. I don't feel the need to try anything mood-altering. Even minorly: I even avoid caffeinated drinks most of the time.
gutwoman: although i kinda find that substance addiction is somewhat separate just based on my own experience
desh: it might be
desh: that might not be a problem for me at all, in reality.
desh: but I think I'd rather not know.
desh: Another reason is kind of a negative one, and more addresses "why don't you get drunk" than "why don't you drink at all". But I don't have any of the reasons to get drunk that most people do. I don't have anything I want to escape. I don't enjoy the sorts of parties that people get really drunk at. I don't like bars.
gutwoman: well i dont think most people would enjoy those parties as much if it wasn't for the alcohol...
desh: And I guess the last reason is that I like my friends more when they're sober. I can't stand drunk people, for the most part. But even when someone's had one or two drinks, fine, I might not be able to notice, and usually it doesn't bother me much. But it also means that they're less likely to want to do the things that I usually enjoy doing at get-togethers, like playing board games and card games.
desh: And no, I don't drink at all, except for religious reasons, and only then if there's no grape juice around, and even then I only take a sip.
gutwoman: interesting
desh: A lot of my reasons are probably silly, especially for a 25 year old. Like, my freshman year, my friend went from also not drinking and also hating drunks, in two months, to asking me if I'm a recovering alcoholic or something for never going out and having fun.
desh: I hate when people change so dramatically like that, because it's rarely good. That incident probably cemented my decision to never drink in college.
EDIT: It's kind of fun to compare this to the same discussion when I had it three years ago.
gutwoman: can i ask a question, and you dont have to give an answer if you dont have onedesh: suregutwoman: do you have specific reasons for not drinking alcohol/being uncomfortable around it? and do you drink at all desh: I'll answer, but hang on a bitgutwoman: kdesh: So there are a few reasons, and which one is the most important changes often.desh: Plus, there are probably some I haven't thought of yet.gutwoman: ok..desh: One resaon is that I have an addictive personality. My love for gambling is evidence of that. Avoiding something addicting is probably a good risk management decision on my part.gutwoman: yeahdesh: Another reason is that I rather like who I am. I don't feel the need to try anything mood-altering. Even minorly: I even avoid caffeinated drinks most of the time.gutwoman: although i kinda find that substance addiction is somewhat separate just based on my own experiencedesh: it might bedesh: that might not be a problem for me at all, in reality.desh: but I think I'd rather not know.desh: Another reason is kind of a negative one, and more addresses "why don't you get drunk" than "why don't you drink at all". But I don't have any of the reasons to get drunk that most people do. I don't have anything I want to escape. I don't enjoy the sorts of parties that people get really drunk at. I don't like bars.gutwoman: well i dont think most people would enjoy those parties as much if it wasn't for the alcohol...desh: And I guess the last reason is that I like my friends more when they're sober. I can't stand drunk people, for the most part. But even when someone's had one or two drinks, fine, I might not be able to notice, and usually it doesn't bother me much. But it also means that they're less likely to want to do the things that I usually enjoy doing at get-togethers, like playing board games and card games.desh: And no, I don't drink at all, except for religious reasons, and only then if there's no grape juice around, and even then I only take a sip.gutwoman: interestingdesh: A lot of my reasons are probably silly, especially for a 25 year old. Like, my freshman year, my friend went from also not drinking and also hating drunks, in two months, to asking me if I'm a recovering alcoholic or something for never going out and having fun.desh: I hate when people change so dramatically like that, because it's rarely good. That incident probably cemented my decision to never drink in college.EDIT: It's kind of fun to compare this to the same discussion when I had it three years ago.
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