Am I a weird asocial ?

[Pesty]

Eric and I are Legion. We are of the same mind.

Seriously though, I asked him to include me in the post he was writing because frankly I'm lazy and he was already writing a reply, so I was all "Tell him that I agree with everything you say!" and so he did. Just because it didn't come directly from me, and just because you weren't directing your comments at him, doesn't make his post any less legitimate.

I think this whole thing is pretty silly. People have different tastes and different opinions about things. I'm not going to try everything, I'm not going to like everything. I love anchovies on my pizza, but I can understand why people wouldn't like them or wouldn't even be willing to try them. Why can't you be the same about alcohol? Nothing you will say will change my feelings about the subject matter. I don't want to be inebriated. Ever. I don't want to experience it, it doesn't seem like it'd be potentially fun, I don't think I need it to be socially accepted.

I reject the potential effects of alcohol without trying them, yes. Because I've seen other people get drunk, I've been around plenty of drunk people, and I don't want that for myself. I don't think that people who do drink are bad, alcoholics, or whatever you seem to think I think. I don't think I'm better than them, either, not in the least. I just don't want to be drunk. I don't want to "have a buzz". I am not the type of person to enjoy this sort of thing. Sorry, Charlie, Pete just isn't that kind of girl!

Also, the reason alcohol is "special" is because it has effects that are potentially dangerous, even with a slight buzz. Nobody's ever been arrested for driving under the influence of coffee, I'm just sayin'.

[Nikolas]

I reject the potential effects of alcohol without trying them, yes. Because I've seen other people get drunk, I've been around plenty of drunk people, and I don't want that for myself. I don't think that people who do drink are bad, alcoholics, or whatever you seem to think I think. I don't think I'm better than them, either, not in the least. I just don't want to be drunk.

I find this part a bit confusing. Cause you seem to imply that whoever drinks gets drunk. You repeat the word "drunk" 2 times, as well as aoclholics, drink are bad. 4 negatives (even if you use them in a different way, and yes I know how to read) in one small paragraph.

"... I reject the potential effects of alcohol... becasue I've seen other people get drunk..."

Just to comment that 1 glass of wine, for example, won't get you drunk (unless you have some health problem in which 1 drop of wine will send you through the sky, and I know a person who has that. Pretty weird. Half a glass of wine and she was totally wasted. totally)

We are still talking about trying, right? Cause with my kids the usual thing is to... "try and see. If you don't like it, by all means spit it out". Not that I've offered them drugs or anything, but this is what I try to do. On a personal level the only thing I wouldn't try is drugs, because of the immediate hook.

Of course people around 17-20 or something, don't know how to drink and just get drunk which is a different issue, right? I'm not suggesting, by any means that the OP should start drinking to get accepted, or anything simmilar, nor I'm saying that one cannot have a good time with no drink, no smoking, no nothing. Just that, in general, the idea "if you don't know what it is, you've no idea what you're missing", stands true from what I see.

[Andail]

Hey Pesty, you're only a bit cranky because you don't drink. Take a look at these cheerful fellows!

[Pesty]

I do like the taste of Guiness. If I were to drink beer, that would be my choice. Because seriously, look at those seals!

[vict0r]

Naah, Guinnes is too thick for my taste. It's good, but I don't like the consistency of it.. Beck's however..! Zaowee!

[LimpingFish]

To clarify: I never said I didn't drink, and I never implied that people shouldn't drink. I also never implied that all people who drink do so to become drunk.

But we have to realise that a fairly large majority of young people (18-21) apparently believe that you drink alcoholic beverages specifically to become drunk. It obviously wasn't a great night if you can still remember it in the morning.

"Oh, I drink because I like the taste of beer. Mmmm...beechwood aged." Okay, fine. Try this non-alcoholic version of the same beer. "Nah. They never taste the same.". To be honest regular beer and non-alcoholic beer taste identical to me. Alcohol, or rather Ethanol, is more or less tasteless, so it can't be adding anything to the flavour of regular beer, can it?

From wiki:

"A non-alcoholic beverage is a beverage that contains no alcohol. Such drinks are generally drunk for refreshment, or to quench people's thirst."

Hmm. I see. And alcoholic beverages are drunk for what purpose, then?

The truth (and I use the term loosely) of the matter is that people drink alcoholic drinks because they enjoy the effect of alcohol. They like the buzz. The mellow light-headedness you get after a few beers. And I have absolutely no problem with that.

But taste only enters the equation when it conflicts with the persons pallet. I do drink a cold beer for refreshment and/or to quench my thirst, since the taste can be pleasant. Of course, I'd just as likely reach for a bottle of botanic water. I don't drink wine because I don't like it's flavour. Rum has a perfumed aftertaste that reminds me of...well, perfume. Chilled Cider can be refreshing, and I like apples in general. Guinness has a tang not unlike liquorice, which I am also partial to. Regardless, I don't drink in any great quantity simply because I have no desire to.

So when somebody says "Just drink it down fast", it's fairly obvious that all they want to gain from the drink is the alcoholic content. It could taste like castor oil, and it wouldn't matter.

Does drinking alcoholic drinks add to your "fun"? Conversely, could that "fun" also be achieved with non-alcoholic versions of the same drinks?

If you answer the latter "no", then, regardless of how you feel, you drink alcohol because you enjoy it's effects. You may as well be drinking liquid ass, if you could work past the taste.

This is not a judgement of people who "drink" for the buzz, nor a condemnation. People smoke tobacco because it settles their nerves, or triggers a conditioned rush of endorfins. People smoke weed, because it mellows their brain. Fine, dude, whatever snaps your canastas.

I don't drink for the buzz. I've never smoked anything, exotic or otherwise, and have no desire to. Am I missing out? (hint: there is no right answer to that question).

[Khris]

EldKatt:
I'm perfectly aware that "rejecting a huge group of things" can be applied to many subjects.
You said "However open-minded you think you are, there's an enormous number of things that you are rejecting, consciously or not, because life is literally too short to try everything."
What I meant: organize the enormous number of things in groups. The number of groups won't be that enormous. Alcohol is one of those groups, so there's enough time to try it.
You could say the same about jazz, but I don't get the point. I wouldn't argue if you said everybody should try jazz. Why not? There's enough time.

The ad populum trap is dangerous and I tried to avoid it. I'm surprised that nobody mentioned it earlier.
However, my point wasn't "everybody does it, join in", my point was "everybody does it, 99.9% don't suffer bad consequences -> drinking responsibly is harmless".

Pesty:
You made an uninformed judgment and you're going to stick to it. I get it.
Since you've mentioned DUI: crossing a street can get you killed, so walking is potentially dangerous.
And from what I know, a slight buzz is at least as dangerous as not vacuum-cleaning your room for one week.

[Tuomas]

You could say the same about jazz, but I don't get the point. I wouldn't argue if you said everybody should try jazz. Why not? There's enough time.

Exactly, and everybody should try it! Ain't nothing so perfect as a dim room, a bottle of fine expensive red wine, some Horace Silver on the background, your girl by your side...

Though I prefer a nice glass of beer, a frosty one. I'm sorry. I was going to say something with a point, but then I started thinking of Pilsner Urquell or a Kaiser one and got distracted. That's what beer does to you.