The Alcohol Question

Is it always wrong to drink?

Many self improvement gurus have lately made it their entire personality to absolutely slam consuming alcohol, regardless of the circumstances. Maybe it’s because people have a tendency to speak in absolutes to try and oversimplify nuanced issues, instead of taking the time to develop a nuanced answer. Alternatively, it could simply be part of the self-improvement trap that many on our side of the internet fall into. Regardless, I believe, as with any controversial topic, the true answer is found somewhere in the middle. This will be a somewhat short —but important— article, in which I’ll simply go over my own position regarding alcohol consumption.

To set the record straight from the get-go: I don’t drink as a general rule. The most I ever drink is two glasses of whiskey on extremely special occasions. This is important so you know where' I’m coming from. I don't believe in demonizing alcohol. Excessive drinking is what should be demonized. Alcohol has been an important part of most cultures for ages, and it has been used as an important social enabler for centuries.

I understand that alcohol plays a big part in the degeneracy that is consuming modern society. This, in my opinion, explains why so many on our side, who are committed to fighting degeneracy and social decay, take such a strong stand against the use of alcohol. They (rightly) associate it with sin and lack of self-control, and thus try to avoid it at all costs. This is definitely understandable, but thinking about it rationally, I don't believe having a drink now and then should be a problem.

The alcohol dilemma is very similar to other debates that we see online: the seed oil debate, for example. Yes, seed oils are bad for you. Yes, you should avoid them as much as you can. But what happened with the seed oil debate —and this happens with alcohol as well— is that some people took it so unbearably seriously that they made it their entire personality, with some even trying to get you to use “seed oil sensitivity cards”, which is just as gay as it sounds. This is not a dig against the author of that post, I actually enjoy his content. But if you are so obsessed with seed oils that you need to be handing the restaurant a card to get them to accommodate to your obsessive reluctance to behave like a normal person, you are worse than the worst kind of vegan, and you shouldn’t go out at all. This excessive focus on avoiding seed oils —or alcohol— ends up being worse for you than just being chill about the whole thing. The anti seed-oil extremists will refuse grandma’s food if she uses the wrong kind of oil. That’s where this whole thing leads to. You bet I’ll enjoy my grandma’s soybean oil deep-fried chicken, and I’ll enjoy it too.

With alcohol, it’s exactly the same. Some people choose to make their anti-alcoholic stance their entire personality. “I don’t drink alcohol, it’s terrible for you”, they say when offered a glass of champagne at their sister’s wedding. Do you see the problem with this? This is just as bad as making drinking alcohol your entire personality.

I completely agree with the fact that alcohol is bad for you. No one is saying that isn’t the case. But you can just follow some sensible rules and enjoy a couple of beers guilt-free.

Yes, Sometimes I drink

No, I don't drink frequently. Once or twice a year. But sometimes, when I haven't seen my oldest friends for a while, I feel like going for a drink with them. Other times (like this past week), I happily take a glass of champagne and raise it at my sister’s wedding. Every once in a while I’ll sit down with my brother-in-law and have a glass of whiskey and a nice conversation with him. I allow myself these sporadic pleasures because I know that I am perfectly able to control my drinking, and that I won't make a fool of myself. That's important. Alcohol doesn’t have to be eliminated completely unless you can't control it.

My ground rules for responsible drinking are these:

1) Don't get drunk

Getting blackout drunk is for losers, or for fifteen-year olds. Anyone who's not a teenager has no reason to go out and get drunk. How petty do you have to be to drink until you have no control of yourself, your words, your actions or your bodily functions? It's sad, it's disgusting, it’s humiliating and you're not "fun" for doing it. Nobody respects such a man. Above your desire to be free from your inhibitions comes your reputation and your ability to perform your role as a man. Your lacking self-control and self-awareness is a liability that you simply cannot afford to incur in. Never, ever get drunk.

2) Don't drink in front of children

Drinking is for grownups, and should therefore occur among grownups. Set a good example for your kids and try not to drink around them.

3) Don't drink in order to talk to girls

This is one of the most common reasons why men drink. Talking to women requires courage, and a couple of glasses of whiskey give you plenty of that. Don't become dependent on alcohol to talk to women, man up instead and talk to them while sober. Don't depend on alcohol for courage.

4) Drink on special occasions only

Alcohol is not healthy. It's not necessarily unhealthy, unless you drink too frequently. Make it a point to drink only when the situation actually warrants it. You don’t want to get used to drinking every weekend, so as a general rule, try to drink only on special occasions.

5) Drink with people you like

Don't drink to escape a boring or annoying situation. Do it to potentiate good times with your friends.

6) Don’t drink to change your personality

Don't drink to become someone else. If you find yourself doing this, that just means you need to work on yourself and become a man that’s interesting when sober too. A drink should help you relax and be more at ease, not lead you to change who you are completely.

7) Challenge yourself to go a full year without a drop of alcohol

I did it. It was awesome. I learnt that I didn't depend on it for a good time. Now I feel no need to drink at all, and end up going through long long periods of complete sobriety almost accidentally. The glass of champagne I drank this past week was the first drop of alcohol I’ve had in over 7 months.

Try complete abstinence out, if you can't do it you are probably addicted. All the more reason to abstain from drinking for a whole year. Besides, it’s a challenge, and who doesn't like a good challenge?

In conclusion, drink little and always be in control when you do it. Enjoy a couple of beers with your friends every now and then but never allow yourself to become the annoying drunk guy.

What do you guys think about this? Do you agree? Leave a comment and let me know!

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