I've heard that if you are really, truly opposed to certain types of behaviors, then you won't commit those behaviors even after having too much to drink. Do you think this is true?

I think it’s true for the most part. There are always exceptions.. for some people. I’ve never slept with a woman because of being drunk… never stabbed anyone.. never slept in the middle of the highway.. I suppose because I’m smart enough to know my limits too. I would never drink so much that I couldn’t walk.. to me that’s at least 13 levels of stupid.

I have definitely done some things whilst being drunk that I wouldn’t normally do sober.
Hangs head in shame.

I think it is mostly true. Your inhibitions are lowered for sure and you could do stupid embarrassing things. Things that could even get you fired. But they don’t necessarily violate your personal values.

I know that when I was drinking I never seriously compromised my values either and I had a lot of opportunity to do so. But I did do stupid embarrassing things I would have never done while sober.

However I have also “blacked out” and later had no idea what I did except for what a friend has told me. Even in those situations where I was an embarrassing drunk I didn’t seriously compromise my values. But I could see how being that drunk one wouldn’t be able to think straight or make good judgments. I think it really depends on how deeply ingrained your values are.

Now this is just speaking for myself. Unfortunately I’ve seen people do stupid horrible things while they are drunk. I hate to think it represents their values or their sober personality.

BTW, I don’t drink anymore for several reasons.

@jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities Where they things that were just stupid and embarrassing or things that compromised your personal values?

Alcohol can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. It can only make you do things you’d otherwise be too smart/logical/rational/formal/moral to do. It removes the inhibitions only

@RedPowerLady Stupid and embarrassing. I guess you’re right, I’ve never compromised my values while drunk. Mostly just stupid pranks my friends and I pull.

while i dont quite like the difference you are trying to make being opposed to something and being “truly” opposed i must say i would tend to agree for the most part.

but i do think mistakes can be made and things can be done that you would later regret.

@poisonedantidote I think it’s the difference between being opposed to something because society says it’s wrong, vs being opposed because you think it’s wrong.

@jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities Sure. I’ve done things I wouldn’t normally do too! And things that I’m ashamed of. But like @NaturalMineralWater said, I’ve never shot any one, never picked a fight with random people in a bar, never stole anything…
@poisonedantidote Oh, absolutely! My point is, it’s one thing to say you did some relatively minor stupid thing and blame it on being drunk, vs something much more serious and trying to say it wasn’t your fault because you were drunk.
@MrItty That’s an interesting thought!

@MrItty that would clear it up for me and allow me to agree more. but still not fully.

i personally would never do certain things, but im quite sure that if i was drunk enough i might. i cant really think of a good example at the moment though.

@Val123 i think the main argument you could make against this point, is that its totally possible to be opposed to something, while seeing your self as exempt from said action. a lot of people dont practice what they preach, yet they are indeed still personally opposed to the things they preach against.

I’ve never done anything I truly didn’t want to do while drunk. I’ve done some embarrassing and goofy things, but never anything I didn’t want to do.

@poisonedantidote Let me know when you do think of an example. I’d be interested in hearing it.

For the most part, yes- at least for myself. I’ve not had sex with anyone whilst drunk that I wouldn’t have had sex with sober but I have had episodes of not remembering actions, conversations and arguments while drunk that had to be recounted to me later and I wasn’t happy about them because they hurt people’s feelings. Because of this, I’ve recently quit drinking again.

i think another thing to consider here, is how the effects of alcohol can combine with a persons personality in a certain way that would lead them to do something they are against.

@MrItty driving while drunk, i am personally against that. i would not like to see anyone driving while drunk.

however, when drunk i tend to become a lot more careless and less safety orientated. probably caused by the sensation of extreme self confidence and invulnerability that alcohol can produce some times in the right mood and quantities. so in a situation like that, (if i actually had a license to drive). i don’t think it is beyond imagination that i might actually get in to my car and drive drunk. it could happen.

my main point being, that even if i ever do end up driving a car whilst drunk one day. i dont think it should be interpreted as me harboring some secret desire to drive around drunk, and thus not any more or less opposed to drink driving than i am right now or will ever be.

however, i could understand how someone could see hypocrisy in that and indeed think otherwise.

so i dont think you can say that you will not do things you truly oppose while drunk, and have it stand as an absolute truth. but i do think it is true for the most part.

This is tough one. I used to believe that alcohol’s hand in spurring people to actions they wouldn’t normally take part in was vastly, vastly over-stated.

Recently, I think this is more true of myself than others. For example, a good friend of mine tends to blackout when drunk and he’s done things that are not part of his sober persona when that happens.

I think everybody is different- those more affected by alcohol will be inherently more affected in their decisions, actions, etc. However, it should also be stated that some people operate more conscientiously in general and that these folks are probably less likely to do something out of the usual than folks who are more unpredictable or less-disciplined.

My gut tells me that like the small amount of truth in most jokes, their is a certain amount of earnestness in most drunk acts.

@nzigler it should also be stated that some people operate more conscientiously in general

Very good point.

Alcohol affects the frontal lobe of your brain which affects your judgment.
Basically, people don’t do anything while they’re drunk that they haven’t thought about a lot beforehand.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic So that would explain why people drive drunk, even though they are against it. They KNOW how to drive, and they think about driving a lot (consciously or unconsciously) so when their judgment gets impaired they might not hesitate to get behind the wheel of a car, because it’s something they do every day anyway. Does that make sense?

Impaired judgment.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic I was kind of referring back to @poisonedantidote ‘s comment…

I’ve never done anything drunk that I wouldn’t do sober. However it’s usually harder to talk me into something when I am sober.

I think it’s very true. I’ve always been a believer that alcohol doesn’t change people – it brings out their true personality. Being around someone when they’re drunk enables you to get a kind of deeper glimpse into their mind that you wouldn’t otherwise normally get.

Well, it is true, I have never given in to anyone just because I was too drunk, alcohol doesnt really make you lose your mind well sometimes it does but the point is that if you trully believe in something, nothing can make you change, not even getting wasted !! ALcohol just makes you do things faster, without thinking but it doesnt change you.

@poisonedantidote I see the drunk driving example as being one of Alcohol lessening one’s intelligence/rationality. Of course you don’t have a desire to drive drunk. You know better. You’re intelligent and rational and sensible enough to know how terrible an idea that is. Alcohol removes those qualities.

@DrasticDreamer Exactly. If you aren’t a drug user, your not going to suddenly say, “Hey! Lets shoot up some heroin tonight!” after too many drinks.
This is prompting me to ask another drunk question. I’m going to get a bad reputation here!!

@MrItty

But I think with drunk drivers, it’s more “I’m not that drunk, don’t worry, I can drive.” It’s like the refusal to admit that you’re impaired.

@DominicX True that. Just maturity, I guess, but now, if I’ve had more than two beers or a couple of drinks, I flat don’t drive. And I never get the urge to if I end up drinking even more. For that I’m glad. Very glad. But…part of it is, I’m usually at home, not out and about where I need wheels to get back home.

I’m particularly proud of this generation which stresses “designated drivers.” My kids and their friends do that.

@Val123 Actually i’ve seen tons of people start drugs while on alcohol. I think it is because it’s not against their values though, just something they wouldn’t do while sober. I don’t know if that distinction makes clear sense or not but it does to me.

@RedPowerLady That’s why I used a hard drug, like Heroin, as an example and not MaryJane or something….I’m from the 70’s, and experimented with some of the drugs (nothing harder than speed) but again, I set the time and place as to when I would try this or that drug. It never happened spontaneously, drinking or not….

@MrItty said “Alcohol can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. ”
I agree, but alcohol can make you decide something is a really good idea, when you would never think so sober.

@Val123 I never did a hard drug while drunk because it was against my values. But I know others who did and it was against theirs as well. I think drug use is shaky ground when it comes to this topic. Meth and Heroin are examples of drugs I know people started while drinking.

@ccrow Yeah! “I have a GREAT idea! I’ll text my old lover”... at 4 a.m.!! Which I’ve never done…just a joke I heard.
@RedPowerLady That would scare the crap out of me!

@Val123 Tell me about it. I’m at a party where I know most everyone and thinks its safe then walk into a back room with some serious drug users. And see friends go back there who I know don’t do that typically or never have before. It is scary. I don’t hang around those scenes anymore btw. In fact far from it.

@ccrow concurred

@RedPowerLady Yeah, the things we learn can be so shocking.