Comment on Did it really used to be common for guys to go to a bar every night like in Cheers or The Simpsons?
Zirconium@lemmy.world 19 hours agoI turned legal drinking age this year and alcoholic drinks at bars and events is so expensive. $8-$14 for anything that isn’t beer. Not enough to get a buzz for more than 10 minutes. Back to mocktails for me. I also am extremely socially awkward and don’t know how to order so maybe that’s got something to do with it
krashmo@lemmy.world 19 hours ago
That’s what the booze is supposed to help with. Whether or not it does is up for debate but it certainly makes you worry less and that’s a huge part of awkwardness.
LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
People think alcohol fixes problems, really it only makes problems worse & causes more problems.
some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
Anyone who thinks alcohol “fixes problems” is probably not a serious person. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who truly believes that.
Alcohol is, however, an inextricable part of the human experience throughout the world.
LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
People who drink do indeed report that in the height of inebriation, everything in their lives feels quite good & well. Then they report the hell of the hangover the next day, and the craving for more alcohol so they can feel good again. A perpetual cycle of drunkenness that eventually affects career & family & finances & domicile stability.
I’ve never had alcohol in my life. Poisoning oneself does not need to be normalized.
Soggy@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
Many Native American cultures did not know about alcohol before it was introduced by Europeans, same in Australia and New Zealand. The many deleterious effects of colonization are certainly “a significant element in their cultural development” but maybe not in the way you intended.
krashmo@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
I wouldn’t necessarily say it fixes problems and if it does it certainly isn’t free of cost in more than one way. I do think it can temporarily lessen some anxieties that one might view as obstacles to happiness because they impede one’s ability to engage in meaningful social interaction. I also think that making friends and finding romantic partners are learned behaviors that you need practice to get good at. If alcohol can help you be social enough to make friends in a new place or find a partner then I can see why someone would say it fixed a problem for them. It’s certainly more expedient and cost effective than therapy to get past your hangups would be.
That said, that sort of “responsible” use of alcohol isn’t without its drawbacks and risks. I don’t know how common it is either. Perhaps that’s just what people who like to drink tell themselves to avoid feeling shame about their behavior.