Explain yourselves, non-drinkers.
Why don't we peer pressure the drunks?
“I’m on a cycle of anabolic steroids, can’t drink,” I told the host, who accepted my explanation. And yes one was expected. When you don’t drink, people think you’re a freak show.
If you tell them you’re a recovering alcoholic, that’s an acceptable reason for sobriety. But try explaining that you don’t drink because you don’t really care to.
Why aren’t you drinking tonight?
Come on man, take a shot.
[Friend brings over shots, so you pretend to take it but toss it into a plant or on the bar flood behind you.]
This topic came up recently because Marc Andreessen quit drinking, and boy do people have questions!
The Tweet goes into hundreds of words, consistent with what non-drinkers deal with. Explain yourself, sober man!
People are asking him:
Why not drink a little on weekends?
What replaces the ritual of drinking?
Aren’t you just one of those preachy converts who proselytizes to virtue signal?
Do I look down on friends who still drink? Hell no, I envy them!
Was Prohibition a good idea?
MY GOODNESS.
The Prohibition comment is the most hilarious. Weed heads ask the same moronic questions. When I tell people to not smoke marijuana, they all accuse me of supporting the militarization of police tactics as used in the Drug War and bring up boozing.
If your mind jumps from, “Cerno doesn’t think x is good,” to a full panic attack, THEN YOU ARE A CREEPY ADDICT. You probably do need to go to rehab.
My relationship with alcohol is privileged. I can drink without it changing my personality. I don’t black out. I can go months or years at a time without drinking. (It’s been over a year since I tried taking a sip of Yamazaki 18 at a New Year’s Eve family event.)
Around two years ago, I saw what alcohol did to my resting heart rate. After a cigar night, I watched my pre-bedtime heart rate go from the usual 55-65 to 90 and then 110.
(Whoop and Oura and other fitness trackers must be decimating Big Alcohol.)
I went from drinking wine most nights to rarely drinking, to now not drinking at all.
Fortunately today I’m well known as an eccentric. People don’t ask too many questions. But in the olden times, I’d not drink “for no reason,” and dealt with endless peer pressure and interrogatories.
The reason I bring up this Dear Diary entry is because The Science (TM) went from falsely claiming alcohol was healthy to admitting 0 alcohol is the ideal.
People are freaking out. What about the pro-social elements?
Why do we have this need to lie to ourselves?
Everyone wants to rationalize their way into drinking. Which is pathetic and shows a midwit mind. If you want to drink, why lie?
Some friends and I host a semi-regular cigar night.
I don’t go, “Hmm. Hanging out with friends has been shown by The Science (TM) to have benefits. Hence smoking this cigar is ASKHUALLY good for me.”
No. I smoke a cigar occasionally, enjoy it, and because cigars are an indulgence, I only smoke the best ones.
I would love to smoke a cigar in the morning with a double espresso and then one at night to reflect on the day. Three young children at home means I have to exercise more and not smoke regular cigars.
If I were single and didn’t plan on siring offspring, or if my kids were full-grown adults, I’d probably “risk it” by enjoying more cigars. (That is not health advice.)
Tradeoffs.
The Techno Gnostic Obsession with OPTIMAL.
That header will be a full article, as I’ve noticed a trend with people in high income jobs and especially those who are “in tech” or “finance.”
They will argue to death whether drinking can be beneficial, as they are afraid to admit drinking isn’t optimal.
But these same people aren’t even doing cardio. They don’t even lift. They are utterly afraid of their own bodies and basic biological processes.
Drugs (like alcohol or the Pfizer vaccine) are to be used. The Body is gross and can’t be trusted. Give it more of The Science (TM).
Zoning out at a low heart rate while you pedal a stationary bicycle or take a long walk, trusting your own body to generate mitochondria, is prehistoric.
If you don’t even lift, why are you asking if you can “get away with” drinking. You can’t.
If you lift, do cardio (low end and occasional VO2 max intervals), and eat enough protein, then is drinking really that bad? Probably not. Life is a mixed bag. If you want to be totally safe, don’t drive a car.
I don’t drink and don’t expect to anytime soon. But if some friends and I did a wine tasting, I wouldn’t need any podcaster’s permission to do so.
Get an assault bike (I have a Peloton), do some intervals, and that will more than improve your life more than stressing yourself out over occasional social drinking.
To use a cliche because I’m running out of time and need to get leg day in before my baby boy wakes up from his nap, IT SAYS A LOT about society that healthy people are the outcasts and have to defend their positive lifestyle choices.
Maybe we should be the ones harassing people for drinking?
Same w/ Porn. Haven't watched porn in almost 4 years and people look at me like I'm crazy if the topic is brought up.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T WATCH PORN. HE'S DEFINITELY LYING!
uh, I love my wife and am attracted to her and prefer not to support demonic influences or human trafficking. But that makes you an outcast.
Drinking is my gateway to explicit vanity behaviors and heartburn, but I'll say "for lent" because it is a lighter, innocuous reason.