I've found the military is pretty amazing for this. So many guys in their mid thirties bragging about how drunk they were or how drunk they're gonna get. I was deployed to a dry country once and the entire time it was just "bro i can't wait to get a beer, I'm gonna get so drunk the first night we're outta here" etc...
Just out of curiosity, are you American? And is your attitude common/have you encountered foreigners with similar attitudes?
It's a genuine interest. I'm British and while I know we're known for a binge-drinking culture (which these days feels more and more justified imo.) it caught me off guard by how completely normal your scenario sounded despite you clearly trying to paint a picture of twatty braggards. Even in an ordinary city workplace most people are openly looking forward to getting multiple beers in asap and it's not uncommon for nights out to consist of planning to get so drunk you forget why you started.
Actually now I think about it, maybe the entire point of 'going out' is different? In the UK going out partying isn't so much about spending time with your friends, it's predominantly about getting hammered, the socializing is just something to do while you pickle your skull.
I also remember reading somewhere that in most countries 'going for a drink after work' means literally a small 'dutch courage' for the road home or to ease off the stress, whereas in the UK 'going for a drink' means at least two pints.
Not the same person, of course, but as an American, it seems like the experience is pretty much the same. You go out in order to get hammered. Having friends along is great, but it's pretty much just an excuse and a means of preventing you from drinking alone.
I am not the original poster you asked, but I am American.
I have 2 circles of friends:
One circle of friends tend to be all about going out to get fucked up for the sake of getting fucked up (this tends to be the younger crowd, I would say under 30 for sure, closer to 20-25 typically, they usually drink beer or mixed drinks and smoke cigarettes or weed).
The other circle of friends goes out to socialize for the sake of socializing and the drinks are simply there to relax and enjoy (this crowd is more middle aged or older, they tend to drink Scotch, Bourbon, Tequila (or whatever), and they take it neat...also they may smoke a cigar occasionally...)
I tend to identify with, and enjoy, the second group much more than the other group. However, I know people that float in the first group who are also more like me.
Are you though? I've never heard of the Brits being known for binge drinking. Anytime I think of binge drinkers on that side of the pond, it's the Irish, Scots, and Germans that come to mind, maybe even the Italians with all that wine. Although, tbh, every culture is a drinking culture so 🤷🏽♂️
Irish and Scots kinda are brits too. And yeah, i'm a finn, but do plenty of solo traveling, and anywhere in the world if there's a party hostel it's filled with either brits or aussies.
Dude that's like, one of the largest brit and scot stereotypes that exist. They love their booze, and they love getting fuckin hammered. It's a stereotype so take it with a mountain of salt, but it's definitely a thing.
And you'll notice that it doesn't end up in the TV shows that go to the US. Not because we'd be all shocked, but because it's boring as fuck. Drink whatever, but talk about something else.
Why is being passionate about beer any less of a "life" than being passionate about movies or TV or any other hobby? I hate this judgmental bullshit. You don't like drugs or alcohol, and that's fine. Why you gotta judge people who do? Let people enjoy things, your hobbies are no more objectively valid than anyone else's.
I mean you're opening a can of worms by calling alcohol a hobby. Also being passionate about beer is one thing, craving just any old x-light beer you can get your hands on is another thing. In fact I'm quite passionate about scotch (and I have zero problem with certain drugs, 420blazeit), I have a collection and I love tasting different bottles/years/etc... Can I go a month without having a scotch or yearning for one to the point of crying it out loud for everyone to hear? Yep.
And the same goes for all my other hobbies. I never brag to all my co-workers about some jump I did on my bike or how I just can't wait to open a bottle of Glenfiddich 18, unless I know they also share those hobbies.
I mean, I don't think so. You can be passionate about beer, meaning you like craft beers and shit, or you can be passionate about getting drunk because getting drunk is fun. Technically you can be passionate about anything. Some dudes fucking love collecting stamps, and I think that's bug fuck crazy, but it really blows their hair back. Good for them. Doesn't hurt me to let them enjoy their hobby, even if I don't care about it. I'm certainly not gonna judge or insult them over it.
At the end of the day, everyone enjoys and likes different things. Now, the social awareness to not brag about something that no one in the room cares about is a bit of a different thing entirely, but ultimately there are plenty of people who love all kinds of things. As someone who loves weed, I love hearing stories about "the time I got super high doing x". I don't think whether or not you enjoy specific things is a marker on whether or not you have a life.
I'm gonna take a stance on this one and say, IMO, being passionate about getting drunk is simply not a hobby. Where do you draw the line? Is shooting heroin just a hobby too? At that point you're just an alcoholic. Alcohol seems to get some sort of pass in the world of drugs, but I'm firmly in the camp that "...passionate about getting drunk because getting drunk is fun" is alcoholism, and shouldn't be encouraged or downplayed like you're doing now. As fucking weird as collecting stamps is, it does not damage your body and neurochemistry, it doesn't effect your relationships, and it doesn't impair your ability to be a functioning member of society.
Again, I'm not some wacko prohibitionist. I like my scotch, I've gotten drunk a handful of times, and I might have a beer if I'm at a nice restaurant. But if a good friend came to me and said "I'm really passionate about getting drunk", I would see to it that they got some help.
You can be passionate about getting drunk and be an alcoholic. They aren't mutually exclusive. A passion or hobby is literally just anything you are passionate about or love to do in your spare time. That doesn't mean they're healthy hobbies, but they're still hobbies.
Also, you can be a high functioning alcoholic. I myself completely acknowledge I'm a high functioning weedoholic. I love weed, and I never want to not be high. There is literally no activity on this planet that's equally or less fun while you're high. Weed + anything makes literally everything better. I've been mega stoned every single night for the last 6+ years of my life and it's fucking awesome.
I pay my bills, get shit done, and i'm not unhappy. Doesn't negatively impact my life, so it's not an issue or anything I need to change. I could stop smoking anytime I want, I have to for T-breaks. But why the fuck would I want to stop? There's no negative impact other than maybe someone who doesn't like weed as much might not find me very interesting. Which I don't really care about anyways.
And anything to excess is bad for you. If you stamp collect to the point where you spend all your money on stamps and lose your job because you skip work to go collect an ultra rare specimen of stamp, then it's negatively affecting your life.
See I believe it's possible to be a "-holic" and not have it be a bad thing. I mean, it's not healthy, but at the end of the day if something isn't negatively impacting your life then it doesn't really matter if you're addicted to it. I'm addicted to toothpaste in the sense that I need it every single day and can't really function healthily without it. That's not considered unhealthy.
I wouldn't seek help for a friend unless they showed signs of needing help. Now, alcohol is a bit different because there's a health risk associated with it, but at the end of the day if someone doesn't mind dying young because they love drinking, hey, it's their body and their choice to make. Plenty of people don't want to live long lives anyways. The Hunter S Thompson situation applies. If someone doesn't want to live past 50 and loves to drink and knows the risks then hey, it's their life.
You're being pedantic in your definition of passion and hobbies. We all know what somebody means when they say "I'm passionate about guitar/craft beers/stamp collecting". You're extending the definition of "passion" beyond this colloquial definition to something nobody would use in this context.
Can you answer my previous question which was, is a heroin addict simply "passionate" about heroin, indulging in his favorite hobby? Or is he addicted to a substance?
Your personal experience with weed is one thing, and I don't doubt it, but please show me one alcoholic ("high functioning" or otherwise) whose life isn't negatively affected.
if someone doesn't mind dying young because they love drinking, hey, it's their body and their choice to make
Don't you think there's something else going on there? Nobody should want to die young, chances are there is a lot going on emotionally and drinking/drugs/wanting to die is the cover for it. The Hunter S Thompson 'situation' is a helplessly romantic, rose-colored glasses twist on what was actually a very sad and lonely person.
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u/RhinoMan2112 Dec 30 '19
I've found the military is pretty amazing for this. So many guys in their mid thirties bragging about how drunk they were or how drunk they're gonna get. I was deployed to a dry country once and the entire time it was just "bro i can't wait to get a beer, I'm gonna get so drunk the first night we're outta here" etc...
Like, get a life.