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The Zen of Drinking Alone

drunkard.com

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Re: The Zen of Drinking Alone

#171

Post by Spinnaker_ »

delusional wrote: post #44
AndyKelley wrote: post #28

This is poetic, but if you break it down into a syllogism, it's clear that this is totally stupid. Removing the flowery language, here are the claims and supporting arguments, along with my rebuttals. * Drinking alone helps you understand yourself better. - No it doesn't. It distracts you from that endeavor. If you sit at a table with no TV or phone and do nothing, you will have a significantly more interesting and h…

This magazine or blog or whatever seems to either be an elaborate joke or bait or something: >Are you guys for real? >Yes. While there is some satire involved, we believe to the very core of our >souls every word we write. >Who are you? >We are a group of functional alcoholics based primarily in Denver, CO. Included in our ranks are published novelists, filmmakers, English gentlemen, barflies, punk rock musicians, co…

I definitely used to think that way. It's the type of thing that is a lot of fun to be a part of, until it isn't anymore. It's a thrilling way to self identify, until it becomes your entire identity.

I hope they all end up ok.

Re: The Zen of Drinking Alone

#172

Post by _8j50 »

The rich "glamp" like the poor get homeless and those for whom company is a choice think doing things alone is ok, even a treat. Nothing wrong with it in my opinion, so long as one chooses to be alone or do things alone.

I would just like to emplore such people to seek an alternative perspective that their experience might be drastically different if they did not choose the situation to start with.

Chosing to drink alone and not having someone to drink with are different things. If you are in the latter camp, don't try to normalize or enjoy the situation. Find a drinking buddy or figure out how to meet and make such friends.

Re: The Zen of Drinking Alone

#173

Post by jayd16 »

AndyKelley wrote: post #28

This is poetic, but if you break it down into a syllogism, it's clear that this is totally stupid. Removing the flowery language, here are the claims and supporting arguments, along with my rebuttals. * Drinking alone helps you understand yourself better. - No it doesn't. It distracts you from that endeavor. If you sit at a table with no TV or phone and do nothing, you will have a significantly more interesting and h…

I don't know if this is entirely fair. A drink can loosen you up and stop you from fixation. This *might lead to new introspection.

Re: The Zen of Drinking Alone

#174

Post by fuzzfactor »

coldtea wrote: post #118
delusional wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This magazine or blog or whatever seems to either be an elaborate joke or bait or something: >Are you guys for real? >Yes. While there is some satire involved, we believe to the very core of our >souls every word we write. >Who are you? >We are a group of functional alcoholics based primarily in Denver, CO. Included in our ranks are published novelists, filmmakers, English gentlemen, barflies, punk rock musicians, co…

> This magazine or blog or whatever seems to either be an elaborate joke or bait or something Or you know, part of the once respected in some circles tradition of self-destruction with style, before everybody started jogging and going vegan to live to 100 years old as a "productive" boring member of society...

There's always lots of other industrial solvents that are even more toxic by the gram or even relatively few milligrams.

OTOH real decadence has been more sustainable forever the less toxic it is.

Re: The Zen of Drinking Alone

#175

Post by felipemnoa »

coldtea wrote: post #118
delusional wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This magazine or blog or whatever seems to either be an elaborate joke or bait or something: >Are you guys for real? >Yes. While there is some satire involved, we believe to the very core of our >souls every word we write. >Who are you? >We are a group of functional alcoholics based primarily in Denver, CO. Included in our ranks are published novelists, filmmakers, English gentlemen, barflies, punk rock musicians, co…

> This magazine or blog or whatever seems to either be an elaborate joke or bait or something Or you know, part of the once respected in some circles tradition of self-destruction with style, before everybody started jogging and going vegan to live to 100 years old as a "productive" boring member of society...

Being productive can be lots of fun. To each their own of course.

Re: The Zen of Drinking Alone

#176

Post by Pxtl »

I make myself a cocktail about every other day, so I'm no stranger to drinking alone... but this smells like a very dangerous attitude about alcohol.

"No bartender to cut you off" - if that happens to you regularly and avoiding it is a big reason to drink alone? That sounds like problem drinking.

Re: The Zen of Drinking Alone

#177

Post by dilap »

AndyKelley wrote: post #28

This is poetic, but if you break it down into a syllogism, it's clear that this is totally stupid. Removing the flowery language, here are the claims and supporting arguments, along with my rebuttals. * Drinking alone helps you understand yourself better. - No it doesn't. It distracts you from that endeavor. If you sit at a table with no TV or phone and do nothing, you will have a significantly more interesting and h…

I've definitely had realizations drinking alone. It's not a state you want to be in all the time, or even often, but it can be useful. It's sort of like a random jump in the mental search space to get out of local minima.

(Though perhaps I could train myself mentally to be able to enter these more loose states w/o alcohol, and that would be even better?)

Re: The Zen of Drinking Alone

#178

Post by nobody9999 »

koolba wrote: post #108
jerkstate wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

depends on the friends, tbh

Indeed. Being a part of a young high functioning group of alcoholics leads to some very interesting situations. In contrast, drinking alone is more of a solemn affair. When I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself.

>In contrast, drinking alone is more of a solemn affair. When I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself.

George[0], is that you?

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E9ydw_aDMg

Re: The Zen of Drinking Alone

#179

Post by nefitty »

Spinnaker_ wrote: post #171
delusional wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This magazine or blog or whatever seems to either be an elaborate joke or bait or something: >Are you guys for real? >Yes. While there is some satire involved, we believe to the very core of our >souls every word we write. >Who are you? >We are a group of functional alcoholics based primarily in Denver, CO. Included in our ranks are published novelists, filmmakers, English gentlemen, barflies, punk rock musicians, co…

I definitely used to think that way. It's the type of thing that is a lot of fun to be a part of, until it isn't anymore. It's a thrilling way to self identify, until it becomes your entire identity. I hope they all end up ok.

I was sort of forced out of that identity by COVID lockdown and domestic imperatives. I used to be proud of how many cans I could pound in a session before I got kicked out of a bar. Now, if I or anyone else do that, it's a huge pain in the ass.

I still don't trust people that have never been drunks, though. There's something about the forceful rejection of social norms involved in becoming an alcoholic that I find resonates with me. It's akin to the punk ethos. The problem definitely is when people mistake being a drunk dickhead with being punk.

Re: The Zen of Drinking Alone

#180

Post by tagoregrtst »

okareaman wrote: post #76
ineedasername wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you don't mind sharing, what finally made it stick when you stopped?

Most "real [1]" alcoholics try over and over to stop like myself and Bill Wilson. The following story from the Big Book illustrates the problem [2] Yet he got drunk again. We asked him to tell us exactly how it happened. This is his story: "I came to work on Tuesday morning. I remember I felt irritated that I had to be a salesman for a concern I once owned. I had a few words with the boss, but nothing serious. Then I…

Do you mind if I ask what was your trauma?

I ask because on the one hand it’s fair to say that I’ve never suffered. Not like my wife. Not like many on this board.

On the other I have have a pain, and I know where it’s from, but it seems so idiotic compared to what others have suffered.

And yet I seek escapism, the trance state where I try to forget my existence.

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