Sunday, December 6, 2009

On Drinking Well - A Guide to Libations

By David Artstone

Slate and Artstone - Alcohol is one of the oldest institutions in human society. Some researchers claim that all of civilization was started as a way for humans to more easily produce beer. However, it has always been a double edged sword, proving both recreation and embarrassment to those who play with its intoxicating effects.

The key to drinking well is to find a balance. You want to sip just enough to lose the shackles of inhibition, without losing the control of good sense. Understanding this balance gives you power over the way that people perceive you.

A classic scene is to think of James Bond in a stylish suite sipping on a Vodka martini. This picture embodies sophistication. He is drinking, but he is in total control of the alcohol, and thus dominating it, he can enjoy the night and its mild effects. He chooses what happens next, and doesn't let the alcohol do the talking for him.

Many people drink out of fear and anxiety. This is not a healthy approach to life. Self medication of psychological problems only leads to a self destructive spiral. Instead you should drink to celebrate, to enhance and enjoy a situation, and to revel in the beauty of life. Drinking has to be a positive experience, or it will swiftly become a negative one.

That is why the sophisticated drinker will deal with their problems head on, in a sober and confrontational manner. Maybe you need the help of a friend, or the compassionate ear of a psychologist. Whatever the medium, you should be happy when you take your first sip of liquor.

This is because liquor tends to release pent up or sublimated emotional pain. That means that while you are hiding, and distancing yourself from this pain with each drink, you are also integrating the pain into your personality. This can result in you getting sad or getting into fights, when sober you would never consider such actions.

Being a sophisticated drinker is basically about control, derived through balance. You can't use liquor to solve your problems. Instead, it should be a toast, a celebration of life. Leave therapy to the couch, drinking is about fun and excitement, and all of the best things in life.

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