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Comment by tdfx | Hacker News Reader

I'm not a naturally extroverted person, but when I drink I trend more towards that personality type. I spend less time overanalyzing things and I am more engaged with the people around me. In a way it "dumbs me down" and makes me think a bit less, which makes me more social, whereas the completely sober me would sit there lost in my own thoughts.

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Am I right to understand that you think you couldn't behave like this without alcohol?

Even if drugs may help in the short term to act ‚more open’ — everything you do when you're drunk is because of you and not caused by the drug!

Be concious and open and people will be open to you. The world around you is a mirror of yourself!

I've certainly given this plenty of thought. The idea of alcohol slowing my mind down is only appealing in social situations and I've never found drinking in and of itself to be enjoyable. I consider it a "social enhancement" -- and of course, there's certainly a point where it becomes a hinderance.

Interestingly enough, I've definitely found myself in the same social state without alcohol on occasion, but alcohol is the only method I know of that can reliably induce it. It's definitely a crutch I would love to discard but at the moment there's no replacement.

Is it only in the short term though? I think having positive social experiences while slightly drunk can improve your confidence in social situations in general.

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