What possesses people to behave so stupidly under the influence of alcohol?

[SmartIdiot]

Ok, I feel compelled to start this topic as it's 2:45AM and I have just finished my 13 hour shift which ended with me having to clean up a totally trashed bar and the police and ambulance services outside because some IDIOT smashed one of our windows then 'fell' on the glass. Aside from that the general pandemonium of the night has been nagging at me. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed socialising with the customers and observing how their behaviour changed as they drank more and as it happens it was actually a pretty good shift. However, given the way things just deteriorated into broken glass everywhere and up-ended chairs and tables I just wonder...

Why?

I've witnessed so much of this behaviour, hell I'm no saint I've been a total bastard before I learned a few things. Yet it's the people who keep doing it. Why do people do such stupid things like glassing each other and starting arguements over petty things, which they probably wouldn't think twice about normally, when they are drunk? Repeatedly. It's easy and truthful to say it's because alcohol removes your inhibitions and emotions run high and the usual pass-offs, but there's more to it than that. What do you think?

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

I think it has something to do with the alcohol.

 

[Drake the Dragonheart]

Well the simple explanation is that alcohol reduces or impairs your judgement, removes inhibition, has a tendency to increase aggression, which is worse when it is combined with the first two, and often but not always will drop intelligence as well.
While I am sure it is probably more complicated than I am making it seem, that is it in a nutshell.

 

[Lukirre]

The better question would be "Why do people partake in gross amounts of alcohol when they know this behaviour is associated with it?"

It makes no sense.

 

[Gitsnik]

Well the simple explanation is that alcohol reduces or impairs your judgement, removes inhibition, has a tendency to increase aggression, which is worse when it is combined with the first two, and often but not always will drop intelligence as well.
While I am sure it is probably more complicated than I am making it seem, that is it in a nutshell.

I think people use it as an excuse as well. I drink significant amounts of alcohol (at one point there upwards of $600 worth of vodka and scotch per week) and don't get all rowdy and what not. In fact, I never have.

The same applies to all the guys I grew up with.

BUT

Alcohol does reduce inhibitions, free us up and what not, we've been known to dance or whatever, yet we don't get into big rage fueled punch ups.

Interestingly, the older fella's I drink around at the pub don't get into punch ups either, and thinking back to the previous generations brawls they tended to be amongst young army jocks who thought they had something to prove.

So that's my opinion, people use alcohol as an excuse to act like a cock.

 

[zen5887]

Yeah

Totally has somthing to do with the Alcohol

 

[Inverse Skies]

The alcohol affects reasoning and judgement as it saturates cells of the brain and causes vital neurotransmitters and proteins to not function as well as they normally would. It causes a loss in inhibition which contributes largely to their stupid behaviour, and they stumble because the cerebellum, which controls balance, is affected by the alcohol it is bathed in.

All their behaviours are caused by two things, A) because their neurons are now bathed in alcohol and don't function as well, and B) people are actually inclined to act stupider in social situations like that as it's a learned behaviour. They feel like because they've gotten drunk and acted stupid before, their brain thinks that's the behaviour that goes with all situations that are of that sort, so even if they're not that drunk they can still act stupidly because of that subconscious learned behaviour complex.

 

[Chaz D]

Yeah, the answer's in the title - alcohol.

 

[Bullfrog1983]

I think it has something to do with the alcohol.

I think the Warlord here is onto something.

 

[Aedwynn]

Sometimes, some people are just looking for a fight. Drunk people tend to be easier to provoke.

 

[Labyrinth]

People wish to have an escape. Alcohol provides one, but it also removes both inhibitions and evaluative abilities. When drunk people don't often see the full consequences of their actions. This can easily lead to situations such as the one described as anger bubbles up and self-restraint disappears. Alcohol can also act as an excuse. "It's not my fault! I wasn't thinking straight!"

 

[space_oddity]

Alot of people use alcohol as a subconscious disinhibitor as an excuse to express things they would otherwise suppress or ignore.

People get drunk so they can be asshats. Its the excuse as well as the reason.

 

[bmf185]

Alcohol removes your inhibitions.
That is to say, while under the influence, you are the most you you can be.
In other words: People are stupid by nature, alcohol just lets them act that way without fear of being judged.

Does this explain how I am somehow in the Army when drunk? But seriously, it is fun to tell new people whatever you want.

 

[SmartIdiot]

The alcohol affects reasoning and judgement as it saturates cells of the brain and causes vital neurotransmitters and proteins to not function as well as they normally would. It causes a loss in inhibition which contributes largely to their stupid behaviour, and they stumble because the cerebellum, which controls balance, is affected by the alcohol it is bathed in.

All their behaviours are caused by two things, A) because their neurons are now bathed in alcohol and don't function as well, and B) people are actually inclined to act stupider in social situations like that as it's a learned behaviour. They feel like because they've gotten drunk and acted stupid before, their brain thinks that's the behaviour that goes with all situations that are of that sort, so even if they're not that drunk they can still act stupidly because of that subconscious learned behaviour complex.

This makes most sense so far. Knew the first paragraph, hadn't really considered the second, now I'm learning something.

To all the people giving the smart-ass-captain-obvious answers, you make me smile.

 

[Inverse Skies]

This makes most sense so far. Knew the first paragraph, hadn't really considered the second, now I'm learning something.

To all the people giving the smart-ass-captain-obvious answers, you make me smile.

Psychologists have done experiments where they put a group of people in a social situation where alcohol would be consumed (such as a bar) and then give them nothing but alcohol-free drinks and they STILL act like they're getting drunk (ie talking louder, slurred speech, freedom of inhibitions, moving closer and becoming more interested in the opposite sex etc).

This simply happens because their brain thinks that's how they're supposed to act in that situation, regardless of whether or nor alcohol has been consumed. It's actually quite an interesting area of psychology.

EDIT: I forgot earlier, they can also wake up with headaches as if they're hungover from such an experiment. The subconscious mind really plays quite a large part in determining behaviour and how the body responds to certain situations.

 

[santaandy]

Why do people du stupid things when *not* under the influence of alcohol? The answer is simple my friend:

People, as a whole, suck.