Disclaimer: the following is merely one (or a collection of) perspective(s) for the purpose of exploration & contemplation, not to dismiss or downplay others. Every life is unique and there is a full spectrum of truths we may each experience differently than others, and nothing herein is written as any sort of one-size-fits-all truth. Take it all with a grain (or rim, prior to a tequila shot) of salt.
Somehow, YouTube’s algorithm ended up serving me a bunch of “why I quit alcohol” videos lately. And while it’s not the first time I’ve thought/felt this, I’ve noticed some sort of cult-like about many of the perspectives on the subject.
Of course, we gotta take the word “cult” loosely here. Perhaps leaning towards the broader ”culture” from which it may be derived rather than the stereotypical image of a bunch of asylum-escapees in robes worships a leader prescribing batshit-crazy theories as gospel. Certainly, there is a wide range of cult-ish phenomena that occurs in the human realm - not all requiring rigid conformity to strict definitions of the word, though obtaining many characteristics simply in the dimension of borderline-fanatical belief of some sort or another which become part of a personal identity as associating with attachment. (And certainly, those with eyes to see have seen the intensity with which cult-ish behaviour can pervade mass populations the last three years as billions of people bowed down to the alter of “science” pushed by the ‘church’ of government and institutions, participating in rituals that’ve turned out no less deadly for millions than Jim Jones’ kool-aid. But lest i digress.)
You probably have some idea of what i mean… similar to the newfound vegan who upon abandoning meat and has to announce it to everyone who’ll lend an ear, so to there is perhaps a more subtle similarity in attitude amongst many who’ve given up alcohol.
Granted, there are surely valid reasons why choosing not to drink isn’t a horrible choice. No debate there. Though time and time again in these discussions, it seems people present their reasons and the benefits as though it’s some all-or-nothing issue that life is infinitely better sober and there’s no middle ground of moderation… and often with an ever-so-slight undertone of self-righteousness under the surface. Few might outright say it, but you can sense there’s this judgement, as though they have ‘arrived’ and ‘seen the light,’ while the rest of mere mortals enjoying a fine drink every now and then have yet to ascend to the same level of spiritual advancement or some shit.
Needless to say, life ain’t exactly so black and white all the time.
I’d grazed on this before on this a while back here: SPIRITS: Dispelling The New-Age Condemnation Bullshit - which may surely be a great accompaniment to this outlook. Though since, I’ve had some personal experience taking some longer breaks from drinking to bring back into the picture…
While there certainly seem to be many who advocate for quitting alcohol, their experiences don’t match up with my own. (Big surprise… “to each their own.” Who’d have thought.)
While living in Revelstoke for a couple years, I’d done maybe 3 breaks of about 5 months at a time. And was I radiantly glowing and on some super higher vibe than when I drink…? No. Not really. Did I achieve any elevated degree of clarity or was noticeably healthier in any way that was obviously attributable to the lack of alcohol and would justify giving it up indefinitely? No.
Of course, if someone has issues with drinking, can’t control themselves, and experience notable negative impacts it has on their lives, that’s a different story altogether. Yet, it often seems presented by many who’ve quit - or maybe just the small subsection of those who’ve I’ve observed giving their sales pitches about it - as though the same perks to quitting are gonna be the same for everyone. Like one dude who listed off a number of points in his video, while listening to, I’ve fully experienced equally while still having alcohol in my life due to drinking in moderation.
And sure, there have also been periods where I’ve drank in a bit more than moderation. (There was more than the random one-off in over a decade of drinking i had more than a few… and still safely got home riding the motorbike in Bali home at 80 km/h without a helmet - although i wouldn’t be attempting the same at this point in my life.) Hell, this year I’ve been surfing a tequila wave, having developed a taste for Grand Marnier margaritas and been on a streak of ‘testing’ out different tequilas… which has surely accumulated to an amount of booze ingested throughout 2023 that I surely wouldn’t want to admit to any doctor and might border on that conservative textbook “alcoholic” definition. So, it seemed appropriate to take a break along with a dietary cleanse/program I’ve successfully procrastinated on for a year. And three weeks later, are there life-changing differences? No.
Surprisingly, I really haven’t noticed much difference at all. (And take it as a good sign I’m not an alcoholic, as have had zero cravings for any.) And while there was a brief moment I thought it actually might have made a difference to the experience of “depression” that i started the break with… nope. The emotional waves (whether due to my Emotional Authority in Human Design or not) have their own life, seemingly unaffected by alcohol - which was sorta obvious given the last major dip into some deep longer-term lows came like 4 months after having stopped drinking last year. So no matter how many damn videos YouTube serves up of dudes and chikas raving about how much better their lives are off booze… it’s starting to sound like some cult shit. Lol.
Extreme choice of words, sure. But you know that sorta glazed-over look in the eyes as someone is regurgitating a script, full of excitement, which the sense that they’re unconsciously attached to convincing others that their way of living and belief system are the ultimate path to salvation? That.
That same energy as the vegan on his mission. That same vibe of the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses smiling almost creepily as passing them on the street corner. That same enthusiasm as the MLM people giving their pitch. That same look in the eyes as the blue-hair “liberals” still wearing masks over a year after mandates have ended after their 7th CONVID shot repeating whatever the latest political slogan pushed by MSM is. That same aura of the “spiritual” life coach in their marketing their $5000 cookie cutter “financial abundance” program to create more “life coaches.” That same rhetoric of the “entrepreneur” giving his “motivational speech” that’s just a reconfiguration of the basic hustle-porn tenets. That same essence of anyone who’s tried out any belief system or health protocol for 5 minutes, is absolutely thrilled to have noticed some minor “result” that probably has more to do with other coexistent factors yet is subconsciously seeking the external validation of others by attempting to reel them into the same program. Etc, etc, etc.
(Perhaps it may be sinking in that this post is not just about the alcohol topic. 😉)
Welcome to the human realm.
None of the above is to imply that anyone is wrong. We’re all here on this journey of experiencing a wide range of things and experiences, stumbling our way through trials and errors and discoveries of all sorts. And no doubt, we’re all on our individual fractals - many of those videos of people raving about no-alcohol probably speaking to someone to whom it does make a difference, and thus serving a fantastic purpose.
Maybe I’m the one on some sorta “wrong” course by having exerted this much damn energy ranting on a subject that doesn’t even really matter while subtly looking down upon others whose positions I don’t fully vibe with… despite millions others surely not vibing with mine.
Or maybe I’m just trying to articulate some observations and weave in some wisdom in a way that probably isn’t as potently powerful as it could be.
No, taking on a specific belief system doesn’t automatically enroll one in any cult, formal or vaguely resemblance in energetics and conceptual similarity. And maybe it wasn’t the most effective to even use the word “cult” - or I’d need to expand into essay form with thousands more words attempting to tie together specifics in order to paint a clearer picture. But, this isn’t the format for that, I don’t have that much attention & energy for that task, and it really doesn’t matter that much to go to that much further lengths. Though clearly there was something to be communicated here, such that I at least went this far with it…
And maybe that “something” is in my subconscious - and thus difficult to properly articulate.
Or maybe there’s this thread running through a lot of my writings these days, some basic principles that are finding themselves encoded into reflections on a variety of subjects - planting seeds for various crops that can’t really be told, but must take root, require seasons shifting to mature, and eventually harvest to nourish the mind & soul down the road in ways I might never even know.
Or maybe I’m just trying to rationalize returning to my margarita explorations, intellectually masterbating my way to a logical excuse for continuing ingesting slightly-over-moderate amounts of what is in fact a poison to the body and brain.
Or… ☯️… as always.
*Seeds planted. Draw your own conclusions. Or don’t… leaving the mind open to new perspectives, discoveries, and insights that may help us all evolve in some way or another… 🤷♂️
The algorithms do strange things for sure. I thankfully don’t watch things directly on YT anymore so I’m not subject to those algorithms but I know they have a lot of power and calculation on what topics one might pay attention to.
Quitting alcohol is a pretty good thing in the long run for our bodies. I’m going to try to dip my toes into sober October this year and see how it goes.
I was thinking the same thing as you when you mentioned someone who is newly vegan or vegetarian. My parents don't drink and it was a pretty big deal when I let them know that I had started at the age of 24. There does seem to be a push towards stopping. I think many people burned themselves out during Covid maybe. I know I didn't do my liver any favors during that time. Where seltzers used to be the hot market, I have heard that non alcoholic drinks are the new thing. I've seen several people who have gotten quite healthy by quitting. As a couple who continuously struggle with their weight (despite exercising five days a week and eating healthy), but wife and I both know that we could probably get better results if we cut the Friday and Saturday night drinking out of our lives. What fun would that be though!?
You didn’t start drinking until age 24?? 😳
I suppose the weight thing is one factor for alot of people, which I never really considered much as not something I’ve ever had to worry about with my body type.
seltzers… lol. I eventually tried a White Claw cuz there seemed to be so much buzz about them… I don’t get ‘em, man. Lame. 😹
I don't get them either. I am more of a whiskey guy. I don't even drink beer that much anymore. Yeah, it is a religious thing. None of my immediate family drinks. My wife's family on the other hand...
*sips rum cocktail*
Well, well, well.. isn't this a topic for a Wednesday!
Where to start? Well, I guess from the beginning.
I come from a family where both of my granddads were alcoholics (having survived WW2 will do that to a man, I presume, and no longer try to judge THAT much, however, it has left a generational 'baggage' to claim and eventually deal with.).
It is also very interesting that you bring this up now because the THEME.. yup, I see it, it has been 'actualized' recently and quite insistently requests my attention..
I of course take pride in 'creating my own relationships' with all things in life, but the context is still interesting, to say the least. I have never known any of my granddads personally but from stories, moms dad would get really sweet and generous when he was drunk, whilst dads dad has been known to have run around the house with an axe.. sooooo.. yeah, not so much fun times for my dad growing up. My dad's response to that trauma has been understandable - total prohibition - since in he's eyes alcohol only lets loose all the demons within that need to be held under proper control at all times.
Having heard the horror stories I surely adopted dads attitude to alcohol and surely enough it was absolutely EASY for me. For one, I was too 'boring' to run in the crowds that were drinking, and secondly, one might say the snobbish 'holier than thou' attitude looked quite natural on me.. xD
That was me well into Uni times until I was 'adopted' by the girls (or 5.1.9. as we ended up reffering to ourselves). The primary purpose of the 'adoption' was to ensure that I eat properly, as with all the stress of performing and attempting to appear 'perfect', eating was the first thing to fly out of the window for my not so long since no longer anorexic ass.
I remember for quite a while I was drinking non-alcoholic beverages to still 'fit in' with the group and its activities, but also remain true to MY 'borrowed' convictions. Eventually, however, I conformed to the group. And since we were not going crazy, just a drink here and there, once in a while, I managed to create my own understanding of what alcohol was, what it did, and what were my limits.
Fast-forward to post-covid times and I'm making my own fucking dandelion wine! xD Aaaand I have set the parameters for myself for a drink on a Wednesday and Friday or Saturday, just to stay on the safe side of things and have a structure to hold on to.
I say all things are individual and depend on the context, but it is also absolutely crucial to observe oneself with these kinds of tricky things and never dismiss and ignore the 'ok, I feel my limit' ping. I ignored it once, because I was having too good of a conversation with m31 and had inconveniently labeled my wine 'poison' on that occasion.. let's just say I learned two lessons after that.. never to ignore the ping no matter how interesting of a conversation you're having.. and not to label your alcohol literal "poison" xD
~Josie~
This is the first I’ve ever heard of dandelion wine. And I’m kinda super curious.
have heard that dandelions are essentially a superfood… wonder how much of that nutritional benefit would remain once fermented.
And as i try avoid sugar as much as possible, also wonder what it’d be like if using honey instead.
Yeah, i would tend to lean towards that stance as well. though, circling back to Huberman… he also did an episode on alcohol that covered a lot of good info, detailing some things on its impact on several different systems of the body & brain… not all something I’d prefer to swallow, but probably not best to keep head in sand about either.
That plus some other outlooks… does make me think it’d probably be good to keep taking longer breaks every now and then as that supposedly resets a lot of the damage caused. (Might decide to go another month without after this cleanse, but staying with parents is NOT the place for a longer break as way too much damn temptation here. Haha. :-p)
Just wondering if you coming to #Hivefest⁸ in #mexico Rok?
this is the first i've heard about it.
i have kinda been pondering if/when there might be any invites to head to Cabo/Baja as been contemplating visiting there, and it'd be much more likely than the previous ones in Europe...
may have to sit with this and feel into it.
appreciate the head's up 🙏🍻
Hey friend! Thanks for the retweet about my FriendTech and StarsArena post!
Do you happen to have a discord account? How can i find you there?