3 ms·
"When a man is sober he is ashamed of what seems all right when he is drunk. In these words we have the essential underlying cause prompting men to resort to st
by belfalas 3y ago
"When a man is sober he is ashamed of what seems all right when he is drunk. In these words we have the essential underlying cause prompting men to resort to stupefiers. People resort to them either to escape feeling ashamed after having done something contrary to their consciences, or to bring themselves beforehand into a state in which they can commit actions contrary to conscience, but to which their animal nature prompts them.
A man when sober is ashamed to go after a prostitute, ashamed to steal, ashamed to kill. A drunken man is ashamed of none of these things, and therefore if a man wishes to do something his conscience condemns he stupefies himself."
- Tolstoy (from the article)
- kgwxd 3y agoSeems to only be focusing on mean drunks. I've never had the desire to do any of those things, drunk or sober, and I'm drunk almost every night.
- circuit8 3y agoThis is the core of the issue. The thing is that in modern western societies shame is placed upon many activities that are normal and necessary for a human to enjoy a good life. It is shameful in many places for a person to sing, dance, and to express their true emotions. So we intoxicate ourselves, in order to escape from the overly rigid social conditioning we have all internalised.
- throwaway2037 3y agomodern western societies shame is placed upon many activities that are normal and necessary for a human to enjoy a good life Where are my Italians at? They don't do this. Probably Spaniards and Greeks also, but I have met far fewer.