4 ms·

I'm a teetotaler. At every social gathering - be it work or relatives - somebody asks me the inevitable question "but why?". I never have a good answer. I have

I'm a teetotaler. At every social gathering - be it work or relatives - somebody asks me the inevitable question "but why?". I never have a good answer. I have no idea why I'm a teetotaler, I just am. I did try alcoholic drinks exactly 3 times in my life, and didn't like anything about them. I think drinkers - even the casual ones - hate teetotalers.

deweller 12y ago
I'm the same way. Alcoholic drinks never appealed to me in any way. To me they taste bad and smell bad. And the idea of becoming intoxicated is in no way appealing. I am clearly in the minority of people in the world. But I really have no idea why alcohol is so popular.
- BozeWolf 12y ago
  Sometimes the idea of becomming intoxicated is the appealing thing :) I drink one almost every evening. If its really good wine, i drink two. Usually once a week i drink a few more, ranging from 2 to 10 or so, depending on the beer, wine or the occasion. Usually the next day i dont drink at all. I do feel shitty the next day. Sometimes I sort of enjoy having a hangover. Theres not mutch to think about then. All there is, is the hope I feel good again soon.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
- lovelearning 12y ago
  I admit "hate" is probably the wrong word to use. But I definitely notice a reaction in their faces which to me comes across as "you don't drink?? WTF is wrong with you!", often accompanied by a smirk or an exaggerated "oh is that sooooo?" :) Maybe I should start saying I'm a recovering alcoholic and my doctor has told me to totally stay away from drinks if I'm to live!
zach 12y ago
Yes, this also describes me - I have tried alcoholic drinks just twice (on my 21st birthday and champagne on my honeymoon), and thought them astringent and unpleasant. More to the point, I've never even sought out, uh, non-sobriety, certainly the world's most popular avocation. I am apparently a mutant, and I definitely feel weird about it. I grew up in LA with no religious background, so it was decidedly countercultural. Although when I went to Harvey Mudd, there was a definite teetotaling contingent among the self-experimentalists. There, if you brought up the Super Bowl, some would simply say "Spectator sports don't interest me." It was like that.
unfamiliar 12y ago
In my experience there are three groups of teetotalers. There are the ones who don't drink and don't have a problem with other people drinking. The people who are genuinely in this group, you don't even notice they don't drink. Drinkers have no quarrel with this group. The second group are very vocal about their disapproval and are constantly telling you you shouldn't drink etc. They are irritating but can be ignored. The third group thinks they are part of group 1, but they are actually closer to group 2. They never overtly tell you anything bad, but you get the constant sense that they are looking down on you. Drinkers don't like this group because they feel like they are constantly being judged, but not in a direct way they can challenge. The three can probably be summed up by their response to the question, "Would you like a beer?" Group 1: "No thanks, could I have a glass of water?" Group 2: "No thanks, I'd rather not destroy my liver." Group 3: "No thanks, I don't drink."
- ptk 12y ago
  This is a disappointing line of thought. I'm firmly in group 1, but typically respond with "No thanks, I don't drink" to save myself from having to fend off drink offers for the rest of the night. For that, I am disliked....
  - unfamiliar 12y ago
    This is just how I think about it. But then again, if you declined the first alcoholic drink then I wouldn't offer you another. You might be on medication, a teetotaler, or a recovering alcoholic for all I know, and I'm not the kind of person that needs to keep encouraging people around me to drink.
- xmstr 12y ago
  I have to add one group to your list, people who can't drink because of health issues or use of prescription drugs to treat health issues. I've been one of these persons for over a year now. Group 4: "I would love to but I can’t. I’ll just have a glass of water (or a near-beer) instead"
nobodysfool2 12y ago
I used to binge occasionally, and used to regularly drink. I met a woman who doesn't drink, so I decided that I wouldn't either. I've had a few drinks since then, mostly in her presence and usually not more than one. I can say that I quit four years ago, but the last drink I had was about 8 months ago. Yea people think I'm weird if I tell them I don't drink, but I really don't care. And after I quit I was amazed at the amount of advertising for drinking is in everyday life, and how embedded it is into american culture. I don't miss waking up with a hangover.

deweller 12y ago

I'm the same way. Alcoholic drinks never appealed to me in any way. To me they taste bad and smell bad. And the idea of becoming intoxicated is in no way appealing. I am clearly in the minority of people in the world. But I really have no idea why alcohol is so popular.

BozeWolf 12y ago
Sometimes the idea of becomming intoxicated is the appealing thing :) I drink one almost every evening. If its really good wine, i drink two. Usually once a week i drink a few more, ranging from 2 to 10 or so, depending on the beer, wine or the occasion. Usually the next day i dont drink at all. I do feel shitty the next day. Sometimes I sort of enjoy having a hangover. Theres not mutch to think about then. All there is, is the hope I feel good again soon.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

lovelearning 12y ago
I admit "hate" is probably the wrong word to use. But I definitely notice a reaction in their faces which to me comes across as "you don't drink?? WTF is wrong with you!", often accompanied by a smirk or an exaggerated "oh is that sooooo?" :) Maybe I should start saying I'm a recovering alcoholic and my doctor has told me to totally stay away from drinks if I'm to live!

zach 12y ago

Yes, this also describes me - I have tried alcoholic drinks just twice (on my 21st birthday and champagne on my honeymoon), and thought them astringent and unpleasant. More to the point, I've never even sought out, uh, non-sobriety, certainly the world's most popular avocation. I am apparently a mutant, and I definitely feel weird about it. I grew up in LA with no religious background, so it was decidedly countercultural. Although when I went to Harvey Mudd, there was a definite teetotaling contingent among the self-experimentalists. There, if you brought up the Super Bowl, some would simply say "Spectator sports don't interest me." It was like that.

unfamiliar 12y ago

In my experience there are three groups of teetotalers. There are the ones who don't drink and don't have a problem with other people drinking. The people who are genuinely in this group, you don't even notice they don't drink. Drinkers have no quarrel with this group. The second group are very vocal about their disapproval and are constantly telling you you shouldn't drink etc. They are irritating but can be ignored. The third group thinks they are part of group 1, but they are actually closer to group 2. They never overtly tell you anything bad, but you get the constant sense that they are looking down on you. Drinkers don't like this group because they feel like they are constantly being judged, but not in a direct way they can challenge. The three can probably be summed up by their response to the question, "Would you like a beer?" Group 1: "No thanks, could I have a glass of water?" Group 2: "No thanks, I'd rather not destroy my liver." Group 3: "No thanks, I don't drink."

ptk 12y ago
This is a disappointing line of thought. I'm firmly in group 1, but typically respond with "No thanks, I don't drink" to save myself from having to fend off drink offers for the rest of the night. For that, I am disliked....
- unfamiliar 12y ago
  This is just how I think about it. But then again, if you declined the first alcoholic drink then I wouldn't offer you another. You might be on medication, a teetotaler, or a recovering alcoholic for all I know, and I'm not the kind of person that needs to keep encouraging people around me to drink.
xmstr 12y ago
I have to add one group to your list, people who can't drink because of health issues or use of prescription drugs to treat health issues. I've been one of these persons for over a year now. Group 4: "I would love to but I can’t. I’ll just have a glass of water (or a near-beer) instead"

nobodysfool2 12y ago

I used to binge occasionally, and used to regularly drink. I met a woman who doesn't drink, so I decided that I wouldn't either. I've had a few drinks since then, mostly in her presence and usually not more than one. I can say that I quit four years ago, but the last drink I had was about 8 months ago. Yea people think I'm weird if I tell them I don't drink, but I really don't care. And after I quit I was amazed at the amount of advertising for drinking is in everyday life, and how embedded it is into american culture. I don't miss waking up with a hangover.