When I was young, I had a very firm stand against alcohol, supposedly because I'd seen what it does to people. When I reached my teens I started having the occasional beer - only beer, though, for I still felt uncomfortable in parties where people my age were drinking hard liquor. Today, I rarely drink, but when I do, it's not the occasional beer - it's several servings of either beer or wine, sometimes scotch.
This is not to say I'm into binge drinking - if I were, I'd do it every week. No, what I mean is that one serving of alcohol, since it has absolutely no relaxing or any other effect on my state, is pointless. (And I have better ways to get relaxed.)
When I drink, I do it to think - to remove all and any inhibitions there may be in my head blocking a higher level thinking. This, in my case, cannot be achieved with one single beer. It usually takes at least a few glasses of wine (and either intelligent company or a thought provoking video/audio) to open the iron door and tap into the good stuff in my mind.
And let me tell you, it's worth it. I enjoy thinking in a state brought about by the wine immensely. But you cannot do it every day, or even every week - the effect would dilute. I myself do it perhaps three times a year.
Meaning that the one word about alcohol I have is thoughtfulness.
Firstly, be thoughtful about when, how often, and in what setting you drink - including both your physical environment and the company. You don't want to waste a night of drinking and thinking with people who have no interest in conversing about philosophy or psychology during their intoxication.
Secondly, when you notice the effects of your blood's increasing alcohol level in your body and mind, start thinking - don't just enjoy the state, however pleasant it may be, but take advantage of it. Think about stuff. Watch videos by Academy of Ideas. Read Nietzsche or Jung. Talk with people of high mental capabilities. Don't let the state go to waste.
Thirdly, make sure you have a pen and paper nearby so you can write down every interesting idea you get during the state. There is, after all, a chance you understand the thoughts you've written down even after the alcohol has left your body. And you can do all kinds of things with those ideas.
(And fourthly, if you tend to get a hangover after drinking, and would prefer not to get one, drink loads and loads of water before going to bed. I mean at least 50 oz. Just do it. It may not taste good, and it may feel like too much to drink, but in the morning you'll be grateful you did it.)
Remember, thoughtfulness is the word. Thoughtful planning, setting, company, and thoughtful thinking. Opening the door to the higher levels of your mind, a few times a year.
RK
