Why Some People Become Fun and Others Become Jerks After Too Much Alcohol
One friend becomes overconfident after a few alcoholic drinks and joins in with karaoke without a care, while another turns into a mean person with an angry drunk. Everyone reacts differently to alcohol. But how is it that one person becomes sociable while another becomes incredibly irritating?
You know the feeling: back when we still spent our Friday nights at the pub, it regularly happened that your drinking buddy suddenly gave you an endless declaration of love about how happy they were to have you as a friend. Or perhaps you know someone who becomes white-hot with rage at the slightest thing, while you, as the holy friend, spend the entire evening trying to keep the peace. It’s not because one person drinks a Bacardi cola and you drink a cotton candy champagne cocktail…
So what does cause it?
The fact that one person behaves differently from another mainly has to do with our own expectations about drinking alcohol, according to psychologist Jeremy Frank. If you are convinced that those first few shots will help you relax a little more at the party, that is often what happens. But personality also plays a role. Someone who gets irritated more quickly when sober is more likely to become aggressive or angrier after drinking. If you go through life being pretty chill, you’ll be much less likely to experience that—or not at all.
Happy drunk
But not everyone switches personalities. Most people will ultimately have a perfectly good time all evening and may simply be a little louder than usual, without changing much otherwise. Why people display specific behaviors such as aggression or overconfidence remains largely unknown. What is clear, however, is that it is very likely to be related to your personality and, above all, to how you are feeling before you knock back those first glasses of beer.
Also read:
- Why does red wine make you tired?
- Why Limoncello gives you terrible hangovers
- Drinks according to your zodiac sign
Source: Vice
