Editorial

Alcohol - truth serum or lie juice?

By Zee Fossett GVL Columnist
1/31/2010

Having friends who like to drink leaves you more prone to deal with random, late-night text messages, "drunk dialing" and the morning-after apologies that often follow. Are the actions and words of our friends simply crazy because they're drunk or are our comrades actually speaking sober truths disguised by a definite increase in blood alcohol content level?

Is alcohol a truth serum? Common knowledge suggests "yes" conclusively. I think the answer is both yes and no.

The body's central nervous system responds to alcoholic beverages via depression, and our judgment and cognitive functions (in higher levels) suffer as a result. Alcohol diffuses our knowledge of inhibitions and decreases our container of self-awareness -- hence why women tend to let loose after a couple of martinis.

Similarly, if you've gotten drunk and revealed a secret you weren't supposed to, it was simply because the alcohol increased your desire to and did not prompt you to think of possible consequences.

Inebriation does not transform you into a new person. Instead, it loosens up all the screws in the you that already exist.

So while alcohol can work as truth serum, intoxicated individuals can also tell beautiful lies and successfully manipulate certain situations, just as when sober.

So how many people take advantage of their own drunkenness and use it as an excuse to express themselves bluntly? Lots! And when it comes down to an explanation, your friends will either show themselves to be honest drunks or sweet liars.

Smoking, dancing, fighting, kissing strangers, attempting to sing fast or complex songs, eating gross foods, talking inappropriately or engaging in over-the-top actions of affection make up the growing list of expectations one should have of drunken friends.

To all drunkards -- keep blaming it on the goose, and before long your circle of friends will slowly disappear.

zfossett@lanthorn.com

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