[Adam]

I am a recovered alcoholic.

It should come as no surprise that my answer is "none for me."

I don't believe, however, that alcohol is the root or cause of any evil. I believe that society gives alcohol much of its power to provide pleasure beyond the dizziness and disassociation. Yes, alcohol does provide some pleasure, but from what I have found, it will not make you have a good time.

As far as its health benefits, in small doses, and with the right supplementary diet, some forms of alcohol can have positive effects. What I interpret this to mean is that anything beyond the second glass does more harm than good, and unless you are already eating an entirely mediterranian diet, (not just a pasta bowl at Olive Garden or any other americanized mediterranian restaurant) then even that first glass could do more harm than good.

Now, back to the social aspects of alcohol. You're having a good time because you think you're having a good time. When you look back on what you did when you wake up the next morning, you have forgotten most of the night already, so all of the boring parts are out of your mind completely. It's like holding down the shift button when you delete a file from your computer; it's gone for good, and only close examination will show you that something is missing. There is no "recycle bin" for your memories when alcohol is involved.

So, this question is for those who believe in either intention-manifestation or its close psychological neighbor, self-fulfilling prophecy (SFP): what happens when you do something thinking that you'll have a good time? Well, usually, you go ahead and have that good time. From what I have found, that is the power of alcohol; it lowers your capacity to reason clearly enough that if you think you should be having a good time, then you're happy. If you factor in the fact that you forget anything boring, then you're left with either the happy or not-so happy memories of that night, so the next time you drink, IM/SFP takes over and you're happy again.

My stance is that occasional drinking can enhance your pleasure. Whether the pleasure is purely chemical or if it has some psychological nature is debatable, but I'm leaning on the side that psychology has some effect. Of course, if you can't stop drinking (like I found myself) then one drink even occasionally just isn't worth it.