
How to Be Intoxicated - HarryHirsch
http://chronicle.com/article/How-to-Be-Intoxicated/150239/
======
SeoxyS
This article, in my opinion, makes an incredibly important point. And yet,
does it in an incredibly boring manner. I'm not sure if its purpose is
supposed to be a literary analysis, or a point about american social values
and the taboo placed on drinking. If it's the latter, though; the literary
analysis is a distraction.

That said, I do agree with the sentiment—teaching responsibility would be much
more effective than abstinence.

~~~
chillingeffect
> incredibly boring manner. I'm not sure if its purpose

I very much miss the style of writing in which the entire point is given in
the first paragraph. The remaining paragraphs then expose the story. I was
taught that way and it makes it easier to understand what to pay attention to.

Writing in this style has come into vogue. It begins like NPR stories, with no
foreshadowing, just a large number of mysterious statements like, "It's 3 am.
I'm hearing tinkling sounds. John Wayne had several unusual hobbies. 80s
arcade games had references to screen doors." Then, they pile on details until
eventually, you hope, a point emerges.

I have no idea what parts are relevant and which parts are merely building
suspense!

~~~
Ntrails
I recently went on a "business writing course" and about the only thing I can
remember was endless repetition of the expression: _" Tell them what you're
gonna tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them"_

------
begriffs
This kind of distinctly academic writing is bewildering and nauseating. I felt
that the author turns phrases just to hear how they sound, not because he
believes what he is saying. Maybe spending the majority of his adult life in
the confines of the college system instinctively makes him pander to what he
believes the Chronicle wants to hear, as if this is one more test and by
adding overbearing Greek allusions he just might make the grade.

~~~
ap22213
Some people (like me) actually prefer this style of writing. I find the
factors that you find nauseating to be stimulating. I get bored too easily
reading common prose. So, when I find something like this (or others on the
chronicle) it energizes me. I need something like this, occasionally.

So, while I'll agree that this article isn't the best-written one I've read, I
do like its style. But, since yours is currently the top-most comment, I'll
assume that I'm in the minority. And, that's ok.

------
applecore
Somewhere, buried deep inside this overwrought and pretentious article, is a
much better and more insightful story. That story is probably _The Bacchae_ by
Euripides.

~~~
quizotic
"overwrought and pretentious?" I felt jealous for the deep insights and the
ability to communicate them so clearly. This was beautiful thinking and
beautiful writing.

Perhaps Euripides is an even better thinker and writer. But I wouldn't have
known it without the author's explanation.

------
thisjepisje
"I suppose it is much more comfortable to be mad and not know it than to be
sane and have one's doubts."

    
    
      --  G. B. Burgin
    

Not sure how it relates but I thought of this quote.

~~~
thisjepisje
Oops, it's supposed to read "it is much more comfortable to be mad and know it
than to be sane and have one's doubts."

That's how I remembered the quote, copy-pasted from the wrong source.

------
jzwinck
For comparison with this article (which refers to the US), The Economist has
several interesting articles about drinking in Britain. Here's one:
[http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21569025-britains-
drin...](http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21569025-britains-drinking-
culture-deeply-unhealthy-so-politics-drink-their-cup-runneth-over)

------
amelius
I'm intoxicating myself every day, starting when I take my first sip of coffee
:)

~~~
arjie
Very true, indeed. I wonder if that's the only drug where people are okay with
(and often subtly praise) dependence.

~~~
klibertp
"praise dependence"? How?

I'd say it's basically impossible to praise the dependence itself, unless you
enjoy your withdrawal symptoms. Which is possible, but not very popular.

~~~
emddudley
Don't you know anyone who loves to proclaim "I can't start my day without a
cup of coffee!"? To me that is praising dependence.

~~~
andrewflnr
Yes, in practice it tends to be a humble-brag when someone mentions their
dependence on coffee.

------
mavhc
I've never seen the point of taking drugs, so never have. Reality is much too
interesting to avoid it.

~~~
Riesling
> Reality is much too interesting to avoid it.

Some people do not take drugs to avoid reality. They take them to explore it.
What one has to realize is that the experience we call "reality" is only a
subjective image created by our minds. There is a chain of filters applied to
everythings our sensors (eyes, ears, skin and so on) register. Drugs are able
to influence those filters. Hence one might be able to see "reality" from a
different point of view.

~~~
e40
Agreed. When in my 20's I had a huge epiphany while having a high fever. The
fever had changed my brain in some way that allowed me to see something about
my life that I hadn't seen before. After the fever was gone, the thoughts
remained and it was still obvious that it was true, so it wasn't just delirium
and crazy thoughts produced by it.

~~~
mavhc
What was your epiphany?

~~~
e40
Sorry, but it was of a personal nature so it's not something I want to share.

------
thekingofspain
I can only assume that this article is much better after having read The
Bacchae. Because I thought it sucked without. I couldn't really fish out the
point, and the synopses and quotes were confusing and jumbled.

Maybe someone can shed some light on it for me.

------
known
I'd suggest
[http://www.patientslikeme.com/treatments/show/19781-hepamerz...](http://www.patientslikeme.com/treatments/show/19781-hepamerz-
side-effects-and-efficacy#overview)

