Let me preface this by saying that I didn't drink through most of college.  But when I turned 21, I started drinking and I had a lot of fun with it.  I did tons of a few stupid things, but I kept things under control.  All in all, me and alcohol had a good run.  But on November 6, 2004, for reasons still unknown, I quit the vile substance and haven't touched it since.  These facts qualify me to have the following opinions. 

I think, in fact I know, that people use drinking as an excuse to act like idiots.  I see it all the time, what with the 47 weddings I've been to this summer.  At every wedding, there are people who drink and there are people who drink.  The people who drink act like people who drink.  But the people who drink also sometimes act like the people who drink.  This is because it's socially acceptable to use drinking as an excuse for one's actions, within reason.  People will do things that are completely out of character and validate their actions by concluding, "Oh man, I'm drunk!"  They'll talk to girls, dance like a maniac, and do forward rolls, all because they've had a few drinks.  But is it really because they've had a few drinks, or is it because they really want to be idiots and they can easily use drinking as an excuse to engage in such activity?

The other thing about drinking that smart Mike once said is that it's totally fake.  You can hang out with people you absolutely hate, but it's all good because you're drinking.  This happened in every social situation for me.  I don't like talking to people.  But whenever I drank, I found people to be unbelievably interesting.  This is because I wasn't completely myself.  If I was in a "dry" environment talking to these people, I'd want to fork my eyes out.  But add alcohol to the mix and I'm best friends with people I've never met before.  Alcohol creates an environment where people can be slightly detached from reality.  While in that reality, almost anything goes.  But coming back to real reality can be an eye-opener.  Anyone who's ever engaged in random hookups knows this feeling first-hand. 

In conclusion, don't drink and drive, and always tip your waitress. #psychology