Alcohol

What's a jedi's standing on the subject of alcohol? I usually don't drink at all but when I do I enjoy sipping on a 40 oz beer throughout a weekend day or I sip on some maple whiskey on occasion. I find this to actually be one of my flaws in life that I work on, its a struggle in social society to abstain from drinking entirely its become so normalized & I believe Jedi should be able to control themselves more than others when it comes to such things. Key word here "should".

Flavored or sweetened ethanol hey..... too many health downsides or me to bother.
For me it ages me, by drying my skin out and so I'm not keen on finding out how else it would degrade me if I drank more..

The temporal fudge makes things silly and fun, and it can generate a feel good buzz obviously, but those things don't justify the cost to health for me to spend money on it.

I haven't drunk any in ages but I have, and will, but without a reason I tend not to. I have a bottle of Moët sitting idle, but it was given to me. Sometimes I get an itch to have a drink but end up with the same experience, and same outcome. Maybe, just don't buy it if you want to stop drinking it. When I do again it will be justified t the time as exploring something I haven't already had

RaisedFromWolves wrote: What's a jedi's standing on the subject of alcohol? I usually don't drink at all but when I do I enjoy sipping on a 40 oz beer throughout a weekend day or I sip on some maple whiskey on occasion. I find this to actually be one of my flaws in life that I work on, its a struggle in social society to abstain from drinking entirely its become so normalized & I believe Jedi should be able to control themselves more than others when it comes to such things. Key word here "should".

I don't know, from what you describe it sounds to me like you're pretty well in control. I myself drink very rarely, I think July was the last time I had a drink?

Anyway, I think of it in terms of attachment- healthy versus unhealthy; if it's not driving you to distraction, if it's not having a negative impact on your health or your life and relationships, I don't think there's a problem. I don't personally advocate for drinking regularly, but I don't condemn people who do (though I do urge alcoholics to seek help; if it's driven you to isolation to avoid some of my criteria, it's a problem)

I don't feel strongly that Jedi should or shouldn't drink, but I do feel that only the person themselves can establish what's right for them. If it's a problem for you, then it's a problem - that's enough to make it one.

If you aspire to stop drinking, I can recommend Allen Carr's "Easy Way To Control Alcohol". It's corny and feels like it shouldn't work, then it does.

And if you're just giving yourself a hard time over something you enjoy because you feel it's not aligned with a clan of imaginary space wizards ("imaginary" because many real-life Jedi do drink), stop worrying

In my own life I have come to a point where I can enjoy a drink but am aware more now of why and how I use alcohol.
I tend to think if your using alcohol to avoid or cope with life then your not dealing and personally to me then that needs addressing.
You cant help others if your own problems are getting in your way.
As a Jedi I would think the lack of control when overdrinking would be a downfall, but at the same time I dont see a problem with having a drink with friends.
Its personal choice at the end of the day,
If you feel its out of control and want to stop then get help and support
But if its just a worry that a 'Jedi' shouldn't drink then I would say just be aware of why you are drinking, and know when to switch to soft drinks because everyones limits are different,

So, I am a complete abstinence from alcohol. I can legit say I had a pretty awful drinking problem. I've been alcohol free for 6 years 11 months, lol yea, I keep track a bit still. This in mind I am a very open minded individual on mind altering substances. Basically if it is not ruining your life, (I.E. Jail time, DUI, fighting, relationship destruction, mental health issues ect.) then have at it. Everything in moderation though.

"No Static got an automatic, too much of anything can make you an addict." -random rap song I forgot the name of. might be "No Static"

Much Love,
Kobos

I had a problem with cough syrup & painkillers ive been clean for 2 years now read a book called "as a man thinketh" by james Allen just made me wanna quit after i read it & when i did the withdrawals were terrifying lol I'd never abuse a substance again after going through that.

As a man thinketh is one of my go to’ s. I read it as often as I can.
I’ve had my addictions. I’ve had my vices. I have em still. Balance is a huge thing for me and here is no exception. Have I ever had a lampshade on my head? Yup! Have I ever enjoyed drinking and my vices ? Yup Have they held me a bit too long ... yup. Alcohol, for me was a tool. I was a bartender. The more I drank the more I made. So I thought. For me , when things get to far ... returns are defiantly a thing that can help ya. If we don’t cultivate a garden it’s grows wild. Nothing wrong with wild life but if you wanna grow something more - cultivation can make something different. If ya wanna grow something different - plant something different.

As a man thinketh truly is an eye opening book and the more you reread it the more you catch some knowledge you didn't notice before. But yes I believe alcohol is more of a nostalgic feeling for me especially whiskey I might have it twice a year but when i do it reminds me of cowboy days my great grandfather used to talk about.

All things in moderation. My grandfather was an alcoholic and one of my brothers is too. Grandfather never saw it as a problem until it killed him. My brother tried to convince everyone he was sober (while smelling of stale booze). It's wrecked both of them. My father and sister eat sweets constantly and are now diabetic and struggling with that impact on their lives. I've learned not to put anything in my body that doesn't actually do something positive for my body. I drink red wine in moderation due to the health benefits but no other alcoholic beverage at all. I don't even drink coffee (green tea instead) and avoid added sugar or things with large amounts of sugar (like juices) like the plague. All these things are no different than anything thing else. To much water is just as bad for you as drinking heavily, large amounts of vegetables can make you feel as sick as large amounts of meat, to much standing is just as bad as to much sitting, and so on and so forth.

The point is to make informed decisions. Do what you feel is best for you and those around you. I beleave people should follow their instincts and react accordingly when it comes to things like this.

Some people have better instincts than others too. I know what you mean most of my family are alcoholics or were. It wasn't what killed them but it definitely played a role in having unstable relationships with everyone around them. My white great grandfather being an exception he never ruined relationships everyone loved him lol the max he did was annoy my great grandmother a little bit lol it depends on what kind of person you are without the substance too I believe any kind of drug will likely amplify certain parts of your personality the drug affects if that makes sense. Even a drug as simple as money that isn't an ingestabke substance only amplifies who we are. If you are rich & a genuine nice giving person you'll probably only be more genuine more nice & more giving but if you're a evil person with money its likely you'll only do more evil. So i imagine certain drugs will amplify certain things about you. If you take pcp or meth i imagine that amplifies your nutty side lmao etc. Etc. Everyone is different so things affect us differently some people may be happy people but when they drink it brings out theur depressive side others are happy people they drink & only get happier lol human beings are very complicated creatures for sure because we are all a little different even tho we are the same.

Alcohol is a drug. It is classed as a depressant, meaning that it slows down vital functions—resulting in slurred speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perceptions and an inability to react quickly. As for how it affects the mind, it is best understood as a drug that reduces a person’s ability to think rationally and distorts his or her judgment.
It’s funny how we say - it lightens the mood or it makes us giggle or it gives courage , when in real life it’s a depressant and not a stimulant. Then again some people are different... some body’s don’t react the same. Even balances can be different as well.

Its definitely one of the hardest drugs out there because of its availability it kills 88 thousand a year i think if i remember right. But yea it is a cns like many depressive drugs it slows many people down while other people may act outright insane on it without a doubt it highly impairs judgement either way but that's the case with every narcotic. Depends on imbalances too some people may take the same medication while one person processes it slower than the other the other person may process it very fast and may even be allergic to it because of it being processed to slow or too fast.

I think, like what other people have said, that it is all about moderation. With all things in life there needs to be balance. i myself do like a drink every now and again with my friends when I go out. However, on the flip side my mother has been an alcoholic for the vast majority of my life.

If you were to consult any medical text, you would see even things that are considered healthy and are necessary for our survival can be detrimental such as Vitamin C. In moderation this is a basic need for survival however, too much or overdosing can lead to side effects from mild digestive discomfort all the way to patients having kidney stones ( in the most extreme cases).

I don't drink for personal reasons not so much anything mentioned previously but just to further echo what others' have said, being informed, personal choice, and moderation. Too much of anything can kill you...even oxygen...water...sugar....at the same time you need all these things to live! But too much can still kill you!

I will say there will be probably some talk about balance within your studies here, some believe in it some don't. While balance is definitely a thing, it's been my experience in my time here that its not in balance, its the constant act of finding balance. If you think of a double-sided scale or weighing things between two hands, its not about finding the perfect middle. It's the movement going back and forth to the middle that makes life worthwhile. In one my of my apprentice journals I believe I wrote about meditation in transitions in noting that the force is more in the change then it is in the existing, or at least in our ability to feel it, at least for me. Everyone's experiences are different.

My *personal* take is that it's a bad thing, very little good can come of it in the long run.

Having said that, I am by turns a teetotaller and a drunk, presumably because of limitations of my own self-soothing and limited access to legal mood modifiers.


I don't know that Jediism has a definite view per se, though you may note a number of the "Feeder" religions and philosophies into Jeddism do, so the "trend" would be towards a life with resources (time, money, health) spent on other things.

Tellahane wrote: I don't drink for personal reasons not so much anything mentioned previously but just to further echo what others' have said, being informed, personal choice, and moderation. Too much of anything can kill you...even oxygen...water...sugar....at the same time you need all these things to live! But too much can still kill you!

I will say there will be probably some talk about balance within your studies here, some believe in it some don't. While balance is definitely a thing, it's been my experience in my time here that its not in balance, its the constant act of finding balance. If you think of a double-sided scale or weighing things between two hands, its not about finding the perfect middle. It's the movement going back and forth to the middle that makes life worthwhile. In one my of my apprentice journals I believe I wrote about meditation in transitions in noting that the force is more in the change then it is in the existing, or at least in our ability to feel it, at least for me. Everyone's experiences are different.

That's pretty much what I was going to say.

It all depends on why you drink or don't drink. If you drink because you feel you need to, that's a problem. That's an attachment. There's a fine line between attachments and addictions which is why you should be wary of attachments in general. Just wary. If you are conscious and aware enough to see the danger and temptation then you may not have a problem. Sometimes its simply the dopamine release that triggers that urge but that urge for dopamine can be satisfied from some other source of dop...amine.

But we don't need to demonize everything that could potentially be a problem, because that... would... be... everything. Some religions spend 99% of the time telling you what you can't do and when you're like "well what can I do?" and they're like "uh... you can pray!" But often those religions are the main culprits that inspire rebellion and revolution. So I think telling people what not to do is less effective then giving people positive goals and if there's anything keeping you from that positive goal then you should simply consider how much energy you put into it. I'd like to do more writing but there's a time and place for everything, including personal enjoyment. And if you don't get enough of that then you might get depressed which might lead to something worse than the thing you were trying to avoid.

So you really have to consider what's right for you. I can go without drinking. And I mostly drink water and smoothies. I wish I had less of a stomach but at 40 yrs old I have to be realistic. A six pack my not be in my future unless it says "red stripe" on it.

Lol i remember in a scene in episode 2 obi wan mind tricked a guy into not selling him deathsticks & going and rethinking his life. I imagine this is a reference to cigarettes or drugs in our society in general it was a pretty funny scene

RaisedFromWolves wrote: Lol i remember in a scene in episode 2 obi wan mind tricked a guy into not selling him deathsticks & going and rethinking his life. I imagine this is a reference to cigarettes or drugs in our society in general it was a pretty funny scene

That brings up a good point, I think.

I think moderation applies to things that you can consume in moderation without doing serious damage to your body. Drinking in excess can do real damage and mess up your liver and I think kidneys. Of course in the short term you could affect your muscle coordination. If you can drink 2-3 drinks and still drive that one thing. But if some drug has the same effect by barely looking in its direction then you should probably just avoid whatever that is entirely. That's kind of how I feel about marijuana vs almost everything else. Marijuana is very good for meditation which is why Rastafarians consider it a sacrament. Other cultures may use ayahuasca which may almost certainly trigger a vision. I definitely think there is a place for both those things but there should be some utility or added benefit like this if it's going to physically impair you. And you can't really do cocaine in moderation... crack in moderation... Although I wouldn't make any hard rules against it, I would question someone's judgment if they were like "hey, I'm gonna snort cocaine in moderation!"

Like Tellahane said, the lethality is in the dose. And alcohol (even outside of acute toxicity) is definitely poisonous.

This applies to other drugs too. I can safely assume none of us are authentic Quechua shamans, so let's be honest with ourselves and agree that we do drugs because we enjoy it (not for some deeper meaning). With that out of the way, is the enjoyability of a drug worth the costs? Smoking just about anything has chronic (pun intended) health effects beyond those of the drug itself.