this post was submitted on 29 May 2025
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No Stupid Questions
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- ex. How do I change oil
- ex. How to tie shoes
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It can be either.
It is possible to experience inebriation without intoxication via placebo effect. I've used that a few times to help people get to sleep or reduce pain perception, and fairly universally they'll also say they feel high.
But, people will also fake it out of perceived social onus. If everyone is acting drunk, a good proportion of people will do so even if drinking water and knowing they aren't drunk. When they think they're supposed to be, and don't feel it, the urge to behave as part of the group can kick in, and they'll act like what they think they're supposed to.
Myself, I would do that back as a teenager. Had no desire to get drunk, but didn't want to bring a party down. So I'd carry the same drink all night, sipping on it and act tipsy enough that everyone was happy.
That changed after I got drunk the first of two and a half or three times. After that I'd just smile and say I was good instead of faking anything.
So it's difficult to tell the difference from the outside. A lot of the perception of being drunk/high depends on familiarity with what the person thinks they're consuming. Someone that drinks plenty is likely to experience something closer to actually being drunk than someone with no experience. So to the outside observer, an inexperienced person and someone faking might well be indistinguishable