✒ No civilisation without intoxication?
Archaeologists have begun to suggest that alcohol wasn’t merely a byproduct of the invention of agriculture but actually a motivation for it. The first farmers, on this view, were driven by a desire not for bread but for beer.
The argument is that since alcohol is mind-bogglingly dangerous, both physiologically and socially, the fact that our supposedly accidental taste for it has not been eradicated by genetic or cultural evolution means that the cost of indulging in alcohol must be offset by benefits.
Evidence from archaeology, history, cognitive neuroscience, psychopharmacology, social psychology, literature and genetics suggests what some of these benefits might be:
- Our ability to think outside the box is enhanced by one or two drinks. One example is that Google provides whiskey rooms where frustrated coders can relax and expand their minds when struggling with a challenging problem.
- In vino veritas — “in wine there is truth.” Alcohol impairs our ability to think strategically and puts us firmly in the moment, which makes us less capable of lying. In the same way that we shake hands to show that we are not carrying a weapon, downing a few shots is a form of cognitive disarmament that makes you more trusting and more worthy of trust.
- Consumed in moderation, alcohol also alleviates stress, enhances mood, makes us more sociable and provides a much-needed vacation from the burdens of consciousness.
However, in progressively higher doses, alcoholic intoxication can lead to degraded motor coordination, slurred speech, violent arguments, maudlin expressions of love, inappropriate touching, injuries, blackouts, property damage.
Despite some of those benefits, the addictive nature of drinking is a slippery slope that can lead to unintended disastrous consequences, ruining lives.