Yup! Been in and out of the rooms for years, and it's gobsmacking how people completely disregard your efforts to better yourself. You find out real quick who needs to get cut from your life.
It’s some odd need that many people have for validation. If you and a friend or a colleague/consultant go out for dinner or drinks- someone who’s specifically said they wanted to get a beer or what not will often change their order to water or the like of when drink orders are taken, you say first “I’ll have a water/soda/etc.” They don’t want to be the only one at the table drinking.
Most of the time when people try to pressure others into having a “good time” by using a drug or drinking/drinking faster, more, etc. it isn’t about the other person “having a good time” it is about them wanting to do the thing, and not feel bad about their behavior or choices. It validates them.
It’s selfish and people should respect the choices of others, and have the integrity in their own choices not to need validation from others joining in. If we need to rope other people into our choices to feel like they are things we should be doing- maybe we need to examine our own choices?
I just saw a good quote the other say that was like no means no doesn't just mean for sex. It means drinking, etc. Stop telling your friends to drink if they don't want to.
This is exactly why I don't drink. When I was in high school and went to... well anywhere really, it didn't have to be a party, dancing lessons or just hanging out with classmates was enough, they'd start drinking and pressuring me to drink as well. It's not alcohol itself that I dislike, well sure because I don't drink I'm not used to the taste and all, but it's mainly the peer pressure that comes with it that made me a freaking puritan in regards to alcohol. It's like, you wanna force me to have "just one drink"? Joke's on you, maybe I would have one later if I felt thirsty (and some alcoholic beverages can be thirst quenching and tasty, I have nothing against cider or sangria, what gets me is people getting shitfaced because they think it's fun) but now that you feel like you have to insert yourself into my choices, I'll have water.
Interestingly enough in my experience this mentality also applies to coffee. People will look at you weird if you tell them you don't drink coffee.
They always want to drag you down to their level. And when you dont drink and start moving ahead in life? Oh boy, wait for the horrible gossip that follows you around. I had to really laugh at some of their creative lies though.
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Interestingly enough in my experience this mentality also applies to coffee. People will look at you weird if you tell them you don't drink coffee.