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Would you be insulted?



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sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 12 2016, 2:52 pm
"In American culture, someone who drinks every day would be considered a functioning alcoholic."

Is that something you'd take personally and be insulted over?

To me, it's a statement on cultural differences rather than a comment on a particular individual.
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naomi2




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 12 2016, 2:56 pm
Sounds like a neutral opinion. I know some people who would not agree that it's true though
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MagentaYenta




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 12 2016, 3:00 pm
sequoia wrote:
"In American culture, someone who drinks every day would be considered a functioning alcoholic."

Is that something you'd take personally and be insulted over?

To me, it's a statement on cultural differences rather than a comment on a particular individual.


I certainly agree with you.

If I have a Mimosa with brunch and later a glass of wine with dinner, does that make me an alcohol dependent person?


Last edited by MagentaYenta on Mon, Dec 12 2016, 3:01 pm; edited 1 time in total
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allthingsblue




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 12 2016, 3:00 pm
No I wouldn't be insulted. I rarely drink LOL
Even so, I disagree with that statement. I think it should say someone who drinks more than a certain amount every day/often. So I wouldn't be insulted because I don't think it's true.
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cm




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 12 2016, 3:05 pm
Factually incorrect. I suppose a daily drinker (or a member of American culture) may be offended, but it would be more useful to clarify the statement.

In terms of "American culture" (an almost unworkably broad term), a glass of wine at dinner is widely accepted as normal. If you feel you *need* that drink, that's another story.

From a technical perspective, I doubt this would meet the diagnostic criteria for any kind of alcohol-related disorder unless the daily intake were excessive or problematic.
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sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 12 2016, 3:24 pm
MagentaYenta wrote:
I certainly agree with you.

If I have a Mimosa with brunch and later a glass of wine with dinner, does that make me an alcohol dependent person?


Every single day? I think so, yeah.
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sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 12 2016, 3:26 pm
cm wrote:
Factually incorrect. I suppose a daily drinker (or a member of American culture) may be offended, but it would be more useful to clarify the statement.

In terms of "American culture" (an almost unworkably broad term), a glass of wine at dinner is widely accepted as normal. If you feel you *need* that drink, that's another story.

From a technical perspective, I doubt this would meet the diagnostic criteria for any kind of alcohol-related disorder unless the daily intake were excessive or problematic.


I'm not talking about a glass of wine with dinner. I'm talking about someone who went out drinking (as in, drinking was the activity) every single night, no exceptions.

Yet, this person was offended.
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sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 12 2016, 3:30 pm
Also, people are missing the point. In Russia, being sober (ever) is considered weird. In Cambridge, we were plied with wine *in class*. You have to admit that, broadly speaking, American culture is less accepting of that.
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sourstix




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 12 2016, 4:05 pm
I think it really depends on the person. Some people can drink a cup of wine every day and not get affected. In fact it's healthy. Once a day red wine has health benefits. You become addicted when it affects your functioning. If it affects you then there's your answer. And someone being insulted, that's their choice if they want to. You stated a fact. I guess you wouldn't say it again to this person bec to them it's offensive
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zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 12 2016, 4:09 pm
No, but I don't drink.
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challahchallah




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 12 2016, 5:35 pm
I think it's totally context dependent. Was it said during a broader discussion of American drinking culture or was it said when one person ordered a glass of wine with their dinner? The former seems totally fine; the latter would definitely be offensive to me.
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Dec 13 2016, 2:52 am
No, but I'm not familiar with people drinking back from work except in movies.
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imasinger




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Dec 13 2016, 3:45 am
I don't think it's 100% accurate.

America is a big place, and has many opposing trends.

The propensity towards teetotalism is definitely a part of the ethos, dating back to Puritan times.

So is the culture where going to a bar every night on the way home is normal. ("Cheers" was very popular.)

If the person you said it to is a daily drinker, I can understand why they might be offended.

The statement conflates two things -- what defines a functional alcoholic, which I would assume to be a biological question; and whether having a drink a day is normal for an American, which is a cultural question.
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tryinghard




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Dec 13 2016, 4:57 am
I struggle with that definition, as I have heard it before, and I don't think it's accurate when applying to one daily drink. I struggle because DH goes through phases, particularly when extremely stressed, where he has a beer every night to unwind. When he's in the midst of that, the "daily drinking" definition - and he really needs it then - really bothers me, because he is so not an alcoholic, and yet, he NEEDS a drink every day... Then the phase passes. BTW it's not every stressful time either, he is mighty stressed right now but has only been having a l'chaim and/or beer on Shabbos.

That being said, I think the more fair and accurate definiton would be the "becoming, and feeling the need to become, (even slightly) inebriated on a daily basis".
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Dec 13 2016, 6:35 am
I'm not easily offended. If something offends me, then that is because it may hit too close to home, and I need to think about it. There might be something to it, or there might not, but it's worth a good look.

I can't stand when anyone says "all Americans" or "all Russians", etc. Have you met them all? Every single one of them? I'll bet that even if you said "in my village". you could find an exception.

"Some, most, many" or "several" are very valuable modifiers, and not used nearly enough.
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amother
Chocolate


 

Post Tue, Dec 13 2016, 8:53 am
sequoia wrote:
"In American culture, someone who drinks every day would be considered a functioning alcoholic."

Is that something you'd take personally and be insulted over?

To me, it's a statement on cultural differences rather than a comment on a particular individual.


No, I actually agree with the statement on some level. I find it strange that someone would want to drink every day, even a small amount, unless they needed to. But then I have been pregnant/breastfeeding for ages and can't remember what alcohol even tastes like so perhaps my response is biased. But I am sure it wasn't meant as an insult, just the person's opinion.
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amother
Chocolate


 

Post Tue, Dec 13 2016, 8:55 am
FranticFrummie wrote:


I can't stand when anyone says "all Americans" or "all Russians", etc. Have you met them all? Every single one of them? I'll bet that even if you said "in my village". you could find an exception.



Yes, that's a good point, the opinion is "off" in that sense. Generalizations definitely suck. All generalizations are wrong. Wink
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Fox




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Dec 13 2016, 9:09 am
I'm with ChallahChallah on this one. If it was said by an American in order to shame, say, a Brit, then yes -- it was rude. If it was an observation made about general cultural norms, then no.

Either way, it reminds me of David Sedaris in When You Are Engulfed By Flames:

Quote:
In Europe, though, you're not an alcoholic unless you're living half-naked on street, drinking antifreeze from a cast-off shoe. Anything shy of this is just "fun-loving" or "rascally." Cover your glass in France or Germany -- even worse, in England -- and in the voice of someone who has been personally affronted, your host will ask why you're not drinking.
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