Alcohol inhibits your ability to accept difficult things

[antillean]

Originally posted by: djheater
Regarding this thread, and the idea that a couple of drinks will help you 'relax' after a hard day of work. Well, it's not true.

Cognitive dissonance is the stress that results from harboring two opposed cognitions at once. People who hate their job for example, yet continue to go in every day. The reaction to this is to change your attitude, "well the thing is, I hate my job, but since I *do* go in every day, it must be worth it". Studies like this show that alcohol effectively relieves the stress, and therefore reduces the attitudinal change that would otherwise occur.

Basically, a guy who hates his job and continues to do it, and doesn't drink, will evenutally not hate his job (generally). A person who hates his job, and goes home to have a drink, will wake up still hating his job.

The old "I drink to unwind after a hard day in the office" doesn't hold water, it effectively reduces the tendancy to make a bad situation good, and simply keeps the bad situation bad. In other words, life will continue to suck, as long as you "drink your troubles away".

Thoughts?

You may be right, but you have it backards. Drinking and continuing to hate your job is a good thing. Not drinking and justifying your job is a bad thing.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Siva
Everyone has a habit to help reduce stress after work, from watching TV to masturbation.

Wait...after work?

Crap...that explains why all my coworkers think I'm a perv

 

[randay]

In every life we have some trouble. When you worry you make it double. Don't worry. Be happy.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
The TRH has been proven ineffective. That's the problem with citing 20+ year-old-sources. Alcohol may reduce stress for some populations, but have no effect of the stress level of others. Thusly the attitudinal changes (or lack there of) would vary from population to population.

If you get a chance, send me some citations. I'm really interested in dissonance and alcohol.

(btw) - I'm brewing a Belgian Wit this morning, so I probably won't respond 'til tonight

:beer: