various alcohol including beer, wine, and spirits
Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
December 29, 2023 ·  3 min read

According to a Study, Your Drunk Self May Actually Be the Real You

How many times have you been embarrassed by drunk you? Countless times, we assume, but we won’t judge— unless you landed yourself in deep trouble. Regardless, this article won’t be talking about the morality of how you behave when drunk.

You may think that the ‘drunk you’ isn’t the real you, but you might be wrong. Of course, people claim to be a different person under the influence, but science is hinting otherwise.

Science Says, “Drunk You Is Still You

Research conducted in 2017, went on to test this theory with quite a unique experiment. The researchers compared the perceptions of the drinker about themselves to observations made by those who weren’t inebriated. And the data stated that people behaved the same, whether drunk or sober. This does throw a wrench in things, doesn’t it? After all, you only said those things ‘because you were drunk,’ right?

couple partying at a club consuming alcohol
Image Credits: Stock Photos

Rachel Winograd, a psychological scientist from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, stated:

“We were surprised to find such a discrepancy between drinkers’ perceptions of their own alcohol-induced personalities and how observers perceived them. Participants reported experiencing differences in all factors of the Five-Factor Model of personality, but extraversion was the only factor robustly perceived to be different across participants in alcohol and sober conditions.

Read: Stinky Farts Can Theoretically Make You Go Blind, Doctor Claims

Answering the Age-Old Questions- Why Do We Drink?

This study was published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science and it is essentially saying that alcohol has no power to change who you are. If you act a certain way drunk- you probably act the same way when you are sober.[1] The researchers determined this by asking their participants (who were drunk) to play games with their sober friends. After this, they had to fill out forms regarding personality shifts. Now, while the person who drank felt they were behaving differently- those who were sober saw no change. 

It’s not that there is no change, there is- but that is not in one’s personality. According to the research, alcohol did increase the magnitude of your rambunctiousness. If you were a chirpy person when sober, you became loud when drunk. 

two men partying drinking martinis
Image Credits: Getty Images

Winograd stated, “Of course, we also would love to see these findings replicated outside of the lab- in bars, at parties, and in homes where people actually do their drinking. Most importantly, we need to see how this work is most relevant in the clinical realm and can be effectively included in interventions to help reduce any negative impact of alcohol on peoples’ lives.”

Read: The Man Who Drank Radioactive Juice Until His Bones Crumbled And His Jaw Came Off

Acting Under the Influence- Alcohol Makes You Do The Impossible?

So the main question that stands now is- why do we think we act differently when drunk? The research claims this to be the placebo effect. Our social conditioning has impressed upon us- that alcohol can shift who we are. Now, since we strongly believe- in our subconscious- that this is the case, it becomes our reality. Remember, you are still yourself even if you chug down an entire six-pack. Your actions might suggest you are not- but you are.

So, the next time you decided to get on top of a bar table and dance to Marvin Gaye, it is not the fault of Jack Daniels. You are drunk, but you are still you. You might have inclinations of doing this when sober, but you didn’t. It could be your social conditioning, it could be your inhibitions. Now, since you believe that alcohol would give you the magic spill to get you out of your shell, you lose your inhibitions. It’s not alcohol, my dear friend. It’s still you. The research from 2017 definitely says so.

Keep Reading: Throwback: That Time a Beer Stealing Bear Got Drunk and Passed Out in the Woods

Sources

  1. Your drunk alter ego is actually the ‘real’ you.” NY Post. Lizzie Parry. May 17, 2017.
  2. Your Drunk Self Is Your Truest Self, Science Says.” Bolde. Jennifer Still.
  3. An Experimental Investigation of Drunk Personality Using Self and Observer Reports.” Journals. Rachel P. Winogad, et al. April 30, 2017.