I worry that if young people now drink more, they're going to end up drinking alone. They're going to end up masturbating to porn more alone. They're going to end up with more hangovers after all their alone behavior. I think what you've argued for is the notion of healthy fraternity, healthy dating and socializing. You've mentioned bars a couple times. Alcohol as something that can bring people together in a positive way.
First, my acknowledgement as it relates to the intake of any substance, if it's Andrew Huberman or Scott Galloway, defer to Andrew Huberman's advice. I just want to say that up front. You just have the qualifications and the domain expertise here.
I think personally the risks to a 25-year-old liver are dwarfed by the risks of social isolation.
And I worry that with 40% fewer pubs now post-COVID in Britain and a lack of mating and a lot of connection, that the data I've seen, and correct me if I'm wrong, that 95% of people are able to integrate alcohol and drugs into their life without serious consequences. If you have a history of addiction, if you for whatever reason don't enjoy it, then by all means avoid it. If people are telling you that you're having an issue or a problem or it's getting in the way of your work life or you're one of those people that gets violent or mean under the influence, then for God's sakes tone it down. But what I ask people is to look back on their younger days and say, what is the most important thing in your life? Relationships, friendships, finding someone to mate with. And I ask them, did alcohol play a role?
You know, it's not easy to come in and lean in for a kiss without a glass of wine. Or let me put it this way, it is easier with a glass of wine. It's a lot of fun. I smoked a lot of pot and I drank a lot of alcohol in my 20s and in college and it created a lot of wonderful bonding moments. And so what I'm saying is there's a balance and a trade-off. And what I would suggest is that everyone needs to make their own decision, but what scares me is the anti-alcohol movement and remote work has led to a level of isolation and fewer moments where people can bond, where people are willing to take a risk and go up to a strange person and say, 'Hey, what's going on?' So, I worry that the anti-alcohol movement when I see among young people is that while they've demonized alcohol, it's not that they're not getting high. They're just doing a [__] ton of drugs. And the thing I don't like about many of these drugs is that they're more solo activity or small group activity. I think alcohol is a group of people I like to think meeting new strangers. Whereas when I was in college, all the dudes who were doing cocaine were always because they had no sexual currency and they would sequester a woman who liked cocaine and go into a bathroom.
Totally creepy as [__]. And eventually everyone's like, 'If a dude's into cocaine, it means he has no game.' I find with people when they do drugs, it's a small group of people and they sequester and it's isolating. Whereas with alcohol, and to a certain extent with marijuana I found, it's more social and more bonding. So, absolutely be cognizant of your addiction history. Absolutely be mindful of that or any other substance you're addicted to. But I believe, and I've said this and I've said this on Bill Maher a bunch and I've got some [__] but I think there's some truth here. I think young people need to drink more, go out and make a series of bad decisions that might pay off.
I don't think there's anything wrong with some alcohol. I worry that the risks of loneliness far outweigh the risks of alcohol and that alcohol has been demonized as something that if you take one drink of alcohol, you're going to get cancer or you're going to become an addict. And I don't think the data's there to support that.
I really appreciate that candid expression of where you stand. I agree that isolation is worse than alcohol and it's compounded by alcohol. So, to make that point clear, I went to UC Santa Barbara. We majored in...
It was like it was part of the general education.
I remember they had sand in the dorms. I'm like, why didn't I go to school here?
Well, you know, it did select for alcoholism if people had that predisposition, and you had to be disciplined to get your work done.
You know, my messaging around alcohol was, um, it was intended to land in three places. One, people who don't like drinking, but felt that they had to, got a great reason to not drink. And many, many people wrote to me and said, 'Thank you. I always feel like garbage after drinking. I don't want to drink. Now I understand why I feel like garbage.'
It's not that I was casting it toward a particular age group, but there are many people who hit their 40s or 50s and they're like, 'God, I'm aging fast and I look like [__] and I sleep like [__] and my workouts are no good and...' you might be drinking too much, right? And then there are the optimizers. They're people that are really just going for maximum vitality, not just longevity, but maximum vitality, which is to me one of the most important things. In any case, people should do as they wish, but know what they're doing, provided they're not harming anyone else. There's one thing that I want to kind of, you know, lump in with this discussion about alcohol and your statement, which on the top contour I totally agree with. Go out, drink, and make a few bad decisions and probably some good ones. But...
Bad-ish, right. So, this is the thing, phones.
Somebody says the wrong thing, they loosen up too much. Now it's not a problem. Three years ago, you might be sitting in front of HR.
