# Alcohol and Internal Monologue **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2013, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374 "2013-12-15T11:51:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/1 "2013-12-15T11:51:31Z")
I’ve been wondering for a few years now, does anyone else drink a lot, but still have a “sober” monologue with themselves? For a real world example, as I type this, I have a lot of grammatical and spelling errors, because I can’t really control my fingers (because I am drunk), but I can see the errors and correct them with my non-drunk inner voice. Does that make sense? I have been this way before, with my head down on a bar because I was drunk and still can think logically but saying something in my head is not the same as walking to the bathroom, does that make sense? I mean, in my inner voice, i know I’m drunk, and I know that I can’t walk, but it seems like those two things should not go together. Anyone else experience that? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/2 "2013-12-15T16:58:19Z")
You just think it’s sober, logical and coherent. Go to a party sometime, and have someone film you over the course of the night. You’ll remember things as having been one way (sober, coherent and logical), but the video proof will show that they were not quite as far that direction as you thought. I’ve seen myself after a few too many- I thought at the time I was ok, but on further review, the call was overturned. It’s possible that your internal dialogue is somewhat more coherent than what you can get out through your uncooperative body, but I’d just about guarantee that it’s not nearly so coherent or sober as you think. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/3 "2013-12-15T17:08:45Z")
Yeah, the problem is that it only seems sober from the point of view of a drunk person. But I certainly know what you’re saying, I’ve had the exact same thoughts while drinking. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/4 "2013-12-15T19:25:18Z")
Perhaps, as the OP was typing his OP, the alcohol was just beginning to take effect. His first paragraph is coherent and makes sense; his second paragraph, somewhat less so. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/5 "2013-12-15T19:30:30Z")
Nice post/user-name combo, though. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/6 "2013-12-15T21:04:18Z")
Since the OP is asking about personal experiences, let’s move this over to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/7 "2013-12-15T23:24:03Z")
Yes, I’ve had that happen more than once actually. I’m drunk. I know I’m drunk. In my mind, I hear a perfectly reasonable voice telling me I’m drunk and shouldn’t do/say x-y-z, and most of the time I listen to that voice. Sober voice - “You really shouldn’t do that, get in the car. It will be dangerous and could lead to problems, at best.” Drunk me - “Yeah, whatever.” So I’d say you’ve got at least one more person who experiences that. Not sure why, or how, but there it is. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/8 "2013-12-15T23:33:02Z")
“And what was this _Moe’s_ you say you were driving home from when you crashed?” sober inner monologue: _Don’t say a bar! Don’t say a bar! Quick! What else is open at 2am?_ spoken out loud: “A pornography store. I was purchasing pornography.” ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/9 "2013-12-17T14:38:09Z")
> [@Werekoala](#): > > Yes, I’ve had that happen more than once actually. I’m drunk. I know I’m drunk. In my mind, I hear a perfectly reasonable voice telling me I’m drunk and shouldn’t do/say x-y-z, and most of the time I listen to that voice. > > Sober voice - “You really shouldn’t do that, get in the car. It will be dangerous and could lead to problems, at best.” > > Drunk me - “Yeah, whatever.” > > So I’d say you’ve got at least one more person who experiences that. Not sure why, or how, but there it is. I think that “sober voice” isn’t what he’s talking about though. I got the impression that he was saying that in his own head, he seems sober, but the mouth and fingers aren’t cooperating. I get that “sober voice” as well; the one that would say things like “Setting the trash can on fire may sound like fun, but it’ll burn like a tire fire and get the cops called.” or most accurately “When people start firing the potato guns inside the house at the party, it’s time to go.” ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/10 "2013-12-17T15:29:46Z")
If anything, I think my inner monologue while drinking has gotten stronger while drinking as I’ve gotten older. I think it comes down to the fact that making watermelon helmets and headbutting your friends is more acceptable the next day “because you were drunk” when you’re 22 vs 29. I very recently celebrated my 30th birthday and my last conversation before leaving the bar was with someone talking about how they don’t really notice much of a difference in my behavior when drunk vs. sober compared to some other mutual friends (and I was thoroughly knackered). I think I expend extra mental effort to maintain appearances, and I’m more aware that there is a “Morning Trom” and an “Evening Trom” whose interests are not aligned. I know that’s not quite what the OP is talking about, but I think there are still things someone can consciously do when feeling wobbly to avoid attracting attention - sit down, lean against the bar, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/11 "2013-12-20T04:28:30Z")
Man, I really was drunk when I posted that OP, because I don’t really remember it 🙂 I am happy that the spelling and grammatical mistakes were limited. Anyway, some of you have touched upon what I mean. I’m 41 now, with actual responsibilities and such, so I don’t really do crazy stuff when drinking, unless watching funny cat videos on YouTube counts as crazy! Someone upthread said it, but I can be unable to walk to the bathroom, but I will be sitting and thinking internally to myself - “I really need to use the bathroom, i wonder if I can walk?” and then I will try to stand up and can’t, then sit back down and think “nope, not gonna happen. I guess I will get someone to help me to the bathroom” I guess what I’m saying is my body seems to stop responding while drinking way before my mind does, and that’s what I was wondering happened to anyone else, and if it is normal, or what? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/12 "2013-12-20T07:54:56Z")
I recognize that I’m drunk and have a coherent conversation with myself. Maybe it has an RP accent? But when I e.g. text people, my English is almost impeccable (hi Gaudere). I mean, it takes me longer to get it out, but if I make an error, I am aware that I made it but don’t care to correct it. Meanwhile, certain other people are texting, “I’m abt th blugbhneng!” > [@bienville](#): > > “And what was this _Moe’s_ you say you were driving home from when you crashed?” > > sober inner monologue: > _Don’t say a bar! Don’t say a bar! Quick! What else is open at 2am?_ > > spoken out loud: > “A pornography store. I was purchasing pornography.” [Play as] daddy [drinks and] gets happier and happier and then sadder and sadder. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-and-internal-monologue/676374/13 "2013-12-20T17:17:56Z")
I got a little hammered last night too. At some point, I started to have a coughing fit, during my coughing fit, I stood up and started walking to the bathroom for a pee. The thing was though, one my way to the bathroom, I started to get dizzy, so much so, I had to brace myself on the bathroom counter when I finally got there. A few seconds later, the dizziness subsides. I remember looking up in the mirror saying to myself: “That was awesome!!” That was probably my drunk voice talking though.