A few thoughts.

Every­one knows that alco­hol makes a per­son do things he wouldn’t oth­er­wise do. It dulls the senses and motor skills; ren­ders oth­er­wise ratio­nal peo­ple boor­ish and inco­her­ent; and encour­ages promis­cu­ity, dan­ger­ous risk-​​​​taking, and over-​​​​sharing. But alcohol’s effects on a drinker—and the drinker’s rela­tion­ship with his alcohol—has more to do with what the drinker thinks alco­hol should do …