When meddlers won't take "No" for an answer...

[Humble]

The other night my peers decided to have an intervention about my drinking habits. They're under the impression that I won't feel "alive" until I've imbibed some booze. A number of them won't accept my explanations as to why I'm sober.

In their infinite wisdom, they've decided to act on their desire to help by pestering me about the subject or trying to tempt me whenever they're trying to get plastered. They have yet to realize they're insulting my integrity when they try to break my will through coercion. Life just became a bit more complicated with their refusal to stop doing what's "best" for me.

Even though I've decided to wait out the storm I can't help feeling annoyed with the absurdity of my situation.

Have you ever had the joy of someone sticking their nose in your business against your wishes? Were you able to repel the meddler? If so, how did you pull it off 'cause I still have a bunch?
-Humble

[Conekiller]

Being in almost the exact same situation as you, I cna understand. Except my friends respect me and my wishes and don't pester me about it.

You need to tell them that if they don't leave you alone about it you're going to have hang out with them less and less. If they're true friends, your absence will bother them and they'll leave you the hell alone about it.

[solarflere]

You have to explain to them that you are not drinking because you are shy or scared of something or don't want to hang out with them, but because you just don't want to consume alcohol for no paticular reason. And Like Conekiller said, if they are your true friends they will stop bugging you about it.

[Humble]

You have to explain to them that you are not drinking because you are shy or scared of something or don't want to hang out with them, but because you just don't want to consume alcohol for no paticular reason.

That was the first thing I did. I'd spent an hour explaining my indifference towards the stuff. I had to walk away when they tried to stick a Budweiser under my nose.

The funny thing is them trying to pressure me into drinking has guaranteed I won't touch a drop in their presence.

If they're true friends, your absence will bother them and they'll leave you the hell alone about it.

The problem is my dorm-mates at this point in time are just very obnoxious buddies. They mean well by wanting me to stop being an introvert, but they go about it the wrong way. Plus, it's kind of hard to avoid them when they're drinking in the hallway.

-Humble

[Delthayre]

I'm sympathetic, being a nephalist* at a university is a trying experience. My close friends know better than trying to drive me to imbibe the stuff, but some people seem incapable of believing that someone would willingly refuse alcoholic drink, but worse, they refuse to accept it.

I don't understand the unpleasant obsession some students have with getting drunk (to put it in relatively genteel terms). I have always refrained from chastising them for their behavior in the hopes that they might reciprocate by leaving me to do as I please without comment, but I suppose given that my choice is more deviant from the accepted standard there's some underlying urge to convert me into the mainstream.

I usually frame my refusal to imbibe intoxicating liquors as either, "I prefer to stay sober so I can really enjoy laughing at the drunken idiots," or, "I'm strange enough while not inebriated to suspect that I might become distressingly normal if drunk." That second one has a slightly extended variant involving speculations that I might have an anti-matter liver.

*An obscure synonym for teatotaler, which I use because I think teatotaler is a silly word.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I've never had that problem with friends. But then, I rarely hang around in large groups. My relatives do try to pressure me to eat more (No, I do not have an eating problem, I've been a light eater since I was a kid ) and be more boisterous like THEIR kids--my cousins. After many polite declines, in the end I shunned them and told them to let me do my own thing and shut the **** up about it.

Obviously I'm not a popular member of the extended family. Such is the existence of someone with a short fuse and an allergy to conformity.

[Conekiller]

That was the first thing I did. I'd spent an hour explaining my indifference towards the stuff. I had to walk away when they tried to stick a Budweiser under my nose.

The funny thing is them trying to pressure me into drinking has guaranteed I won't touch a drop in their presence.

-Humble

Every once in a while, one of my closer friends will do the whole "well at least try it" and more often than not it's this throatsearing mess of a conctoction. So I act accordingly and let her finish the stuff off (being around drunk friends is fun! especially when they're attractive and have trouble keeping clothes on ^__^ )

[Stardust]

"No, thank you" and walk away.

I can't stand obnoxious people. They drive me nuts. When those people start pressuring me to drink when I don't want to (sorry if I'm not in the mood to party it up every day of the week!) then I start putting on the snotty, I'm-too-good-for-this attitude that puts people off. If they were any friend of mine, then they'd know they shouldn't pressure me to do anything if I didn't want to. Especially now, since I've graduated college and put all my party days behind me. I just don't have the endurance or the desire to get plastered every weekend anymore.

[Peter Paltridge]

"If I'm having a fun time, I want to remember it."

Someone posted this a few months ago about why they didn't drink, and I think it's good enough to stand up for anybody with a logical brain. Unfortunately, most drunkards don't have them.

[Chris Wood]

Usually meddling kids can be dissuaded by wearing a cheap Halloween mask and suspending yourself in the air via an elaborate system of ropes and pulleys. If they have a talking dog smoke bombs and diabolical laughter may also be necessary.

[guinaevere]

They have yet to realize they're insulting my integrity when they try to break my will through coercion. Life just became a bit more complicated with their refusal to stop doing what's "best" for me.

What's more, by projecting their standards into what they say should be part of your routine, they're showing the insecurity they harbor; the reasons they have justified their daily actions with are made MUCH less valid by the fact that you're doing just fine without libations.

Even though I've decided to wait out the storm I can't help feeling annoyed with the absurdity of my situation.

As well you ought. You're doing what's well and healthy not just for you, but for the population at large. It's not popular and definately not easy, and as such, your standards have become the target.

Don't you just love people forcing their ideals on you?