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Comment by ethbr1 | Hacker News Reader

I'm sympathetic to parent (both ways) on this one. Acquaintances' kids birthdays are and should be mostly about the kids.

The kids are friends: that's why the parents are there. The parents may or may not particularly vibe with each other.

And a small amount of alcohol does take the sharp edges off social interactions with someone who might otherwise annoy you.

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In my experience it also often makes that mildly annoying person a lot more annoying (as in their behaviour)

I get the sentiment, but it seems to me like a crutch that should be worked on getting rid of. It can't be that painful to be with other people, if it is, we need to work on ourselves and the culture. The jump from "I'm bored/uncomfortable" -> "might as well get drunk" seems wrong and a slippery slide to boot.

Having a drink or two is not the same thing as getting drunk.

Human beings have been complaining about other people at social events being bores since antiquity. There is no work on oneself and the culture that will, at a societal level, make all such interactions pleasant.

Seneca sharing a quote in Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 7 [~62 CE] https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Moral_letters_to_Lucilius/Let...

>> Democritus says: “One man means as much to me as a multitude, and a multitude only as much as one man.”

Having a beer or two at a kids birthday party is a world away from getting trashed at a college party. Personally, I need a drink to loosen up and not be so uptight around casual acquaintances. I offer the same courtesy when I host birthday parties.

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