One of my all-time favorite Gary Larsen cartoons shows two cowboys facing off at an old west saloon with a bartender behind the bar and a bottle of whiskey sitting on the bar.  Fightin’  words like  “you low down dirty varmint” appear in a word bubble coming out of the bottle as the bartender says something along the lines of “don’t pay him no never mind, it’s just the whiskey talkin’”. Hilarious-yes, BUT,  the point it makes may not be true!

That point being - Perhaps you have heard the expression that someone is a “happy drunk” or a “mean drunk” ? Those words are meant to describe the change in their personality as the consume alcohol to excess.  But if you think you have a 'drunk' personality and a different 'sober' personality, science says perhaps you should think again.

A study out of the “Show Me” state - University of Missouri -  examined the drinking habits of about 150s people.  They found that after drinking in a lab setting, participants reported feeling more open, agreeable and extroverted, but observers noticed little change in their behavior.  Interestingly the supposed “change” was a self assessment, noticed by the drinkers themselves.

Observers did recognize a reliable increase in extroversion only.  So why then do we think we get a different personality when we're drinking? Scientists say it's all about point of view.  Our personal point of view! Testing shows our personalities don't change when we drink but our traits do become more exaggerated.  (Daily Mail)

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