Drunk summary

The author, Edward Slingerland, argues that it is not an accident that we continue to get drunk, that it’s neither a hijack nor a hangover. But it’s worth exploring why many scientists think it is and why they’re wrong.

Let’s poke some holes in the hijack argument first. According to this argument, alcohol hijacks our brain’s natural chemical rewards system. We’ve evolved so that when we engage in an activity that is beneficial to our species – like eating a nutritious meal or having sex – our brain rewards us by releasing chemicals, chemicals that we register as pleasure. Alcohol – or so the argument goes – hijacks this system, triggering the release of chemicals that were supposed to be triggered by actions conducive to our survival.

The only plausible answer is that drinking must benefit our species in some way. And we know that the cost of getting drunk is massive. So the benefits must be even more massive! But what exactly are they?

To move toward an answer, we have to look at the unique survival challenges that humans face. And that means examining our ecological niche. Every species occupies a particular ecological niche, and we humans are no exception, so what is it? Well, it’s the position we occupy in the world relative to other species. It also refers to the methods we’ve devised for maintaining that position. It includes things like how we find food and shelter, and how we deal with other animals and other humans. 

You’ve probably heard of the prefrontal cortex. Evolutionarily speaking, it’s the newest part of the human brain. It’s the site of rational thinking – which is to say it’s what makes us unique as humans, allowing us to focus on long-term tasks, process complex information, and engage in abstract reasoning. From here on out, I’ll be referring to this invaluable bit of anatomy as the PFC. 

OK, but here’s the thing about the PFC. It’s wonderful, we’d be lost without it, but it’s not great for collaboration and creativity, qualities that – as you know – we need in order to occupy our ecological niche. It’s not great because being purely rational, which is what the PFC is all about, often results in being purely selfish.

Getting drunk isn’t the only way to disable the PFC. It can be disabled by many intoxicants. But alcohol is the undisputed king. It’s easy to consume, easy to make, easy to store, easy to dose. It’s also easy for our bodies to break down and eliminate. And as though all those perks weren’t enough, it pairs deliciously with food. What’s more, unlike other intoxicants – like, for instance, cannabis, which usually produces a more introverted high – alcohol promotes extroversion and group cooperation.

Furthermore, it’s biphasal. That means that, at first, it instills a sense of mild euphoria – similar to the effects of cocaine. Then, as blood alcohol levels peak and start to descend, the PFC goes offline. That’s when we stop processing fear and other negative emotions, and we’re less affected by abstract consequences. In other words, we release our inhibitions and let our minds wander.

So drunkenness drives creativity and creativity drives cultural innovation. That’s great, but what’s an example of this in action? Well, I’ve got a fun one for you. It’s an innovation that’s as old as agriculture itself – well, actually, it might even be a little older than that, but I don’t want to give too much away.

It’s the story of how we discovered beer. 

So, drinking. Thousands and thousands of years ago, some hapless, apish ancestor of ours discovered the pleasures of drunkenness, perhaps after eating one too many fermented fruits. This was an accident. But the fact that we’ve continued drinking for millennia is no accident at all. Drinking has benefited our species in many important ways. It helped us become creative, communal, and cultural – the three C’s that enable us to occupy our ecological niche. In fact, drinking may have fueled the formation of our ecological niche, both driving the transition to agriculture and easing that transition’s attendant stresses. Since then, it’s helped us access our more playful, emotional, Dionysian side, which is good for community bonding and creativity, the cornerstones of cultural innovation. In short, alcohol has played a complex social and cultural role throughout human history. 

And it continues to play this role. However, there’s no denying the harm it can inflict.