When someone verbally endorses a given framework, I understand it as saying “This is the framework that best fits my intuitions”, but understand there are likely some points that diverge.
But maybe I am wrong and most people have actually realigned all their intuitions/behavior once they have picked a system?
1) - “No thanks” / “a coke please“ is usually fine. “I don’t drink alcohol” if pressed. But my impression is that the delivery is most important (stating it firmly without looking embarrassed seems to work best)
-With people you meet regularly you seem to get less resistance being an official teetotaler than an occasional drinker who doesn’t feel like drinking one particular evening.
-Drinking very slowly can limit your intake to a single glass per evening
-If drinks are free and things are busy it’s sometimes easier to accept a glass and not actually drink it (or at least not finish it)
-Designated driver is culture specific. My impression is that in some places (e.g., UK, Scandinavia) it is expected to drink nothing if driving, while in others (e.g., France) you are often still expected to make a “small effort”.
2) Quite culture specific. Fairly standard is to wait for everyone to have a drink in their hand before starting.
3) -People like to drink because social interactions often feel smoother and more natural when participants are a little drunk, and they can also be more fun
-People expect others to drink because: