Alcohol can be quite the social equalizer. It brings down the mighty and raises the previously unseen. It allows you to dance better! No, really! Tequila never lies!

In all seriousness, alcohol is a fairly universal social lubricant in most places of society. As we all know, it has the ability to lower inhibitions which can make communication a little easier (up to a point; sometimes it just gives that illusion). There are people out there that struggle with alcohol and some keep themselves away from it entirely, a fortitude I admire.

I’m not a social researcher or anything, but it always seems to me that the biggest barrier to communication is that we worry about what the other person or people will think of us. It causes us to overthink our words and hesitate– whereas alcohol files down the rough edges of self-doubt in our minds and we speak a little more freely. We stop worrying so much what the other person thinks and we just want to say what’s on our minds.

The danger of the double-edged sword in this situation should be obvious.

Juni has been an NCO for about a year in the story, but she’s been by herself and didn’t have any troops to supervise or mentor. Now she has someone to share the burden with, but it also adds some new and unexpected burdens to her, and she has to communicate some criticisms to a subordinate for the first time. So while Juni may be thinking that serving wine at her counseling session will help loosen things up a bit, there’s the danger of overcommunicating beyond the bounds of professionalism.

I’ve given counseling to subordinates in the past and I always thought “this would go easier over a shot of bourbon” but my logical mind reminds me that, no, things could actually get worse if that path is followed.

Until next time!