We Shouldn’t Call It “Sober” — We Should Call It Standard

Our natural state of being doesn’t need another name

Me: performing sans alcohol

so·ber

/ˈsōbər/ adjective

1. not affected by alcohol; not drunk.

Sober is standard

What is being sober but our static way of existing? We are all born sober, and (hopefully) that’s how we will spend most of our lives, so drinking and drunk are the outliers — not the other way around.

I know this is semantics and oversimplification, and that the word “sober” has its place. But being sober shouldn’t require a declaration.

It’s normal. It’s homeostasis. It’s the status quo.

Here’s what I mean…

There’s no word for not smoking cigarettes.

There’s no word for not using weed.

There’s no word for not using other drugs besides alcohol. Unless you count clean, but we only say that when someone used to abuse them.

You wouldn’t say “My grandma has never used drugs in her life — she’s totally clean.”