the link between club behaviour and personality.

I admit that the title of this blog post might be confusing at face value. How can CLUBBING tell you anything about your personality, right? After all, it is a form of entertainment that is embedded in materialism and usually devoid of any real interaction between people. Resultantly, it is impossible to truly learn about a person's core character through such a pastime. However, I believe that the way someone handles themselves on a big night out can speak wonders about what they are generally like as a person.

I need to state from the outset that I did not write this post to pass judgement on anybody.  In hindsight of all my years of clubbing, I have simply become the patient observer of behavioural patterns, all of which I find incredibly interesting. This has allowed me to single out five categories (that are always present in any clubbing scenario) that can be used to gauge someone's personality. Let's look at each of these in detail, starting now!

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Appearances 

I always say this: do not judge a person's appearance at the start of the evening. If you really want to tell whether they can carry themselves or not, wait for the end of the night. When people arrive at a club, they generally look immaculate. Ironically, you just have to give it a few hours before cracks begin to appear in that seemingly perfect facade. By then, the gentleman who you thought was so charming may very well have his head in his hands because of an overdose of alcohol. The girl with the amazing stilettos, well she's about to take them off to walk barefoot on the road. This is the time of the night when class turns to crass, and when you can actually see the few who remain impeccable.

Alcohol

The way a person drinks says plenty about them. Within this category, you will notice the spontaneous people who consume alcohol without a care in the world, or the ones who easily succumb to peer pressure. You will pick out the logical creatures who will be insistent on drinking sensibly. I myself have a tendency to fall in the category of the 'over-thinker.' I am generally a responsible drinker (with a few exceptions, wink wink), because I don't really have the time or will to go through hangovers anymore. But hey, if you're the carpe diem kind of person, that's totally awesome.

Money

In any situation, the way someone handles the bill is highly indicative of how they've been brought up, or what they believe in. Are they the kind of person who is insistent on buying a round, or would they just prefer to get their own individual drink? For example, I have some girlfriends who are completely adamant on not allowing guys to buy them drinks. This is completely fine, and simply signifies that they are strong women who prefer not to feel indebted to anybody.

Interactions 

Would your friend ever leave you hanging just to pick someone else up, or is he or she the kind of person who will remain unfailingly by your side? Do you know someone who will remain angry and negative for the whole night if something does not go their way? How a person treats another, whether a friend, bartender or cleaner, will give you a good reflection of what they are all about. It is through here that you can gauge who you can really rely on to take care of you should something bad happen. Let's face it, strange things do happen in the dark.

Morals

Clubbing has the potential to be packed with every possible vice you can think of, and thus serves temptation on a silver platter. If you're in a relationship, would you cheat (either emotionally or physically) on your girlfriend or boyfriend? Could you end up succumbing to peer pressure if your friends ask you to try a certain substance? Would you leave your friend to go home with someone else? In situations that are so dangerously enticing, watch a way a person handles their code of morals.

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This blog post has been a somewhat cynical deconstruction of an activity that seems flippant at face value. However, I believe that it is this superficial nature that gives us the room to pinpoint aspects of someone's personality. In saying all of this,  the way a person clubs cannot possibly tell you everything there is to know about them, especially if they only visit such events once in awhile. As I acknowledged earlier, clubbing is an activity that is deficient of genuine conversation, and thus could never establish a complete overview of a person's character. What I am merely arguing is that you can single out specific personality traits by comparing how a person behaves to the listed categories.

A facade can only be held for so long before it starts to crumble. Club well, club right.

- Nadia