Try These Tactics if People Make Fun of You for Not Partying ...

The first of my tips for when people make fun of you for not partying is to consider whether these are the people you really want to hang around with. You can have fun without being so drunk you can't remember what you did. In fact, you can have fun without alcohol at all. It might be worth looking for some new friends who don't think you need to drink to have a good time.

If you don't enjoy partying, then stick to your guns. Don't let people persuade you to participate in something you don't enjoy. There's nothing wrong with not being into partying; some of us just aren't that type of person. It's also a lot more sensible and safe not to get very drunk …

You could also try pointing out just how many advantages there are to not being the partying type. Drinking isn't cheap, is dangerous to your health if you drink too much, and could lead to being in risky situations. Get your friends to work out how much money they're wasting; they may come to the conclusion that they're the silly ones, not you.

If you still enjoy hanging around with your partying friends, but just don't want to drink, offer to be the designated driver. Your friends will appreciate the offer - and they can't very well complain that you're not drinking when you're going to be driving them home. If people think you should drink when you're driving, then you definitely need new friends.

So what if people think you're dull? It doesn't matter one bit what anyone else thinks - they have no right to criticize you for not being into partying. If they don't like the fact that you're smarter than they are, that's their problem. Just carrying on being yourself and living your life exactly the way you want to.

If you don't want to party, then you can always pretend that you've got something else on. If people keep inviting you to parties and evenings that revolve around drinking, be 'busy' every time - or simply say thanks, but that's not your kind of evening out. Eventually they'll get the hint and stop inviting you.

Finally, you could always try simply asking them to stop making fun of you for not being into partying. Our culture tends to revolve around partying being seen as normal, and your friends may not realize that you're annoyed by them making fun of you. Tell them it's annoying, because you're simply not interested in partying, and that's perfectly fine.

It's possible to have a good time without getting drunk, so don't let people convince you that you need to drink or that you're a party pooper for not drinking. What do you think of how much our culture revolves around alcohol?