Just look at the way people down pegs.

on top of 60ml of say rum, they stack some 300ml of water or soda or whatever. I really wonder why people go this way. Why dont they just gulp down the 60ml raw and get it over with and lie back and enjoy the kick? Why dilute the damn thing to a volume of multiple times and then prolong the bad taste.

Just think about it. Consider an imaginary situation. You are going to be tortured. And you are given two choices; One - You have to suffer a huge pain for 1 second. Two - You have to suffer a moderate pain for one minute. Which one will you choose? Any sensible person will opt for the first choice because even if the pain is huge, it will be gone in a flash.

Its the same way with drinks, i would think. 90% of the people who drink, dont like the stuff's taste. They down the stuff with grotesque expressions on their faces; Yet why dont they just take it raw, just shoot that 60ml down their mouth in a second and get it done with. Instead of mixing it with stupid crap and take so much time and trouble to push it down. strange, i feel.

Yeah there is an argument that its more harmful, swigging it raw. As if the other route isnt harmful. If its anyway poison that you drink, then why bother to dilute it before drinking. Point is to get it over with fast.