Saying “I don’t want to” to a dare is the bravest answer when the dare is dangerous.

Dares work by making refusal look like the cowardly option, when refusing is usually the only choice in the room that takes any nerve. You do not owe anyone a reason, and reaching for one invites a debate you cannot win. A plain refusal with nothing after it is harder to argue with than an excuse. The people pushing will move on faster than you expect.

Decide where your line is before you are standing in a group at eleven at night. Practice the flat version, with no apology attached. If leaving is easier than arguing, leave, and tell someone where you are going.