4 ms·

I forget what magazine carried this essay, and it was from maybe about 10 years ago, but a journalist decided to take up smoking (temporarily) at the age of 30-

I forget what magazine carried this essay, and it was from maybe about 10 years ago, but a journalist decided to take up smoking (temporarily) at the age of 30-something or 40-something, with the idea of writing a story about it. One of his takeaways was the sociability of it, especially since everyone nowadays is forced to exit the office building to have a smoke.

DiggyJohnson 5y ago
I usually pride myself on my google-fu, but this one has eluded me. I also remember this essay. Do you remember anything more about the essay that would help me find it? There is so much information and blogspam about their for the {nicotine, addiction, cigarettes, voluntary, chooses, sociability, constraints} results.
- fossuser 5y ago
  I also remember it - I’m pretty sure he was 42? Some other things: - might have been the Atlantic - he talked about etiquette around things like flicking ash and smoking circles - he talked about asking his doctor about starting smoking It was definitely an interesting one
  - lolpython 5y ago
    I also remember the article. I think he smoked in an airport and said nearby people overreacted (his words paraphrased) like a woman clutched her child. And maybe the airport security came too? I really want to read it now. But can’t find it by Google.
    - fossuser 5y ago
      I found it: https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/a4263/learning-to-smoke-0308/ https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/a4263/learning-to-s... Search terms I used were: starting smoking at 40 cigarettes It was the sixth google result for me.
      - mariodiana 5y ago
        Thank you! (I'm the OP of this thread.) I'm putting that on my re-read list.
        mariodiana 5y ago
        Eh, whom am I kidding. I read it as soon as I clicked to see it.
chaoticmass 5y ago
I remember this essay as well. During a period of high stress due to major life changes I was experiencing, I took up smoking. It became a habit. I did experience the social aspect that the essayist described. I found that the best way to meet new friends at anime or gaming conventions is to find out where all the smokers are and hang out there. I've found a few new very good friends this way. PS: I don't smoke cigarettes anymore.
- piyh 5y ago
  I had a smoker friend in college and I'd join him outside. Pretty soon all my friends in the group were those social smokers.
system16 5y ago
I was a smoker for many years and the sociability is a huge factor that doesn't get much attention, and is the only thing I miss about it. The relationships I established with fellow smokers, whether it was at work while stepping out from the office, standing outside a pub, stepping outside on a balcony at a party, etc. were almost always stronger than with my non-smoking friends. You immediately become part of a social circle with people you at least have one thing in common with, and are standing around with a limited number of minutes to chat about almost anything. I haven't had a cigarette for nearly five years and the thought of lighting one up disgusts me, but I miss the carefree banter during smoke breaks with other smokers.
- calvinmorrison 5y ago
  > I was a smoker for many years and the sociability is a huge factor that doesn't get much attention, and is the only thing I miss about it. The best part about having to go outside for a smoke is you end up standing next to people outside of your normal work hierarchy. You get to have 1v1 conversations with OTHER managers, and people higher than you - whoever at a very casual level. The benefits of this is enourmous. I certainly talked more to our director of IT by smoking than I ever did with my own boss.
Benjammer 5y ago
There was a whole Friends episode about this where Rachel starts smoking so she can be privy to the conversations out on the smoke deck at work.
Zelphyr 5y ago
Early in my tech career I realized pretty quickly that, despite not being a smoker, I needed go outside with the smokers during their smoke breaks because that's where a lot of ideas were discussed. It was where I could continue learning from guys who were almost all senior to me at the time in a more relaxed, informal setting. The smoking was terrible--don't get me wrong--and I'm glad its much more rare now than it was 25 years ago.
- jhickok 5y ago
  Same here, but I took up smoking outside with them and it put me in the inside group on projects/tasks. I never picked up smoking outside of these little daily excursions and I realize it's playing with fire, but at least for my career it was one of the best things I could have done.

DiggyJohnson 5y ago

I usually pride myself on my google-fu, but this one has eluded me. I also remember this essay. Do you remember anything more about the essay that would help me find it? There is so much information and blogspam about their for the {nicotine, addiction, cigarettes, voluntary, chooses, sociability, constraints} results.

fossuser 5y ago
I also remember it - I’m pretty sure he was 42? Some other things: - might have been the Atlantic - he talked about etiquette around things like flicking ash and smoking circles - he talked about asking his doctor about starting smoking It was definitely an interesting one
- lolpython 5y ago
  I also remember the article. I think he smoked in an airport and said nearby people overreacted (his words paraphrased) like a woman clutched her child. And maybe the airport security came too? I really want to read it now. But can’t find it by Google.
  - fossuser 5y ago
    I found it: https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/a4263/learning-to-smoke-0308/ https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/health/a4263/learning-to-s... Search terms I used were: starting smoking at 40 cigarettes It was the sixth google result for me.
    - mariodiana 5y ago
      Thank you! (I'm the OP of this thread.) I'm putting that on my re-read list.
      - mariodiana 5y ago
        Eh, whom am I kidding. I read it as soon as I clicked to see it.

chaoticmass 5y ago

I remember this essay as well. During a period of high stress due to major life changes I was experiencing, I took up smoking. It became a habit. I did experience the social aspect that the essayist described. I found that the best way to meet new friends at anime or gaming conventions is to find out where all the smokers are and hang out there. I've found a few new very good friends this way. PS: I don't smoke cigarettes anymore.

piyh 5y ago
I had a smoker friend in college and I'd join him outside. Pretty soon all my friends in the group were those social smokers.

system16 5y ago

I was a smoker for many years and the sociability is a huge factor that doesn't get much attention, and is the only thing I miss about it. The relationships I established with fellow smokers, whether it was at work while stepping out from the office, standing outside a pub, stepping outside on a balcony at a party, etc. were almost always stronger than with my non-smoking friends. You immediately become part of a social circle with people you at least have one thing in common with, and are standing around with a limited number of minutes to chat about almost anything. I haven't had a cigarette for nearly five years and the thought of lighting one up disgusts me, but I miss the carefree banter during smoke breaks with other smokers.

calvinmorrison 5y ago
> I was a smoker for many years and the sociability is a huge factor that doesn't get much attention, and is the only thing I miss about it. The best part about having to go outside for a smoke is you end up standing next to people outside of your normal work hierarchy. You get to have 1v1 conversations with OTHER managers, and people higher than you - whoever at a very casual level. The benefits of this is enourmous. I certainly talked more to our director of IT by smoking than I ever did with my own boss.

Benjammer 5y ago

There was a whole Friends episode about this where Rachel starts smoking so she can be privy to the conversations out on the smoke deck at work.

Zelphyr 5y ago

Early in my tech career I realized pretty quickly that, despite not being a smoker, I needed go outside with the smokers during their smoke breaks because that's where a lot of ideas were discussed. It was where I could continue learning from guys who were almost all senior to me at the time in a more relaxed, informal setting. The smoking was terrible--don't get me wrong--and I'm glad its much more rare now than it was 25 years ago.

jhickok 5y ago
Same here, but I took up smoking outside with them and it put me in the inside group on projects/tasks. I never picked up smoking outside of these little daily excursions and I realize it's playing with fire, but at least for my career it was one of the best things I could have done.