[SaintGhurka]

You can see this played out every day in designated smoking areas. I've observed smokers tend to become friends quickly. As smoking is increasingly frowned upon, everybody who shows up in the smoking area is sort of opening up and sharing a weakness with the other smokers just by being there.

[RhysU]

It existed before the non-smokers called it a weakness. It's called assuming you have something in common with your fellow man, and being willing to make small talk under only that pretense.

Source: two weeks into quitting.

[Yhippa]

My very first job I noticed a similar phenomenon with drinking coffee. I didn't smoke but also didn't drink coffee. I just didn't like the taste.

I started drinking coffee so I could make that type of small talk with a common interest that's mostly harmless and had broader appeal. It's crazy that if you weren't a smoker or coffee drinker you missed out on a lot of interesting rumors and tiny bits of institutional knowledge.

Even in consulting I make sure to hit up the (coffee) watering hole at the client just to see people I don't see often. Instead of just getting water I find the time it takes to do things like mix creamer and sugar give me time to strike up a decent conversation with someone.

[tucaz]

I'm 78 days and 3 hours into it. There's not a day where I don't miss it, but there are no more cravings at this point. Just the good memories :P

Stay strong!

[rapind]

Almost 7 years. You won't think about it unless you smell it... then you miss it a bit, but just a bit.

You might put on a few pounds too as you start to actually taste food.

[fattire]

>You might put on a few pounds too as you start to actually taste food.

TL;DR How to Make a Friend Fast -- (1) smoke with them, so when they quit and need to drop a few pounds (2) they'll start fasting.

[Fuzzwah]

> unless you smell it... then you miss it a bit

I had the opposite response, a while after I quit I found the smell of smoking absolutely repellent.

[racl101]

So that one Friends episode with Rachel and her smoker boss (played by Joanna Gleason) was on point?

[seppin]

try working in Southern Europe. If you don't smoke, you miss out on hourly breaks where everything social happens.

[izolate]

I've noticed this as well, and as a non-smoker this makes me envious.