[em-bee]

i never liked coffee. the addiction and wakefulness it induces takes more than one cup. but i was turned off from coffee after just having one sip. so i suspect that there must be more to it than that and that i simply don't understand how people like it.

probably things like mild peer pressure, fitting in with the grown ups, etc, much like smoking, and maybe even drinking.

[smt88]

I don't totally understand what you're trying to say, but again: some people enjoy black coffee, smoking, and alcohol just on their own.

Yes, social factors increase usage of all these things and people will force themselves to do it, but that's not universal.

I also love the flavor of smoking tobacco products (including cigarettes), although I only smoke a few times a year for social, health, and convenience reasons.

[em-bee]

the point is, addiction and side effects only take hold after consuming coffee for a while. for someone who doesn't like coffee there is a low risk of getting addicted. therefore there either must be people who do like coffee as it is or they are pushed by some form of peer pressure.

obviously, tastes vary strongly, so both groups must exist.

in my case i escape the peer pressure by discovering that strong coffee actually made me sick, and i used that as an excuse to reject coffee even in situations where it was considered impolite to reject an offer when i was visiting people.

[BurningFrog]

I used to be you. I hated the flavor of coffee, and I also didn't want to be addicted.

Now I've "matured" and realized coffee is a drug. Or, if you will, a medicine. You don't take medicine because it tastes good, but because the effects are, on balance, good for you.