The Introvert’s Struggle (Smoke Break Anyone?)

By the time this goes out, I’m on my way to an airport after being “on” for 2+ days in a row for meetings, more meetings, some social gatherings, and an assortment of follow-up meetings. 

As an introvert, I’m exhausted. 

So I’m (pre)putting this Rory Sutherland quote here to imagine what it was like in a world where you could take a smoke break and not just be a crazy person*

Ever since, in the U.K. they banned smoking in public places, I’ve never enjoyed a drinks party ever again. And the reason, I only worked out just the other day, is when you go to a drinks party and you stand up and you hold a glass of red wine and you talk endlessly to people, you don’t actually want to spend all the time talking. It’s really, really tiring. Sometimes you just want to stand there silently, alone with your thoughts. Sometimes you just want to stand in the corner and stare out of the window. Now the problem is, when you can’t smoke, if you stand and stare out of the window on your own, you’re an antisocial, friendless idiot. If you stand and stare out of the window on your own with a cigarette, you’re a f***ing philosopher. 

Here’s to making space for yourself, no matter what they think. 

Without getting or giving cancer too, ideally. 

*I never smoked. I did argue with a boss about why if one person at work got smoke breaks I couldn’t take a non-smoking break and just hang out in the lot behind the kitchen. I don’t remember what the boss said, but I remember the look on his face rhymed with the “idiot” vibes Rory so perfectly captured.