A cigarette makes you a philosopher

Since Britain banned smoking in public places, drinks parties have stopped being fun. Standing up with a glass of red wine and talking endlessly to people is really, really tiring, and sometimes all you want is to stand silently in the corner, alone with your thoughts, staring out of the window.

An electronic cigarette, invented a year or two ago, has brought untold happiness. A little of that is the nicotine, and something much bigger is the corner by the window.

It is exactly the same activity, and with just a small change of posture one version feels great while the other feels terrible.