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 philosopher.

Source: "Perspective Is Everything." TEDxAthens. Dec. 2011. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: This quote is from advertising guru Rory Sutherland's 2011 TED Talk in which he argues that one's circumstances aren't as important as how one views those circumstances. Here, Sutherland is talking about why he likes to smoke at parties -- smoking serves as a social crutch. Smoking gives him the opportunity to stand by himself and stare out a window without seeming strange and antisocial; on the contrary, standing alone and smoking at a party makes one look very deep and philosophical, says Sutherand. The deeper meaning of the quote is that a very small detail can make a huge difference in how people interpret your behavior. Watch the full TED Talk here: Rory Sutherland - Perspective Is Everything

“Perspective Is Everything.” TEDxAthens. Dec. 2011. Conference Presentation.