When I was in law school, I hung out on the smoking side of the student lounge (I'm that old). My friends were true believers from various segments of the D/R/lib/con divides.

We didn't just talk, we LISTENED. And we tried to make coherent arguments that appealed to one another's values and principles.

And it was extremely rare for anyone to take things personally. Sure we sometimes got angry or frustrated with one another.

But we cooled down because we enjoyed one another and respected one another and we benefitted and learned from the discourse.

I would like the world to become more like that and less tribal, nasty and contemptuous.

And yes, the smoking section was MUCH better than the non-smoking side. I find people who need nicotine to be much more interesting, generally.