Even before the coronavirus, our gatherings have arguably been becoming less effective over time for many decades. Many of our institutions that used to provide structure for our gatherings have eroded. So we need to figure out how to construct meaningful rituals together.
In “The Art of Gathering,” conflict resolution specialist Priya Parker writes that “Every gathering is an opportunity to create a world we wish existed.” But sometimes we have to make do with the world we’ve got. She tells Rufus that we don’t have to be in the same place to come together in meaningful ways.