The art of gathering is how do we meaningfully connect without all having to be the same. Part of thoughtful gathering particularly in diverse groups is first is to orient specificity not around identity but around need and that need not be serious I got a new rug right this is a real example with Dittmeyer she's an expat in france she got a new Turkish rug she was really excited about, hadn't met any of her neighbors and she decided to throw a tiny rug party. She unfurled the rug and people came together and she unfurling the rug and then spontaneously her neighbors started telling stories about how a piece of furniture began to change their life in some strange way
When it comes to getting together, Priya Parker turns our assumptions on their heads: gatherings, she says, benefit from firm rules and careful management, which allow us to relax more, communicate better, and come away feeling positive. It’s all about clarity of purpose. A lack of structure leads to chaotic and draining events, and may even put us in conflict.
In this episode, Katherine asks Priya how we can learn to be in the same room again - whether it’s with colleagues, family or even complete strangers. For those of us who have found it tough to return to social spaces after the pandemic, this is a reassuring conversation, reminding us of the pleasures of meeting, and offering a blueprint for more enriching, less fraught, future gatherings.
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Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK
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Image credit: Photographer, Adam Ferguson
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