i think that there's a larger obviously question right now happening which is how do we detangle the form around which we keep gathering from actually the need that we actually have? i was speaking to a woman years ago and she realized that in her family the family context was when they gathered at christmas. She didn't feel like she had different choices of what were which boundaries to draw for their rituals. We are having some existential collective fights about what is the core narrative of this country, he says.
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.
Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices.
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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