I think it's important to host and to attend gatherings that you want to attend that give you great joy. And I think in many of our gatherings whether particularly in our communities with our loved ones with our friends outside of work but even inside of work we tend to under host. Most people are seeking meaning right seeking seeking some sort of jolt seek some sort of sense of connectedness with other people like I love being alone. Being alone is this incredibly powerful gift disapprovalage, if and when I'm going to be with others I hope that that time is well spent. We all kind of end up in the living room sipping beers or sitting on a panel at conferences which for some reason
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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