The People Who Fight at Dinner Parties - The Paris Review
theparisreview.org
The People Who Fight at Dinner Parties - The Paris Review
Most purposes for gatherings feel worthy and respectable but are also basic and bland: “We’re hosting a welcome dinner so that our new colleague feels comfortable in our tight-knit group,” or “I’m throwing a birthday party to look back on the year.” These are purposes, but they fail at the test for a meaningful reason for coming together: Does it
... See morePriya Parker • The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters
The next step of creating more meaningful everyday gatherings is to cause good controversy. You may have learned, as I did, never to talk about sex, politics or religion at the dinner table. It's a good rule in that it preserves harmony, or that's its intention. But it strips away a core ingredient of meaning, which is heat, burning relevance. The... See more
Priya Parker • 3 steps to turn everyday get-togethers into transformative gatherings
I can’t help but have noticed that we’re afraid to speak about our beliefs in polite society. If you don’t know where people around you stand, today you are less likely to talk about who you’re voting for, or about your religious beliefs. Perhaps it’s because it’s no longer acceptable. If you’re with your church friends of course, you can talk
... See moreThere is little I find more captivating than listening to someone discuss a controversial topic. For me, the fact that everything in our culture is so sanitized and politically correct makes it refreshing to hear someone with courage say what needs to be said.