> [!tldr] Gatherings of all kinds should have a purpose, known by the host [[The Art of Gathering]] is written by a professional mediator (I think), so its not surprising perhaps that she suggests that **every gathering should have a purpose**. The more specific the purpose the better. Interestingly, the more *disputable* the purpose, the better. This is to ward off [[Motherhood Statements]]. **A category is not a purpose**. The purpose of the birthday party is not "to have a birthday party", it could be to give your son a chance to be the decision maker for the day. A good, [[Concise Statements are Powerful|concise statement]] for a purpose can act as the [[Make the Decision that Informs all Subsequent Decisions|decision that informs all subsequent decisions]]. **** # More ## Source - [[The Art of Gathering]]