A party is a socially acceptable relational playground full of relational quickies, shallow or deep.

When someone swipes away mid-conversation, it's not personal. It's the law of two feet.

A party lets you choose which self-state to lead with, and meeting different people expands you.

Nobody expects a goodbye round. You can leave things open without shame.

I don't go to parties a lot. I consider myself an extrovert, but as I age, I'm evolving more into an ambivert.

I'm a couples therapist. I spend my days in very intimate conversations with one or two people, between 60 and 120 minutes. We are off our phones. We are 100 percent present. I have the privilege and responsibility of meeting people at their most vulnerable, which is a rare occupation. And I don't just talk with my clients. We work through, laugh, cry, challenge, rupture, repair, and play. Call it emotional and mental intimacy. In that sense, one could consider me a paid intimacy worker. Since I mostly work remotely, every interaction in my day is either super deep or nonexistent, like a server at a store.

Last week my wife and daughter were still at camp, and my son was at a sleepover. There was a party. I said I'd go. Friends drove me so I could have a drink and relax. I got there and realized I was out of my comfort zone. Here are four things I learned that night.

A party is a swingers party

As we previously wrote, there are three channels to connect with another person: physical, mental, and emotional. A good, mind-stretching conversation........

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