General Etiquette > Family and Children

Shower Etiquette Question - If you don't agree with a shower what are the rules?

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Twik:
There used to be a concept of "social duty". If you went to a party, you were required to mingle, and make small talk, even with people you didn't know. In fact, having parties to introduce people who didn't know each other was, pre-internet, pretty common.

Nowadays, most parties are held by groups of people who all (or mostly) know each other. I think this has caused many people to forget their skills for talking to people they do not know yet. A hostess in previoius generations would have immediately identified the problem, and would have been dragging people over, gently but firmly, and starting the ball rolling, "So, Samantha, GOH was telling me about how she likes the show 'Mad Men'. I recall you said you were thinking of getting HBO. GOH, do you think that it's a wise move? Has the quality of their shows kept up?" At which point Samantha knows she'd better put in at least 5 minutes or so conversation with GOH. Then, she can leave to "freshen her drink." On the other hand, she may find that she's enjoying the conversation, and keeps it going.

The hostess should have realized the problem when she organized the event - if you have X people, and X-1 know each other, the one left over will, unless she is quite socially skilled, be unintentionally shunted to the sidelines, unless the hostess takes steps to keep "stiring the pot". She isn't helping the GOH make friends by simply dumping her in a room of strangers.

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