Comment by kelnos
2 hours ago
Not sure I agree with that. I think there are a lot of people (especially in the mid-2023 time frame the author is talking about) who want to get out more and want to engage more meaningfully with others. But they don't really know how, and don't know how to create opportunities to do so. They might not accept any random invitation to absolutely anything, but a punchy event description about bringing people together could easily be a solid attractor.
Yes, there are also many (stuck-up and immature, IMO) people who won't even consider attending an event without a look at the guest/RSVP list to see who else will be there. But I don't think that's the majority. If you set up an outing, invite 50 people, but only 10 show up, that's still a pretty great success, I think.
True. And I think my original comment dismisses how intermingled new and existing social capital can be.
But the other side of that coin is just like any other kind of poverty: the less social capital you have, the less potential you have to gain more. I've personally had the experience of trying exactly what the author describes, and only getting 1, and once nobody, to show up. When the author's first step at 'rebooting' their social life immediately yields a bunch of people at a bar, they've kind of already made their first million, so to speak.