The book club I've been in for five years has turned into this weird social hierarchy where certain people dominate every conversation and others have basically stopped participating. We used to have such rich discussions and now it feels performative and exclusionary, but we've all been friends for so long that no one wants to address it directly.
More people experience this than they realize.
A community is learning that good intentions don't prevent harmful patterns, and their comfort with conflict avoidance is enabling the erosion of the very connection they gather to celebrate.
“Where Are You with Deep friendship — what it takes?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.