the.com/gathering
Proof humans would rather risk awkward small talk than face the void alone.
means A meeting of people in one place, usually for a shared social, ceremonial, or communal purpose.
from From Old English 'gaderian,' to bring together or unite, which is rooted in the same family as 'together' and 'good' — the older sense of 'good' carried a notion of things that fit or belong together. So at its core, to gather is to make a fitting whole out of scattered parts, whether grain, people, or courage.
- oldest instinct
- Predates farming, cities, language, even fire-cooking
- crowd physics
- Dense crowds move and ripple like fluids
- forager roots
- Hunter-gatherers got most calories from gathering, not hunting
- brain wiring
- Synchronized rhythms in groups boost trust hormones
- storm clouds
- Meteorologists literally watch them gather before rain
burning man — 70,000+ people gather annually in nevada's black rock desert for art and self-expression
hajj pilgrimage — 2+ million muslims gather in mecca saudi arabia each islamic year
woodstock 1969 — 400,000+ people gathered at bethel farm new york for three days in august 1969
rio carnival — 2+ million people gather annually in rio de janeiro brazil for parades and celebrations