Re:'Third places': The ways losing our local haunts hurts us...
by TeMPOraL on Monday May 15, 2023 @06:01AM
(#35945835)
Yup. Gyms are kind of inverse of pubs, in this way and many more.
For example, the alcohol, as brought into spotlight by 'Animats. It's rather well-known (if a little tough to admit for many people) that alcohol is the "social lubricant". The way it lowers inhibitions and "screens off" pent-up stress, helps people make connections, build and nurture friendships.
It's not the only way to do this, but it's a way that works, and scales well among and across social strata - a fact that's been recognized since time immemorial, and the millennia of culture built around drinking only reinforce its bonding effects.
For example, the alcohol, as brought into spotlight by 'Animats. It's rather well-known (if a little tough to admit for many people) that alcohol is the "social lubricant". The way it lowers inhibitions and "screens off" pent-up stress, helps people make connections, build and nurture friendships.
It's not the only way to do this, but it's a way that works, and scales well among and across social strata - a fact that's been recognized since time immemorial, and the millennia of culture built around drinking only reinforce its bonding effects.