You said: "They do not get the chance much anymore to find this nourishment within their community." The other side of the coin is that often community groups have difficulty getting enough participation to keep going, and therefore die out.

Yes, people do not know how to have great conversations nowadays.  They do not get the chance much anymore to find this nourishment within their community.  There is a Great Loneliness at the heart of our society.   So, I would say there is much poverty relationship wise.  We do not know how to revere one another.

I do belive that people have a problem with just being themselves, especially the younger generation. I think that as a society we see so much propoganda out there about what makes an interesting person that we really have no idea what is real anymore. I think folks of our generation have been there, done that and now we know ourselves better. We have a definite picture in our heads about who we really are.

I have never been one for alcohol. I was raised in a very strict religious atmosphere and my mother and father did not condone alcohol. I more or less took that attitude into adulthood with me. Now with so many medical problems, alcohol is the last thing on my list that I feel I need. I do think that some people fall into the trap of believing the hype and think that alcohol is a cure all for whatever ails them.

In social settings I seldom even drink a glass of wine, but I definitely believe some people feel that without that glass in their hand, they are not that interesting and have nothing important to say. What a pity.

I'm much more comfortable with a smaller group too .. at least no more than fit around my dining room table!

I enjoy very small social groups.   Intimate dinners for 3 or 4 do well with me.  Larger than that, I feel a get together would have some sort of focus...to be together to do something.  I am more of an introvert. 

When we worked, there were social events that we had to go to, but that was really back in the 80's.  During the past 15 years, things seem to have changed.  Now it's not a 'we' situation but 'me' social.  When I worked I started not going and waited to see if anything was said or was I missed.  Not a word.  When my husband worked for a large company, they had employee 'bonding' weekends offsite/out of town!  He went but would skip most of the fun things - such as paint ball or poker night.  When I would go to a convention, I would skip the dinners or group parties.  I guess I just don't like that sort of thing at all.  Drinking could be a problem with some.  But other than a glass of wine or two that was it for me. 

I really don't believe society, generally, knows much about being in a group or even being alone.  Alcohol can make them feel they fit in and maybe some do want to be the life the party, but I've know few.  I guess, I too, just don't go to those things.  In retirement, I am not seeking them either.  I think your point is a good one.  I really enjoy a good conversation and alcohol would make me forget it.

There are some groups I belong to (professional obligation) where I avoid the dinner events. They spend an hour sitting around drinking heavily before the food is served and some of the people overdo to the point of inappropriate behaviour.  The few of us that don't drink tend to huddle over to one side, but then we sometimes become targets for all the "loosen up! join the party!" comments. I was as loose as I wanted to be, and was enjoying talking to folks who were sober. I used to win a lot of contests (like trivia, murder mysteries, etc.) because I was about the only sober one there. I left my ten year high school reunion early when the guys went up onto the balcony and started throwing their beer cans at the rustic chandelier, trying to land a can in the glass chimneys of the hurricane lamps. I heard glass breaking as I walked out the door.

I prefer small groups too, where you get to be good friends, and feel more comfortable.