Following up on my reflections on Aristotle, I've been thinking: what kinds of relationships can help me build a good life, and how can I help others in turn?

Aristotle distinguishes among relationships for utility, pleasure, or virtue. I have friends whose company and conversation are agreeable. There are a few whom I would go out of my way to help. I'd like there to be more of the last category. Getting to know acquaintances more will probably turn up a few, and I'll likely bump into more with time and familiarity.

I get along the best with people who are positive, self-efficacious, and temperate. I'm biased towards people who are confident and articulate. This probably means I'm missing out on appreciating otherwise awesome people. I feel a little odd and uncharitable that I don't feel that kind of appreciation about lots of people – I can wish them well and be nice to them, but there's something missing there. C'est la vie, I suppose. Something to work on from my end, or perhaps to accept. Anyway, Aristotle says it's quite rare to have good friends.

It would be interesting to have a lunch or dinner club of maybe six to eight people, meeting once a month or so. What kind of conversation would help us grow? Maybe something like “Here's what I've learned so far about life; here are the things I'm figuring out; I need help with this; I can help with that; let's make a difference in this; what did you think about that?” Different perspectives on the same things, similar perspectives in different situations… Many things are improved by conversation.

What would I bring to something like that, and to the individual friendships that comprise it? The basics might be location, food, organization. I tend to be cheerful, rational, and research-oriented. I'm getting better at sharing what I think, and at structuring and doing small experiments to learn. It might be interesting to connect with other people who like taking a step back, thinking about stuff, and then stepping back in and doing things.

If I found such people, though, would I share what I've been thinking about? I'm biased towards writing online instead, since the asynchronicity lets me think at my own pace. Online, I can reach more people and receive more insights. When I'm in conversation, I tend to listen to what's going on in people's lives instead of talking through what I'm trying to figure out. I prefer groups because of variety and lack of obligation (I don't have to carry as much of the conversation), but I also tend to step back even further into the background – I guide the conversation with questions instead of adding my own tidbits. So there's probably work to do there too. I wonder what a well-running potluck club would look like…

Hey, wouldn't you know it… There's actually a book called The Philosopher's Table: How to Start Your Philosophy Dinner Club. Requesting it from the library.

Anyway, how would I need to develop in order to bring more to and get more from conversation? It might be interesting to ask about my friends' lives, and share more from my life (more like “Here are some odd things I've been learning; maybe they'll be useful to you” rather than “me me me me”). I can practise that even without major changes. I can also invite people to things and check with them more often to see if they have plans. Maybe people might even be up for trying a few months of this dinner club thing.