I repeat…Collective Effervescence!
What a winsome aphorism! So many syllables, fun to say, and a trifle tricky to spell. What pops into your brain when you envision this term? My brain sees bubbles fizzing inside a fancy champagne flute. Probably not what sociologist Emile Durkheim who coined the term in 1912 was going for, but still collective effervescence are bubbles in a festive glass to me.
Let me paint a more accurate depiction of it’s definition:
- A group of strangers at a concert or a sporting event or the theater collectively popping out of their seats in enthusiastic and unified support of what is in their midst.
- A meeting where the ideas are flying around elevating a simple idea to the sublime.
- The spontaneous high fives and hugs that occur amongst the collective whole at the end of any sort of endurance race.
- The shared knowing smiles amongst strangers on a perfect blue bird hiking or skiing day or Walk & Talk in Central Park.
You get the idea…all things where the experience is elevated because it happens in a group. And all things that were in perilous short supply over the last year and a half.
I learned this term just recently while reading the Sunday Times. You can read it here. As the author Adam Grant states “Collective effervescence happens when joie de vivre spreads through a group.” Speaking my language Adam and THE defining purpose of Grab Your Group & GO.
The author grand finales the article with this simple but powerful and true statement: “Joy shared is joy sustained.” Go forth and get your collective effervescence on group. Then step back every now and again to appreciate it. We are humans so it won’t be long before we forget to appreciate that gathering as a group is a LIFE LUXURY.
See you in your collective effervescence bubble soon (way better than a quarantine bubble)!
Linda
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