On Comer – The Art of Togetherness

One word I’ve grown particularly fond of since living in Portugal is "Comer". It’s not just about eating; it’s about the togetherness, the shared act of gathering around food. In many Southern European cultures, especially in Spain and Portugal, eating is not merely about sustenance, but an act of community, of sharing stories and celebrating life.

Recently, the Süddeutsche Zeitung published a series on the future of food that is worth reading. I made a simple translation here.

The article touches on the potentially dystopian direction we are heading, where the communal meal, once central to family life, is being replaced by solitary, distracted eating.

Imagine a teenager sitting alone at the table, earbuds in, phone propped up against a takeout box – the dining table, once the heart of family rituals and the cornerstone of home life, now fading into the background amid convenience and digital distractions.

However, there are hopeful possibilities for reconnecting through shared meals. Even the simple act of posting a photo of a meal on Instagram has become a moment of reflection, a pause - almost taking the place of the traditional prayer before eating.

As an adult, I have to remind myself of this before becoming judgmental – while it may not be a spiritual ritual, it still represents a form of appreciation for the moment and the food being shared.

Die Liebe geht durch den Magen

Imagine if you could listen to a story that an old family dinner table could tell - it could have heard so many stories, fights and moments of love from generation to generation.

As the German saying goes, "Liebe geht durch den Magen" (love passes through the stomach), highlighting the deep connection between food and affection, both in families and between friends and strangers.

Food continues to be a powerful connector – physically, digitally, or ideally, still around a shared table. Whether it’s during retreats, family gatherings, or spontaneous meals with friends, the stories told at the dinner table create memories that last a lifetime. Perhaps now is the time to become more conscious of these shared moments, both offline and online, and rediscover the simple joy of coming together over a meal.

Future Thoughts

At Finde Zukunft we are in the process on deeply thinking, how to contribute to the issue of loneliness and mental health. One direction is the question on how to support young people in this as Bertelsmann Stiftung recently reported another peak on the rate of loneliness amongst young people.

Another thing is our work on digital + AI ethics. As OpenAI says that the ChatGPT-next could be 100x more "powerful" (and possible more empathetic) and we have new devices such as friend coming up, I wonder how this will change our day-to-day conversations.

It is no surprise that the friend reveal trailer evokes memories of the wonderful film "Her".

Let's Have a Talk

On Monday, team member Maximilian Seeth will share another talk on "Trust + AI" and you are invited.

"Human trust is a complex philosophical and psychological notion. Trust may be a state of belief as well as a form of social binding. For example, trust between humans often implies a certain degree of mutual vulnerability. Taking this into account, is it even possible to trust in machines?"

Future Directions: Co-Creating Meaning Conversations

One recurring idea we are exploring is the concept of Circles ?, where individuals open their dinner tables to others, creating a space for meaningful conversations and shared experiences over a meal. Finde Zukunft would support hosts by providing ideas on how to curate these dinners, similar to our work on topics such as Kintsugi at the House of Beautiful Business .

Specifically, this would involve using principles from Time To Think, and providing hosts with handouts, reading materials, and media to facilitate meaningful conversations.

How does this sound for you?

Please let me know, if you are interested – and don't forget to share a meal with someone.

Some ideas for the upcoming week:

• Why not invite a stranger, a casual acquaintance, a neighbour you see from time to time to lunch?
• Why not have a spontaneous virtual lunch with a colleague or family member you haven't spoken to in a while?
• Why not arrange a Circle ? Dinner with some people from your community?

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like some ideas for starting a Circle ? – and feel free to share your own thoughts, ideas, and reflections ?? ??

Warmly, Motoki