To the Editor:Re “How to Party (Without Regrets)” (Sunday Styles, June 23):If I were to take most of the advice in this article, I might actually leave a party with many regrets. The art of gathering should be focused on being together (as you are, without a rigid set of prescriptive rules to follow) and forging genuine connections. In a world with a never-ending list of to-dos, I feel grateful most days just to break bread with those I love, however they may like to dress or however early they may need to leave (e.g., to relieve a sitter, to go on call for night shift at a hospital). In order to find your kindred spirits, you do not need a guide on how to be performative and how to assimilate in order to “fit in.”I was particularly rankled by Rebecca Gardner’s contribution: “Please don’t ask people to take off their shoes when entering your apartment. It’s rude.”

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