At seven you invite the whole class. At twenty-seven it’s four people who really know you. The second party is better.

Early on, a crowd feels like proof you are liked. Later, the size of the room matters far less than whether anyone in it knows what is actually going on with you. That shift is not a loss of popularity. It is a trade of width for depth, and most people are relieved when it arrives.

Make a short list of the people who know the real details of your life. If it is thinner than you want, invite one of them to something small rather than everyone to something big.