Should You Ghost The Host?

There are two types of people at a party: the ones who say "so long" to the host and the ones who slip away like secondhand smoke. People call the latter move an "Irish exit," which, for me, once meant I was starting to slur and had to flee. (For the record, I still have family in County Cork.) With holiday parties on the horizon, I'm here to tell you that it's perfectly acceptable--even preferable--to take leave without fanfare from an affair for more than 20 people. However, a dinner party for a dozen or less guests calls for a proper goodbye. What's my reasoning? At a recent raucous 50th birthday party, I almost said "goodbye" to the hostess, who was surrounded by pals. It was near midnight. But then I thought about what behavioralists call "turnover contagion" in the workplace. In essence, it means people decide to leave a job when they see someone else moving on. I think the same principle applies to events. Call it "exit virus" because watching  a guest leave a party makes you think, "My matte lipstick wore off an hour ago. I should go too." So by all means, slip out the side exit and let everyone else party on. 

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