I no longer have any desire to be part of this “elite” group that seems to measure friendship by such rigid and unkind standards.

During lunch, they were excitedly telling me about a new gourmet group they were forming—a rotating dinner party. I said that it sounded like a lot of fun and that I was interested in joining. The next time we met,

I no longer have any desire to be part of this “elite” group that seems to measure friendship by such rigid and unkind standards. However, I’m left wondering how to handle this situation. Should I confront my friend about how hurtful their words were,

My friend said, “I am going to be very selective about who I include because there are some people who think parties are ‘the more the merrier,’ and we just can’t have that. Like the time you asked me to include your mother at Easter;

I tend not to tell people when they hurt my feelings because it feels rude to correct others’ choices. This is especially true when it comes to social invitations. A few weeks ago, I had lunch with someone I consider a very close friend.

To my shock and dismay, I was told, in a roundabout way, that I wouldn’t be included. My friend said, “I am going to be very selective about who I include because there are some people who think parties are ‘the more the merrier,