This might not be for everyone, but I think alcohol helps a lot in this respect. The most sincere and interesting discussion were late into the night where hal

This might not be for everyone, but I think alcohol helps a lot in this respect. The most sincere and interesting discussion were late into the night where half the people were sleeping under the table and the few left awake were articulating thoughts they had very deep in heart. There’s of course the part where everyone is a bit more lubricated, but there’s also the social protection of “being drunk” that helps to shield from repercutions if we step too far on people’s feelings. I found this specially true for people who are pretty strong to alcohol, and tend to wait for these “end of party” moments to start discussing intimate feelings, even if they are still almost sober.