Guardian Readers Debate Whether People Are 'Hosts' or 'Guests' by Nature

According to The Guardian, the debate was sparked by a column from Polly Hudson arguing that people are either natural hosts or natural guests, but never both.

In a letter responding to the column, reader Dinah Robertson of Lymm, Cheshire, recalled realizing as a teenager doing exchanges with European peers that it is easier to be a guest than a host. Robertson wrote that hosting skills can be learned and suggested ways to ease the burden, such as buying pre-made dishes or asking friends to bring food.

Robertson added that, as someone who often hosts, a failure by guests to reciprocate can lead to resentment.