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Fearless conversations with friendly people.

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Interintellect is a virtual city of minds brought together by our shared love of ideas, books, and the art of conversation. By joining as a member, you get free access to all our online events, our in-person meetups around the world, our community forum, and our special perks.

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Patricia Hurducas

Writer and researcher at The Flâneurs Project

Christopher Valore

Writer

Isabela Granic

Developmental psychologist

Interintellect Favourites

We’ll kick things off with themes of  hopes and aspiration for the new year and the world at large, but as always, our conversation can venture anywhere—from philosophy and science to art and beyond.

Meet new people, reconnect with familiar faces, and engage in thought-provoking discussions in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Let’s explore big ideas together, deepen connections, and enjoy meaningful dialogues that resonate.

New Year's DC IRL With Mik and Randy!

Gina Hafez

Why is it that we prefer to look at our phones to see if it's raining outside, rather than just looking out of the window?

Why is it that we, as a collective, are destroying the ecosystems we so desperately rely on for the sake of profit and short-term gains?

Why is it, that if we talk about these problems with our colleagues and friends, we are often met with disbelief or ridicule?

Many of us have lost our connection to nature. Which is odd, since we <em>are</em> nature. I believe it is this disconnect, our anthropocentric tendencies to abstract and place ourselves above nature that is at the <em>root</em> of most of our contemporary problems.

I don't claim to know the answer. But I do know that many of the approaches we are taking already are <em>not</em> the answer. in that there is an answer out there. And I believe that that answer can only be found if we accept we need to re-learn humility to the awe of nature itself.

My contribution is to make art as well as the brushes to make this art ourselves; as a medium for connection and collaborative learning.

My goal is to make new mathematics, new languages and new interfaces so we can speak birds with our fingers, sing with birds in native birdsong and find meaning in growth together.

This is not something I can achieve on my own. Not by a long shot. So let's do this together. Let's speak birds from our fingers. Let's study our houseplants like scientists.

We aim to find and make space for guests in these areas
<ul>
 	<li>Scientists: Biologists, conservationists, environmentalists and weather sciences</li>
 	<li>Mathematicians: complexity theorists, fractal geometries and linguistic computer scientists</li>
 	<li>Artists: Generative artists, photographers and filmmakers and contemporary art</li>
 	<li>Everyday people: Nature belongs to everyone. Whether you're a farmer, a single mother or an investment banker.</li>
</ul>

Laura Brekelmans

Growing the Language of Nature

In this salon, we will aim to discuss:
<ul>
 	<li>The nature and elements of civilizations: Economic, political, morality, religion, science, arts</li>
 	<li>Big picture history of ancient civilizations in Egypt, India, China, Japan, and the commonalities across them</li>
 	<li>Will Durant's "integral" writing style which makes history a literary experience instead of academic</li>
 	<li>Comparing <em>Our Oriental Heritage</em> with other volumes in the series</li>
 	<li>The reception of <em>Our Oriental Heritage</em> in 1935, and its legacy and relevance today</li>
</ul>
This salon is for anyone who is primarily interested in the viewing history from a philosophical and big picture angle, as this book does. This is the only book in the Story of Civilization series that focuses on non-European regions, so interest and insights into Eastern regions will make the conversation richer as well.

As someone who is reading this book for the first time, <a href="https://x.com/vtslkshk?mx=2">Vatsal's</a> aim is to discuss the themes of Our Oriental Heritage with like minded people and not preach a one way lesson.

If time allows, we will also read some of Will's elegant prose from the book together!

Vatsal Kaushik

Taieb Belghazi

Lylia

Our Oriental Heritage: Exploring the Foundations of Civilization

In this salon, we will do a deep dive of questions about creativity and conflict - what makes two people capable of enduring the necessary hardship that comes with creating a masterpiece? Is conflict necessary and why? Join <a href="https://syncotherapy.com/syncotherapy/home">Gina Hafez</a>, therapist, host mentor and producer at Interintellect as we navigate a thinking-together of these crucial questions.

Unraveling the Creative Process - A Conversation with Ian Leslie

Inspired in part by Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" - Mariya Hoffman is interested in techniques for learning the deeper layers of why we do anything and how to access that power.

Unmet attachment needs--the desires to feel loved, to belong, to feel significant, and to be truly understood--can profoundly influence our values and goals.  We might believe that if we become someone important, then our existence is justified.  The trouble is, attachment needs are emotional in nature, and achievement-oriented goals are not very good at fulfilling emotional needs.  Attachment needs are fulfilled through forming an emotional connection to our own experience and through connection to other people.

What achievement-oriented goals are good at is fulfilling growth-oriented needs, such as an innate drive for mastery and curiosity.  Goals can provide a sense of competence, control, and dedication needed to gain a skill (mastery) or pursue innovation (curiosity). It's important to know which needs we are meeting -- attachment-oriented or growth-oriented.  Having a feel for this difference is a skill we can learn.  By slowing down and paying attention to how our pursuits and values feel in our bodies, we can learn how it feels to be chasing approval (to meet attachment needs) and how it feels to pursue something we are curious about.

In this transformative workshop, we will engage in body-based mindfulness practices to help distinguish between goals driven by attachment needs and those rooted in mastery and curiosity. Through guided exploration, you'll learn to recognize the underlying motivations behind your choices and develop strategies to meet both your attachment-based and growth-oriented needs more authentically.

We invite you to join us for this profound journey of self-discovery, where you'll gain insights that can reshape your understanding of personal motivation and fulfillment.

Mariya Hoffman

Ħamellton

The Other "Why": When Our Need for Love and Significance Hijacks Our Goals

Relationships and intimacy are rarely out of the media. Articles discuss the merits of different relationship styles, tousle over the value of monogamy, lament the ‘loneliness crisis’, and take aim at dating apps. Pop-psychology draws on evolutionary ideas to tell us the new rules of love, or how to keep a partner. Rarely do commentators dwell on questions of value, or seek to unearth the assumptions framing our approach to intimacy.

In this friendly salon, Luke will approach these topics from the perspective of contemporary philosophy, loosely following the argument of his book <em>Romantic Agency: living well in modern life</em>, but looking beyond to the future of intimacy.

Together, we explore several themes, with space for discussion and reflection.
<h4><strong>Discussion questions include:</strong></h4>
<ol>
 	<li>Can philosophy help us think about intimacy?</li>
 	<li>What shapes our romantic selves and approach to intimacy?</li>
 	<li>What is romantic agency, how is it nurtured?</li>
 	<li>When, if ever, is monogamy moral?</li>
 	<li>How can we take romantic risks, while remaining realistic?</li>
 	<li>Should we try to be rid of hard feelings like jealousy?</li>
 	<li>Is there a place for dating apps in looking for love?</li>
 	<li>What is the future of intimacy?</li>
</ol>

Luke Brunning

Lori Topper

Modern Love Woes and Wishes - A Valentine's Season Special!

What happens when outliers find each other? They make magic happen. Let's explore the delicate dance of friendship, collaboration, and support that emerges when unconventional minds connect. How some of the most powerful relationships start with "You too? I thought I was the only one!" How do we help others see we're on the same team? And why might hosting a dinner party be more valuable than attending another conference?

Through stories and shared experiences, we'll examine the subtle art of finding champions, cultivating supporters, and building genuine relationships in a world that often prizes conformity. We'll discuss how different outliers have built their circles while staying true to themselves. Let's talk about what it means to find collaborators who energize rather than deplete us, and why the best communities often start with one person brave enough to gather others.
<blockquote>Every movement starts with the fringe and the greatest innovations emerges from deviants. What is it actually like to be an outlier? When are talents, tendencies, and backgrounds clash with the majority? How do we carve a path our own without letting our unconventional nature get us in trouble? Join Jason Shen, the outlier coach and author of WEIRDLY BRILLIANT for a joyful, illuminating and unexpected salon series about understanding, adapting, and flourishing in a world designed for typical brains and ordinary minds.</blockquote>
<em>This salon is part of <a href="https://interintellect.com/series/the-outlier-series-with-jason-shen/">The Outlier Series</a>—a 4 part Interintellect Salon Series hosted by Jason Shen—author of <a href="https://amzn.to/4fBOaqV">Weirdly Brilliant—How Ambitious Outliers Swing Big, Own Their Genius, and Play a Different Game </a></em>

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<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #ffffff;"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-background" style="border-radius: 50px; background-color: #e94c4c; color: #ffffff;" href="https://interintellect.com/product/the-outlier-series-with-jason-shen/">Get your series ticket here!</a></span></strong></p>

Jason Shen

Grow Your Circle

<div class="ii-one-liner"><strong>Join hosts <a href="https://x.com/halderalaka">Alaka Halder</a> and <a href="https://x.com/Empact">Benjamin Woosley</a> for a casual meetup in East Austin!</strong></div>
<p class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs">This Interintellect offline gathering is a casual meetups devoted to open group discussions of the topics that interest participants the most. From philosophy to science and art, there is nothing that escapes our inquiries! Come, forge new friendships, reconnect with existing friends, and dive into deep conversations.</p>
Message the hosts on Discord or Twitter with questions. We’ll share more details closer to the date via email and the <a href="https://discord.com/channels/771204239015936031/771216580687298600">#texas Discord channel</a>.
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<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://interintellect.com/community/">Unlock your free tickets, offline socials worldwide and community forum access <img class="emoji aligncenter" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2728.svg" alt="✨" /></a></strong></p>

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Alaka Halder

Austin IRL: February Meetup in East Austin

<p><strong>Join hosts&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://x.com/halderalaka" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Alaka Halder</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://x.com/Empact" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Benjamin Woosley</strong></a><strong> for a casual meetup at Easy Tiger in North Austin!</strong></p><p>This Interintellect offline gathering is a casual meetups devoted to open group discussions of the topics that interest participants the most. From philosophy to science and art, there is nothing that escapes our inquiries! Come, forge new friendships, reconnect with existing friends, and dive into deep conversations.</p><p>Message the hosts on Discord or Twitter with questions. We’ll share more details closer to the date via email and the <a href="https://discord.com/channels/771204239015936031/771216580687298600" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#texas Discord channel</a>.</p><p class="ql-align-center"><a href="https://interintellect.com/community/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Unlock your free tickets, offline socials worldwide and community forum access</strong></a></p>

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<div class="ii-one-liner"><strong>Join hosts <a href="https://x.com/halderalaka">Alaka Halder</a> and <a href="https://x.com/Empact">Benjamin Woosley</a> for a casual meetup at Easy Tiger in North Austin!</strong></div>
<p class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs">This Interintellect offline gathering is a casual meetups devoted to open group discussions of the topics that interest participants the most. From philosophy to science and art, there is nothing that escapes our inquiries! Come, forge new friendships, reconnect with existing friends, and dive into deep conversations.</p>
Message the hosts on Discord or Twitter with questions. We’ll share more details closer to the date via email and the <a href="https://discord.com/channels/771204239015936031/771216580687298600">#texas Discord channel</a>.
<div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://interintellect.com/community/">Unlock your free tickets, offline socials worldwide and community forum access <img class="emoji aligncenter" role="img" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/2728.svg" alt="✨" /></a></strong></p>

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Austin IRL: January Meetup in North Austin

It is often assumed that in order to be an effective leader and to have influence, you need to be an outspoken, brash person who seeks the limelight. But is this really the case? In the Salon, we’ll examine the leadership and problem-solving traits utilised by famously quiet and reserved indiviuals to great effect and reflect on how we can and have applied these approaches in our day to day lives.

Fearless conversations with friendly people.

Today

Quiet Leadership, Subtle Influence

Today

Quiet Leadership, Subtle Influence

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Just listed

New Year's DC IRL With Mik and Randy!

Growing the Language of Nature

Our Oriental Heritage: Exploring the Foundations of Civilization

Unraveling the Creative Process - A Conversation with Ian Leslie

Just listed

New Year's DC IRL With Mik and Randy!

Growing the Language of Nature

Our Oriental Heritage: Exploring the Foundations of Civilization

Unraveling the Creative Process - A Conversation with Ian Leslie

Interintellect Favourites

Interintellect in the Press

Proudly Hosting Events With...