What are 'Difficult Pleasures'? How do they enrich our lives and differ from standard-issue, low-friction "fun"? Why do we do them, and how do they help us live our values and find our sense of purpose? From ultramarathons to writing books, fasting to meditation — the intentional curation and engagement with Type 2 Fun brings…
The English Major is disappearing, should we let it die? What are the root causes behind this and how might it find a place in the future, if its even worth saving? Join Brent Lucia on this discussion. As a once English studies graduate student, I have a stake in this conversation, but I'm curious…
This model offers a universal language for describing and troubleshooting growth and productivity, that is built upon existing theories of love and relationships, and centered in game theory. Our exploration will conclude with some predictions, in particular a strategy for small, virtual, indie teams to compete successfully with larger, legacy businesses. We will pause for…
Join Interintellect fellow Bryan Kam to discuss scepticism in the ancient world and its role today. No background in the subject is required. Pyrrho of Elis (~300 BC) and Sextus Empiricus (~200 AD) may not be familiar names, yet their influence on modernity is profound. As proponents of scepticism, they challenged all forms of dogma,…
The common advice is to keep our feelings out of our work, to keep the personal separate from the professional; yet our emotions are an essential part of our human experience especially when we are going through a transition period in our lives. Join Mary Bajorek, an Interintellect fellow, in her fourth installment of the…
Come join David White for the next installment of a salon series dedicated to exploring the themes, ideas, and world-building of science fiction. We will be venturing into the world of The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect. The novel depicts a world after the invention of a super intelligent computer who generates a technological singularity. We will explore the implications…
Join talent investor and writer Linus Lu to explore what the talent landscape looks like, how we can get better at spotting talent, and what we can personally do to develop our own talents and put them to use. Everything we have in society is downstream from talent. But despite the importance of talent, we…
Tao and Ava will be talking about his critically praised fourth novel, an "artful, radical" book in which the main character rejects Western medicine, experiments with psychedelics, spends time with his parents, and takes 500,000 words worth of notes. Come join them to discuss themes including: Tao's writing process and how it has evolved over…
As parents, we want the best for our children, especially when it comes to their education and care. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to navigate the choices and make informed decisions. This salon, hosted by Amie Pollack, will provide a safe and supportive environment for parents to share their experiences, ask…
How much of our lives should we give to our work? Join author Simone Stolzoff for a conversation about how work has become so central to Americans' identities and what we can do to separate our self-worth from our output. In this salon, author Simone Stolzoff will lead us in a conversation about work and…
Louis Bijl de Vroe and Simon Ohler are philosophers and brothers in spirit. When we get together, we combine culture, comedy, and ancient wisdom, and something happens. We like to call it Spiritual Mischief. In the vein of Spiritual Mischief, we create podcasts and education programs — and Interintellect Salons : ) What would you do if you were…
“Love is at first not anything that means merging, giving over, and uniting with another (for what would a union be of something unclarified and unfinished, still subordinate—?), it is a high inducement to the individual to ripen, to become something in himself, to become world, to become world for himself for another’s sake, it…
