a group that runs facilitated discussions on the things we think we should all be looking at. We believe that conversations lead to growth. We are not a debate club—we believe in building community with one another and encouraging growth.
Upcoming meetups
Jan
Our first meeting will center on Plato's Allegory of the Cave—the idea that inspired the group—using it as a starting point to talk about knowledge, perception, and responsibility.
Feb
“Love is the point of everything. It's often the problem too.”
February's meeting will center on love: what is is, what it's for, and our moral responsibility in love. We'll be using Plato's Symposium as a starting point to talk about eros, intimacy, creativity, and how desire shapes our values and lives.
rsvp →Mar
March will center on Jonathan Haidt's Elephant and the Rider metaphor—the idea that conscious reasoning is largely driven by unconscious emotion, instinct, and conditioning. We'll use this as a starting point to discuss trauma, fear, identity, and self-hood.
Apr
Our first meeting will center on Plato's Allegory of the Cave—the idea that inspired the group—using it as a starting point to talk about knowledge, perception, and responsibility.
when/where
We meet once a month in the Headhouse Square area to have a drink, hang out with other cool folks, and chat and build community.
why
We believe in the power of community. We believe in it to better ourselves. We believe in it to build connection that is hard to grow in modern society. We believe in the power of curiosity, and people who are curious.
We believe that black and white thinking is corrosive, and that nuance needs its place. We believe no one person is the expert.
We believe in curiosity being fun. We believe community is fun. But like any garden, it needs tending.
Once you're out of Plato's cave, it's impossible to go back in. We believe you need other Cave Escapers.
what
A driving philosophy for the topics we choose to discuss is Jonathan Haidt's metaphor of the elephant and the rider:
...our emotional side is the Elephant and our rational side is the rider. Perched atop the Elephant, the Rider holds the reins and seems to be the leader.
But the Rider's control is precarious because the Rider is so small relative to the Elephant. Anytime the six-ton Elephant and the Rider disagree about which direction to go, the Rider is going to lose. He's completely overmatched.
If you have an idea for a Cave Escapers discussion, please submit that idea here.