Austin Enlightenment Society Meetup

📣Visit our new website to learn more about the Austin Enlightenment Society. Find links to follow us on social, subscribe to the newsletter, and find out about upcoming events!

Event Overview
Define the values you want to live by—and learn why society needs a shared moral compass.

Why do some cultures thrive while others fracture?

History shows that flourishing societies take the time to name, teach, and practice a clear set of higher-order values. Yet most of us have never paused to ask:

Which values truly matter to me, and how do I live them every day?
This evening is your chance to investigate those big questions—and leave with a personal code of ethics you can put into action.

Agenda

• 📜 A rapid tour of values through history – how concepts of morality and ethics evolved from ancient civilizations to today
• 🪜 The “Value Ladder” activity – whittle a broad list down to the three values you can’t live without
• 🎲 Scenario Challenge game – test your priorities in real-world dilemmas and see how your values hold up under pressure
• ✍️ Crafting a Personal Code – guided writing session to articulate the principles that will steer your decisions and character
• 💬 Group reflection & discussion – share insights, compare perspectives, and explore ways to practice these values daily

What to Bring?

• A notebook or journal
• A curious mind
• A friend who loves big questions

Who Should Attend?

• Curious minds who enjoy meaningful discussions
• Those interested in personal growth, history, and culture
• Anyone passionate about building a better world and fostering community

Expect a welcoming atmosphere, thought-provoking conversation, and the chance to connect with like-minded people who care about shaping the future.

📣Visit our new website to learn more about the Austin Enlightenment Society. Find links to follow us on social, subscribe to the newsletter, and find out about upcoming events!

Event Overview
A special evening exploring why engaging with tragic art makes us more empathetic—and how modern mind-body tools turn pain into resilience.

For thousands of years—from the Festival of Dionysus in ancient Athens to today’s award-winning short films—people have gathered to witness tragedies. Why? Because stepping into sorrow together fosters empathy, gratitude, and community strength.

Modern research now confirms what the Greeks sensed: emotions we ignore don’t disappear; they lodge in the body, fueling stress and illness. This event weaves classical wisdom with cutting-edge somatic practice and narrative reframing, giving you hands-on tools to transform pain into growth.

Agenda

• 🎭 Mini-Lecture - How tragic art shaped civic life in classical Greece and why it still matters today.
• 🎬 Short-Film Screening & Debrief - Experience a powerful modern tragedy in real time and reflect on its emotional impact.
• 🌀 Somatic Experiencing Demo - Learn gentle body-based techniques to release trapped tension and restore nervous-system balance.
• ✍️ Reframing Writing Workshop - Guided exercise to rewrite a difficult memory, highlighting resilience, self-compassion, and new meaning.
• 💬 Group Discussion & Takeaways - Share insights on turning personal messes into messages that strengthen both self and society.

What to Bring?

• A notebook or journal
• A curious mind
• A friend who loves big questions

Who Should Attend?

• Curious minds who enjoy meaningful discussions
• Those interested in personal growth, history, and culture
• Anyone passionate about building a better world and fostering community

Expect a welcoming atmosphere, thought-provoking conversation, and the chance to connect with like-minded people who care about shaping the future.

📣Visit our new website to learn more about the Austin Enlightenment Society. Find links to follow us on social, subscribe to the newsletter, and find out about upcoming events!

Event Overview
Learn to see the hidden connections that shape your world—and how small tweaks can spark dramatic, lasting change.

Our lives are woven from countless interlocking systems—morning routines, workplace dynamics, city infrastructures, even global markets. Yet most of us tackle problems in isolation instead of recognizing how one shift can echo far and wide.

This evening introduces systems thinking as a practical lens for mapping those hidden links, explores chaos theory to show why tiny disruptions matter, and dives into entropy to reveal why every system—personal or societal—needs constant renewal. By the end, you’ll have tools to diagnose issues holistically and to design solutions that endure.

Agenda

• 🧭 Foundations Talk - A concise primer on systems thinking—feedback loops, leverage points, and holistic problem-solving.
• 🗺️ Hands-On System Mapping - In small teams, you’ll diagram a real-world system to spot interdependencies and leverage points.
• 🦋 Chaos & Dynamic Systems Lens - We’ll overlay chaos-theory insights to identify where small changes could trigger outsized effects—and how to anticipate them.
• ♻️ Entropy & Society Discussion - Together we’ll explore how large-scale systems like education, healthcare, and infrastructure drift toward disorder, and brainstorm renewal strategies.

What to Bring?

• A notebook or journal
• A curious mind
• A friend who loves big questions

Who Should Attend?

• Curious minds who enjoy meaningful discussions
• Those interested in personal growth, history, and culture
• Anyone passionate about building a better world and fostering community

Expect a welcoming atmosphere, thought-provoking conversation, and the chance to connect with like-minded people who care about shaping the future.