money!

PSA to dearest Taboo participants both old and new: Though event frequency has evolved from bi-monthly to somewhat erratic, it's still a Thing, so join us!
Also: This month we'll be joining forces with ‘The Discussion Experiment' group (see full description/links below) to discuss money. Since we are two different event organisers with our own audiences and formats, there will be more of us and moderating may involve limiting longer contributions. That said, initial structured conversation will be followed by the usual open discussion familiar to taboo regulars. Thanks for taking part in our experiment!

TLDR: this month we're talkin' money.

FOR THE READERS: It is said that people find it easier to talk about sex than they do about money. Money is complicated. Too little can make us feel worthless, too much can make us seem selfish, shallow or excessively consumerist. Sharing particulars about our financial lives can prompt jealousy or retribution by colleagues at work, demands for support by loved ones with a sense of entitlement, or prompt personal character evaluations based on how we choose to spend it.

The result? Specifics when discussing money typically remain off limits. This may protect us from the judgement of others, but it also results in a dangerous ignorance of the many different realities revolving around money. When we look to models/examples of how we want to live with our available resources, we work from limited information or precedents tainted by the ‘pimped up/fake news’ domain of social media.

For this discussion, we are going to gather some of the evening's talking points directly from participants. Those who wish to have the option to answer a *fully anonymised* series of questions (via mentimeter) about money, which will provide us with fodder for a structured discussion on what unifies and divides us on the subject, followed by an open conversation on the subject.

The Discussion Experiment is a series of events where a structured exchange ensures that all participants are given equal footing in a public conversation setting. The group gathers perspectives on a given topic and collectively examines where they agree and disagree. Core ideas are posted to a mind map to create a visual reference point for subsequent discussion. This format of discourse is a work-in-progress by Igor Don; each event he has held over the past 3 years has revealed new insights on how to improve his method and make group interactions more fruitful.
*More info here: https://diskussions-experiment.de/en/home/*
(meetup group: https://www.meetup.com/the-discussion-experiment-berlin/)

Last but not least: for more info about previous events and their organiser: https://www.steflenk.com/wordpress/home_taboosymposium/