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What we’re about

Please note that our meetup group is dormant for the time being. At this time, we would like to introduce you to the Free Thinker Institute (FTI). You are invited to participate as follows:

The FTI aims to build a warm, compassionate and open-minded community to unify all good people with common morals and values, to support individuals, their families and friends, the community, and the world. There are no fees to participate. More information on the main FTI website (https://www.FreeThinkerInstitute.org/).

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About Hong Kong Independent Philosophers (original "about" text):

You are a guru.

Many people seek answers to life's questions by following a teacher, preacher, author, or self-help guru who tells us what to think and believe, and how to live. At some point, shouldn't we create our own answers? As in cooking, we can learn from others, but then each of us ultimately develops our own way.

This group is offered as an alternative to the "leader/follower" way of looking at life's questions, using instead a "round table" approach. This is because we all have valuable insights from our own life experiences, and if a "follower" can learn from a "leader", then a "leader" can learn from a "follower" as well. While other groups may teach a philosophy or belief system in a one-way fashion, we benefit from a two-way dialog by sharing our insights with each other. The suggestion is that, while it may be valid for some to rely on famous authors and gurus, it is also valid for us to address philosophical, spiritual, and other questions amongst ourselves, because we all have the key ingredients necessary: our own experiences and insights.

What do you think about that?

To put it another way, questions about life can be approached in a variety of ways -- for example:  (1) a central authority (book or person, etc.) tells you what's true about life and people (and therefore about you); (2) people each tell each other what's true about life and people (and therefore about you); (3) people share their own story -- not their opinion of what's true about others, but what they have found to happen in their own experience.  This group is intended to provide a space for the 3rd way.  In the 1st and 2nd ways, Person A is saying what's true about Person B.  That's not necessarily wrong, but it involves a layer of indirection (and therefore may devolve into pontification and over-generalization).  The suggestion is that we might learn something more by finding out about A from A, and about B from B.  Perhaps it can be a more direct way to find out what is true about life, at least in the lives of those who are living and present now.

This group is 100% FREE (except that if we meet somewhere for food or drink, you should order something because we're using their space).  And if you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact the organizers.

PLEASE NOTE:  As a courtesy to the event host, if you are attending an event, please RSVP in advance.  Also, if you RSVP and are not attending, please change your RSVP to "no".  Don't be a "no show"!  Your kind consideration is appreciated.