The Five Minute Salon

## 🍷 The Five-Minute Salon: Ideas, Rants & Revelations

An Evening of Short Talks & Lively Discussion
This is a salon-style discussion night for curious minds who enjoy thoughtful conversation, respectful disagreement, and a glass of wine.
The format is simple, structured, and fun:
short talks, followed by open discussion — no lectures, no panels, and no pressure to be an expert.
If you like listening to interesting people think out loud — and doing the same yourself — this night is for you.

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### 🕰 How the Evening Works

Guests who wish to speak will each get:

• 5 minutes to talk about any topic that interests them
  (an idea, a question, a rant, something they know a lot about, or something they can’t stop thinking about)
• 5 minutes of group discussion immediately after

You’re welcome to bring notes or a couple of slides if that helps, or you can completely wing it — both are equally encouraged. No preparation is required.
You can decide your topic in advance or on the night.

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### 💬 Example Topics (to Inspire You)

You’re free to bring any topic. To give you a flavour, here are the kinds of things people often talk about:

#### 🔥 Big, Provocative, Curiosity-Hooking

• “A belief I held for years that completely collapsed”
• “Something we’re all pretending is normal that absolutely isn’t”
• “An opinion I’m slightly embarrassed to admit — but I think I’m right”
• “A question that keeps me up at night”
• “The strongest argument against my own position”
• “A problem that would mostly disappear if we talked about it honestly”
• “A hill I will die on — intellectually, not literally”

#### 🧠 Politics, Culture & Society

• “Is democracy actually compatible with social media?”
• “Why housing feels broken even when the numbers ‘improve’”
• “Has tolerance quietly turned into indifference?”
• “Is the culture war mostly a distraction?”
• “What will future generations judge us for?”
• “Are we confusing progress with motion?”

#### 🧬 Psychology, Identity & Human Behaviour

• “Why smart people fall for obviously bad ideas”
• “Is therapy making us better — or just more self-focused?”
• “The lie we tell ourselves about happiness”
• “Are we becoming more narcissistic, or just more honest?”
• “Why we defend beliefs we don’t really believe”
• “Is ‘being authentic’ overrated?”

#### 🤖 Tech, Work & the Future

• “What AI will actually change — and what it won’t”
• “Is work still the centre of a meaningful life?”
• “Why productivity culture makes us miserable”
• “Would you want a frictionless life if you could have one?”
• “Are we outsourcing too much thinking?”

#### 🎭 Philosophy, Meaning & Life

• “Is meaning discovered or invented?”
• “What would a good life look like if no one was watching?”
• “Is comfort the enemy of depth?”
• “What do we owe strangers?”
• “If you could erase one human trait, should you?”

#### 🍷 Personal & Salon-Style

• “Something I’ve never said out loud in a group like this”
• “A time I was very wrong — and didn’t notice for years”
• “A contradiction I live with”
• “A question I hope someone else answers tonight”
• “Why this topic matters more than people realise”

Vent if you want. Teach if you want. Ask if you want.

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### 🧠 Salon Etiquette

To keep the night enjoyable and balanced for everyone:

• Please respect the 5-minute time limits
• No interruptions during talks
• Discussion > monologues
• Disagreement is welcome; dominance is not
• Attack ideas, not people

The host will gently keep time and help the discussion flow.

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### 🍷 Food & Drink

• Wine drinking encouraged (BYOB to share)
• Light snacks provided
• Feel free to bring something extra if you’d like

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### 📍 Location

Address will be sent by private message to approved attendees.
1-minute walk from Borough Station / 8-minute walk from London Bridge.

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### ⚠️ Important

• VERY LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE
• RSVP is mandatory
• Address is sent only by PM on Meetup
• Please ensure your Meetup notifications are turned on

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If you enjoy thoughtful conversation, hearing many perspectives in one evening, and a relaxed salon atmosphere — we’d love to have you.
🍷🕯️