Ideas Exchange San Jose

Welcome to this fascinating global debate… held simultaneously!
Join participants from cities the world over… don’t miss out!
https://ideas-exchange.info/en/online-debate/status-what-really-makes-us-somebody/
You can book your space in a few easy steps.
Why do humans care so much about status — and why do we express it so differently across cultures?
From luxury brands to moral convictions, from professional choices to the subtleties of accent, taste, and identity, status shapes our behavior far more than we admit. In some societies, status is loud and visible; in others, it's quiet and coded. And yet the desire to be somebody seems universal.
In this discussion, we’ll explore how status is built, signaled, and contested across societies — and what it reveals about human nature.

## Key Topics We Will Talk About

· The foundations of status: How humans create hierarchies, and why we need them
· Material status: Wealth, consumption, fashion, travel, luxury
· Moral status: Values, virtue, “causes,” and identity as prestige signals
· Professional status: High-income vs high-respect careers, and why some jobs confer prestige even without money
· Cultural cues: Accent, language, grooming, taste, posture, social ease
· High- vs low-inequality countries: How inequality shapes the visibility, loudness, or subtlety of status signals
· Education & intellectual status: Universities, arts, “cultural capital,” languages
· Digital status: Followers, aesthetics, influencer hierarchies
· Lifestyle status: Fitness, wellness, pets, travel, minimalism, subcultures
· Status anxiety: Comparison, insecurity, the psychology of feeling “enough”
· Ethics of status: Are we too obsessed with prestige? Should we be?
· The future of status: AI elites, post-material prestige, global convergence
Whether you’re fascinated by sociology, psychology, culture, or human behavior, this conversation will be a chance to compare perspectives, challenge assumptions, and reflect on how status shapes our choices — often without us realizing it.
When? Tuesday, January 20
What time? 8 PM New York/ 7 PM Chicago/ 5 PM LA
Who participates? Global minds from all over the world
How many people per group? A maximum of 9 people per debating group to maximize experience
How much? We only charge a small contribution of 5 USD which covers our costs and allows us to sponsor people who wouldn’t be able to connect otherwise
First time? Drop us a line and you can participate for FREE 😊
And if I don’t like it? No risk involved. We’ll give you a complete refund
Do I have to prepare? It’s not mandatory, but if you like there’s Food for Thought videos
How do I connect? You’ll receive a link in your email max. 24 hours after payment
Everyone is welcome, together with their plus ones, ideas, and perspectives.
Click on the link and register now!
https://ideas-exchange.info/en/online-debate/status-what-really-makes-us-somebody/

Welcome to this fascinating global debate… held simultaneously!
Join participants from cities the world over… don’t miss out!
https://ideas-exchange.info/en/online-debate/empire-strikes/
You can book your space in a few easy steps.
Coups, interventions, sanctions, wars, trade agreements, intelligence agencies, multinational corporations, Hollywood, military bases, “democracy promotion.”
For many around the world—especially in Latin America—the United States is not just another country, but a system of power: visible, influential, and often resented.
But here’s the uncomfortable question: is the story really as simple as villain and victims?
Is the U.S. an imperial aggressor imposing its will on weaker nations—or the most visible actor in a global system driven by security concerns, economic incentives, and geopolitical competition? And how much responsibility lies outside Washington: in local elites, internal institutions, historical constraints, and global market dynamics?
This discussion invites participants to move beyond slogans and moral shortcuts and instead examine how power actually works in the real world.
We’ll explore the logic behind U.S. foreign policy, the costs and consequences of intervention, the role of soft power and culture, and the uncomfortable gray zones where responsibility is shared rather than assigned.
We’ll gather online—with coffee or whatever keeps you sharp—to think together, challenge assumptions, and ask better questions. Expect disagreement, nuance, and a space designed for curiosity rather than certainty.
Some of the questions we’ll explore:

• What does imperialism look like in the 21st century?
• Direct intervention vs. indirect influence: where is the line?
• Who is “the United States,” really—government, corporations, agencies, citizens?
• Is the U.S. a global bully, a reluctant police force, or something in between?
• How much agency do Latin American countries and elites actually have?
• Trade, sanctions, and development: opportunity or dependency?
• Soft power, culture, and the American Dream: influence or domination?
• Drugs, migration, and security: shared problems or exported crises?
• If the U.S. steps back, who fills the vacuum—China, Russia, others—and at what cost?
• What would a healthier, more balanced relationship actually look like?

And much more.
By the end of the conversation, we won’t be trying to “settle” whether the United States is good or bad. Instead, we’ll ask a deeper question:
Is the U.S. the villain—or the clearest mirror of how global power really operates?
When? Tuesday, February 3
What time? 8 PM New York/ 7 PM Chicago/ 5 PM LA
Who participates? Global minds from all over the world
How many people per group? A maximum of 9 people per debating group to maximize experience
How much? We only charge a small contribution of 5 USD which covers our costs and allows us to sponsor people who wouldn’t be able to connect otherwise
First time? Drop us a line and you can participate for FREE 😊
And if I don’t like it? No risk involved. We’ll give you a complete refund
Do I have to prepare? It’s not mandatory, but if you like there’s Food for Thought videos
How do I connect? You’ll receive a link in your email max. 24 hours after payment
Everyone is welcome, together with their plus ones, ideas, and perspectives.
Click on the link and register now!
https://ideas-exchange.info/en/online-debate/empire-strikes/