What we’re about
You are cordially invited to join us in conversations and meet similar people using Myers Briggs Personality test as a tool. (MBTI is by far the most popular personality test--a free test that takes only 15 minutes to take, and gives you valuable insights into yourself.) Learn from others through conversations in an informal friendly setting. The format is fairly informal. We will divide into a few groups for the conversations, move between groups and enjoy interacting with the many people present. People will be wearing tags identifying their personality types to spur conversations.
We meet on Every Saturday at 3:45pm at Sony Atrium at 550 Madison Avenue at 55th street. We have already had immense success with these Meetups attracting 30+ participants from various Meetup groups for each Meetup. (I also organize The 103 Great Ideas Conversations at 2pm Every Saturday at the same venue, just before this Meetup. See: https://www.meetup.com/The-103-Great-Ideas-...)
We human beings are complex beings--this Meetup is designed to enable participants to explore their own personality through interactions with similar and (and sometimes dissimilar) types, and to thereby learn a little about the nature of personality itself. At each Meetup you will have multiple conversations in different groups, and the format allows participants to interact deeply and learn in their own way regardless of their level of familiarity with personality types.
Meet interesting personalities, Explore your own, and Learn through Meaningful Conversations with many people at each Meetup.
Join our Meetup and Join the Conversations Now!
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40-60 Personality Enthusiasts attended each of the last few Meetups. When asked what is the most interesting thing they learnt during the Meetup, here are some of the answers:
"It was unusual to have so much in common with some complete strangers, and being able to relate to them so well."........ "It was eerie how my personal Type captured my various attributes."..... "The short orientation presentation in the beginning was very helpful to a beginner like me."..... "It was great meeting with people of other types, when it was just us extroverts, we were all talking but no one was listening."..... "Learnt from a fellow participant, why someone was terrible at operating in a certain role in the company, but so good in another role--based on their personality type."........ "Very impressed how knowledgeable some of the people were about personality types."........... "The Meetup completely revised my understanding about what extroverts are like."......... "It was wonderful to have exchanges so many different people.".......... "I was blown away by the breadth and range of the personalities I met.".......... "Learnt who does most of the talking and why."......... "There were so many INJs!"......... "I am scared about people making unwarranted generalizations based just on types.".......... "The core hardly changes in spite of many changes."......... "Everybody is valuable regardless of their type.".......... "Learnt to understand types better by interacting with so many examples."....... "There are so many different ways of being."....... "It was great comparing notes with others of my type."
Come join the fun, meet interesting people and learn about personality types--don't miss the next Meetup!
Upcoming events
4
•OnlineFTI: The Spirit of Christmas
OnlineSouth Park got its fame from a small skit where there was a line that went something like: “And what’s Christmas about?” “Presents!” one of the characters answered. That’s what a lot of people think these days. But as thoughtful people, let’s take a look at what the spirit of Christmas is really about. What did Christ try to teach the world about 2000 years ago, and have we “gotten the message?”
A little about our host:
Garrett is a programmer turned award-winning software inventor turned entrepreneur (http://platerate.com/) is his company. His hobby is writing and discussing practical philosophy, and he does life coaching on request to help people live happy, moral lives. He is also the executive director of The Free Thinker Institute (http://freethinkerinstitute.org/), which aims to create a community that helps members increase happiness and decrease harm for themselves and those they can influence.
Format: Lecture and discussion
Note: social time for our community 15 minutes before the presentation.
To get familiar with our past events, feel free to check out our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmixGB9GdrptyEWovEj80zg
After registering via zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
We publish our event recordings on our Youtube channel to offer our help to anyone who would like to but can’t attend the meeting, so we need to give this clause. If you don’t want to be recorded, just remain on mute and keep your video off.
Here’s our legal notice:
For valuable consideration received, by joining this event I hereby grant Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns, the irrevocable and unrestricted right to use and publish any and all Zoom recordings for trade, advertising and any other commercial purpose, and to alter the same without any restriction. I hereby release Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns from all claims and liability related to said video recordings.1 attendee
•OnlineFTI: How can we decide what is true? What sources are trustworthy?
OnlineIn philosophy this is called epistemology - The study of what constitutes knowledge, eg how can we know something is or is not true. I will reveal a high level overview of my perspective here: I don’t think we should believe we know anything with absolute certainty - To do us shuts us down to the possibility we may be wrong. We should learn things with a certainty level that its true. For example, that earth is an oblate spheroid and not flat, we can say with 99.9999% certainty, but let’s not call it 100%. Other things like whether time can flow backwards, we have much less certainty around because there isn’t a clear consensus on this alleged fact (FWIW, I think its inaccurate, I think time only moves in one direction).
A little about our host:
Garrett is a programmer turned award-winning software inventor turned entrepreneur (http://platerate.com/) is his company. His hobby is writing and discussing practical philosophy, and he does life coaching on request to help people live happy, moral lives. He is also the executive director of The Free Thinker Institute (http://freethinkerinstitute.org/), which aims to create a community that helps members increase happiness and decrease harm for themselves and those they can influence.
Format:
Lecture and discussion
Note:
social time for our community 15 minutes before the presentation.
To get familiar with our past events, feel free to check out our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmixGB9GdrptyEWovEj80zg
After registering via zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
We publish our event recordings on our Youtube channel to offer our help to anyone who would like to but can’t attend the meeting, so we need to give this clause. If you don’t want to be recorded, just remain on mute and keep your video off.
Here’s our legal notice:
For valuable consideration received, by joining this event I hereby grant Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns, the irrevocable and unrestricted right to use and publish any and all Zoom recordings for trade, advertising and any other commercial purpose, and to alter the same without any restriction. I hereby release Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns from all claims and liability related to said video recordings.1 attendee
•OnlineFTI: Is Lobbying good or bad? Can we make it better?
OnlineLobbying plays a powerful role in shaping public policy, yet opinions about its impact vary widely. Some view it as an essential channel for individuals and organizations to make their voices heard, while others worry it gives disproportionate influence to those with greater resources.
Join the Free Thinker Institute for a thoughtful, curiosity-driven exploration of this complex topic. Together, we’ll examine what lobbying is, how it works in practice, and the different ways it can promote—or hinder—the public good.
In line with the Five Intentions, this event invites open dialogue, collaborative learning, and a deeper understanding of how systems of influence can be improved for everyone. Participants will consider questions such as:
- When does lobbying support democracy, and when might it undermine it?
- How do different groups—large or small—use lobbying to advance their missions?
- What reforms or innovations could make the process more transparent, equitable, or empowering?
Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or simply seeking clarity, this conversation is designed to welcome diverse perspectives while encouraging shared insight and constructive engagement. Join us as we explore how influence works—and how it could work better for a more collaborative, equitable world.
Peter will do a presentation about Lobbying, after which Garrett will make a short presentation about a proposal to make lobbying good for everyone: Absolute transparency. Garrett is the first to propose this form of radical transparency in lobbying: All communications between lobbyists and government officials should be fully visible to the public at large.
The hope is this transparency will prevent unethical laws from being put into law because of the paid influence of lobbyists, and lobbying can go back to its original intent: To help guide government to make decisions that will be good for citizens by treating businesses fairly.
A little about our host:
Garrett is a programmer turned award-winning software inventor turned entrepreneur (http://platerate.com/) is his company. His hobby is writing and discussing practical philosophy, and he does life coaching on request to help people live happy, moral lives. He is also the executive director of The Free Thinker Institute (http://freethinkerinstitute.org/), which aims to create a community that helps members increase happiness and decrease harm for themselves and those they can influence.
Format: Lecture and discussion
Note: social time for our community 15 minutes before the presentation.
To get familiar with our past events, feel free to check out our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmixGB9GdrptyEWovEj80zg
After registering via zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
We publish our event recordings on our Youtube channel to offer our help to anyone who would like to but can’t attend the meeting, so we need to give this clause. If you don’t want to be recorded, just remain on mute and keep your video off.
Here’s our legal notice:
For valuable consideration received, by joining this event I hereby grant Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns, the irrevocable and unrestricted right to use and publish any and all Zoom recordings for trade, advertising and any other commercial purpose, and to alter the same without any restriction. I hereby release Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns from all claims and liability related to said video recordings.1 attendee
•OnlineFTI: Listening to Understand: The Empathic Socratic Method in Real Conversations
OnlineJoin us for an engaging session on a style of dialogue that strengthens communities, deepens relationships, and opens the door to real problem-solving. This gathering explores the empathic Socratic method—a way of interacting that places curiosity, humility, and genuine listening at the center of every conversation.
Rather than falling into the trap of the “logic hammer”—the instinct to prove someone wrong with rapid-fire arguments—we’ll focus on a more powerful alternative: understanding how someone arrived at their perspective, especially when we disagree with it. We learn far more from uncovering the pathway behind another person’s belief than we ever do by declaring “you’re wrong, I’m right.”
Together, we’ll practice asking clarifying questions, listening for values rather than just conclusions, and responding in ways that increase trust instead of tension. Participants will walk away with practical conversational tools they can use in families, workplaces, and community spaces to reduce conflict and increase connection.
If you’re looking to strengthen your ability to navigate disagreements, build consensus, and create shared understanding—this event was made for you.
A little about our host:
Garrett is a programmer turned award-winning software inventor turned entrepreneur (http://platerate.com/) is his company. His hobby is writing and discussing practical philosophy, and he does life coaching on request to help people live happy, moral lives. He is also the executive director of The Free Thinker Institute (http://freethinkerinstitute.org/), which aims to create a community that helps members increase happiness and decrease harm for themselves and those they can influence.
Format: Lecture and discussion
Note: social time for our community 15 minutes before the presentation.
To get familiar with our past events, feel free to check out our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmixGB9GdrptyEWovEj80zg
After registering via zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
We publish our event recordings on our Youtube channel to offer our help to anyone who would like to but can’t attend the meeting, so we need to give this clause. If you don’t want to be recorded, just remain on mute and keep your video off.
Here’s our legal notice:
For valuable consideration received, by joining this event I hereby grant Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns, the irrevocable and unrestricted right to use and publish any and all Zoom recordings for trade, advertising and any other commercial purpose, and to alter the same without any restriction. I hereby release Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns from all claims and liability related to said video recordings.2 attendees
Past events
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