About us
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
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FTI: Power, Responsibility & Survival: Why Social Science Matters More Than Ever
·OnlineOnlineWe’ve spent centuries accelerating progress through hard science—but have we kept pace in understanding how to use that power responsibly?
This session explores a critical imbalance: while technology has driven massive gains in productivity and capability, advancements in the social sciences—how we govern, allocate power, and define responsibility—have lagged behind. The result is a world where increasingly powerful tools are placed in human hands without equally strong systems to ensure they’re used wisely.
We’ll dive into:
- Why technological progress without social progress creates systemic risk
- How society currently grants and restricts power (degrees, laws, incarceration—and their limits)
- The concept of aligning power with responsibility to minimize harm and maximize collective well-being
- Whether and how we should vet leaders (e.g., for altruism and fairness) before giving them authority
- What a modern “social science breakthrough” could look like—and how it could shape the future of civilization
This is a discussion about survival, ethics, and design at the highest level:
If humanity continues to increase its power, how do we ensure that power is used to expand freedom and well-being—not destroy it?Expect a thoughtful, challenging conversation aimed at building frameworks that scale with the world we’re creating.
A little about our host:
Garrett is a programmer turned award-winning software inventor turned entrepreneur (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 (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 discussionNote:
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
FTI: Happiness, Habits, and Science: What Positive Psychology Gets Right
·OnlineOnlinePositive psychology is often associated with ideas like happiness, gratitude, and “living your best life.” But what does the actual research say—and how useful is it in real life?
In this event, we’ll explore the field of positive psychology from a grounded, practical perspective:
- What is positive psychology, and how is it different from traditional psychology?
- What does the research say about happiness, meaning, and well-being?
- Which practices (if any) actually improve people’s lives?
- Where does the field fall short or get oversimplified?
This is not about feel-good slogans. It’s about understanding what holds up under scrutiny—and what we can realistically apply.
Expect a thoughtful, open discussion focused on evidence, lived experience, and honest reflection.
A little about our host:
Garrett is a programmer turned award-winning software inventor turned entrepreneur (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 (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 discussionNote:
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
FTI: Emotional Intelligence (EQ): The Hidden Driver of Success and Impact
·OnlineOnlineIQ can open doors—but EQ determines what happens once you walk through them.
In this session, we break down what emotional intelligence really is, why it plays a critical role in leadership, relationships, and decision-making, and how improving it can dramatically increase both personal success and collective outcomes.
We’ll cover:
- The core components of EQ (self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skill, motivation)
- Why high EQ individuals consistently outperform in leadership, negotiation, and team environments
- How EQ influences trust, influence, and long-term relationship building
- Practical ways to measure and improve your EQ in real-world situations
- How stronger EQ at scale leads to better organizations, communities, and outcomes
This isn’t just about being “nice”—it’s about building the awareness and control needed to navigate complexity, align incentives, and create win-win outcomes in every area of life.
A little about our host:
Garrett is a programmer turned award-winning software inventor turned entrepreneur (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 (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 discussionNote:
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
FTI: What Makes America Great? A Cross-Perspective Dialogue
·OnlineOnlineAmerica means different things to different people—and that’s exactly why this conversation matters.
This Free Thinker Institute event brings together individuals with diverse political perspectives to explore a simple but powerful question: What truly makes America great—and where are we falling short?
We’ll examine:
- Core strengths: opportunity, innovation, freedom, community, resilience
- Real challenges: inequality, polarization, trust in institutions, global role
- How different groups define “greatness”—and where those views overlap
- What we should preserve, improve, or rethink moving forward
- Practical ideas to bridge divides while strengthening the country
The goal isn’t to debate winners and losers—it’s to understand, challenge assumptions, and find common ground where progress is possible.
Expect a respectful, candid discussion focused on learning, not labeling—and on building a clearer, shared vision for America’s future.
A little about our host:
Garrett is a programmer turned award-winning software inventor turned entrepreneur (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 (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 discussionNote:
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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