Socrates Café - Chiang Mai

Minimal order 300 THB
🌿 Socrates Café Chiang Mai: Beauty, Trends, and the Self
💭 Am I beautiful?
Some would say beauty is found in the eye of the beholder, while others believe it is defined by media, fashion, and global standards. Today, many people struggle with their self-image—comparing themselves to celebrities, influencers, or the latest K-pop idols.
But who decides what “beautiful” really means? Are we truly appreciating beauty, or are we just following trends? Can someone be considered beautiful while also being empty, lost, or trapped by the same standards they embody?
📌 At this Socrates Café, we’ll explore questions such as:

• What does it mean to be beautiful?
• Are beauty standards real, or just illusions created by media and culture?
• How do trends shape our perception of self-worth?
• Can representation liberate us from narrow ideals—or does it just create new ones?
• Is beauty a path to happiness, or can it also become a prison?

This is not a lecture—it’s a circle of conversation. Everyone is welcome to share, question, or simply listen.

The Rice Theory of Culture is a social psychology theory that suggests the demands of traditional rice farming, particularly paddy rice, led to the development of more interdependent (collectivist) and tight cultures, especially when compared to cultures that traditionally farmed other major staple crops like wheat.

### 🍚 Key Ideas of the Theory

The core argument centers on the differences between traditional wet rice farming and dry-land farming (like wheat):

• Intense Labor & Labor Sharing: Traditional paddy rice farming is significantly more labor-intensive than wheat farming. This high demand for labor encouraged farmers to develop customs for sharing work, relying heavily on neighbors and extended family during peak seasons like planting and harvesting.
• Need for Coordination and Cooperation (Interdependence): Rice paddies rely on complex irrigation systems (canals, dikes, sluices) to flood and drain the fields.
• Building and maintaining these systems is beyond the capacity of a single farmer, requiring collective organization and constant coordination among the community.
• Decisions about water use—who gets how much water and when—require strict cooperation to function successfully, creating a shared fate among the village.
• Resulting Cultural Traits (Tightness and Collectivism): Over generations, this continuous need for coordination and mutual dependence is argued to have shaped the psychological and social culture, leading to:
• Interdependent/Collectivistic mindsets: Prioritizing the group, harmony, and social context over individual needs.
• Tight Social Norms: Having strong social rules with a low tolerance for deviation, which helps maintain the high degree of coordination required for the farming system.

### 🌾 Contrast with Wheat Cultures

In contrast, traditional wheat farming often relies on rain (dry-land farming) and requires significantly less labor and inter-community coordination. This relative independence is argued to have fostered individualistic (independent) and looser cultures, where there is more personal autonomy and less reliance on a tight social network.

### 🗺️ Evidence and Scope

The theory was initially proposed and tested by Thomas Talhelm and colleagues, focusing on the cultural differences within China, where the south historically farmed rice and the north farmed wheat.

• China: Studies have found differences along the rice/wheat historical border, with rice regions showing lower implicit individualism, more holistic thinking, lower divorce rates, and tighter social norms.
• Global Scope: The theory has also been extended to cultural differences in other nations with a history of intensive rice cultivation (e.g., Japan, South Korea, parts of India) compared to those based on wheat or herding.

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Theme:
We often try to change the world outside of us — our relationships, communities, and situations — but true transformation begins within.
By applying Don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Agreements, we can polish our inner mirror, so that what we reflect outward is peace, clarity, and authenticity.
This event invites participants to explore the inner ripple effect — how changing our words, perceptions, and actions reshapes our reality and those around us.

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## 🌞 Core Message

> “The world doesn’t change because we push harder.
> It changes because we see it differently — through a clearer mirror of the self.”

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## 🪞 Guiding Question

“How can we become the change we want to see in the world by transforming our inner mirror?”

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## 🕊️ Event Flow (Half-Day or 3-Hour Format)

### 1. Opening Circle — The Mirror Within (30 min)

• Short mindfulness meditation or breathing exercise to center.
• Reflection question:
  → “What do I see in my surroundings that I wish were different — and how could that begin with me?”
• Participants share one insight or word that represents their current “reflection.”

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### 2. The Four Agreements in Action (60–75 min total)

A guided exploration through each agreement, connecting it to real-life experiences.

| Agreement | Focus | Exercise |
| --------- | ----- | -------- |
| 1. Be Impeccable With Your Word | Words shape reality. How do we use language to heal rather than harm? | Practice: Mindful dialogue pairs — speak truthfully, without gossip or judgment. |
| 2. Don’t Take Anything Personally | Others’ words are mirrors of their own world. | Visualization: releasing the emotional weight of others’ opinions. |
| 3. Don’t Make Assumptions | We create suffering through misunderstanding. | Exercise: “Ask Before You Assume” — share a moment when clarity replaced assumption. |
| 4. Always Do Your Best | Our best changes moment to moment; it’s about presence, not perfection. | Reflection: Write down what “doing my best” means today, not ideally. |

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### 3. The Ripple Practice — Becoming the Change (45 min)

• Group reflection: “What happens when we shift our words, assumptions, and self-talk?”
• Guided journaling: “If I change one agreement with myself, what ripple might that create in my home, work, or community?”
• Sharing circle — participants speak one personal “ripple” they will start.

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### 4. Closing Ceremony — The Mirror Ritual (30 min)

• Each participant looks into a symbolic “mirror” (small hand mirror, bowl of water, or reflective surface) and states:

> “I am the change I want to see in my world.”

• Everyone writes one affirmation or “new agreement” on a card to take home.
• Optional group photo or community blessing to seal intentions.