Building Utopia: What If We Started Over?(Free Discussion)

Building Utopia: What If We Started Over?

Every generation inherits a world they didn't design. Most of us spend our lives adapting to systems we never agreed to—figuring out how to survive inside structures built by people long dead, for problems that no longer exist. We are all experts at complaining about the world we have, but remarkably bad at imagining the world we actually want. We spend our lives adapting to dead people's designs.

Tonight, at this week's Questions That Matter we hope to shift from reaction to creation.

The term Utopia represents an ideal, harmonious world free from social ills like poverty, corruption, and war, but is often considered unattainable or unrealistic in practice. We will be using utopia as a way of looking at a blank page and deciding what we actually value when we stop reacting to what’s broken and start building what we love.

We’ll also be using a couple of group exercises to imagine a new society: its physical spaces and its culture. In addition, we’ll explore prompts and questions around some of the potential foundational trade-offs that a Utopia might require, such as:

1. What changes in human psychology, creativity, and energy – when we shift from being driven by what we tolerate to being pulled by what we love?

2. In your utopia, if there is a direct conflict between absolute individual freedom and absolute collective safety/equality, which one yields to the other?

3. Is utopia a destination or a direction? Does it matter if we never actually get there?

As usual, the goal of the night isn’t simply to agree, disagree, or learn. It’s also to connect through genuine, lively, interactive discussion and, potentially, to go to some of the unexpected and uncharted places that deep and free conversation can take us.

Since we started Questions That Matter, between 25 and 50 people have joined us weekly. When we wrap up, we hope you’ll mingle and exchange numbers. Additionally, every week many of us go for dinner and you’re very welcome to join us. As polarized as the world is right now, one of the deepest connections still available to human beings is a shared meal.

Whether you’re in Chiang Mai for a short visit or you’re a long-term expat, we hope you can join us—not only to explore the deeper questions but to make new connections and friendships.
If possible, please support the venue, 4seas, by purchasing a beverage or a snack. They're kindly providing the space for us at no charge.
See you on Wednesday.

สวัสดีเพื่อนชาวไทย 🙏 Questions That Matter คือกลุ่มสนทนารายสัปดาห์ที่รวมคนจากหลากหลายประเทศมาแลกเปลี่ยนความคิดในหัวข้อที่น่าสนใจและท้าทาย ทั้งปรัชญา สังคม และวัฒนธรรม ไม่มีคำตอบที่ถูกหรือผิด มีแค่การสนทนาที่เปิดใจและตรงไปตรงมา มีผู้เข้าร่วมทุกสัปดาห์ 25-50 คน และเราอยากได้ยินมุมมองของคนไทยในวงสนทนา 📅 ทุกวันพุธ 18:00–20:00 น. 📍 4Seas Nimman ซอย 15 💰 เข้าฟรี สนทนาเป็นภาษาอังกฤษ เหมาะสำหรับผู้ที่พูดภาษาอังกฤษได้คล่อง มาแลกเปลี่ยนมุมมองและสร้างมิตรภาพใหม่กัน!