The Informed Table: Meaning, Happiness, and the Good Life

For the first gathering of The Informed Table, we’ll begin with one of life’s oldest and most enduring questions: What makes a life feel meaningful?

We spend much of our lives pursuing happiness, success, security, pleasure, love, accomplishment, or peace of mind—but are these the same as meaning? Is a good life primarily about enjoyment, purpose, connection, achievement, inner coherence, or something else altogether? And how might our answers change across different stages of life?
This conversation invites us to explore a philosophical question that is also deeply personal. We’ll consider how people think about meaning, what distinguishes it from happiness or comfort, and whether modern life makes it easier or harder to live well.

The spirit of The Informed Table is thoughtful conversation in a socially warm setting. We’re looking for informed opinions, not unexamined personal convictions. No one is expected to be an expert, but members should come ready to think, listen, and contribute with curiosity, openness, and respect.

Join us for an evening of meaningful discussion, good company, and a great night out in Chicago.

Questions we may explore:

• What is the difference between happiness and meaning?
• Can a life be happy without being meaningful, or meaningful without being happy?
• How do love, work, beauty, duty, and community contribute to the good life?
• Is meaning something we create, discover, or inherit?
• Does modern life make it harder to live well?