Rationality and Reasoning

An open participation philosophical discussion. No previous philosophical experience necessary Please follow the stated guidelines This is a Philosophical Discussion hosted by Joel Janiurek. We shall be discussing The Paradox of Fiction. This event is open to all. No previous philosophical experience necessary. The aim is to have fun, meet new people, generate interesting and thought-provoking conversations, have your horizons expanded, challenge your preconceptions and who knows - you might even learn something? Philosophy is about conceptual analysis. It's thinking about thinking. It's not about empiricism or the real world. It's about abstractions, concepts and ideas. In order to make the conversations as fun, interesting and productive for everyone as possible please follow these simple guidelines: 1. Keep it Philosophical (No Science, no History, no Sociology, no Evolutionary Psychology, no contestable facts, no personal anecdotes). 2. Think for Yourself (No phones, no looking up definitions, no name dropping Philosophers / books you've read). 3. Tangents are Cool (Don't worry too much if the subject drifts and you don't answer the question). 4. Keep it Succinct (Like this). 5. Be Excellent to Each Other (But of course). We hope to see you there

## You may also book directly at our site here: https://www.writeandpint.com/events/collage-creative-writing-food-drinks-a-free-book-a-pub-quiz ... ## Hello there! Whoever you are, you're very welcome to join us for this fun, creative, and inspirational day of "Collage & Creative Writing". This Write & Pint workshop invites you into **an aesthetic realm, where verbal and pictorial expression collide!** Together, we’ll be: * Reading an excerpt from a piece of fiction * Reading a poem * Creating a character + character journey * Creating a collage (\*think felt tip pens, magazines, newspapers, scissors, A3 paper, moodboard-type thing) * Using our visual designs to expand our characters and character journey in writing thereafter! * A short pub quiz at the end of the day to round it all off! This is, of course, a **creative writing day**, for creative writers or anybody willing to give it a go, but it will also make use of **collage** to show you how visual media can help inform and inspire deeper connections to **charact and narrative arc.** ## What you'll need \*No experience necessary. \*No pressure to pitch or share your work in front of the group. Just bring yourself, a pen and pad (or laptop - depending how you'd like to write), and leave the rest to us. ## Schedule **11am** Arrive, order your tea or coffee, settle in, meet some friendly faces. **11am–1pm** Introductory poems, excerpts, and exercises, to help you develop your (we'll guide you through it) **1pm** Lunch break: a Finch’s pub brunch (\*included in the ticket price - as are the drinks). **2–3pm** Guided collage creation! **3pm–4pm** More writing, using your collage as inspiration. You’ll leave with new material to take home, edit, and keep. **4:00–5:00pm** 🎉 **The Write & Pint Pub Quiz** A fun, light-hearted general knowledge quiz covering culture, films, literature, history, and society, a playful way to end the day together. ... If you have any question at all, about this full day workshop or any of our other events, you're very welcome to text or WhatsApp me on +44 (0) 7534 981 636. Cheers! Sean (A Write & a Pint).

**🏛️ WHAT'S PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT?** Practical Philosophy is a weekly meet-up that brings critical thinkers together for an opportunity to dive deep on a topic, practice communicating, and building a community. All with no ‘official’ philosophy knowledge required! 😎 Practical Philosophy is based on the idea that philosophy should be accessible to all, and not something reserved only for academics. Each week we choose a topic, and the goal is to use the conversation to develop our critical thinking and communication as we explore that topic. The goal is to help develop our Critical Thinking, Communication, and Community 🙌 📓 **HOW DOES IT WORK?** Each week, we pick one topic and discuss it. The topic for the week is shared, generally in the [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS), along with jump-off points to get the conversation going. When groups get bigger than 7-8 people, it’s important that we break into smaller groups. This way we are able to maintain a conversational flow as opposed to having our meetups feel like a discourse or lecture. **General Meeting Agenda** Each Practical Philosophy meet-up follows this general timeline: * 13:45-14:00 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the ‘official' start. * 14:00-14:05 - Meeting introduction, explanation of Practical Philosophy and the topic for the week, read the guidelines and the overview so attendees know what to expect in terms of timelines. * 14:05-14:45 - Break into small groups - introduce yourselves and general thoughts on the topic, open discussion afterwards. At this point the group can review the ‘jump-off’ questions as needed, but they are just there to help guide the conversation. It’s not obligatory to answer them. * 14:45 - We do a group conclusion of the things we discussed, and then we typically take a photo and go on our way :) If you don't want to be in the group photo, there's no pressure, it's just a way to close out the meeting. We occasionally have an unofficial social so the different groups can mingle afterwards too! **🧧PRICING?** Practical Philosophy Club is FREE to attend, and we operate on donations. If you'd like to donate to support our running costs, that helps keep our group self-sustaining. Donations are 100% voluntary, but your contribution is appreciated! QR codes to donate will be present. Tea’s and coffees and are paid by the individual should they wish to have them. **💛 WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY** 🗣 “I feel like Philosophy Club helps someone build their own belief system through a series of perspectives while not promoting what’s right and wrong” - Ekam 🗣 “I got hooked from day 1 (the topic was authority) and felt it was the right place for me. I feel it is a place where people can go to learn and discuss new perspectives and increase critical thinking and community by interacting with people who might challenge your point of views but at the same time encourage you to have openness and mind flexibility.” - Daniel **🤓 FAQ** * What will we talk about? What's the topic? The topic for the week is shared every week in the Whatsapp group before the session. We try to add the topic to the comment section on this event page as well but if you don’t see it, the topic and the jump-off points will be in our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS). * Do I need to study or read anything to attend? No preparation is necessary. This isn’t a study of other thinkers. We want to know what YOU think about the topic, not what an old philosopher thought. If you have a perspective from a religion or a school of thought to share, throw it on the table and we’ll discuss it, but it's not required. * Is there a specific philosophy that Practical Philosophy is focused on? The goal of our meet-ups is to not have dogmatic discussions, and flex our critical thinking muscles. Because of this, we want to hear from every realm of thought, and don't study a particular school. * Is it mostly men that attend? Surprisingly, no! Although philosophy is seen as a Candelabra affair in a dark room with a bunch of guys, our Practical Philosophy meetups are generally 50/50 between genders, and we don’t meet in any dark rooms. * Can I come alone? Of course you can, we encourage it :) * Can I be late? Please don't be! We do have a 15 minute grace period where we allow people to funnel in while we hang out, but after that if you arrive too late, it disrupts the flow of the conversation. * Where do you meet? The location is posted in Meetup and our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS) group for this location. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you join the Whatsapp group! If you want to know what other cities have a Practical Philosophy Club, you can see our chapters on our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/practical-philosophy-locations/). 🤝**POLICY** To respect our members privacy, we ask that no one privately message a member without first getting explicit consent. (This looks like speaking in person and being asked to message privately.) Contacting or texting other participants without prior consent is not permitted and may result in removal from the group. Practical Philosophy reserves the right to enforce this policy at its discretion to maintain a safe and respectful environment. **PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY - Making Philosophy Available To All.** ✨ Practical Philosophy hosts weekly, in-person meetups in 25+ countries, including Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and many more! 🗺️ \*\*\* Join our [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS) 👈 Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub/?hl=en) 👈 Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club) 👈

TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED VIA THIS LINK ONLY: [TICKETS](https://fatso.ma/3pye) Inspired by the serene, flowing atmosphere, this shoot explores movement, light, and natural textures in a calm yet expressive creative environment. The concept blends dance, fashion, and storytelling - creating visuals that feel like stepping into a dreamlike oasis hidden inside the city. ✨ Flowing fabrics, wooden textures, and soft natural light come together to create an illusion-like world where models move freely, fabrics drift through the air, and photographers capture those fleeting in-between moments. This shoot invites dancers, yogis, and movement artists to guide models through simple, fluid motions and poses, helping everyone explore natural body movement, fabric flow, and expressive energy. Through gentle movement, breath, and rhythm, participants will discover new ways to pose and create organic, graceful imagery that captures motion in a soft and dreamlike way. ✨ **THEME** **“Dreamy Oasis – The Art of Movement”**   This concept focuses on grace, motion, and softness. Think: * Flowing fabrics drifting through the air * Gentle turns, spins, and slow movements * Organic textures and warm tones * Dreamlike imagery where stillness meets motion The aim is to capture moments that feel spontaneous and alive — movement frozen beautifully through photography. **THE VENUE** 📍 London Docklands (exact location shared with participants) This 1625 sq ft creative studio offers a unique blend of industrial architecture and natural artistic warmth. The space features: * Three large windows with direct sunlight * Wooden flooring and natural textures * High ceilings and a spacious upper mezzanine * Soft diffused skylight creating dreamy light conditions * Unique wooden sculptures and organic decor The studio’s wooden art pieces and natural props create an inspiring environment that feels both earthy and surreal — perfectly suited for the Dreamy Oasis concept.  **WHAT TO EXPECT** ✨ 4-Hour Collaborative Photoshoot A relaxed but creatively energising session focused on movement, storytelling, and capturing the moment. During the shoot we will explore: • Movement-based posing • Flowing fabrics and garments in motion • Slow dance elements and expressive gestures • Soft natural light photography • Organic compositions using the studio’s wooden props Dancers may also guide models through simple flowing movements, helping everyone discover new ways of expressing emotion and motion in front of the camera. The goal is to create editorial, artistic, and dreamy visuals while maintaining a supportive collaborative atmosphere. **STYLE & VISUAL DIRECTION** The overall palette should feel soft, warm, and ethereal. Key aesthetic elements: ✨ Flowing fabrics and natural silhouettes ✨ Linen, chiffon, silk, soft cotton textures ✨ Barefoot or minimal styling ✨ Earth tones and warm neutrals ✨ Soft creams, sand, beige, ivory Contrast colours are welcome to add visual interest: * Terracotta * Rust * Soft sage * Muted gold * Dusty rose * The aim is to create a soft visual world with occasional striking accents. * **DRESS CODE – MODELS** Models should arrive prepared with 1–3 looks that fit the theme. Suggested wardrobe: • Flowing dresses or skirts • Light linen outfits • Soft draped fabrics • Minimalist fashion pieces • Elegant editorial looks Designers joining the shoot may also provide additional garments for styling throughout the session. **WHO THIS IS FOR** ✔ Photographers & Content Creators ✔ Models (all experience levels welcome) ✔ Dancers & Movement Artists ✔ Designers & Stylists ✔ Creatives who enjoy collaborative artistic environments This session is about creating together, experimenting, and building beautiful portfolio work. **COLLABORATION GUIDELINES** This is a collaborative photoshoot. To keep the experience fair and supportive for everyone: • Models should receive photos without additional charges • Images must be shared without watermarks or logos • All participants should credit fellow creatives when posting • Collaboration and respectful communication are encouraged throughout **JOIN THE SHOOT** Once you secure your ticket, please email: 📧 welove.socialise@gmail.com Include: * Your WhatsApp number * Your Instagram handle You’ll be added to the event WhatsApp group at least 2 weeks before the shoot, where all final details will be shared. 📍 Exact location revealed to confirmed participants only 📸 Follow on Instagram: @welove_shoots Step into a world of soft light, flowing movement, and dreamlike visuals. Let’s create something beautiful together. ✨

Within the last century, society and technology have changed rapidly. We have built tools to expand our reach, to build connections face to face and virtually, as well as tools to destroy each other. Technology is being built to engage needs we don't fully understand, often before the consequences of doing so are known. Examples could be the making and consumption of social media and pornographic content, or the rapid development of AI tools and companion at the detriment of work and social wellbeing. Who benefits when you don't know what normal looks like? If everyone does whatever feels right, is that freedom or just chaos with good PR? If you get to choose your own values, are you really choosing, or just rationalising what you already wanted? Is the real problem the speed of change, or that we never had great norms to begin with? As family, religion, and work weaken as institutions, what fills the normative vacuum, and is it enough? You may like this short video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICRECGVsaRo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICRECGVsaRo) \*Please do your own research and share resources related to this topic in the comment section\* #======# Donation! Thank you for being a member. I have made a donation page for those who want to help with the costs. [https://examinedlife.uk/donation/](https://examinedlife.uk/donation/) #======# Group chat We have a telegram group chat and here is a link for the front door: [https://t.me/+o9T9DL5u6AcwMmRk](https://t.me/+o9T9DL5u6AcwMmRk) #======# The Examined Life, "Let's Discuss..." session is an open discussion. The format of this event will be: 13:15 - Free flow group discussion about the topic. 14:00 ish - We will be splitting into smaller groups for more engaging discussion about what interests each of you. 16:00 - End of the official meetup. Most often attendees stay and continue discussing up to around 18:00. #======# Please RSVP if you can commit to attending and change your RSVP if something comes up. Inaccurate RSVPs can keep potential attendees on the waiting list and makes it difficult to plan for room sizes and bookings. Art work: View of the Venetian Lagoon with the Tower of Malghera 1770s by Francesco Guardi

Weekly cycling club open to members of that club only. Membership enquiries to creativewellnesswon@outlook.com

**No one communication style works with all people. This Workshop will help you to develop your ability to communicate in a number of styles.** On the face of it, a leadership is about inspiring others to follow in your vision. To go above and beyond in the name of your objective, however leadership is more about effectively communicating ideas in the simplest and most effective way possible. This can be difficult to do as we all have something unique which makes us tick, whether it's facts & statistics, competition, shared goals or cooperative decision making. This workshop will focus on identifying the key drivers that motivate a team and how to present information effectively based on which driver motivates an individual the most. Sarah Pautsch Debate London's Career Coach takes us through how to use a suite of debate skills to: * Understand and identify which key driver motivates an individual and team. * Effectively communicate the same idea in different forms using a range of different styles. * Develop the skills to manage personalities you would naturally clash with and develop practical methods to bring them into your vision. You will also learn by doing through a simulated leadership scenario in which you will have to work with others to secure collective agreement while achieving your own unique objective. **Venue** Food and drink is available for order at the venue. There is a 15 minute drinks break and a 30 minute lunch break included in the running time. **Please do not bring external food or drink into the premises you will be asked to throw it away.** **Meet Your Coach:** Sarah is a qualified HR Professional working within HR & Learning & Development for a decade. Sarah has worked in education, non-profit, life sciences Cell and Gene Therapy Pharmaceutical industries. Specialising in recruitment, coaching and employment law. Sarah regularly advises senior leaders on business strategic focuses and future planning. Being an accredited member of the CIPD and IIRSM organisations Sarah is able to use her knowledge globally to coach and train. **What is Debate+ (Debate Professional)** Debate+ is our advanced series of debate workshops which are focused 100% on how one can apply debate skills in a professional environment.

All we want is for someone to love us unconditionally. But is this even right? Is this even fair? If not, why do so many of us believe in it?

Hi everyone, let meet in a very nice comfortable surroundings in West London for a relaxing networking and friendly discussion We will meet 6pm to 8pm on a Saturday, hope you can all attend 6pm - 6.30 Meet and greet socialising light refreshment and music 6.30- 7.45 Main discussion 7.45 -8.00pm Discussion on the future direction of the group In the main discussion we will explore what and why philosophy and talk about our own personal philosophy why we are interested in the subject and whether it can help us in our day to day life. You don't have to be a philosopher, this is just simple everyday philosophy. If anyone has a specialist knowledge in philosophy they want to share it will be acceptable. This group will be a friendly and a welcoming group with a focus on friendship and support, every body opinion is valued any disagreement must be politely and constructively voiced. Location KTM ROX - 49 High St Feltham TW13 4AB Five minutes walk from Feltham rail station

Join us on **Saturday 25 April, from 11 am till 4 pm,** for a joyful celebration of **International Mother Earth Day** in **Compton Terrace Gardens**, in front of Union Chapel. Discover the trees, plants, animals and insects that share our space, and learn about their usefulness, symbolism and medicinal properties. Enjoy homemade cakes, tea and coffee while supporting the wonderful work of the gardening team. With games and activities for children, this is a relaxed, family-friendly event connecting with nature and community.

Time is precious. Here we value non-boring valuable chats and interactions that are fully engaging, soulfully enriching, inspiring, and leave you a bit wiser than when you arrived. In that spirit (mind the pun!), today’s fully hosted laid back social coffee chat will offer a perfect haven for the inquisitive & curious - those drawn to the mysteries of the universe, life and everything in between. A tasty caffeine infused fun afternoon of thought-provoking causal chats exploring spirituality/consciousness and related interconnected topics spanning **philosophy,** **neuroscience**, **parapsychology,** **paranormal.** **cosmology** and **noetic sciences** over a mug of sweet coffee (or amazin value Chardonnay!) Chaired by me - a former Reuters journalist & published empirical researcher exploring spirituality topics in pursuant of the "truth" since a teenager, there'll be no strict structure - a relaxed friendly space to openly chat, exchange ideas & experiences without judgement, but I'll preside to promote inclusivity and zone in on specifics to avoid people digressing onto unrelated tangents to ensure like all of our events - particpants derive maximum utlity and engagement from attending. We’ll touch on everything from the limits of scientific understanding to exploring the unexplained using practical fun exploratory divination practices drawing on elements of **psychology, metaphysics, epistemology** and **statistical** **probability** of rare events as we do so. Whether you're a practicing "spiritualist", a curious skeptic, or just someone who loves deep conversation on **life’s big questions**, you’ll hopefully walk away more enlightened with some practical tips you can start applying and inspired to explore more! As well as illuminating chats to guide self-reflection, obviously no sprituality event woul be complete without practical tools so there'll be FREE Tarot & I-Ching readings, demonstrations of meditation method to activate super powerful gamma brain waves, and pyschic tests for a bit of fun, laughter & intrigue! **Sample of conversational threads** might include: Are we mere organisms pursuing biological survival or does consciousness exist beyond neurons firing in our brains? What explains peoples' paranormal experiences? What would reality look like If our brains were limitless? Declassified CIA files show that as as well as mind control experiments, the US govt employed mediums and remote viewers. If all mumbo jumbo then why? Is Nirvana just a fantasy of deluded people? Does everything happen for a reason? To clarify - we define spirituality here as an exploration of consciousness, Donald Rumsfeld's unknown unknowns and undiscovered aspects of reality, NOT religion. After all, as my philosophy professor once rightly postulated to me: "If God created Adam, who created God Lucas?" Yep - that inconvenient flaw **debunks every fairytale religion** out there including the oldest religion of them all - paganism - so why is witchcraft still practised outside of **Hogwarts** today? I may also share the latest peer reviewed empirical evidence surrounding **paranormal** and **consciousness** phenomena. **=== POTENTIAL CONVERSATION STARTERS ===** 1. Does consciousness survive death or is Cambridge Astrophysics Professor Brian Cox right in asserting if **ghosts** existed then particle accelerators at CERN would have already detected ghost molecules making Ouija boards kids play? Are Poltergiests 100% hoax? Brain scans indicate thalamocortical circuits in our brain (pathways in the parietal cortex & central lateral thalamus) drive **consciousness -** so how can spirit/mind live on after **brain death**? 2. Is **synchronicity/coincidence** simply randomness disguised in the eye of the beholder or can what Einstein called “spooky action at a distance" (quantum entanglement) explain it? Molecular Biologists have shown that just like plants - our cells give off resonant frequencies between 10 & 180 kilohertz - could this be a source of non-verbal communication like telepathy? 3. Given **neuroscience**'s infancy with much yet undiscovered - could mediation help access functions outside of our BAU alpha & beta brain wave states? Can **Kundalini yoga** boost **DMT** (dimethyltryptamine) naturally vs drugs like ayahuasca, mushrooms, LSDand if so by what mechanism? Do the artifically created neural signatures using magnetic stimulation observed during mystical experiences debunk them? Is the Maharishi Effect real? 4. Are clairvoyants and mediums just good people readers or are they really able to access time and space in non-linear ways? Is Tyler Henry the real deal or just faking it? Was **Abraham Lincolm** precognizant when he dreamt his own fatal assignation? 5. The laws of statistical probability, Drake Equation & common sense tells us there is other non-microbial life out there. So what explains the Fermi Paradox? Was that 1976 WOW signal aliens? How about the recent strange bahaviour of Boyajian's star or Oumuamua/Atlas interstella object that has just entered our solar system? 6. Could metaverse explain deja vu & reincarnation vs theories from the **psychology** literature (Mandela Effect?) or do we just live in a **simulation** as **Elon Musk** proposes? 7. **Stephen Hawking** once said: "The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities" If matter only manifests when observed as the double slit experiments shows, does that mean everything is consciousness? Does the discovery of *quantum superposition /* disappearing neutrons imply **parallel universes**? 8. Do NDEs suggest something beyond physicality? Were Steve Jobs final words "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow" before he died (New York Times) visions of an afterlife or just neurochemical changes / drugs playing tricks? 9. Can photons omitted by our bodies explain auras that people see? 10. Could limits in our understanding of quantum physics, space and time explain paranormal experiences? 11. What existed before the **big bang** \- how do you get something from "nothing"? I believe our reality is the product of a black hole\. What you reckon? ***So how do we get to the "truth"?*** Both in my journalism days and applying the most advanced empirical research techniques in my client consulting work - it becomes clear the truth is often elusive. No matter how much we triangulate evidence - we can only provide part answers. "All models are wrong, but some are useful" George Box What we think we know and reality diverge leading to that great **paradox of knowledge.** And as the boundary between knowns and unknown converge, we end up with cognitive dissonance and more questions. In that spirit - every credible philosopher & scientist acknowledges - we'll never get to the complete truth but could **experimental methods** get us closer to it? A balanced approach guided by Immanuel Kant's pragmatism and Aristotle's deductive reasoning seems the most rationale framework here but are there any other methodologies? How about the **"spirituality"** toolkit? **=== RENDEZVOUS POINT ===** We will meet inside the pub upstairs - located in Islington, 4 seconds walk from Highbury & Islington station or 12 mins from Angel station. l I'll be wearing a **Starwars identifier** and will share mobile hotline just before event start and table number/location. For stargazing we will walk to park 5 mins away around 7.30pm Lucas - The Unenlightened Desperately Seeking Answer

Welcome to our **Free Event - Master the Art of Communication**! Join us at the Church of Scientology **Life Improvement Centre** to learn valuable basics of communication and skills that will help you in both your personal and professional life. During this event, you will learn some fundamentals of communication - what is it, what are the vital parts of the communication formula.... and have the opportunity to participate in these new skills. Hear from trained and experienced communicators, and practice communication techniques in a supportive environment. Whether you struggle with public speaking, conflict resolution, or simply want to improve your relationships, this is for you! Come and discover the power of knowledge and how to achieve effective communication. Find out how you could guide and control communication in your life! Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your communication abilities and connect with like-minded individuals. We look forward to seeing you here!

***This is a group for deep conversation, making friends, discussing philosophy, (good) music, art, poetry, experiences, politics, and building a strong community in London.*** **This week we are going to be debating people at speakers corner to try raise money for the charity** [Centrepoint.](https://centrepoint.org.uk/support-us/donate?utm_source=jaa-ppc&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=csarppchpg&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=928504716&gbraid=0AAAAADs8ZiR9D5urNzydaKIBktZVL39RD&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI66r2qqb3kwMVeJFQBh3mpSsfEAAYASABEgK-hvD_BwE) **If you don’t feel like debating that’s fine, we also just tend to linger around and discuss philosophy. If you want to you can help by bringing chairs or speaker. No worries if you can’t.** **From 10:00 to 10:20 we will be setting up. 10:20 - 14:00 is the club time, but people can and will stay longer for more chatting, and just to hang out.** **For updates, conversation and our whereabouts on the day check the WhatsApp:** [https://chat.whatsapp.com/LyRmJUaqN5zLJ2x21nIo04](Whatsapp)

Jean Marc will be charming us with his stories and talking about Chiron. Rebekah will bring her insight into the current times in terms of astrological movements.Claudia will be sharing a talk on awakening your invisible healing power. As usual there will be time to discuss different topics and get to know each other.

When judging morality, should we prioritize **intentions/duty** or **outcomes/results**? It introduces two influential philosophers as representatives of these approaches. * **Immanuel Kant (deontology):** An action is moral when it is done from **duty** and follows rational, universal principles (the **categorical imperative**). Certain acts—like lying—are wrong regardless of the consequences; you can’t do a wrong thing for a right reason. * **John Stuart Mill (utilitarian consequentialism):** The morality of an action is determined by its **effects**, specifically how much **happiness/well-being** it produces. Mill argues that some pleasures are “higher” than others, and that good intentions don’t redeem harmful outcomes. ## Discussion Questions 1. **The lying dilemma:** A murderer comes to your door and asks if your friend is hiding inside. Kant would say you must not lie. 2. **Can good intentions rescue a bad outcome?** 3. **The organ harvest problem:** A surgeon has five patients dying of organ failure and one healthy patient in for a checkup. Killing the one to harvest organs would save five lives, and the math works out for the utilitarian. Why does this feel so deeply wrong? Is that feeling a point in Kant's favor, or just a bias we should overcome? 4. **Do rules need exceptions?** Kant insists moral rules must be universal, with no exceptions. But most of us can imagine extreme scenarios where any rule seems like it should bend. Does the need for exceptions fatally undermine deontology, or is the strength of the system precisely that it refuses to bend? 5. **Who gets to calculate the consequences?** Utilitarianism asks us to maximize good outcomes, but we're notoriously bad at predicting consequences. If we can't reliably know the results of our actions, is it practical to base our entire moral system on outcomes? Does this uncertainty push us back toward rules and principles? 6. **Everyday morality:** Think about a real moral decision you've made recently, even a small one. Did you reason more like a Kantian (what's the right thing to do in principle?) or more like a utilitarian (what will produce the best result?)? Do most people naturally lean one way? 7. **Justice vs. the greater good:** A town can prevent a deadly plague by sacrificing one innocent person. The greater good is clearly served. But is it just? Can an action be morally right and deeply unjust at the same time? 8. **The big synthesis question:** Are these two systems actually opposed, or do they often arrive at the same answers by different paths? Is it possible that we need both: rules to guide us in the moment and consequences to evaluate systems and policies over time?

This is a free, in-person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. Burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

ASH is Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists of First Unitarian Universalists of Columbus Ohio TBD Snacks are usually available, and you are welcome to bringing something to share!

Attend a free seminar on how to have successful and lasting relationships. At this seminar you will learn: How to spot and handle negative and toxic relationships. How to get through the "rough patches" in a relationship. How to choose the right people to work with. The three things that make or break any relationship. How to make a good relationship great. All are welcome. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. Hosted by the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

We may pick a specific topic and post in advance or may discuss current events and various ad hoc topics . We would love to spend time hanging out and getting to know one another. Atheist, agnostics, other non-theists, and atheist-friendly people are welcome to join us. Note: COUNT operates a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/COUNT.discussions (http://www.facebook.com/groups/COUNT.discussions/) to promote discussions among members and visitors.

Main Library, Meeting Room 2B Join us for a welcoming evening of reflection, gentle music, and meaningful conversation. We’ll begin with a short grounding moment, followed by a brief reading from spiritual or philosophical traditions, and an open reflection circle where participants can share (or simply listen). Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection. All backgrounds are welcome.