Socrates himself reached the peak of his powers at the age of 70 (not an easy feat in those days) – and he would have continued growing, learning, and ‘kicking butt’ if he hadn’t been sentenced to death by hemlock!
Do you have concerns about the future well-being of the elders in your life – your parents or grandparents? Are we victims of “Ageism” — stereotyping people on the basis of their age?
Are you now or do you anticipate sharing responsibility for an elders’ quality-of-life?
Are you aware that your own eventual “successful aging” will depend importantly on some things you do now? (“If I’d known I was going to live so long, I would have taken better care of myself.”)
At this Conversation we will share our experiences with aging and with those elders who have touched our lives.
Please come to share your experiences and reflections:
What does Aging mean to you?
Do you feel that there are stereotypes, prejudices, and social practices that harm older adults (“Ageism”)?
What are your concerns for and about the elders in your life?
What do you hope will characterize your own later years, in terms of life-style, activities, opportunities, and supports?
Light refreshments will be available. There will be a display of relevant publications.
Suggested optional reading:
The Third Chapter, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot (Sarah Crichton Books, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York 2009)
Socrates himself reached the peak of his powers at the age of 70 (not an easy feat in those days) – and he would have continued growing, learning, and ‘kicking butt’ if he hadn’t been sentenced to death by hemlock!
Do you have concerns about the future well-being of the elders in your life – your parents or grandparents? Are we victims of “Ageism” — stereotyping people on the basis of their age?
Are you now or do you anticipate sharing responsibility for an elders’ quality-of-life?
Are you aware that your own eventual “successful aging” will depend importantly on some things you do now? (“If I’d known I was going to live so long, I would have taken better care of myself.”)
At this Conversation we will share our experiences with aging and with those elders who have touched our lives.
Please come to share your experiences and reflections:
What does Aging mean to you?
Do you feel that there are stereotypes, prejudices, and social practices that harm older adults (“Ageism”)?
What are your concerns for and about the elders in your life?
What do you hope will characterize your own later years, in terms of life-style, activities, opportunities, and supports?
Light refreshments will be available. There will be a display of relevant publications.
Suggested optional reading:
The Third Chapter, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot (Sarah Crichton Books, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York 2009)
We will consider how technology affects society, and perhaps even defines the times we live in. Do you ever feel that technology is out of control, a force with a mind and will of its own? What causes this, and what are the consequences? We will focus our conversation on the following:
1. Are you a technophobe, or technophile? Why? How has technology affected your job, your personal life, health, leisure time? Is it making your life better, or worse? Does technology create jobs, or destroy them? What other impacts on society concern you?
2. Will the Internet unite humans in a global village, or isolate us? On Twitter, Facebook, et al., do you find people of diverse opinions, or are we inevitably drawn to chatrooms populated by people just like ourselves? Does our very freedom to choose what we read and learn lead to simply confirming our current beliefs?
3. What are the dangers of rapid technological change? Will we unleash something that destroys us? Will hackers cause such chaos (ID theft, falsifying records, stealing money, etc.) that we abandon the Internet? What about the government– does surveillance make us safer, or does the government know too much already? What can citizens do?
4. What will technology look like in the distant future? Will designer genomes eliminate disease? Will human genetic diversity be eliminated? (In the future, perhaps everyone is blonde and tall..) Will microbots in our bodies make us immortal? Will mind and machine merge into a new form of consciousness, giving humans unimagined mental powers and creativity?
About the Moderator: Laurence Mailaender works in the technology industry, doing research aimed at improving wireless systems. He has a PhD in Electrical Engineering, and spent 12 years as a researcher at Bell Labs. Currently he develops advanced communication and GPS-geolocation systems for customers in various agencies of the U.S. Government.
8:30 pm + All are welcome to continue the conversation, self-moderated.
(Food court is open until 7:30 pm which is located two levels belowthe mezzanine tables where we will be holding the conversation. Mexican Grill open until 11 pm.)
1. What is school for?
What does our public education teach? How is success evaluated?
2. Seth Godin, “Does great performance in school leads to happiness and success?”
How does our society define “happiness” and “success?”
What does great performance in public school leads to?
How would you define “happiness” and “success?”
3. What would you want the purpose of public education to be and why?
4. What do you think of Seth Godin’s proposals?
Seth Godin is the author of 14 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. Permission Marketing was a New York Times bestseller, Unleashing the Ideavirus is the most popular ebook every published, and Purple Cow is the bestselling marketing book of the decade. His free ebook on what education is for is called STOP STEALING DREAMS and it’s been downloaded millions of times since it launched in January, 2012.
In addition to his writing and speaking, Seth is founder of squidoo.com, a fast growing, easy to use website. His blog (which you can find by typing “seth” into Google) is one of the most popular in the world.
Please note that the Seth Godin is not attending this event. This event works like a book club, but the discussion topics are clips from TED (www.ted.com), “Ideas Worth Spreading”. Watching Seth Godin’s TED Talk beforehand is highly encouraged. If the venue permits, we’ll watch his approx. 17 minute TED Talk before the conversation and then spend an hour discussing the ideas presented.
Ron Gross is the founder of Conversations New York. He’s been organizing exciting, important CONVERSATIONS for 20 years, and currently holds them regularly on the Columbia University campus and elsewhere through the city. He’s the author of 23 books on LIFELONG LEARNING. He was recently honored for lifetime achievement in the field by the International Society for Self-Directed Learning. The late Buckminster Fuller said of Ron’s work: “If humanity is to pass safely through its present crisis on earth, it will be because a majority of individuals are now doing their own thinking. Ronald Gross’ work has pioneered in improving the climate for such thinking in the United States.”
Yen is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and a Master Navigator with career experience in the Federal, State, and corporate training/evaluation systems training and evaluating navigators, first-responders, and corporate trainers/employees for Fortune 100 companies. Currently he is a manager at Lyhun Realty.
Want to Join the CNY team?: We have opportunities for professionals with relevant skills to contribute pro bonoto the development of CNY in several important areas:
Editorial
Calendar-development
Funding
Media Relations/Social Networking
Venue-finding and Evaluation
IT/Operations
Legal
We are also seeking organizational partners and funding, from public and private agencies who share our interest in fostering a richer cultural life in NYC. Thank you.
The question, “What is Love?” haunts us as a culture. Many of us seek love as one of the major goals in our lives. Many of us seek love through ways that are different from what is considered ‘the norm’ in our societies. Many of us seek to redefine what love means to us. This conversation is meant to share our opinions and values surrounding loving relationships.
What do you immediately think of when you think of the word, ‘love?’
Does ‘love’ have a different meaning for you than it does for other people that you know?
Where are your boundaries when it comes to love – how soon, after having met someone, can you say that you love them?
What kind of ‘love language’ do you use? (More information will be given out during the conversation on what a ‘love language’ is).
Note: Harassment of any kind – on the basis of biological sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender presentation, or on the basis of race or ability or any other reason – during Meetups offered by this group will not be tolerated.
"Let's Talk, New York!" 