For over two years now I’ve been participating in a weekly discussion group named the Order Of the Oryx (OOO). Its not the usual kitchen chit-chat, a self-help club, open-invite, or even a place for debate. Rather, we are a small group of hand-picked regular attendees that discuss a specific topic in the pursuit of truth (whatever that may be) for its own sake. We try to have discussions that are intentional and intellectual, and without the desire for victory. For more information, you can see what our group is modeled after: Benjamin Franklin’s Junto.

The discussion topics have ranged widely, and are usually fairly broad. Some of my favorite topics in the past have been Time, Ego, Justice, Self Control, the Trolley Problem, the Limbic Brain, and The Singularity. Sometimes we freestyle it because we can’t decide on a topic ahead of time. Sometimes we bring in an outside ‘expert’ to give a presentation that we then discuss. No matter what the topic is, I usually leave the two hour discussions with new insight, perspective, clarity, and understanding. If you ever have the chance to join such a group or the desire to start one I highly recommend it.

I’d like to start writing blog posts about the new insight, perspective, clarity, and understanding that I gain from the discussions. It will of course depend on my motivation and priorities each week, but this post in itself is the first step.