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| Launching my first product - Socratic Cards. Photo by Muffy Aldrich |
Introducing Socratic Cards. As I say on our site:
Socratic Cards are deep, and fun, questions that spark meaningful conversations. For evenings with friends, dorm room late nights, jump-starting meetings, or long sails. Or saving a dinner party.
Socratic questions are intellectual superfoods. They build essential leadership and critical thinking skills. And everybody loves them. Here are 50 of the best questions at your fingertips.
Pass them around at holiday parties and see what happens.
Perhaps they can also help reverse the current anti-intellectual trend in preppy today.
This "Signature Edition" is a limited run. For sample questions, more information, and to purchase, go to:
- Socratic Cards <https://www.socraticcards.com/>
I love the idea of these Socratic Cards, but I’m afraid they’ve appeared too late for large segments of our modern society. Unfortunately, this ain’t ancient Athens. (These cards will be great for normal, intellectually curious people who enjoy entertaining various ideas in a tolerant atmosphere.) My comments below are aimed at those who’ve already closed their minds, and adamantly reject Mr. Socrates’ method and teachings.
ReplyDeleteFor many, the days of Socratic “meaningful conversations” (especially on Kolidge campuses) are long gone. For example, when 99% of a school’s faculty contribute to the same political party, and believe the same distortions and calumny the Legacy Media spews out, then what is there left to discuss? Nothing. (Plus, after all, Mr. Socrates was the wrong gender and ethnicity. Right?) Yes, beliefs outside the narrow Groupthink orthodoxy will not be tolerated or “included” - a favorite word of theirs. (Yet, Joseph Stalin was more open-minded, inclusive, and ready to discuss opposing viewpoints than any of them.) And gatherings of contrary people will inevitably soon degenerate into outrage, disgust, and cliched name calling from one side - using terms that have lost all their vile connotation.
Of course, you’re right about the “current anti-intellectual trend” – but, sadly, the whole point of sham education nowadays is to prevent people from “thinking” (see Orwell, George, 1984). “Deep” Socratic thoughts are dangerous, and definitely not welcome. Worse, the indoctrination of young minds with accepted lunatic ideas (A man is really a woman, a Nazi on our side is not really a Nazi, Satan lives on Pennsylvania Avenue, etc.) must begin very early (see Youth, Hitler).
Now, I think Big Brother would admire and approve of everything these anti-Socratic people are trying to do in order to bring about an Alice-In-Wonderland utopia with a phony equality for all – except their demand to “Defund the Police.” (The last thing Big Brother would want to do is to weaken his Thought Police Force.).
And speaking of shams, the new unrecognizable “Ivy League” comes to mind. (Now if Socrates could only stroll around their beautiful campuses today, then sit in on their current classes where intellectual rigor and Socratic questioning is unknown, and also discover that they were being taught by teachers who shouldn’t be there, or listen to the idiotic conversations going on inside their faculty lounges, then I’m sure he’d promptly run out in search of more hemlock.)
Bless your heart...
DeleteThat’s quite a mouthful.
DeleteThis has so much to do with a card game.
DeleteThanks to great leaders such as Genghis Khan, Joan of Ark (Noah's wife), and Socratic Method, the world is FULL of history!
ReplyDeleteThose cards look great, I'll pick up a couple of decks. I think they will have wide appeal.
Re the sample card shown - can one choose the room in advance?
ReplyDeleteI think the question presumes that your level of intelligence remains unchanged. So the question is not would you rather be smart or dumb, the question is would you rather be surrounded by smart people or dumb people.
DeleteHA! I LOVE these! Intelligent conversation has really eroded. Time spent with groups of people have painfully proven this over and over. The saying, "Great minds talk about ideas, average minds talk about events, small minds talk about people" is truer now than ever before. I like much of what Robert has said above. People really do seem to be afraid to think for themselves, much less let anyone know they're doing it. These cards seems like a fun way to get everyone out of the conversation "rut" at gatherings, direct their minds to think outside the box, and it may even help people get to know others better - even if they've already been acquainted a long time! ---HLC
ReplyDeleteLook at you talking about people!
DeleteWow. People in my circles don’t at all seem to be afraid to let others know what they are thinking. Just ask my wife !
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