Open Loops
Welcome to Brooklyn’s Modern-Day Academic Salon.
You’re now in the loop.
Open Loops is a modern-day academic salon: a space to pause, reflect, and wrestle with the questions that shape our lives. Each gathering begins with a single, thought-provoking question and unfolds through guided conversation, philosophical insight, and the perspectives of everyone in the room.
These salons are for the curious: seekers, thinkers, creatives, and anyone who craves deeper dialogue beyond small talk. Whether you join us in Brooklyn or through our online community, Open Loops invites you to sit with complexity, explore ideas in good company, and leave with even more questions than you came with.
What Do We Sacrifice to Belong?
Belonging is one of our deepest human needs, but it often comes at a cost. From silencing parts of ourselves to conforming to the expectations of family, culture, or community, the trade-offs we make in order to “fit” can shape our identities in ways both subtle and profound. Here, you are invited to sit with that tension, drawing on philosophy, psychology, and lived experience to explore the sacrifices of authenticity, freedom, desire, and even dissent that mark our pursuit of belonging. What do we give up to belong, but also what kind of belonging is worth the sacrifice? Get access to the essays, materials, and the live online discussion here.
“I left with new questions, fresh perspectives, and a sense of belonging I didn’t expect.”
— Attendee, What Do We Owe The People We Love