During this members-only salon, we’ll practice being present, open and empathetic. We’ll explore ways of going beyond the obvious to make more meaningful connections with each other and the unlikely suspects who might enrich our lives.

Empathy, like a muscle, can be built or atrophy. To build empathy, one must have courage, engage in self-reflection, and harness the will to venture beyond isolation to the great unknown that is others. In practicing empathy, you just might find yourself along the way to finding the varied and rich humanity of others.
— Jamil Zaki, The War for Kindness

We’ll practice slowing down, paying attention and being curious to learn something new about someone else, and potentially, ourselves. By the end of the session, you’ll see that empathy is not a fixed trait—something we’re born with or not—but rather a skill that can be strengthened through effort.

To get the most out of this session, we encourage you to sit next to someone you don’t know well, or who may hold views different from your own.