Vibes Are Not Enough

What does an anti-mimetic experience look and feel like? I don't know, but I'm willing to f*ck around and find out.

“Vibes are not enough. Books are not enough. Nihilism is not enough. Interiority is not enough. Techno-vitalism is not enough. Techno-optimism is not enough. The Religious-Retreat Option is not enough. Effective altruism is not enough. Content is not enough.”

The future will be built by unlikely collaborators.

That’s why, on November 3, I convened a mix of unexpected guests and interlocutors at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, for the first NOVITĀTE gathering.

In a world flooded with content, I believe more than ever in the power of flesh and blood experiences, where real dialogue can take place; eyes can be looked into, appreciated, read, looks reciprocated; true bonds and friendships can form at after-parties in hotel suites. (Yes—there are not many university-hosted conferences at which these things spontaneously happen… perhaps none at all, prior to our little experiment. I will not name the organizer in this post, in case they like to keep their talent hidden.…