It offers a steady rhythm of practical wisdom, community highlights, and hand-picked inspirations, creating a tending space for curiosity and care.
We respect your inbox—if this newsletter isn’t for you, update your settings or unsubscribe anytime using the links at the bottom of the email, no hard feelings!
Hey friends,
I’ve been thinking about what it means to create a context—not just a conversation, not just a collection of ideas, but the conditions that shape how we experience them.
A big part of what we do at Grokkist is create a context of curiosity and care around things, and when you do that, the same conversations that might feel exhausting elsewhere take on a different quality.
There’s a sense of invitation, of possibility, an openness to discovering what happens next rather than forcing an outcome.
This is something I first tried to distill back in Newsletter 52, mapping how curiosity and care intersect and what’s at stake when one or both are missing.
That framing helped get at the social depth of the Grokkist project—not just making sense of yourself or following your joy, but remaking the world by co-creating a shared ethos.

The updated version of the graphic (above) reflects how this thinking has evolved, but the core remains: curiosity without care can be extractive, and care without curiosity can be rigid.
The flourishing quadrant is where the magic happens.
Nathan explores this idea beautifully in his new video essay, @ourselves: The Logic of the Gift.
He talks about how creating and sharing are acts of trust—that real gifts, whether they take the form of wisdom, creativity, or care, are not given to be hoarded or bartered, but to be carried forward in unexpected ways.
You don’t control what happens next, but you create the conditions for something to take root.
That’s what the Grokkist ecosystem—the Press, the Network, the Academy—exists to provide.
A place where wisdom and insight can be offered without being extracted, where unfinished thoughts are welcomed rather than dismissed, where things don’t need to be rigid or fully formed before they find their way into the world.
A space where the context itself creates what happens next.
We saw this in action at our recent cafe on AI, Social Media, and Rehumanising Attention. There was no fixed agenda, no predetermined outcome—just a space held with curiosity and care.
And because of that, ideas had room to breathe. People shared honestly. Questions led to new questions. The conversation unfolded in a way that couldn’t have been planned, but felt deeply meaningful.
This is the work: not just what we create, but the conditions we create for it to live, breathe, and be received.
And this matters—because the alternative is what we already see everywhere else: a world where curiosity and care have withered, leaving behind a vacuum that rewards spectacle over sincerity, and cynicism over conviction. A world where kindness is mistaken for weakness, and soft-heartedness for naïveté.
When the old structures harden and collapse under their own weight, what’s left is an invitation—to remake the world in ways that don’t just replicate the same dead logic, but cultivate something unexpected, generous, and alive.
That’s what we’re doing here. Not just naming what’s missing, but practicing what’s possible.
With curiosity and care,
Danu
A self-paced experience to reconnect with what lights you up—through thought-provoking videos, guided exercises, and space to explore at your own pace.
Now included for all members. Read more or join today and jump in.
Grokkist Press
A home for creations that matter, where grokkists publish gifts of wisdom and creativity that inspire, challenge, and invite deeper connection.
Visit the Press ↗A metaphor for individuals who, like hummingbirds, flit between diverse fields, ideas, or interests, cross-pollinating as they go.
Discover more luminous phrases in the Glossary of Grokkistry
Fresh from the Press

@ourselves / The Logic of the Gift
By Nathan Dufour Oglesby (22 min watch / 14 min read)
A preface to a new series on Art, Ego & Identity in the Digital Age.

Rethinking the Mental Health Crisis
By Jessica Böhme (7 min read)
The mental health crisis isn’t just psychological—it’s philosophical. Healing lies in reconnecting our inner lives with the interconnected systems that sustain us.

Truth, Wisdom and Cezanne
by Peter Gilderdale (3 min read)
Like Cezanne’s mountain, truth reveals itself differently depending on where we stand—always present, but always waiting to be rediscovered.
More from the Press
- Wedgwood, Novelty and the Progress Narrative (Peter Gilderdale, 3 min read) – In our rush for novelty, have we overlooked not only the enduring value of the familiar but also the many other ways we might choose to value what we create?
You can also read our guide to learn how the Grokkist Press works and how to get involved.
Grokkist Network
Connect across disciplines, generations, and geographies in Grokkist’s global community—a true speakeasy for the soul.
Visit the Network ↗Upcoming Events
Events Access Key
🟢 Open Access: Free and open to all.
🟣 Member Access: Exclusive to Grokkist Members.
🟠 Ticketed Access: Open to all with a cover charge (members enjoy a 30% discount).
For more info, check the guide to our events and gatherings or this guide if you're interested in hosting an event of your own.

🟢 Dancing at the Intersections: Life as an Indigenous Feminist Leader
🗓️ Sun 23 Feb | 7–8.30pm ET (view in your timezone)
Facilitated by Danu Poyner
About our guest speaker: Kim Tairi
Kim Tairi (Waikato Tainui) is an intersectional feminist and librarian. Her career spans more than 30 years in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. She works in the tertiary sector as a University Librarian. She was Aotearoa New Zealand’s first Māori University Librarian. She also works in Te Tiriti (The Treaty) Strategy. Outside of work, Kim makes textile art, is a sometimes poet and loves to dance. In this candid and heartfelt session, Kim will share her lived experiences as a “first in family” indigenous leader navigating the complexities of leadership, intersectionality, and identity.
With honesty and humour, she will explore the challenges and triumphs of being a menopausal indigenous woman in leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand, offering insights into the tensions and opportunities of this work.
Expect a rich conversation that weaves together professional insight, personal reflection, and creative energy.

🟢 The Dialect of Respect: Building Bridges to Shared Understanding
🗓️ Tue 4 Mar | 1pm-2.30pm ET (view in your timezone)
Facilitated by Kendra Fee-McNulty
When was the last time you had a dialogue where both sides felt heard, valued, and respected?
In a divisive world that often rewards those who shout the loudest, connection can feel out of reach. Too often, we find ourselves trapped in zero-sum conversations—focused on what we want to say, talking past each other, and missing the bridges that could bring us closer.
But what if communication wasn’t about winning an argument or simply getting your point across? What if we could learn to speak each other’s “dialects,” meeting people where they are with empathy and care?
Join us as we explore the dialect of respect—the art of communication that bridges differences and fosters shared understanding. Drawing on her experience as a marketing communicator and entrepreneur, Kendra will share insights from her journey of moving beyond “someone who had something to say” to someone who seeks to create meaningful connection.
Other Upcoming Events
- 17 Feb | 🟣 Grokkist Members Meetup [Feb '25]
- 13 Mar | 🟢 Grok Cafe [#2 in 2025]
- 20 Mar | 🟢 Stilling the Tempest: A Freewriting Circle
- 25 Mar | 🟢 Anti-Cult Blueprint: Reclaiming Belonging in a Disconnected Society
Grokkist Academy
Life-changing learning experiences designed to set your soul on fire and help you level up as a grokkist.
Visit the Academy ↗Featured Course

Find Your Red Thread [C3]
A five-week journey to explore the patterns of your life, reclaim your story, and connect with what matters most.
Starts 24 Feb for 5 weeks
Find Your Red Thread is about helping you make sense of yourself. Sometimes, life feels scattered—like the pieces of your story are out there, but they don’t quite add up.
Maybe you’ve been chasing the next goal, trying to live up to an idea of success that isn’t yours, and now you’re wondering what it was all for. It feels like burnout, but it’s something deeper: a longing to realign with what brings you alive and makes you feel whole.
This is a space to sit with those pieces—not to fix them, but to look at them honestly and see the patterns, the connections, the story they’re trying to tell.
🔖 Suggested Tuition: USD$275*
(*Can't afford it? Don't worry. Our Forget About the Price Tag policy ensures this course is open to everyone, regardless of budget.)
🍬 Snackables
A curated collection of hand-picked inspirations—thought-provoking reads, engaging ideas, and creative sparks to nurture your curiosity and expand your perspective.
#1 - Intellectual Menopause
What happens when someone puts real effort into something deeply misguided? This piece examines (among other things) the case of poet John Ransom, who poured his considerable talent into a doomed attempt to redeem the South through reactionary agrarianism. “He had the energy to care, but lacked the taste (outside of poetry) to find something better to care about.” There’s something tragic in that—curiosity turned inward, a mind ensnared by its own dying values rather than seeking new ones.
Venkatesh Rao explores this pattern through the lens of intellectual menopause, a term for ideological stagnation whose usage he traces through history. A useful concept—once you see it, you see it everywhere: the impulse to double down on fading ideals rather than engage with a changing world. The piece suggests a healthier instinct is to question values in decline and seek something more vital, rather than solemnly living them out to their inevitable exhaustion.
#2 - The real lessons from Kodak’s decline
Recognising change isn’t the same as surviving it. Kodak didn’t fail because it ignored digital. It failed because it couldn’t make digital work. This post-mortem from a former Kodak executive dismantles the myth that the company was simply blind to technological change. In reality, Kodak saw the digital shift coming and invested heavily, even becoming a market leader in digital cameras. But digital imaging was a commodity business with low margins, and Kodak’s legacy costs meant it couldn’t compete. It bet on photo printing as a way to maintain profitability—only for smartphone screens and social media to make printed photos irrelevant. Kodak’s story is a case study in how legacy structures, sunk costs, and an ecosystem built around a disappearing product can make adaptation brutally difficult. Without a sustainable new model, even the best foresight won’t save you.
#3 - The camera click heard across Japan

Why do Japanese phones still force a loud shutter sound every time you take a photo? It’s not a technical oversight—it’s a deliberate choice, rooted in a cultural emphasis on privacy and social trust. In the early 2000s, camera phones and creeping concerns about voyeurism collided, leading manufacturers to lock in an audible shutter as a safeguard. But, as with most well-intentioned rules, people found workarounds—silent camera apps became wildly popular, creating a cat-and-mouse game between tech design and social behaviour. It’s one of those quirks of modern life that reveals something deeper about how different societies negotiate privacy, trust, and technology. In Germany, 'the land of Datenschutz' (data protection), I gather yelling at someone filming in public is practically a national pastime.
#4 - Last year's best science images

From emperor penguin chicks leaping off Antarctic cliffs to the Sun’s corona glowing during a total eclipse, a retrospective of 2024's most striking science photos tell stories of awe, resilience, and discovery. Nature’s visual editors have curated a gallery that spans the microscopic and the cosmic—volcanic ‘smoke rings,’ bacterial blossoms (my personal favourite), a seagull riding a turtle, and even a ghostly human-skin-covered mould designed for attaching realistic skin to robots.
#5 - Turning down the volume of a city
Cities don't have to sound like stress. 3-min short film in which a professional sound recordist captures the transformed tranquillity of Carrer Consell de Cent in Barcelona—a former road, now a green space. The result is a 15-decibel drop in noise levels, reshaping not just the soundscape but the entire feel of the neighbourhood. The absence of traffic roar is striking, replaced by the subtle sounds of leaves rustling, distant voices, and the kind of quiet that makes you notice things differently.

If this already feels like home, membership is just making yourself comfortable.
As a Grokkist Member, you’re part of a circle of active grokkists walking the grokkist path. Find out more here.
Membership benefits include:
- 🟣 Member-Only Gatherings
- 🚪 Unlock Your Grok - Self-Paced Course
- ❤️🔥 30% Discount on Courses & Ticketed Events
- 🎭 Featured Member Profile
- 📣 Post Calls & Invitations
- ✨ Early Access & Prototypes
- ▶️ Events Recording Library
- ⭐️ Digital Member Badge
A pair of parting thoughts...
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” — Simone Weil
“Then I realized something. I was keeping my old wounds fresh and open, as evidence for a trial that would never come.” – Mark Nepo
This newsletter was sent to 675+ curious and caring subscribers. Help us expand the grokkiverse by telling a friend. Here's a direct link to join the mailing list or you can share this edition directly with others too:
grokk.ist/newsletter/60/
That's it! Thanks for reading. Hit reply and get in touch anytime – I love hearing from you.