Junto: Power
Power can be experienced through many lenses: psychology, law, economics, war, community, art, spirituality, and the quietly private places where status, fear, desire, and responsibility live. It shapes outcomes whether we seek it, inherit it, deny it, or pretend we’re “above it.” In a networked world, it doesn’t disappear; it just changes form.
This Junto is a private, inquiry-driven conversation about power: what it is, how it moves through people and institutions, how legitimacy is manufactured (or lost), and what a sane relationship to power might look like for founders, builders, and citizens of increasingly strange systems.
📝 Grounding note: Power has dark edges: coercion, manipulation, capture, violence. You’re always welcome to pass on a question or thread; sharing is always voluntary.
What we’ll explore (sample threads)
What is power, and how is it different from authority, legitimacy, and violence?
Where does power actually come from: money, networks, information, narrative, coercion, competence?
When does charisma and persuasion become something else, and can we tell the difference in ourselves/others?
How do symbols and stories manufacture authority in startups, communities, and states?
What are “clean” ways to gain and wield power without corroding your integrity?
🧭 What is a Junto?
Juntos are free-flowing group conversations conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth.
Benjamin Franklin founded the Junto Club to discuss morals, politics, and natural philosophy in order to improve themselves and their community.
👾 Who should attend?
Juntos are an opportunity to explore a topic deeply and see how other thoughtful people understand it. This is a good fit for you if you have:
Insatiable curiosity
Set truth over ego
Strong opinions, open to being challenged
The ability to engage respectfully with views you don’t share
Adhere to the Chatham House Rule; anyone who comes is free to refer to the discussion, but should not reveal who made any particular comment.