Moral Courage In the Attention Economy
We hear all the time now that AI and digital technologies are putting unprecedented pressure on our attention. This is true. Algorithms designed for maximum addictiveness, content that AI churns out faster than you can digest it—a case can be made that the attention economy machine would gladly render you a zombie by monetizing every last corner of your consciousness.
But the algorithm didn’t create our vulnerability. It is merely exploiting it. There's a more subtle, simple story at play. At the heart of the matter, what makes us so susceptible to distraction? Why do we so gladly give our eyeballs to every shiny object that flickers across our screens? In large part, it is a fundamental fear of our own depths. When presented with the choice of the manageable complexity of online life vs. the unmanageable simplicity of our inner life, we choose the former almost every time.
In this upcoming gathering at Bell Hall, I’ll be sharing a presentation and experience I recently guided participants through at the Wayfare conference. It’s all about learning to confront the fear we have of stillness, of depth, of the disorientation that sets in when we admit that we do not have the answers to life’s most urgent questions: How should I live? When will I die?
When we follow our fear, when we let it take us all the way down, what we find is not more existential anxiety, but the ground of our own invincible being. And from there, the moral courage this moment demands.
-Thomas
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We will be capping this event at 75 people due to fire code capacity. If you plan to come, you must register in advance. We will have a check in at the door to confirm registration, so we recommend arriving early if you can. If you arrive after the meeting has started, please enter through the door on the north side of the building.
Wednesday, August 5th, 2026
7:30 PM 9:00 PM
389 East 1st Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT
*Please plan on street parking.
Drop-in cost: $25
For sponsors and all who have signed up for the "Online + In-Person Practitioner Membership" check your email for a discount code to be used for registration. If you are unsure of your membership tier, please don't hesitate to reach out.
If you are a practitioner registering with a discount code, and if you plan to bring a friend who is not a practitioner, please only use the discount code for your registration. This gathering is included as part of your practitioner membership.
If you would like to come our offerings regularly, consider becoming a practitioner
Moral Courage In the Attention Economy
We hear all the time now that AI and digital technologies are putting unprecedented pressure on our attention. This is true. Algorithms designed for maximum addictiveness, content that AI churns out faster than you can digest it—a case can be made that the attention economy machine would gladly render you a zombie by monetizing every last corner of your consciousness.
But the algorithm didn’t create our vulnerability. It is merely exploiting it. There's a more subtle, simple story at play. At the heart of the matter, what makes us so susceptible to distraction? Why do we so gladly give our eyeballs to every shiny object that flickers across our screens? In large part, it is a fundamental fear of our own depths. When presented with the choice of the manageable complexity of online life vs. the unmanageable simplicity of our inner life, we choose the former almost every time.
In this upcoming gathering at Bell Hall, I’ll be sharing a presentation and experience I recently guided participants through at the Wayfare conference. It’s all about learning to confront the fear we have of stillness, of depth, of the disorientation that sets in when we admit that we do not have the answers to life’s most urgent questions: How should I live? When will I die?
When we follow our fear, when we let it take us all the way down, what we find is not more existential anxiety, but the ground of our own invincible being. And from there, the moral courage this moment demands.
-Thomas
_______________
We will be capping this event at 75 people due to fire code capacity. If you plan to come, you must register in advance. We will have a check in at the door to confirm registration, so we recommend arriving early if you can. If you arrive after the meeting has started, please enter through the door on the north side of the building.
Wednesday, August 5th, 2026
7:30 PM 9:00 PM
389 East 1st Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT
*Please plan on street parking.
Drop-in cost: $25
For sponsors and all who have signed up for the "Online + In-Person Practitioner Membership" check your email for a discount code to be used for registration. If you are unsure of your membership tier, please don't hesitate to reach out.
If you are a practitioner registering with a discount code, and if you plan to bring a friend who is not a practitioner, please only use the discount code for your registration. This gathering is included as part of your practitioner membership.
If you would like to come our offerings regularly, consider becoming a practitioner
