FREE MIND FOUNDATION
In a time of growing polarization and shrinking courage, the Free Mind Foundation creates spaces where people can think freely, speak honestly, and build real friendships across lines of difference.
We’re building a civic culture in which principled dissent isn’t punished, friendship isn’t politicized, and where psychological Habits of a Free Mind™ — curiosity, courage, compassion, and a sense of calling — are developed.
Mission
The Free Mind Foundation fosters courageous civic engagement by creating spaces for meaningful social connection, principled dialogue, and enduring friendship. Through in-person gatherings and shared inquiry, we build communities that uphold human dignity, choose conviction over conformism, and cultivate the psychological habits of a free mind™—habits essential to flourishing in and contributing to a pluralistic, liberal democracy.
The Challenge
America is facing a dual crisis: a friendship recession and a collapse of intellectual courage.
This climate of fear breeds silence, self-censorship, and social isolation—undermining both democratic discourse and individual well-being.
Our Solution
At the heart of our model is a simple but transformative idea: friendship and free inquiry reinforce one another. The Free Mind Foundation offers structured opportunities—salons, workshops, fellowships, and other gatherings—designed to cultivate courage, connection, and civic responsibility. Participants learn to:
We equip individuals with the psychological tools and social frameworks needed to build resilient communities of principle in a time of polarization.
Core Programs
To help scholars, journalists, artists, and other professionals connect face-to-face, think independently in environments of conformity, and defend the rights of those with whom they disagree:
FREE MIND SALONS
We revive the tradition of the intellectual salon—small, moderated, off-the-record gatherings that foster intimate dialogue and deep discussion. In addition to hosting our own salons, we curate topic-specific salons for individuals and organizations.
"Thought Criminals" Gatherings
As featured in The New Yorker, we convene off-the record, invitation-only social gatherings, book events, and structured conversations with diverse thinkers in various fields.
Free Mind Forum
Open to the public, the Free Mind Forum offers lightly moderated dialogues between people with differing perspectives, followed by structured attendee discussions. Speakers are trained in advance to model “curious conversations,” in contradistinction to debate, argument, or persuasion.
Habits of a Free Mind™
Habits of a Free Mind™ programs offer a toolkit for cultivating the mental habits needed to engage across lines of difference—without feeling traumatized and without dehumanizing others. They expand participants’ capacities for contributing to and thriving in a pluralistic liberal democracy. Versions are available for higher education orientations, college courses, professional workshops, and other settings beyond academia.
The Free Mind Fellowship
Designed to foster both deep personal connection and thoughtful reflection, short-term, immersive residential programs bring together cohorts of diverse thinkers for collaborative dialogue and constructive feedback on works in progress. Each Fellowship includes the Habits of a Free Mind™ curriculum.
The Vision
While we curate salons and host events around the world, our long-term vision is to seed a decentralized civic culture—one in which people convene their own gatherings around friendship and the core values of liberalism, including truth-seeking, principled dissent, individual autonomy, pluralism, and toleration. We offer guidance and support to those who wish to bring similar programs to life in their own communities.
Habits of a Free Mind™
Psychology for Democracy and The Good Life | Pamela Paresky
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