The Mystery of Mastery
Mastery isn’t just something that we do in isolation ... It only has meaning if it’s done within a social context.
Full Session
Featured Highlights
Setup
For years, Adam Gopnik’s writing has delighted with charming and nostalgic observations of our behavior within the world around us. In this lecture, he’ll use findings from a series of New Yorker essays to ask us, what is it exactly that we do when we learn to do something? When we learn to drive, draw, play the piano, or do magic, what is it that we get good at when we get good, and what's the difference between superficial skill and confident mastery?
Explore More
Society
Young people in America are struggling. The causes are varied and may not be entirely clear, but the results are unfortunately unmistakable. Many of our youth feel lonely, iso...
October is National Book Month, and we’re celebrating by looking back at some of our favorite conversations about reading and writing from the Aspen Ideas Festival and Aspen I...
Friends, partners, children, families, coworkers — these connections profoundly shape our lives, and even in the best of times, navigating them takes real work. It also means...
New York Times columnist and bestselling author David Brooks is known for bringing his thoughtful reflections on politics and culture, but at this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival,...
Jump in by watching our 15 most popular talks of all time. From black holes to jazz and civil rights to psychology hacks, we've collected the talks that remain audience favori...
Finding the national and global headlines understandably bleak lately? Whether you need mental distraction or stimulation, engross yourself in compelling topics and get a gli...
Today's kids are coming of age against a backdrop of political, social, technological and economic upheaval. While these circumstances are shaping a precocious generation that...
Hope seems like a simple concept, but the feeling can be difficult to hold onto. And when times are difficult and chaos swirls around us, it’s more important than ever. How do...
Advocates, healthcare providers, legislators, researchers, and venture capitalists are bringing the unique health needs of women to light – from vigorous policy debates on iss...
Ethical dilemmas, stakeholder pressure, building trust — leading organizations requires wisdom and stamina from the top. Who wouldn’t want some advice?
What makes us happy — really? How can we raise resilient and empathetic children? What does it mean to be truly connected in our increasingly digital world? Can we re-instill...
The arts are not just forms of expression, but powerful forces that shape culture and the human experience, both reflecting and influencing our world. Join renowned artists, w...
Our need for human connection is profound and deep. Yet, today, one in two adults are living with measurable levels of loneliness – and the numbers are even higher among young...
Conflict and suffering can bring out the worst in people, but it can also bring out the best. This is one of the lessons New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has learned...
The federal right to abortions in the United States has been overturned, access to contraception and IVF services are threatened in many states, and the gender wage gap persis...
As one of the foremost reporters of his generation, Nicholas Kristof has been witness to century-defining events and atrocities around the world. How has he managed to weaponi...
Henry Louis Gates Jr. — one of America’s leading public intellectuals and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard — explains the i...
A nonbinary comedian challenges us to question our notions of self, gender and society, and opens our eyes to what we may gain in the process.
Why do some conversations succeed while others stumble? The neurology and psychology of communication offer surprising explanations for why human connection goes right or wron...
