Capitalism, Progress, and the Lost Art of Civil Dialogue

Try saying out loud, even in a calm and measured way, that capitalism isn’t the driver of progress. Watch what happens.
On most social platforms, you’ll either be ignored or dropped into an echo chamber of outrage. The algorithms reward heat, not light. Nuance gets drowned out by noise.

And yet, this is exactly the kind of idea we should be able to talk about — calmly, openly, and without the conversation becoming a battlefield. Whether we agree or not is less important than whether we can explore it together, testing our assumptions, finding common threads, and shaping better solutions.

Right now, we lack spaces where that’s possible.

That’s why I’m starting The Fellowship.

The Fellowship is more than a retreat. It’s a community of men committed to walking with wisdom, developing whole-brained thinking, and supporting each other to face the challenges of our time with clarity, curiosity, compassion and courage.

Over two days in nature, we combine deep conversation with literal movement — a “mastermind in motion”. Walking shoulder-to-shoulder, we discuss the things that matter: our lives, our work, our impact on the world, the forces shaping society, and how we might respond with both strength and humility.

It’s not therapy. It’s not a networking event. It’s a space for thoughtful men who want to wrestle with serious ideas and leave a little wiser, a little braver, and a little more grounded.

We operate under Chatham House rules. What’s said in the Fellowship stays in the Fellowship. This allows honesty, vulnerability, and trust — all of which are in short supply in the modern, hyper-performative world.

The Details

• 📅 Dates: 25–26 November
• 📍 Location: Gradbach Mill, Buxton
• 💷 Cost: £350 (includes food and accommodation)

If this speaks to you — if you’ve been looking for a way to step out of the noise, into the wild, and back into meaningful conversation — email be@stoicpilgrim and I’ll send you the details.

Because progress doesn’t start with shouting. It starts with walking, listening, thinking — together.

#WisdomWalks hashtag#Wellbeing hashtag#WalkingTalkingInNature