{Online} Is Thinking All It's Cracked Up To Be? Notes from Underground-

*Note:* This is the online session. The same session is offered in person in Portland on Sept. 28th. See MeetUp posting for the in person event.

[Learn more about Premise.](https://www.premiseinstitute.com/) 🟡 Space is limited.

**Please register directly with Premise here:** [https://www.premiseinstitute.com/event-details/is-thinking-all-its-cracked-up-to-be-1](https://www.premiseinstitute.com/event-details/is-thinking-all-its-cracked-up-to-be-1)
It helps us keep things organized—participants join from multiple places!

👉 **Use the code "portlandeetup" if you are unable to pay, the session will be no cost.** All registration fees go directly to expanding Premise to [communities nationwide.](https://www.premiseinstitute.com/in-person-sessions)

**Texts:**

* Notes from Underground- Short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky

*We will email you the reading after sign up.*
⏱️ Preparation: Approx. 3 hours (\*this reading is slightly longer than most Premise session but well worth the time!)

**Session Description:**

We consider how excessive self-consciousness can become both a form of insight and a trap.
["Notes from Underground"](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49455.Notes_from_Underground) by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Dostoevsky's underground man is a character tormented by his own hyper-consciousness, unable to act spontaneously because he analyzes every thought and motive. His endless self-reflection leads to paralysis, spite, and isolation rather than wisdom or peace. The story explores how intellectual sophistication can become a prison that separates us from natural human connection and authentic action.

The underground man embodies the dark side of excessive thinking and self-awareness. Dostoevsky asks: *Can consciousness become a curse rather than a gift? What happens when self-analysis replaces genuine engagement with life and other people?*