Manifest X DC was this weekend, hopefully the first of many local spin-offs of Manifest. Despite a late prediction market surge, there were no fires. An attendee wrote a nice post of observations, though he left the afterparty before the lights dimmed and the duels began.

I gave an opening talk, which ended up being more personal and emotional than I'd set out to write. Several attendees asked for the text, so I am posting a lightly edited version of my draft. This is not the version as delivered, I improvised a fair amount, and I think the tone in delivery did a lot of the work. Still, I'm sharing here for those curious.

Good morning. I wanted to say a few words to set the tone for today. I decided to tell a story about a book club that got out of hand.

In college or group houses, community is easy. Years ago, after grad school, I got my own apartment and lived alone for the first time in my life. As my college friends grew up, I noticed that I’d have to be more deliberate about finding community.

I tried out several groups, for board games [...]

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First published:
November 9th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/857gyTiPQB72nSpqq/manifest-x-dc-opening-benediction-making-friends-along-the

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

“Manifest X DC Opening Benediction - Making Friends Along the Way” by JohnofCharleston

LessWrong (30+ Karma)

“Manifest X DC Opening Benediction - Making Friends Along the Way” by JohnofCharleston