# Describe an interesting talk or lecture you heard
You should say:
- When you heard it
- Where you heard it
- What it was about
- and explain why you think it was interesting
I’m going to talk about a Philosophy Forum held every Wednesday evening in my town at a local bar/restaurant. I have been interested in going, but I was a bit hesitant since none of my friends wanted to join. However, I bit the bullet (quickly made the decision) and decided to attend this past Wednesday, mainly because the topic called “East meets West” what particularly intriguing to me. I came across this event via Facebook. Furthermore, an acquaintance (someone I know, but not a close friend) of mine had mentioned it. This week’s topic was about the differences between Eastern and Western philosophies. They discussed the ideas of the most famous philosophers, such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and mostly focused on Confucius for the Eastern philosophies.
We drew contrasts between the two sides of the world, such as the language, environment, and the attitudes toward conflict. They had supporting evidence that Western and Asian people have some differences in their way of thought. For example, the speaker stated that there is more of a grey area (not a clear answer) in Eastern way of thinking, whereas things are more black and white (a definite answer) in Western thought. Furthermore, he said that Eastern people tend to focus on the community more. Meanwhile, Westerners tend to be more individualistic (focusing on themselves).
I found it especially interesting because the first speaker was an American philosopher, and the second was a Vietnamese man. After the entire speech of the American, the Vietnamese man countered (argued against) everything that was said. You could tell he was playing the devil’s advocate (to argue the opposite of what someone says). I thought it was fascinating to see the two different ways of thinking. Although we mostly spoke of the differences, I learned that we are all still one human race. All in all, that is what fascinated me and kept me on the edge of my seat (excited; suspenseful).
