Where to meet intellectual types in Phoenix area? (Scottsdale, Chandler: real estate, lawyers)

[nerd42]

Yeah, I know. I should be in a college town or other large city. This is where my job is going.

I just happen to prefer reading about the geopolitical strategy of the Byzantine Empire to reading about Britney Spears or the latest Suns game. Hey, I'm a geek, and admit it freely. So where do I go? What do I do?

[KarmaPhx]

Good luck, finding someone intelletcual here is hard to come by, and most seem to hide it to avoid being "snobby".

Your best bet is probably online political forums, it's not face to face but close enough.

[PhoenixDude]

I agree that online forums might be a good idea, but don't overlook just taking some advanced classes at one of the many great schools in the area, possibly history or philosophy. I had a friend that once told me if you want to hunt Elk, you go where the elk are (that is how intellectual I am). In this case, if you want to find intellectuals then you go where the intellectuals are, Universities, either teaching the class or just taking it.

Best of luck.=)

[Howard Roark]

There is at least one philosophical discussion group in Phoenix that I know of. They usually choose a book and meet once a month to discuss the book.

If you look for what you want in Phoenix, you will find it. It's the fifth largest metro area in the United States, so it's to be expected.

[Grannysroost]

Maybe look for a group on meetup.com?

[KarmaPhx]

I like the idea of taking college courses, sure you're required to do some work, but most classes like Philoshpy are discussion based to begin with.

Psychology of Religion was my favorite class so far, lots of great discussions.

[PHXtoPDX]

If you find one, let me know. KarmaPhx pretty much hit the nail on the head. It is typically not seen as "cool" in Phoenix. You either hide it, or get ridiculed for it and/or labeled a snob.

It was actually one of the factors that really made me miserable and influenced my decision to leave.

[azriverfan.]

I understand where the OP is coming from. To be honest, this was the key reason I chose to live in Chandler versus Scottsdale because I feel like people are pretty educated in Chandler due to all the engineers, ASU professors, doctors and lawyers that live in the city. Scottsdale is wealthy but it seems to be a lot of blue bloods and real estate investors/realtors who are bright but not formally educated.

[tijlover]

My sympathies.

I come from the headier regions of the country, and since moving to the SW,
I have found it to be a desert for finding people interested in chewy, meaty, intellectually stimulating conversations.

But, given that, reputedly, 60% of the people who move to PHX come from the more serious-minded areas of the Midwest, your chances are better there than up here in Las Vegas, which I love to nickname Jupiter.

The Las Vegas Forums, in comparison to the PHX forums, are a study in contrasts. Thank God I can jump around to 50 different state forums for relief, and the PHX forums are always welcome relief.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I like watching "the Big Bang Theory", does that count? They seem to have a lot of intelligent conversations going on and most of the cast seems highly intellectual. But then my reason for liking it is because it comes on after "Two and a half Men". Come on really, what guy doesn't wish he owned a Malibu Beach home and had his choice of differeant woman all the time? Maybe it is just me though.