FAQ: What are Thinking Lab Master Classes?
What is a master class? A master class is a themed class in which a mentor works with a mentee to help him master a concept or skill, with an audience of other interested students. This format is often used for teaching musicians, speakers, and other performance artists in a group setting. It allows the group to learn from the mentoring of an individual. The less advanced students learn from both the mentor and the more advanced students. This is now the format of all of the Thinking Lab classes.
Will there be a handout? Homework? I don’t send out a handout for the master classes, but I do share my brief outline — a list of talking points — in the chat during class and in the podcast show notes. There is always homework for the class listed. Anyone who has the same issue is encouraged to do the homework before the class!
Who can listen to a master class? All current members of the Thinking Lab can attend a master class live. The recordings are then posted to the Thinking Lab Current Classes page and podcast so that all current members can hear them. They stay there for 2-3 months. In some cases, the recordings are added to a self-study course as a bonus recording. Then they are available to future Thinking Lab members, also.
What is the format of the TLab master classes? Master classes are 60-minute sessions divided into three 20-minute sections. In the first part, I (Jean) give an essentialized explanation of the issue, presenting the concepts and principles relevant to it. In the second section, I discuss with the mentee how to apply the theory to his or her particular situation. In the third section, I open the discussion up to other members with similar issues for questions and coaching. (This is not an open Q&A, it is for questions and discussions on the topic of the master class.)
Recent Master Classes
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Being Happy on Principle, 6/17/2025
In this Master Class, I talk with a Thinking Lab member who has mastered the basic tactic needed to be happy, which is how to orient to values. However, he still feels frustrated that he is not as happy as he could be. As part of our back-and-forth, he identified that at times he doesn't orient to values even though he notices that he is threat-oriented. When this happens, something else seems more important than re-orienting to values. This is the challenge of integrating a new principle of action into your psychology. In this class, we discuss: why consistently orienting to values is necessary for raising baseline happiness; why such consistency may be difficult; a process you can use to become more consistent.
Introduction to the Memory-Affect System Part 2, 6/10/2025
I clarify some more fundamentals, still at the perceptual level: the role of attention in creating connections in memory; what causes items in memory to "come out of" memory, and what that means; how emotions are triggered. I also clarify the diagrams and create more, so that you can really see how significant structures in memory form.
Introduction to the Memory-Affect System (formerly known as the "Subconscious") Part 1, 6/3/2025
One of the mentees asked me to explain my model of the memory-affect system. (FYI, I have dropped the term "subconscious" and use "memory-affect system" instead.) In this class I explain the simplest structures in memory:
nodes representing perceptually isolated entities; the grid that connects the nodes that corresponds to the "world of entities"; incidents that create more complex connections between the nodes and also connect them to affective experiences, changes in the world, and movement of self. We discuss how these incidents can evolve into value structures.
Moving from Surveying the Options to Making the Big Decision, 5/27/2025
In this master class, I talk with a Thinking Lab member whose new central purpose is to create art that captures the greatness in man. At present, he is a highly successful engineering manager spending only his free time on art. He is currently deciding how to transition to full time on art. It could be now, in five years, or at most in 10 years. None of these options is a "no brainer." He's having trouble pinning down and committing to one plan or another. It seems like he needs to explore many more details before he can make a decision.
In this class, we discuss:
- The goal: to make a rational decision, not the rational decision
- How to make each option fully rational
- The disparate roles of your purpose, the steps of the process, and your emotional reactions in figuring out what needs more thinking
Thinking Labbers, these recordings are available on the Current Classes page.
Who chooses the topics and determines the schedule for the master classes? The mentees in the Thinking Lab Mentoring Program choose the topics and times for the master classes. 4-6 weeks in advance, we schedule the classes, usually on a Tuesday, at a mutually convenient time. (They can start as early as 11:00 a.m. ET and as late as 8:00 p.m. ET.) 8-14 days in advance, the mentee emails a potential topic. We discuss it by email, culminating in Jean writing up a description for the mentee’s approval. It is finalized about a week in advance and it is announced to the Thinking Lab.
Should everyone do the pre-work? Yes! I encourage all Thinking Labbers to do the pre-work for any class that is interesting to them. We send out the description and pre-work 4-5 days before (usually Friday for a Tuesday class) so that you have time to prepare. Go ahead and send it to me. I promise at least a short response, and if I get it early enough, I may be able to address it in the presentation portion. Regardless, during the last 20 minutes of the class, I encourage others to ask their questions and/or get coaching based on the pre-work. It has been very helpful for mentees to see how the same principles apply to other people’s challenges.
How do I become a mentee? If you are not a Thinking Lab member, join the Thinking Lab member, and learn some of the basic tools. Once you’re a member, you can apply to upgrade to the Mentoring Level of membership. My capacity is limited, so I give preference to the more advanced students. Incidentally, doing the pre-work for master classes, sending it to me, asking questions in them, is a great way to get me to want to make space for you in the mentoring level!
I’m a “mentee.” What do I need to know about setting up a master class for myself?
How to set a date: Email me (Jean) that you want to schedule — I’ll give you a list of open Tuesdays in the next 4-6 weeks. If you’re under deadline, or you can’t make Tuesdays, tell me. I may be able to make some Thursday times available. Ideally we’ll schedule the date about a month ahead. You get to choose the class time to accommodate your time Zone. The class can start as early as 11:00 a.m. Eastern or as late as 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
How to set the topic: 8-14 days before, email me with a proposed topic. Write at least a few paragraphs about the topic you want help with, or send me a page of “thinking on paper” on the issue. Please include 1-2 concrete examples.
I will email you back. I might request more information, but often I’ll send back a suggested description for the master class and suggested pre-work to do before it. Confirm whether or not I understood the issue and that the description and pre-work look helpful to you. If they are, we’re set, and I’ll send the information along to my assistants to announce the topic to the other Thinking Lab members. If not, we’ll iterate. You’ll clarify the topic, and/or the pre-work and I’ll send you a revised description.
Note that the pre-work is different from the notes you send during the back and forth as we settle on e a topic. The pre-work is designed to help you move forward from where you are now. Your doing the pre-work will set you up to get the most out of the master class.
How to prepare before class: Past mentees recommend that you:
- Do the pre-work beforehand and send it to Jean 24 hours in advance.
- Read the talking points when they turn up. (I will email them when they are ready, sometime in the late morning or early afternoon on the day of class.)
- Pin my video while we’re talking so that you aren’t particularly aware of the other people listening.
- Be selfish, ask questions, be willing to be a little vulnerable so that you get the best mentoring possible.
- Listen to the other people’s similar situations and see how that clarifies yours.
Would you like to join me on the next Master Class? Read more about all of the benefits of the Thinking Lab here and about the Mentoring Level here.