While it’s not uncommon for Elliott Smith spend time going for walks with his mom, it is unusual for the 11-year-old to happen upon a sign along the sidewalk saying, “Chat with a philosopher for free.” “I thought it was pretty interesting,” Elliott says, before explaining his definition of philosophy. “It’s like deep thought-out questions.” Before Elliot asks his deep question to the woman sitting beside the sign, Dominque Poulin answers what she’s doing here. “I’m on a philosophy road trip,” Dominque smiles. Dominque—who earned a master’s in philosophy, before working as a counsellor—is travelling from Quebec to B.C. and having conversations with countless hundreds of strangers along the way. “It all goes back to Socrates,” she explains. Socrates is a famous Greek philosopher who regularly had conversations in public places with all sorts of people. “They choose the question,” Dominque explains what happens after strangers accept her invitation to chat. “And then we think together.” But rather than debate ideas, Dominque strives for dialogue. “It’s opening yourself up to different perspectives,” she smiles. After embarking on nine other philosophical road trips—across Canada, the U.S., and Europe—Dominque says the most common questions people ask are the same ones Elliot does. “What’s the meaning of life?” the 11-year-old wonders. “Why do I exist?” Elliott suggests the meaning of life is enjoying the things you love (like watching football, collecting Pokémon cards, and spending time his mom), while Dominque wonders if we exist to share love with others. “So, does that mean your life doesn’t have meaning when it doesn’t have love?” Elliot wonders. “That’s a very good question,” Dominque replies. While they don’t discover any definitive answers during the rest of their conversation, they do seem to agree with Socrates that “an unexamined life is not worth living,” that we can find meaning by asking philosophical questions together. “To talk and meet new people,” Dominique smiles. “That in itself is a joy.” “I think I’ll be thinking about it all day,” Elliot says. “Because it was a really deep and enjoyable conversation.”
