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Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Should we call them something other than retreats?, published by Rockwell Schwartz on May 18, 2022 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Retreats—described by Leilani Bellamy of the new EA org Canopy Retreats as "a gathering of people with a common interest or goal, all sharing space over the course of a weekend or a week"—are increasingly in popularity within university groups, local groups, and EA orgs. They typically involve presentations, group and 1-1 discussions, and bonding activities, and they sometimes produce tangible outputs.I worry that the term "retreat" also contributes to optics issues because it (1) implies opulence (e.g. "wellness retreats"), (2) harkens to religious retreats and may increase "cult" vibes, and (3) doesn't actually capture the work that occurs (i.e. when I've said I'm going on a retreat, friends have assumed I'm on vacation).Thoughts on alternative terms? Thanks for listening. To help us out with The Nonlinear Library or to learn more, please visit nonlinear.org.