The Diogenes Arcade

The other day I had yet another creative epiphany. I have been reading a lot of Sherlock Holmes stories for the first time ever since last year, and I had no idea Sherlock had an older, lazier but more perceptive brother. At first I thought it was a lame idea, and the character being unwilling to go out and solve more mysteries like his little brother made me not like him... but as a highly perceptive person myself who, instead of becoming a crime solver myself, sits around alone gaming and watching cartoons all day... I think I totally identify with him more as a character. 

Ol' Mycroft Holmes isn't a COMPLETELY useless bump on a log, though! In the stories he has created something called The Diogenes Club. It's basically this big, nice building with a lot of nice chairs, magazines, and loads of SILENCE. That's right, while the members of this club enjoy company, they do not enjoy conversations and forced interactions. You basically go there, take it easy, be polite, don't make a bunch of noise, leave each other alone, but still feel like you're a part of the world. I honestly kinda dig the idea... though, I wonder why it isn't ALSO a library, ya know? 

ANYWAYS, the reason I'm talking about this place is because I wondered if a place like it were ever real in our world, and if so, how successful it was. According to Nova, my AI sidekick, no one has actually attempted to make a real Diogenes Club, and honestly, in today's society, it probably doesn't sound all that appealing to just sit around and READ around strangers or whatever else they did back then. Plus, The Diogenes Club in the book was men only, so a total sausage fest! No thank you! 

But something about the idea of a modern day place unsociable introverts could go to as a third space was something that kept picking at me. Sure, we got libraries, and gyms kinda have this "leave each other alone" kinda vibe to them, but I don't like exercising around others (if at all) and I don't think gyms go FAR ENOUGH in the realm of the Diogenes Club's mission. You already know where I am heading with this based off the title of the blog. What I want is a Diogenes Arcade!

Imagine this - An old school arcade with colored lights and time-appropriate music, loaded up with cabinets old and new, as well as a bunch of those games that have like, the motorcycles and cars attached to them. The kind of games you can't fit in your house. Maybe even games that pop out tickets and whatnot for prizes, like back in the day. The big twist here, tho? 

No talking. No kids. No smoking. No food or drink. No following people around. No staring at people. No phones. No filming. Oh, and you can only join this arcade if you pay a monthly membership. 

The reason I'm saying PEOPLE, instead of just men? Well, guess what! It's 2026, you sexist pig! Just like how women like to go to the gym and be left alone by a bunch of weird creepos, I'm sure they would love to have the opportunity to have a safe third space with cool shit to do that WON'T result in them being harassed or bothered. 

I'm sure there's also a bunch of introverts and chill peeps out there who would love to go somewhere knowing some obnoxious Johnny Somali-wannabe streamer is gonna try and do something to get viral for online. Since you wouldn't be allowed in the building without a membership and the gimmick would turn some of society's more obnoxious, tech-obsessed, self-centered people off, I am confident that if I ever tried making this place in the RIGHT place, it could be a big hit. 

Oh, and just like in the real Diogenes Club, I would include a Stranger's Room, which is the ONE place where people can actually speak out loud to each other. This room could be where the prize stand is too so the guy taking your tickets will know exactly what you're trading them in for. This room would also permit people to get their phones out and make calls, and trade numbers with anyone they mutually enter the room with. 

You know, like if you think a chick is hot, you make eye contact, and she actually smiles as compared to turning away or disregarding you, the two of you could kinda motion you want to meet up and talk in the Stranger's Room and see if you hit it off. Another thing I would include is the option to have people be escorted by employees out to their cars, and the employee would be required to not talk, even outside. If a chick thinks the employee is hot, she can give him her phone number or something before taking off. 

I'm sure there's other ideas I had for this Diogenes Arcade idea, but yeah, overall I feel its a solid idea.