The Road to Character
About the book
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by David Brooks | Random House ©2015 |
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320 pages |
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8 hours saved on average by reading this note |
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brian’s take
In today’s world, the road to character has a much less defined map than the road to external success. In this thoughtful, penetrating book, New York Times op-ed columnist and author David Brooks walks us through the evolution of our culture away from a character ethic toward a society all about what he calls the “Big Me.” And, of course, he shows us the way back to character. Big Ideas we explore include résumé virtues vs. eulogy virtues, answering the summons, conquering yourself, living for holiness and becoming strongest at your weakest point.
"Some people seem to have been born into this world with a sense of indebtedness for the blessing of being alive. They are aware of the transmission of generations, what has been left to them by those who came before, their indebtedness to their ancestors, their obligations to a set of moral responsibilities that stretch across time."
David Brooks
big ideas
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Résumé virtues vs. Eulogy virtues |
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What is character & How do we get it? |
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What does life want from you? |
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Step 2: Conquer yourself |
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Don’t live for happiness; live for holiness |
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The hero becomes strongest at his weakest point |
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Building up the soul vs. Building up the Big Me |
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The Road to Character
introduction
from the book
“We live in a society that encourages us to think about how to have a great career but leaves many of us inarticulate about how to cultivate the inner life. The competition to succeed and win admiration is so fierce that it becomes all-consuming.
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The consumer marketplace encourages us to live by a utilitarian calculus, to satisfy our desires and lose sight of the moral stakes involved in everyday decisions. The noise of fast and shallow communications makes it harder to hear the quieter sounds that emanate from the depths. We live in a culture that teaches us to promote and advertise ourselves and to master the skills required for success, but that gives little encouragement to humility, sympathy, and honest self-confrontation, which are necessary for building character.
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This is a book about … how some people have cultivated strong character. It’s about one mindset that people through the centuries have adopted to put iron in their core and to cultivate a wise heart. I wrote it, to be honest, to save my own soul. …
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I wrote this book not sure I could follow the road to character, but I wanted at least to know what the road looks like and how others have trodden it.”
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In today’s world, the road to character has a much less defined map than the road to external success.
In this thoughtful, penetrating book, New York Times op-ed columnist and author David Brooks walks us through the evolution of our culture away from a character ethic toward a society all about what he calls the “Big Me.”
And, of course, he shows us the way back to character.
David is explicit that the book isn’t a “7 point program” to build your character. Rather he shares stories of moral exemplars (ranging from Dwight Eisenhower and George Marshall to Frances Perkins and Dorothy Day) to inspire us to be a little better today than we were yesterday.
It’s a deeply inspiring read and I highly recommend it. (Get a copy here.) Of course, it’s packed with Big Ideas and I’m excited to share a few of my favorites we can apply to our lives today, so let’s jump straight in!
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