Exploring Empathy and Rationality in Challenging Times

These are cruel and challenging times. How did previous generations hold on to their sanity — and humanity — in the face of violence and instability?

In this episode, the columnist David Brooks seeks answers in the intellectual and moral traditions of ancient Athens and Jerusalem. The key to thriving, he argues, is to embody behaviors that might at first seem contradictory.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.