The Unmistakable Creative Podcast David Brooks: Seeing People Deeply in a World of Shallow Interactions
Oct 21, 2025
In this insightful conversation, David Brooks, a New York Times columnist and bestselling author, delves into the art of truly knowing others amid today's distractions. He shares personal stories of growth through trauma and divorce, emphasizing the importance of vulnerability in relationships. Brooks introduces concepts like 'illuminators' who foster connection and the idea of 'accompaniment' in human presence. He argues that genuine connections surpass AI capabilities and critiques social media's impact on authentic interaction.
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Episode notes
Books Expand Emotional Imagination
- Reading great books introduces you to parts of yourself and expands your emotional repertoire.
- David Brooks credits his academic parents for instilling the transformative power of serious reading.
Teach Moral Formation In Schools
- Teach moral formation: restraint, high ideals, and practical social skills in schools.
- Add courses on moral traditions and concrete social skills like ending relationships and flirting.
Social Media Reduces Lived Experience
- Social media breeds judgment and reduces lived experience available for meaning-making.
- Less lived experience yields a more fragile, unstable inner life.
