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Most people don't form a self and then lead a life. They are called by a problem, and the self is constructed gradually by their calling.

David Brooks

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David Brooks
Age: 63
Born: 1961
Born: August 22
Editor
Journalist
Politician
Pundit
City of Toronto
Lead
Called
Form
Problem
Self
Life
Constructed
People
Gradually
Calling

More quotes by David Brooks

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I think Americans expect optimism in their leadership. The most popular and effective leaders, whether it was Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan or Jack Kennedy, brought to it a sense of optimism and possibility.
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I am not a Jew for Jesus but I am definitely a Jew for Christmas. Christmas is one of the best things you Christians have given us, along with mac and cheese, Bono, croquet and politeness.
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If you withdraw from the game, you're out of the game. And we have withdrawn from the game. And we said Bashar Assad has to go. He's going to stay. So we're out of the game.
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Barack Obama won such a big electoral mandate because a lot of people thought he was - transcended partisan and ideological barriers and was going to put aside the old debates. So, he was able to get a lot of moderates and a lot of independents.
David Brooks
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I came to the conclusion is that we have a very shallow view of human nature in the policy world. We're really good at talking about material things, really bad at talking about emotions, really good at stuff we can count, really bad at the deeper stuff that actually drives behavior.
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When a president speaks that usually means a lot.
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I wouldn't say philosophy and theology are dead. Brain science doesn't invent new philosophies but it helps remind us which of our existing philosophies are more true.
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One of the things I think about with Donald Trump is what are his words actually attached to? With Trump, I'm not sure the words have roots. They are emanations of his psyche, but has he thought it through? Is there an argument, is there a policy implication?
David Brooks
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The technology's going to change, but what people want to read is going to be basically the same.
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Marital happiness is far more important than anything else in determining personal well-being.
David Brooks
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If Donald Trump wants to fire somebody for not getting Obamacare repealed, he should fire himself.
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Politics really is a team sport. You really have to work the whole system to get somewhere down the road.
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Some people think humility is thinking lowly of yourself. Some people think it's not thinking about yourself. But, to me, the best definition of humility is radical self-awareness from a distance, seeing themselves from a distance and saying, what's my problem?
David Brooks
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I think charter schools, choice, and frankly school standards need a champion.
David Brooks
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When you cover politics, you realize that knowing how to talk about character matters more and more. The way we hold ideas is more important than the ideas.
David Brooks
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The moral foundation of the society, the way we interact with each other is more fundamental than the Supreme Court.
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I would like to see an animating passion. Tim Kaine actually had a good line. What animated you before you got into politics? And she actually does have a story there to tell about children. And so drawing that animating passion will do good.
David Brooks
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Our emotions tell us what to value. They're like a little GPS system: Go that way. Don't go that way.
David Brooks
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People who give money in large amount in politics are basically not altruistic. They have some issue. They have some interest. It may be world peace. It may be preserving carried interest. But it's not altruistic.
David Brooks
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Since 2005, a majority of Americans, according to the Gallup poll, have said it was wrong and a mistake to go into Iraq.
David Brooks