Quote

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
Calling
Lead
Called
Form
Problem
Self
Life
Constructed
People
Gradually

More quotes by David Brooks

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Trump has picked the more extreme versions of all Republicans so far, the more aggressive. And I think the thing to watch out for is, I could totally paint a scenario where Trump runs an authoritarian regime. I can totally paint a scenario where he has no control over his own government.
David Brooks
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Institutions do all the things that are supposed to be bad. They impede personal exploration. They enforce conformity. But they often save us from our weaknesses and give meaning to life.
David Brooks
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We pretend to be a middle class, democratic nation, but in reality we love our blue bloods. ... We love the prep school manners, the aristocratic calm, the Skull and Bones mystery, the dappled lawns stretching before New England summer homes. How else can be explained the Bush vs. Kerry match-up that confronts us this year?
David Brooks
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For the Republican Convention, I think of Trump's speech and sort of the darkness, the fear of crime, the need for a strong arm really, and so that one core theme.
David Brooks
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Democrats in environmental agencies tend to be more sensitive to environmental harm. And Republicans tend to be more sensitive to business harm.
David Brooks
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I think Mitch Daniels, the former governor of Indiana was a case of that, who was an outstanding administrator.
David Brooks
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The people who really have character make deep, unshakable connections to something outside themselves.
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.
David Brooks
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We have the choice to choose how we're going to educate our emotions.
David Brooks
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It's always dangerous to overinterpret what Donald Trump says at any one moment.
David Brooks
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If Donald Trump wants to fire somebody for not getting Obamacare repealed, he should fire himself.
David Brooks
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Economists sometimes do try to reduce behavior to law-like predictability. But people respond differently to different primes, to different contexts even from one moment to the next. We possess multiple selves that are aroused by different circumstances.
David Brooks
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I don't know if I'm sexist, though I have not paid much attention to the women's bracket.
David Brooks
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The idea that a big country is going to go out and send troops into some country to take their resources, and then the rest of the world is going to somehow trust us is just a ridiculous notion.
David Brooks
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I'm not a kicker and a screamer.
David Brooks
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I want to make big films. That's always been my ambition.
David Brooks
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I'm of course nostalgic for Barack Obama all of a sudden.
David Brooks
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The madman theory is that you can be a successful deterrer if you - if they think you could be crazy. And so I think it can be very effective, so long as you're not actually crazy.
David Brooks
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Live life as a series of revelations
David Brooks
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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