Quote

One of the frustrations about the modern world is that we don't even have a good vocabulary to describe our state. The word sentiment sounds mushy. [...] Sentiment is not mushy.

David Brooks

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

David Brooks
Age: 63
Born: 1961
Born: August 22
Editor
Journalist
Politician
Pundit
City of Toronto
World
Sounds
Modern
Mushy
Word
Frustrations
State
Sentiment
Sound
Vocabulary
States
Sentiments
Even
Frustration
Good
Describe

More quotes by David Brooks

Image
I don't know if I'm sexist, though I have not paid much attention to the women's bracket.
David Brooks
Image
When a president speaks that usually means a lot.
David Brooks
Image
We live in a culture that encourages us to be big about ourselves, and I think the starting point of trying to build inner goodness is to be a little bit smaller about yourself.
David Brooks
Image
Civility is the natural state for people who know how limited their own individual powers are and know, too, that they need the conversation.
David Brooks
Image
Research by Donald A. Redelmeier and Sheldon M. Singh has found that, on average, Oscar winners live nearly four years longer than nominees that don't win.
David Brooks
Image
People want a reality that tells them they're right all of the time.
David Brooks
Image
People used to complain that selling a president was like selling a bar of soap. But when you buy soap, at least you get the soap. In this campaign, you just get two guys telling you they really value cleanliness.
David Brooks
Image
Fundamentalism is still on the march.
David Brooks
Image
Democrats in environmental agencies tend to be more sensitive to environmental harm. And Republicans tend to be more sensitive to business harm.
David Brooks
Image
I don't blame the Democrats for fighting. They have got a very energized base. And there is a lot to complain about a lot of these nominees. But I think, if you are actually going to turn someone down from a president's [Donald Trump] own Cabinet, it better be a lot more egregious than the cases we have seen.
David Brooks
Image
I think that it's an arguable position, whether with Hamas and ISIS around, whether there should be a Palestinian state, but it's a defensible position, given the current circumstances.
David Brooks
Image
Some children lack tools to see their course in the world in far-sighted ways. Just introducing school vouchers won't change that. You have to have nurse-home partnerships, early childhood education, mentoring programs and so on. People learn from people they love.
David Brooks
Image
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.
David Brooks
Image
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
Image
If we're in some sort of Hobbesian state of nature, where you just want a strong man who has no compassion Donald Trump is going to do a little better. So, we will figure out what game we're playing.
David Brooks
Image
I generally think the president [Donald Trump] should get his Cabinet picks, unless they're egregiously out of the range, either ethically or intellectually out of the range of what's acceptable.
David Brooks
Image
Basically, less educated or high school-educated whites are going to Donald Trump. It doesn't matter what the guy does. And college-educated going to Hillary Clinton.
David Brooks
Image
Putin's an egomaniac, so there are two ways he can process his ego mania. He can say, Oh, I stood up to the U.S., or, Hey, I'm essential to the world order.
David Brooks
Image
Creativity is not a solitary process. It happens within networks... when talented people get together, when idea systems and mentalities merge.
David Brooks
Image
The key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not a divine spark. It's not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success, even in realms like chess. Instead, it's deliberate practice. Top performers spend more hours (many more hours) rigorously practicing their craft.
David Brooks