David Brooks on Staying Humane in Inhumane Times

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Opinions – "David Brooks on Staying Humane in Inhumane Times"

Episode Details

• Title: The Opinions
• Host/Author: The New York Times Opinion
• Episode: David Brooks on Staying Humane in Inhumane Times
• Release Date: December 2, 2024

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Introduction

In this episode of The Opinions, David Brooks, a renowned columnist for The New York Times, delves into the challenges of maintaining humanity amidst escalating global and domestic turmoil. Brooks explores historical and philosophical frameworks to offer insights on navigating brutal times without succumbing to inhumanity.

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The Spread of Brutalism in the Modern World [00:42 - 01:12]

David Brooks opens by addressing the pervasive brutality plaguing both the Middle East and the United States. Highlighting the recent violence in Israel and Gaza, he underscores the global nature of conflict:

"Since October 7th, I've been thinking a lot about the spreading brutalism of our world. Israel has seen attacks overnight by both rockets and gunmen." [00:42]

He draws attention to the internal divisions within the U.S., characterized by intense and often violent debates:

"Because the Middle East is so contentious, a lot of the brutalism is right here in our own country. And that's the vicious debates we're having, that's people screaming at each other." [01:12]

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Maintaining Humanity in Inhumane Times [01:12 - 04:57]

Brooks poses a critical question: "How do we live in this brutal environment without being brutalized ourselves?" [01:12]. He emphasizes the importance of remaining open-hearted and avoiding callousness fueled by hatred.

To address this, Brooks revisits two ancient intellectual and moral traditions symbolized by the cities of Athens and Jerusalem, each offering unique resources for maintaining humanity:

1. The Greek Tradition and Tragic Sensibility [02:00 - 03:30]

   Drawing from the Greek experience of constant warfare, Brooks explains how the tragic sensibility fosters humility and cautions against unchecked rage:

   "The Greeks lived with constant warfare between their city states and they developed what you might call a tragic sensibility. This taught them humility... seeing yourself accurately." [02:30]

   He references Homer's Iliad, illustrating how rage can blind individuals to reality:

   "If you look around the world today at the protests and the rallies, you see so much rage. The Greeks would say... you're blinding yourself to reality." [03:15]

2. The Jerusalem Tradition and Recognition [03:30 - 04:30]

   Focusing on the Abrahamic faiths, Brooks highlights the concept of recognition—seeing and respecting every individual:

   "The Abrahamic traditions teach us to lead with love even in hard times... the gift of seeing them, the gift of paying attention." [04:00]

   He contrasts this with the instinct to shut off empathy in dangerous times, advocating for a balance between prudence and compassion:

   "It's dangerous to be gentle and open-hearted in hard times, but it's also dangerous to shut off your heart." [04:15]

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Integrating Traditions: Max Weber’s Insight [04:30 - 05:00]

Brooks references Max Weber’s essay, "Politics as a Vocation," to explore the possibility of balancing warmth with rationality:

"Can you be warm-hearted and also rational and cautious?" [04:45]

He reflects on personal experiences to illustrate this balance, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of humanity.

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Defiant Humanism: James Baldwin’s Legacy [05:00 - 06:03]

Amidst his contemplation, Brooks recounts an encounter with James Baldwin’s interview, which profoundly impacts his perspective:

"The world is held together, really. It is held together by the love and the passion of a very few people." [04:57]

Baldwin’s message—“Everyone you're looking at is also you. You could be that person, you could be that monster, you could be that cop. And you decide on yourself not to be.” [05:28]—embodies what Brooks terms "defiant humanism." This concept emphasizes maintaining humanity and compassion, even when surrounded by inhumanity:

"It's easy to be a humanist in good times, but to be a humanist in bitter times... that is truly a heroic act." [05:28]

Brooks concludes by reinforcing the necessity of embracing both the Greek prudence and the Jerusalem empathy to navigate and endure inhumane times without losing our humanity.

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Conclusion

David Brooks’ insightful discourse on The Opinions offers a profound exploration of how individuals can sustain their humanity amidst widespread brutality. By drawing from the rich traditions of Athens and Jerusalem, Brooks provides a roadmap for fostering humility, managing rage, and cultivating empathy. His reflections, enriched by James Baldwin’s enduring wisdom, serve as a call to maintain compassionate and rational approaches in the face of societal and global challenges.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "Since October 7th, I've been thinking a lot about the spreading brutalism of our world." — David Brooks [00:42]
• "How do we live in this brutal environment without being brutalized ourselves?" — David Brooks [01:12]
• "The Greeks would say... you're blinding yourself to reality." — David Brooks [03:15]
• "Everyone you're looking at is also you... you decide on yourself not to be." — James Baldwin [05:28]
• "It's easy to be a humanist in good times, but to be a humanist in bitter times... that is truly a heroic act." — David Brooks [05:28]

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This episode serves as a thought-provoking guide for listeners seeking to understand and uphold humane values amidst the complexities and adversities of contemporary society.

Transcript

[Podcast Sponsor]

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[Podcast Host]

This is the Opinions, a show that brings you a mix of voices from New York Times opinion. You've heard the news, here's what to make of it.

[David Brooks]

My name is David Brooks. I am a columnist for the New York Times and I write about politics, I write about culture, I write about social science, and from time to time I write about world events. Since October 7th, I've been thinking a lot about the spreading brutalism of our world. Israel has seen attacks overnight by both rockets and gunmen.

[Podcast Sponsor]

Dozens of rockets were fired from the gun. Gaza's health ministry said the death toll from the 13th month long war has ticked past 44,000.

[David Brooks]

Because the middle east is so contentious, a lot of the brutalism is right here in our own country. And that's the vicious debates we're having, that's people screaming at each other. And the thing I've been wondering about is how do we live in this brutal environment without being brutalized ourselves? How do we live in a way where we remain open hearted and we don't get calloused over by our own hatreds? We're not the first group of people to live through brutalistic times. So I wanted to learn from the wise people in the past, how do you stay humane in times that are inhumane? And so I went back to two intellectual and moral traditions. And those two traditions are symbolized by two cities, Athens and Jerusalem. And they're different, these two traditions, but they each have resources upon which we can draw. And so, for example, the Greeks lived with constant warfare between their city states and they developed what you might call a tragic sensibility. And I think this sensibility taught them a couple things. First, it taught them a sense of humility, that our accomplishments are tenuous, we can't really control our destinies, and we just have to face that. Humility is not thinking lowly of yourself, it's seeing yourself accurately. Second, suspect rage. If you go back to the Iliad, the great work by Homer, the word rage is in the very first sentence. And we see characters like Agamemnon and Achilles who are being stupid because they're filled with rage. And if you look around the world today at the protests and the rallies, you see so much rage. The Greeks would say to those people who are filled with self righteous anger, sure, it feels delicious to be filled with rage, but you're blinding yourself to reality. You're simplifying the world. You're desensitizing yourself to the horror that is all around you. Another tradition that I think can teach us a very important set of lessons is centered around the city of Jerusalem and the three Abrahamic faiths. And these faiths emphasize what you might call recognition. And that's the idea that every human being from birth needs to be seen and recognized and respected. And so one of the great things you can give to another person is the gift of seeing them, the gift of paying attention. And so the Abrahamic traditions teach us to lead with love even in hard times. And so in dangerous times, your instinct is not to want to cast the just and loving attention on others because it seems soft, it seems like you're leaving yourself vulnerable. And indeed you are. It's dangerous to be gentle and open hearted in hard times, but it's also dangerous to shut off your heart. The Greek tradition is big on prudence and how to be skeptical. The Jerusalem tradition, on the other hand, is very big on empathy, very big on compassion. It orients you not to the most powerful people in society, but the people who are hurting the most. Can you hold these two mentalities in one single brain? Well, Max Weber, the philosopher, asked this very question in a famous essay called Politics as a Vocation. He said, can you be warm hearted and also rational and cautious? I try to think, how does this play out in my own life? A couple days ago, I was doomscrolling through social media and I was looking at all these images from the Middle east and I was getting disturbed, disturbed, disturbed. And then I flicked down my social media feed and I see an old video of James Baldwin being interviewed.

[James Baldwin]

The world is held together, really. It is held together by the love and the passion of a very few people. Otherwise, of course, you can despair, walk down the street of any city, any afternoon and look around you. What you gotta remember is what you're looking at is also you. Everyone you're looking at is also you. You could be that person, you could be that monster, you could be that cop. And you decide on yourself not to be.

[David Brooks]

And so, amid that social media doom scroll of inhumanity, suddenly Baldwin was giving us an example of great humanity. And the phrase that leapt to my mind as I heard him was defiant humanism. It's easy to be a humanist in good times, but to be a humanist in bitter times, in bitter circumstances, that is truly a heroic act.

[Podcast Host]

If you like this show, follow it on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. This show is produced by Derek Arthur, Sophia Alvarez Boyd, Vishaka Derba, Phoebe Lett, Christina Samulewski, and Jillian Weinberger. It's edited by Kari Pitkin, Alison Brusek, and Annie Rose Strasser. Engineering, mixing and original music by Isaac Jones, sonia Herrero, Pat McCusker, Carol Saburo, and Afeem Shapiro. Additional music by Amin Suhota. The Fact Check team is Kate Sinclair, Mary, Marge Locker, and Michelle Harris. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta, Christina Samulewski, and Adrian Rivera. The executive producer of Times Opinion Audio is Annie Rose Dresser.