1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: With no fees er minimums. Banking with Capital one is 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: the easiest decision in the history of decisions. That's banking 3 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: reimagine what's in your wallet. Terms apply see capitolwe dot 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: com slash bank Capital one NA member FDIC. Hi everyone, 5 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: I'm Katie Couric and this is next question. Hi everybody, welcome. 6 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: Once again, it's Katie plus one and I'm so thrilled 7 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: with my date today. This time it's Kelly Corrigan. She's 8 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: an author journalist. She's the host of the podcast Kelly 9 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: Corrigan Wonders. She has written four New York Times bestselling 10 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: memoirs in the last decade, earning her the title of 11 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: the Poet Laureate of the Ordinary from the Huffington Post 12 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: and the Voice of a Generation from Oh Magazine. 13 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 2: Wow. 14 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: Kelly Yeah. She's worked in nonprofits for ten years. That 15 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: decade created her worldview, which goes people are struggling, make 16 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: yourself useful. She paints almost every day in her garage, 17 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: often in her pj's like a crazy person, but a 18 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 1: happy crazy person, and that's what's working, so she keeps 19 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: doing it. Kelly, thank you for being my plus one 20 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: on this podcast. 21 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 2: Oh I'm so happy to be with you the last 22 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 2: time you were my interview subject on the PBS Show. 23 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: That's right, that's right, And I actually should have mentioned 24 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: the PBS Show, which is wonderful as well. And Kelly, 25 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: I think you do have this every woman wisdom that 26 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: people just gravitate to, and so that's why I thought 27 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: you'd be the perfect partner for me to talk with 28 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: David Brooks, who I have long admired, You've long admired. 29 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 1: But before we open up the conversation and let David in, 30 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: let's just talk very briefly about how we know each other, 31 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: which is kind of a fun story because it dates 32 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: back to the Today's Show. Can you tell everyone how 33 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: we first connected. 34 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 2: It's two thousand and four. I had just finished a 35 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 2: year of cancer treatment. My hair was just starting to 36 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 2: grow back. I was thirty seven, two little kids, and 37 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 2: my dad had cancer at the same time I did. 38 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:18,239 Speaker 2: And it was the first day of Breast cancer Awareness Month. 39 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 2: So the Today Show always does a big, full coverage 40 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,519 Speaker 2: of that topic, and so I was invited to come 41 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 2: on with my dad. And it was so funny, Katie, 42 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 2: because we were in the green room and we're all 43 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 2: made up and fancy and I and my dad's a 44 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 2: big character, like he really lets it rip. And I 45 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 2: was like, you know that, this is like keep it, 46 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 2: keep it in the pocket at first, like let's just 47 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 2: try to like, you know, play it. 48 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 3: Tighten it up down, Yeah, tighten it up, brother. 49 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 2: And we get out there and you came right across 50 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 2: the room like it was your home like that. That 51 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 2: was my immediate sense was like, Oh, you're going to 52 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 2: take care of us, like you're welcoming us into your space. 53 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 2: You came all the way across the studio. You didn't 54 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 2: sit in your chair and look at the teleprompter and 55 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 2: get ready. You came to us, which I just thought 56 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,639 Speaker 2: was really lovely and doesn't always happen. And you said Hi, 57 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 2: I'm Katie, and I was like, Hi, I'm Kelly. This 58 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 2: is my dad, George. And my dad instantly said, Katie, 59 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 2: my son went to Washington and Lee, which is where 60 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,399 Speaker 2: your husband, your first husband went, And he said, right, 61 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,959 Speaker 2: and he played for coach so and so, and you said, 62 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:30,119 Speaker 2: I don't think my husband really, I don't think Jay 63 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 2: really liked him. And my father Zach Emmer right, and 64 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 2: my father said, oh, he's a dick. And I was 65 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 2: like Oh my god, Dad, this is exactly what I 66 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 2: told you not to do, like we're keeping it in 67 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 2: the pocket. 68 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 3: And then we walked out. 69 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 2: You'd laughed so hard, and we walked over and sat 70 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 2: on the little sofa. And then you know, when you 71 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 2: go on the Today Show, like they try to get 72 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 2: it organized for you in advance, where they give you 73 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 2: the questions and you practice answering them, and you know, 74 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 2: they give you a little window of content. And the 75 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 2: very first question you went off script, and I was like, Oh, 76 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 2: this is so cool, Like she's just going to talk 77 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 2: to us because you know so much like to me. 78 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 2: I was like, it would be so rude of me 79 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: to be nervous right now because I'm talking to someone 80 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 2: who has lost two people, You're two dearest people to cancer, 81 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 2: and so I'm just going to talk to you like 82 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 2: I would if there were no cameras, because heart to heart, 83 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 2: there aren't any cameras, like this is my story, this 84 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: is your story, this my dad's story, like and it 85 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 2: was so wonderful, and I think we were on for 86 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 2: like seven minutes or something like I remember after it 87 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 2: was over all my cousins were like, oh my god, 88 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 2: that was insane. 89 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: Uh, and you were brilliant, and I think you know, 90 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: your voice maybe emerged that day and led to so 91 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:57,239 Speaker 1: many other wonderful opportunities because of your honesty and your heart. 92 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 1: So I feel like I was there when it all started. 93 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you're doing well and are in good health, 94 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 1: and I'm so proud of what an important person you've 95 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: become in the world. So many people, Kelly, Honestly, it's 96 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: a wonderful thing to witness. Okay, Kelly, Before we go 97 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: on and on, because it's a mutual admiration society, here, 98 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 1: let's bring in David Brooks to talk about his new book, 99 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 1: How to Know a Person, The Art of Seeing Others 100 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: Deeply and Being Deeply Seen. David Brooks, Welcome, Kelly, and 101 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 1: I both welcome you to the podcast. 102 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 4: This is a double barrel of fun and willing and 103 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 4: able look out. 104 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 3: Mister. 105 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: I'm really excited to talk to you about this, and 106 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: I think it's something that interests Kelly a great deal too. Kelly, 107 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: when you heard about David's book, How to Know a Person, 108 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:53,600 Speaker 1: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply, Being Deeply Seen, what 109 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: interested you about it? 110 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 2: Well, I'm a little bit curious about David's journey, because 111 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 2: I once heard him say that in his house the 112 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 2: ethos was think Yiddish, act British, and that I know 113 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,239 Speaker 2: you to be, you know, a journalist of the highest order, 114 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,679 Speaker 2: and a specific kind of journalist, which is to say, 115 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,839 Speaker 2: not like Katie, whose job it is to ask questions, 116 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 2: but rather someone who's supposed to summon an opinion and 117 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 2: present it, which is sort of the opposite of what 118 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 2: you're asking people to do in this book. So that 119 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 2: my deepest curiosity was how funny that you should come 120 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 2: to this urgent message after a somewhat aloof life where 121 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 2: you could be in a cerebral space nine days out 122 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:43,599 Speaker 2: of ten and not really have to operate on this level. 123 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, and thought about that way. But my whole life 124 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 4: has been a journey to being more like Katie. And 125 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:51,720 Speaker 4: I'm totally cool with that. 126 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 3: By the way, It's not a bad trajectory. 127 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 4: Right, because I grew up, as you say, in a 128 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:01,919 Speaker 4: super intellectual world with my family, my answer professors, and 129 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 4: then when I got to be eighteen, the admissions officers 130 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 4: at Columbia, Wesleyan, and Brown decided should go to the 131 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 4: University of Chicago. 132 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 2: I laughed, at that, Lie David also. 133 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 4: A super heavy place, and I fit right in. 134 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 2: My joke is our fun goes to die right right. 135 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 4: The best saying about Chicago it's a Baptist school where 136 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 4: atheist professors teach Jewish students. Saint Thomas Aquinas so super intellectual, 137 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 4: and I fit right in my joke is I had 138 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 4: a double major in history and celibacy while I was 139 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 4: at Chicago. 140 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 3: Not a lot of connection, not a. 141 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 4: Lot of connection going on there, and so I was 142 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 4: cerebral and it, you know, it worked for me. But 143 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 4: at some point you just want to get wise, right, Like, 144 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 4: smart people know about things, but whise people know about 145 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 4: people and life and life and the circumstances we find 146 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 4: ourselves in. And so, you know, whise people have a 147 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 4: sorehouse of knowledge about human nature. They're curious about other people. 148 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 4: They're good at having conversations people remember for a long time. 149 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 4: They're good at sitting with someone who's suffering. And so 150 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 4: I just wanted to be more like that. I mean, 151 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 4: one of the dualisms in the book is in every 152 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 4: community there are some people who are diminishers and some 153 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 4: people who are illuminators. And diminishers make you feel small 154 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 4: and unseen and not curious about you. They stereotype you, 155 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 4: and illuminators light you up with their care and they're 156 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 4: just really good at making people feel seen, heard and understood. 157 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 4: And now I'm intimidated. I'm in the presence of two 158 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 4: pretty good illuminators. So that's when my life journey. 159 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: Well, it's interesting, you know, David. I mean, I've so 160 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: much to talk to you about. I really enjoyed your book, 161 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: and I think you're very funny in it. I like 162 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: when you said when it comes to spontaneous displays of emotion, 163 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: I had the emotional capacity of a head of cabbage. 164 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 2: And you really talk about how. 165 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 1: Closed off you were to feelings, emotions, connections, and it 166 00:08:55,920 --> 00:09:00,040 Speaker 1: made me wonder frankly, and I think Kelly and I 167 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: both I don't know. I'd love to hear about your childhood, Kelly. 168 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: I have been always extremely empathetic and attuned to the 169 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: emotional well being of people around me, to a point 170 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: where it's a lot. You know, if I see someone 171 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: by themselves, I always go and talk to them. When 172 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: there was only one African American girl in my piano group, 173 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: I said to my teacher, I hope she wins the 174 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: prize today because I felt that she felt lonely and different. 175 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: So I've always been that way, and it made me 176 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 1: wonder is empathy the result of nurture or nature because 177 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: your parents obviously were not particularly touchy feely. But I 178 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: feel like it's more than that. It's almost something you're 179 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:53,080 Speaker 1: hardwired to be. And I'm curious what you found out 180 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: about that, David. 181 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think empathy is like it's like athletic ability. 182 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 4: Some people are born with more of it others, but 183 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 4: everybody needs training and everybody does better if they work 184 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 4: on it. And so to me, empathy is three skills. 185 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:11,080 Speaker 4: The first is mirroring, and that's catching the emotion right 186 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 4: in front of you, and that's the natural you're comfortable 187 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 4: with your body, you send somebody else emotions and you 188 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 4: share it, you feel it. That's mirroring. The next one 189 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 4: is mentalizing, and that's the ability to see, Oh, I 190 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 4: had an experience like she's going through, so I sort 191 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 4: of know what she's going through. So like on the 192 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 4: first day of the job, I remember, Oh, on my 193 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 4: first day of the job, I was nervous, I was excited, 194 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:36,439 Speaker 4: I was overwhelmed. I had all these scattering of different emotions, 195 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:40,319 Speaker 4: so I'm mentalizing, I'm projecting what I think. And then 196 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 4: the third thing is caring, the ability to accurately care 197 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 4: and so kids like, if you come home from work crying, 198 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 4: your two year old will hand you a band aid, 199 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 4: which is sweet, but it's not what you want. So 200 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:56,839 Speaker 4: you have to effectively care. And so there's a guy 201 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 4: named Rabbi Elliot Kukla who wrote about a woman who 202 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 4: had a brain injury. So she fell on the floor. 203 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 4: She just fell down sometimes, and she said people are 204 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 4: always rushing to lift me up because they're uncomfortable seeing 205 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 4: an adult on the floor. Sometimes they just need to 206 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 4: get down on the ground with me. And so empathy 207 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 4: is knowing sometimes you just have to get down on 208 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 4: the ground with someone. And I put in the book, 209 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 4: I'm going to read out a little empathy test so 210 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 4: you can tell how naturally talented you are at empathy. 211 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 4: And I'll read you a few statements and see if 212 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 4: you agree with them. First, is I find it hard 213 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 4: to know what to do in social situations. It doesn't 214 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 4: bother me when I show up late, people say I 215 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 4: went too far and driving home. My point, if those 216 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 4: apply to you, you probably you're naturally a little lower 217 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 4: on empathy. Interesting, here's some other statements. Interpersonal conflict is 218 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 4: painful to me. I mimic the mannerisms of those around me. 219 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 4: When I make a social blunder, I'm extremely disturbed. And 220 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 4: so if you say yes, this sort of applas to me, 221 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 4: that's a sign you probably have higher empathy. And so 222 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 4: we have it. We're born with a certain level, but 223 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 4: we on need training to get better at it. 224 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 3: I have two questions. 225 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 2: One is do you think that life experiences accelerate change, 226 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 2: Like you had a really hard period in your life, 227 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 2: your marriage fell apart, and you did a little self 228 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,559 Speaker 2: evaluation and didn't really like the results. Katie has obviously 229 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 2: been through a terrible loss twice over sister husband. I 230 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 2: had cancer in my thirties. It took two years to 231 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 2: get rid of. So I wonder about those big moments, 232 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 2: and then I want to drill down on mentalizing. But 233 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 2: first I'm curious do you think that if you are 234 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 2: sort of not a great empathizer by nature, do you 235 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 2: think that an ordinary life can get you there or 236 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:46,959 Speaker 2: it takes something extraordinary? 237 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 4: Well, I have a pretty ordinary life or really a 238 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 4: blessed life. But I've had moments of suffering. I used 239 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 4: to tell my kids, my students, you know, you can 240 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 4: be knowledgeable with other people's knowledge, but you can't be 241 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 4: wise with other people's wisdom. You have to live through it, 242 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 4: and you know, suffering. One of my favorite sayings about suffering, 243 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 4: it's from Paul Tillic in nineteen fifties theologian. He said, suffering, 244 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 4: moments of suffering, phases of suffering interrupt your life and 245 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 4: remind you you're not the person you thought you were, 246 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 4: and that he says, they carved down through the basement 247 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 4: of what you thought was the floor of your soul, 248 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 4: and they carve through that and reveal a cavity below. 249 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 4: Then they carve through that and reveal a cavity below. 250 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 4: So you see, at least I think most people do. 251 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 4: They see into depths of themselves they didn't know existed 252 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 4: in moments of suffering, and they know only spiritual and 253 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 4: relational food will fill those depths. And so people have 254 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:41,120 Speaker 4: a choice, which is they can be broken or broken open. 255 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 4: And some people are broken, they get bitter, they get hard, 256 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 4: they close in on themselves. But some people get broken 257 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:49,920 Speaker 4: open and they feel more, they get more vulnerable, they 258 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 4: have greater empathy. And I do think that after you've 259 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 4: been through suffering, you'd come out of it if you 260 00:13:56,559 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 4: use those horrible moments well with a certain sort of knowledge. 261 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 4: There's a phrase quotation I left from Thornton Wilder, which is, 262 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 4: without your wound, where would your power be? It's your 263 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 4: very remorse that makes your low voice tremble in the 264 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 4: hearts of men in love service only Wounded Soldiers conserves. 265 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 2: That Thornton Wilder, he could write that guy. 266 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 3: You get a nice twist of phrase that one. 267 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: Before you talk about mentalizing, though, I'm curious, David, so 268 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: it seems to me this has been a life long 269 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 1: something that you have wanted to improve for some time. 270 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 1: Or was it exacerbated by, as Kelly said, a life event, 271 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: the fact that your marriage didn't work out, or was 272 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 1: there an event or a series of events that really 273 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: precipitated this longing and this search, or is it just 274 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: something that you felt was missing in your being? 275 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 4: Yeah? I felt something was missing so frankly, and the 276 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 4: story of telling the book Big Baseball Fan, and I 277 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 4: never all the big games I've gone to, I've never 278 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 4: gotten a foul ball, And. 279 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, right, This is a funny story. 280 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 4: I go to the game in Baltimore with my youngest 281 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 4: son and the batter loses control of the bat and 282 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 4: it lands at my feet. It flies in the stands, 283 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 4: and I've got a bat, And any normal human being 284 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 4: would be jumping up and down, high fiving, hugging everybody 285 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 4: around me, getting on the JumboTron. But I just put 286 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 4: the bat at my feet and like sit there like inert, 287 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 4: like a turtle. 288 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 2: That's when you would describe you having the emotional capacity 289 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 2: of ahead of cabbage. 290 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, so I'm like show a little joy man. And 291 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 4: so that that's the aloof reticent version of me. And 292 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 4: I did it. I tried to improve myself for change 293 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 4: the universe Chicago way. I write books about it. So 294 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 4: I wrote a book about emotion. Then I wrote a 295 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 4: book about a character formation, and I wrote a book 296 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 4: about suffering. And this book is really about how to 297 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 4: be wise about people and how to make them feel 298 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 4: lit up. And so that's you know, I have, you 299 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 4: know work. Writers are usually working out their stuff in public, 300 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 4: and I'm working on my stuff and I'm trying to 301 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 4: share what I learned with others. One of my favorite 302 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 4: phrases of writing is we're beggars who tell other beggars 303 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 4: where we found bread. And so when I find something 304 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 4: that's useful, I shared, and that's like my highest satisfaction. 305 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 4: And I'm going to name drop to show that I've 306 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 4: made progress in life. 307 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 2: Oh I know this story? 308 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, so Oprah? 309 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 2: Yeah all right, so you're gonna pull out the big 310 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 2: oh whatever. 311 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 3: Special to David. 312 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 4: If you ladies want to praise me, I'm happy to 313 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 4: put your story in place. 314 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 2: Go ahead, David. 315 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 4: I didn't know I was going to walk into this 316 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 4: amount of rivalry now. 317 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 3: Never, you know, just being honest, He goes a thing. 318 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 4: Okay, So the Oprah story that one, Sorry I missed it. 319 00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 4: Maybe I'll tell my Anne Hathaways for instead. 320 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 2: That's funny. 321 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 3: I know we like that one. 322 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 4: So the Oprah story is that she interviews me two times, 323 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:09,119 Speaker 4: once in twenty fourteen and once in twenty nineteen, and 324 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 4: after twenty nineteen, after the taping, she pulls me aside 325 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 4: and said, I've rarely seen someone change so much in 326 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 4: middle age. You were so emotionally blocked before. So that 327 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 4: was for me, that was like graduation day. I can 328 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:24,879 Speaker 4: show that, you know, I've made some progress in much. 329 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 1: That is I all kidding aside I think. I mean, 330 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: obviously she's so highly perceptive and intuitive. Just you know 331 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 1: that goes without saying. But I think for her to 332 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:39,160 Speaker 1: recognize it, And did you feel obviously, as you said, 333 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 1: you felt validated. But do you think she was right? 334 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: I mean, do you think there's a way you carry 335 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:47,880 Speaker 1: yourself differently, that you talk to people differently, that your 336 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: body language, that everything about you has opened in some way. 337 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,639 Speaker 4: I think that's accurate. I do. I hope it's accurate. 338 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 4: I'm still not all the way there. I'm not like 339 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 4: the most since I'm not a naturally gregarious person, as 340 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 4: you know. But if you come up to me with 341 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,680 Speaker 4: a problem, I'm comfortable enough with your pain to sit 342 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:11,159 Speaker 4: with you in your pain a little more. And so 343 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:13,440 Speaker 4: I used to like freeze and fear because I didn't 344 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 4: know what to do. And I've learned to storify life 345 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 4: to try to get stories. So there are two ways 346 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 4: of thinking. There's the paradigmatic mode, which is making an argument, 347 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 4: which is what we do if we're making a strategy 348 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 4: memo or writing a newspaper column. And then there's the 349 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:31,360 Speaker 4: narrative mode, which is getting people to tell your stories 350 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:35,880 Speaker 4: and so like, even in political journalism, I'd only ask 351 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 4: people what do you believe about this? I ask people, 352 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 4: how did you come to believe this? And that way 353 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 4: they're telling me about somebody who shape their values or 354 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,400 Speaker 4: some experience they have. There we're in story mode. 355 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 2: I asked Sarah Palin that question, David, and she didn't 356 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 2: have a very getting right. 357 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 1: I said, what newspapers and magazines do you read? And 358 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,400 Speaker 1: actually all of them, honestly, I know all Kitdting decaught. 359 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:02,719 Speaker 1: It was looking for some kind of deep answer that 360 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:06,960 Speaker 1: helped me understand what shaped her, what shaped her values, 361 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 1: what shaped her outlook, her worldview? And you know, it 362 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: was an unsuccessful inquiry, but it's interesting because that's really 363 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:20,680 Speaker 1: I was genuinely curious about what leads someone to have 364 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 1: a certain political ideology. You know, sometimes your parents sometimes 365 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:29,120 Speaker 1: I thought she could say William F. Buckley or you know, honestly, 366 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 1: even the Bible. I just was looking for what was 367 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 1: a very formative experience that made her the woman she 368 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:37,919 Speaker 1: is today. 369 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 4: It's very curious that she couldn't answer that question. Well, 370 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 4: was she genuinely lack a story about the values that 371 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 4: formed her. Did she think, oh, I can't tell that 372 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 4: in public, it might not be helped me politically, or 373 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 4: maybe nobody had ever asked her and so she didn't. 374 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:56,880 Speaker 4: A lot of people no one's ever asked them those 375 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 4: basic questions. 376 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,919 Speaker 1: Well, remember when Roger Mudd asked to Kennedy why he 377 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 1: wanted to be president and Teddy Kennedy was speechless. 378 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 4: I was just thinking exactly of that episode, Yeah, exactly. 379 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 1: I think she just didn't read much and had no 380 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: intellectual curiosity, honestly, and I think she got tripped up 381 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 1: on naming things and I kind of left it wide open. 382 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: But anyway, it's really interesting. I'll be right back with 383 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 1: David Brooks and my special Plus one guest Kelly Corrigan. 384 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 1: With no fees or minimums. Banking with Capital one is 385 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 1: the easiest decision in the history of decisions, even easier 386 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: than deciding to listen to another episode of your favorite podcast, 387 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: and with no overdraft fees. Is it even a decision 388 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: that's banking reimagined? What's in your wallet? Terms apply see 389 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: capitolwe dot com, slash bank Capital one NA member FDIC. 390 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,400 Speaker 1: Kelly and I are back with David Brooks. 391 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 2: So I just wanted to loop back on mentalizing, because 392 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 2: what you were suggesting is that if a person comes 393 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 2: through with a certain shape of a problem that you 394 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,199 Speaker 2: could identify and say, oh, I've had something similar, I 395 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 2: know what that might feel like. But that bumps up 396 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 2: against the UT research that you unearthed for the book, 397 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 2: which is pointing us toward this terrible interpersonal arrogance where 398 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:37,120 Speaker 2: we have too much confidence in our ability to read 399 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:42,919 Speaker 2: body language and expression and gesture. And it brings up 400 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 2: one of my all time favorite concepts. We did a 401 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:51,120 Speaker 2: series on it on my pod last year about intellectual humility. 402 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,199 Speaker 2: So can you talk about the UT research and what 403 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 2: it points out about our over estimation of our own 404 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 2: perceptive skills. 405 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:03,400 Speaker 4: Yeah. First, I love that phrase interpersonal arrogance. 406 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 3: That's that is what were yours. Take it run with it. 407 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 4: It was stolen about thirty seconds ago. So the research 408 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 4: is guy named William Mikes who's at the University of Texas, Arlington, 409 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:19,359 Speaker 4: and he finds that when we meet a stranger and 410 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 4: have a conversation with him for the first time, we're 411 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 4: accurately reading each other's minds only twenty percent of the time, 412 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 4: and some people when we are with friends and family. 413 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,639 Speaker 4: We are accurately reading each other thirty five percent of 414 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:34,439 Speaker 4: the time, and so some people are pretty good at 415 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:36,919 Speaker 4: it fifty five percent they're accurate. Some people are terrible 416 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 4: zero percent and they think they're one hundred percent. But 417 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 4: the point is we're all sort of creative. We all 418 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 4: have our own distinct point of view. We all see 419 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 4: the world in our own way. And while it's important 420 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 4: to mentalize to try to think, well, I've shared this experience, 421 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 4: you probably have to. We have to be humble and 422 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 4: know we probably can't imagine our way into somebody else's mind. 423 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 4: The only way in is ask. And that's why to 424 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 4: me that the central humanistic skill is the ability to 425 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,719 Speaker 4: be a great conversationalist, not just a good one, but 426 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 4: a really great one. And this is another area where 427 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 4: we're not as good as we think we are. We 428 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 4: all think we're good conversationalists, but being a conversationalist, I mean, 429 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 4: you guys do it for a living. But it's a 430 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:22,120 Speaker 4: high art form. And I've been in over the last 431 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,119 Speaker 4: year I think back, I've been in some phenomenal conversations, 432 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 4: and I've been in some terrible ones that I don't 433 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:31,639 Speaker 4: really remember. And the phenomenal ones invariably revolved around some 434 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 4: big question. Somebody put a big question on the table 435 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 4: and it allowed us to explore it altogether. 436 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:41,640 Speaker 2: I think about that bringing intellectual humility into our most 437 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 2: important relationships. So I have a twenty year old and 438 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:47,440 Speaker 2: a twenty two year old, and I think my job 439 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 2: is to say, tell me more, what else? Go on 440 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 2: until we unearth the thing behind the thing behind the thing, 441 00:23:55,200 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 2: because otherwise they're presenting and you're speeding to a point 442 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 2: of view, and you're advising with your clever advice, and 443 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 2: as soon as you start talking, they're tuning out. They're like, 444 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 2: she literally doesn't even know what I'm talking about. I 445 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 2: haven't even told her that the real reason I'm upset 446 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 2: is because parents weekend is coming up and I don't 447 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 2: know who we're having dinner with on Saturday night. But 448 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 2: what I told her is I felt a little anxious 449 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 2: in mad class, and now she's talking to me about caffeine. 450 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 3: You know what I mean. 451 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:30,439 Speaker 4: That's fantastic, that's fantastic. Yeah, the rule is asked three times, 452 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 4: like your job is to stand in their standpoint, is 453 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,639 Speaker 4: to say, Okay, what was that? And then ask it 454 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 4: the same question different phrasing than the third time. The 455 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 4: third time you actually are beginning to get some answers. 456 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: In many ways, I think this book is a blueprint 457 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:47,880 Speaker 1: for everyone on how to be a better person, how 458 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: to be a better partner, how to be a better friend, 459 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,919 Speaker 1: how to be a better parent. And I think everybody 460 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 1: wants that. And what do you think are some of 461 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 1: the you know, obviously we can't view the whole book, David, 462 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 1: but what are some of the key things that you 463 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 1: need to do to really know someone to make sure 464 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:13,639 Speaker 1: that person is really seen just parenthetically. I don't know 465 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 1: about you all, but whenever I go to a funeral, 466 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 1: I leave and I think, Gosh, I wish I had 467 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:26,359 Speaker 1: known this person better. I never knew this. I never 468 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 1: asked them about that. A friend of mine recently died, 469 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:34,200 Speaker 1: and I have to say she believed nothing should be 470 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 1: left unsaid. She always told me, we always told each 471 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: other how important we were to each other in our lives. 472 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 1: And she saw me and knew me deeply, and I 473 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 1: think I knew her deeply too. I didn't have that 474 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,919 Speaker 1: feeling at her service, but so many other times I 475 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:56,679 Speaker 1: feel like Gosh, I had such a superficial relationship with 476 00:25:56,720 --> 00:26:01,160 Speaker 1: this person? Why didn't I know them better? And I'm 477 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: just curious a if you guys ever feel that way 478 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,760 Speaker 1: when you go to funerals And again be David, what 479 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:13,120 Speaker 1: are some of the ways we can we can feel closer, 480 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:17,200 Speaker 1: more connected and see people who are important to us? 481 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 4: Yeah? I mean the nicely about funerals is they talk 482 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 4: about people talk about what matters. And when I had 483 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 4: this earlier book where I made a distinction between the 484 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:28,919 Speaker 4: resume virtues and the eulogy virtues right right, and the 485 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:30,480 Speaker 4: resume virtues of the things that make you good at 486 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 4: your job, and nobody talks about that at a funeral. 487 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 4: They talk about whether you're a courageous, honest, capable of 488 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 4: great love. And so you know, I think, as I say, 489 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 4: big questions are the way you get to know somebody, 490 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 4: Like you're having coffee with someone, you're at a dinner table, whatever, 491 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:48,760 Speaker 4: And we're shy about asking questions, but there's some questions 492 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 4: you can ask that lift people out of their day 493 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 4: to day life and get them seeing themselves from thirty 494 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 4: thousand feet. So it's like, what crossroads are you at? 495 00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:58,680 Speaker 4: Often we're at a moment of transitional life it's interesting 496 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:02,479 Speaker 4: to ask what crossroads you at. Other questions are like, 497 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 4: if this five years is a chapter in your life, 498 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 4: what's the chapter about, what's the commitment you've made that 499 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 4: you no longer really believe in. I was at a 500 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 4: party with a political scientist. He said, I'm eighty, what 501 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,119 Speaker 4: do I do with the rest of my life? And 502 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:20,200 Speaker 4: that was a great conversation about his interests or how 503 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 4: you do old age well and what you should do 504 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 4: in the year's approaching death. And so we went on 505 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:27,400 Speaker 4: for like ninety minutes talking about Wow, various things that's 506 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 4: spun off from that, and it's just like you think, oh, 507 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 4: it's just a memorable conversation, But I'll never see him 508 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 4: the same way. I know a lot more about that guy, 509 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:39,280 Speaker 4: and I had the pleasure of really seeing into the 510 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:41,440 Speaker 4: interior of a very wise person's life. 511 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 1: You know, it would be fun to do a game. 512 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,399 Speaker 1: I think they have this like conversation starters or something. 513 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: I don't know. I never I've been given it and 514 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: I've never used it, which may be part of the problem. 515 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 1: But maybe do a list of big questions that will 516 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:01,480 Speaker 1: open up a conversation. So actually, when you're at a 517 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: dinner party, it becomes much more meaningful and worth your 518 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 1: time than a bunch of small talk with the person 519 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:09,960 Speaker 1: to your right. 520 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:14,680 Speaker 2: I think it's almost like there's an awkwardness. You feel 521 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,320 Speaker 2: like a goon. Like we used to do those conversation 522 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 2: cards and put one under each plate, and then at 523 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,199 Speaker 2: any point during dinner you could lift your plate and 524 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 2: take the card and ask somebody next to you, like 525 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:28,160 Speaker 2: what's your biggest fear? Or if your high school did superlatives, 526 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:30,440 Speaker 2: what would yours have been? Or if your mother wrote 527 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 2: a book about you, what would it be called? Is 528 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:35,360 Speaker 2: there anyone you would like to apologize too? Like there's 529 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 2: so many juicy questions, and most people have like a 530 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 2: little bit of a guard up and they feel goofy 531 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 2: trying to take it from like you know, the kid's 532 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 2: soccer game or your Christmas plans to something much deeper. Well, David, 533 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 2: I think David writes Kelly that we're not taught how 534 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 2: to do this, and I think that they're in life 535 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 2: the rub right totally. And there's whole generations who think 536 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 2: asking these types of questions is completely rude. Like my 537 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 2: mother would say, oh, for God's sake, like, you know 538 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 2: you know how every now and then on Instagram or TikTok, 539 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 2: it's like, ask your mother these seven questions before she dies. Like, 540 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 2: I can't even I sent that to my daughter recently. 541 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 2: I couldn't even ask one question before my mom's cut 542 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 2: me off and said, oh, for god. 543 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 3: Sake, Kelly, who wants to talk about that? 544 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 2: So, like, not everybody's playing the same game here, and 545 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:33,720 Speaker 2: not every generation is used to operating on this level. 546 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 2: But we do have this million dollar opportunity where many 547 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 2: many more people have read many many more of these 548 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,200 Speaker 2: types of books, have been to therapy, have sat on 549 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 2: dorm room floors like bearing their Soul. We're just more 550 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 2: practiced in it, and hopefully it will lead to like 551 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 2: a different kind of societal conversation, although it sure doesn't 552 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 2: seem to be trending that way. 553 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 4: David Brooks, Yeah, well I do agree with you and 554 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:01,959 Speaker 4: I you know, obviously you've got to pace it so 555 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 4: you don't want to walk in meet somebody, you know, 556 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 4: how do your ancestor show up in your life? 557 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 3: Like, Hi, I'm David. When was the last time you cried? 558 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 4: You know? I start just with like, uh, where'd you 559 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 4: grow up? And we just want to get people talking 560 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 4: about their childhood. People are fantastic talking about their childhood. 561 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:22,720 Speaker 4: And so I travel a lot, so I've probably have 562 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 4: been to the place and we can have a conversation 563 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 4: or even like where'd you get your name? Like gets 564 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 4: people talking about their family and stuff like that, and 565 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:33,920 Speaker 4: then you know the shallow conversations like I once asked 566 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 4: a group of people, tell me about your most enjoyable, 567 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 4: unimportant thing about yourself. And so I learned this austere 568 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 4: academic guy loves trashy reality TV. So it was like 569 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 4: a window into them, and I got to talk about 570 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 4: my obsession with early Taylor Swift's albums. 571 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 2: Really wait, slow down, mister, give us a leerless, give 572 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 2: us a lyric or two. 573 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 4: Hey, you're cheercime. I'm on the bleachers. You're the cheer captain. 574 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:00,040 Speaker 2: Did you relate? Did you meet that? 575 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 4: That's so you know I'm a what's her lyric? I'm 576 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 4: your nightmare dressed as a day dreams? 577 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 2: I so relate, I thought, so, well, my god, it 578 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 2: all goes back to Taylor Swift. Here's what David Brooks 579 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:16,240 Speaker 2: is a swifty like just yeah, let's stop the presses. 580 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:18,760 Speaker 3: We're breaking news. David Brooks is a. 581 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: Swifty A good friend of mine today said Taylor Swift 582 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:23,600 Speaker 1: isn't a singer, she's a lifestyle. 583 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, she's a religion at this point she is. 584 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 4: She has a lyric that from her new album Let's 585 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 4: See if I can redress it. That's it's narcissism dressed 586 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 4: up like altruism, like some sort of congressman. I think 587 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 4: that's a fantastic, pretty good. 588 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, she's brilliant. 589 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 1: Well wait, so so you're talking about interesting ways in 590 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: to get to know people, and I love it. And Kelly, 591 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:49,520 Speaker 1: I imagine you and I probably do stuff like that 592 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: because we are just naturally curious and interested in other people. 593 00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: But I feel like you could always I could always 594 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: hone those skills even more. And to pick up on 595 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:06,480 Speaker 1: Kelly's last point, David, I think you know when she 596 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:11,160 Speaker 1: said things aren't trending this way. Society is not making 597 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: this easy, these deep connections, meaningful relationships. And you talk 598 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 1: a lot about that, how the way we live is 599 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:25,040 Speaker 1: almost antithetical to creating these deep friendships where people feel seen. 600 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean that was in some ways they impetus 601 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,000 Speaker 4: by the book. Not only might desire to personally grow 602 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 4: but looking at society around me, and we're in the 603 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 4: middle of some sort of social and emotional and relational crisis, 604 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 4: and so you know, rising mental health problems, rising suicide rates. 605 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 4: Fifty four percent of Americans say that no one knows 606 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 4: them well. The number of people who say they have 607 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 4: no close personal friends is up by four times in 608 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 4: the last twenty years. Thirty six percent of Americans say 609 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 4: they feel persistently lonely. Forty five percent of teenagers say 610 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 4: they feel persistently hopeless and despondent. The number of people 611 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 4: that are not in a romantic relationship is up by 612 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,240 Speaker 4: a third. It's just like one statistic after another where 613 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 4: we're just in an emotional and relational recession. And I 614 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:10,959 Speaker 4: think it's caused by this rising cycle of distrust, and 615 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:14,959 Speaker 4: distrust has caused because people haven't been trustworthy, and especially 616 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:17,920 Speaker 4: young people feel that others have betrayed them. And I 617 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:20,600 Speaker 4: used to talk about the levels of distrust with my students, 618 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:23,320 Speaker 4: my college students, and one woman said to me, well, 619 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:26,200 Speaker 4: have you seen our social life like you can imagine 620 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 4: you go through life, you're getting ghosted by somebody who 621 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 4: thought was your boyfriend or your girlfriend, you're getting savaged 622 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:35,440 Speaker 4: on social media. People are cruel to you, and so 623 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:38,080 Speaker 4: you have this rising level of distrust and to me, 624 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:40,480 Speaker 4: the only way to fight it is with the skills 625 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 4: I'm talking about in the book. And some people think, 626 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 4: like the stuff we're talking about is like woo woo 627 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:48,959 Speaker 4: and squishy, but to me, it's the only practical way out. Like, 628 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:52,880 Speaker 4: it's not woo woo to like, lead with curiosity, it's 629 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:56,920 Speaker 4: not woo woo to lead with respect. And the only 630 00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 4: way you get out of our social mess is by 631 00:33:58,680 --> 00:33:59,480 Speaker 4: acting in this way. 632 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:03,440 Speaker 1: Can you talk about I guess you were giving a talk, David, 633 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 1: and you've got a question on an index card that 634 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:10,040 Speaker 1: you said has haunted you for a very long time. 635 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 1: Can you tell us about that? 636 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:14,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, I was in Oklahoma and it's one of those 637 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:16,640 Speaker 4: talks where at the end of the talk they don't 638 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:18,920 Speaker 4: ask questions face to face, they just give you index cards. 639 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 4: So I'm running through the cards and most of the 640 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:25,560 Speaker 4: questions are like politics or something, and then I turned 641 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 4: to one card and says, what do you do if 642 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:30,680 Speaker 4: you no longer want to be alive? And that to 643 00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:32,880 Speaker 4: me was like a window into a lot of the 644 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:35,879 Speaker 4: pain that's out there in America, and at the moment, 645 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:37,920 Speaker 4: I didn't know what to say, and so I let 646 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:40,719 Speaker 4: it go without even answering or without even acknowledging it. 647 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:44,840 Speaker 4: And I think if I could go back, I would say, 648 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 4: first of all, I want to salute you for your 649 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 4: courage and your endurance, because you are still here, and 650 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:52,439 Speaker 4: you're in a lot of pain, but you're still here. 651 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:55,600 Speaker 4: And then I would like to repeat to you something 652 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:58,960 Speaker 4: Victor Frankel said in Man Search for Meeting, which is 653 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 4: that life is not stopped expecting things of you, and 654 00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:05,319 Speaker 4: that there are still many good things you can do 655 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 4: in the world. And then I would say, and I 656 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:10,320 Speaker 4: mentioned I have a chapter in the book about losing 657 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:15,560 Speaker 4: my oldest friend to depression. And you know, I would say, listen, 658 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 4: there's no words I can utter that can heal your pain, 659 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:22,319 Speaker 4: but I can assure you that we're never leaving. We're 660 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:25,360 Speaker 4: here for you. And I think when you're dealing with 661 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:28,719 Speaker 4: someone who's suffering from that much pain and depression, all 662 00:35:28,719 --> 00:35:31,920 Speaker 4: you can say is I acknowledge the reality of the situation. 663 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:34,879 Speaker 4: I'm here for you. I'm not leaving. I'm just here. 664 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:38,719 Speaker 2: When you described your embarrassment at a dinner the very 665 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:40,160 Speaker 2: next night. What happened. 666 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:43,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, the woman who was at our house for dinner said, well, 667 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:47,080 Speaker 4: my brother committed suicide a few months ago, and then 668 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:49,400 Speaker 4: I mentioned it. I have my bunch of buddies and 669 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:51,360 Speaker 4: I get on a zoom call every Thursday, and I 670 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:53,200 Speaker 4: mentioned it to that group, and like half the people 671 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,879 Speaker 4: had some sort of suicide in their family and their life. 672 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:01,919 Speaker 4: And then, you know, as I mentioned later, I lost 673 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:04,799 Speaker 4: my best friend to it. And it just feels like 674 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:08,720 Speaker 4: the pain in society is something pervasive that it's touched 675 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:14,280 Speaker 4: everyone who has lost someone to addiction, to suicide, someone 676 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:16,760 Speaker 4: who has a kid who's suffering with mental health issues. 677 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 4: It's just like rivers of pain in society. And it's 678 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:23,279 Speaker 4: hard to have a healthy democracy when your society is 679 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:26,399 Speaker 4: rotting from the foundation. And this is what I worry 680 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:28,480 Speaker 4: about most, this social fragmentation. 681 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:35,920 Speaker 2: I think about sometimes the increase in therapy and antidepressant 682 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:39,399 Speaker 2: medications and the decrease in mental health, like those two 683 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:43,080 Speaker 2: lines are not working together to take us to a 684 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:43,720 Speaker 2: better place. 685 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:46,760 Speaker 1: I think David talks about that Kelly, because he says 686 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:52,400 Speaker 1: looking within can lead people to become vulnerable narcissists and 687 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:55,200 Speaker 1: I've wondered about that too, because when you look at 688 00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:59,920 Speaker 1: surveys about happiness, it's really and I've interviewed people about this, 689 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:02,840 Speaker 1: so I'm sure all of us have. It's really about 690 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:07,520 Speaker 1: service to others and not being so self absorbed and 691 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:11,240 Speaker 1: self focused that leads you to happiness. And I thought, 692 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:14,520 Speaker 1: you know, David, you could talk about what happened after 693 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 1: World War Two and how sort of the focus on 694 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:21,360 Speaker 1: the individual and now the uber focus on our own 695 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:26,160 Speaker 1: quote unquote well being has impacted our ability to form 696 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:27,240 Speaker 1: deep relationships. 697 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:28,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. 698 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:29,920 Speaker 4: I mean, I think we've just got a much more 699 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:33,719 Speaker 4: individualistic culture. I mean when America was founded, that the 700 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 4: founding fathers had a pretty realistic view of human nature 701 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:40,359 Speaker 4: that we're generous, well, we're also self centered, and so 702 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:41,879 Speaker 4: they had the idea that if we're going to build 703 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:44,439 Speaker 4: a country, a democracy out of these people, we need 704 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:48,120 Speaker 4: to do moral formation. And moral formation is a pretentious word, 705 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:51,120 Speaker 4: but it's really three basic things. One is it gives 706 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:54,479 Speaker 4: you tips for how to control your natural selfishness. Two, 707 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:56,880 Speaker 4: it helps you find a purpose in life and ideal 708 00:37:56,960 --> 00:37:59,960 Speaker 4: to organize your life around. And three it teaches you 709 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:03,120 Speaker 4: the skills of being considered in the complex circumstances of life, 710 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:06,960 Speaker 4: and so how do you ask for an offer forgiveness? 711 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:09,600 Speaker 4: How do you break up with someone without crushing their heart? 712 00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:14,280 Speaker 4: These are basic social skills, and I think we've forgotten 713 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:16,759 Speaker 4: how to teach them, how to pass them along to generations. 714 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:19,440 Speaker 4: And then we just live in a much more individualistic 715 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:22,400 Speaker 4: culture where people decide I don't need to pay attention 716 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:24,400 Speaker 4: to some external morality. I just need to get in 717 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:28,760 Speaker 4: touch with myself. And my basic rule is you're happier 718 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:30,959 Speaker 4: when you're thinking about other people, and you're less happy 719 00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:34,400 Speaker 4: when you're thinking about yourself. It's just like that simple. 720 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:37,800 Speaker 4: And a lot of our happiness industrial complex gets people 721 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:41,279 Speaker 4: thinking about themselves, and I think it's self destructive. And 722 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 4: there is research that show that people who spend their 723 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:46,760 Speaker 4: most time thinking about happiness are least happy. 724 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:48,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I know. 725 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 2: And so this is my mom's whole opinions. So my 726 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:56,920 Speaker 2: dad sold ad space in women's magazines, and so we 727 00:38:56,960 --> 00:38:58,880 Speaker 2: had women's magazines in our house, going back to like 728 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:01,640 Speaker 2: McCall's and then Get how Keeping whatever, and she would 729 00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:04,000 Speaker 2: look at them, and even though her whole life was 730 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:08,320 Speaker 2: being underwritten by these magazines, they drove her bananas, because 731 00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:11,840 Speaker 2: she was like, the answer is go to church and volunteer. 732 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:15,520 Speaker 2: That's the answer. Like what is all this nonsense, all 733 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:20,360 Speaker 2: this lumination, all this self focus, all this me me me, 734 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,440 Speaker 2: and I need a bath every day and I need 735 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:26,000 Speaker 2: to have my massage massageer for my shoulders. She's like, 736 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:29,200 Speaker 2: that is nonsense, Like, get your ass in church and 737 00:39:29,239 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 2: go help somebody. 738 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:32,799 Speaker 1: Well, I do think there's a happy medium, you know. 739 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:38,080 Speaker 1: I do think kind of quote unquote self care. You know, 740 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:41,360 Speaker 1: the idea of putting your oxygen mask on first so 741 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:44,080 Speaker 1: you can be a better person to those you love. 742 00:39:44,280 --> 00:39:46,880 Speaker 1: I do think there's some legitimacy to that, but I 743 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:50,160 Speaker 1: do think the pendulum has swung a little too far, 744 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,160 Speaker 1: and I think it's honestly, I think it's kind of 745 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:59,279 Speaker 1: a modern day medicine for loneliness that if you can 746 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:03,720 Speaker 1: spend your time worrying about your pores, then it's actually 747 00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:08,240 Speaker 1: just taking time that it makes you feel better because 748 00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:10,760 Speaker 1: you're thinking about something other than your own misery. 749 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:16,000 Speaker 4: Right, Yeah, No, it's just loneliness is a perversity because 750 00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:18,520 Speaker 4: no one wants to be lonely. And yet now, as 751 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:21,319 Speaker 4: I said, thirty six percent are persistently lonely. Why don't 752 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:23,600 Speaker 4: they just get together with the other loner people. But 753 00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:27,000 Speaker 4: one of the problems is loneliness distorts your view of 754 00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:29,880 Speaker 4: reality and it makes you suspicious of other people. So 755 00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:32,640 Speaker 4: you begin to fear what you long for most, which 756 00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:33,440 Speaker 4: is human connection. 757 00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:37,440 Speaker 1: But also our sense of community has unraveled, David. I 758 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:40,880 Speaker 1: know with your Whole Weave project, you're looking at people 759 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 1: who are developing a sense of community. But you think 760 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:48,759 Speaker 1: about church attendance and religious services. The attendance has declined 761 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:53,920 Speaker 1: a lot, and there aren't like rotary clubs and Kuwanas clubs, 762 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:58,200 Speaker 1: and you know, people don't seem to get together as much. 763 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:00,880 Speaker 1: So these things that gave us a sense of community. 764 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:05,480 Speaker 1: Of course, it was exacerbated by the pandemic. So I 765 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:10,360 Speaker 1: think bringing some of those institutional structures back is really 766 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:14,000 Speaker 1: important too, Because you say, I'm curious, you say loneliness 767 00:41:14,719 --> 00:41:18,840 Speaker 1: leads to meanness, so you know it's not only distrust, 768 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:20,240 Speaker 1: but it's actually meanness. 769 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:23,319 Speaker 4: How So, well, if you feel invisible to the world, 770 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:26,840 Speaker 4: there's nothing crueler than indifference, and so if you feel 771 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:29,759 Speaker 4: you're not seen by the world, you regard that as 772 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:32,480 Speaker 4: an injustice, which it is, and so you want to 773 00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:35,200 Speaker 4: lash out. You decide the world's a very dangerous place, 774 00:41:35,239 --> 00:41:37,279 Speaker 4: and you want to lash out. And I think what 775 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:39,440 Speaker 4: a lot of people have done is they've taken loneliness 776 00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:42,279 Speaker 4: and they've taken really a moral vacuum they find themselves in, 777 00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:45,840 Speaker 4: and they've tried to fill it with politics. And so, 778 00:41:46,239 --> 00:41:48,840 Speaker 4: in a healthy society, we have the politics of distribution, 779 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:50,759 Speaker 4: like where should we put the resources of money, how 780 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:52,520 Speaker 4: hi shad taxes be, what should we spend money on? 781 00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:55,920 Speaker 4: That's a healthy society. We have the politics of recognition, 782 00:41:56,560 --> 00:41:59,320 Speaker 4: where we want to have a politics where my side 783 00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:03,160 Speaker 4: is elevated and respected and your side is shamed and destroyed. 784 00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:07,719 Speaker 4: And so politics gives you the illusion that you are 785 00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:10,360 Speaker 4: living in a moral landscape. There's us good guys and 786 00:42:10,400 --> 00:42:13,640 Speaker 4: those bad guys. Gives you the illusion you're doing moral action. 787 00:42:13,719 --> 00:42:16,680 Speaker 4: I'm getting indignant about those people who are ruining the country. 788 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:19,680 Speaker 4: It gives you the illusion of community, like you're in 789 00:42:19,719 --> 00:42:22,719 Speaker 4: a party. But these are just illusions, like you're not 790 00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:25,080 Speaker 4: really in the community. You're not getting to know somebody, 791 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:28,120 Speaker 4: you're just hating the same people together, and you're not 792 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:31,439 Speaker 4: really in a moral landscape, which is about the line 793 00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:33,600 Speaker 4: between good and evil runs through every human heart, not 794 00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 4: between groups, and so you've traded your moral vacuum for 795 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:40,919 Speaker 4: sort of culture war and moral war. And I think 796 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:43,400 Speaker 4: that's one of the reasons why everything in society has 797 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:45,160 Speaker 4: gotten so politicized. 798 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:48,719 Speaker 1: But also so black and white and so lacking of nuance. 799 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:52,759 Speaker 1: You quote a researcher named Ryan Streeter, he's director of 800 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:57,759 Speaker 1: Domestic Policy Studies at the AI American Enterprise Institute that 801 00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:00,919 Speaker 1: lonely young people are seven times more likely to say 802 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:04,400 Speaker 1: they are active in politics and young people who aren't lonely. 803 00:43:05,040 --> 00:43:08,600 Speaker 1: And I think this is elaborating on what you just said. 804 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:12,319 Speaker 1: It gives them some sense of community to be with 805 00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:16,560 Speaker 1: like minded people. It's almost their little tribe of people 806 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:20,280 Speaker 1: who they can feel connected to. But what you're saying 807 00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:22,120 Speaker 1: is they're not really connected to them. 808 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:26,400 Speaker 4: They're just sharing their Twitter feeds, and you know, they're 809 00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:29,240 Speaker 4: not really doing good. They're not sitting with the poor, 810 00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:33,120 Speaker 4: serving a widow. They're just registering their feelings or their 811 00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:36,799 Speaker 4: emotions about some political issue. And so to me, it's 812 00:43:36,880 --> 00:43:40,279 Speaker 4: like a very impoverished way to live. Cover politics. We 813 00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:44,400 Speaker 4: care about politics, but politics is not more important than family. 814 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:47,839 Speaker 4: Politics not more important than your friendships and your relationships. 815 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:50,440 Speaker 4: And when I look at the rise of misery in 816 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:53,520 Speaker 4: this country, I could tell a lot of stories, Like Katie, 817 00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:56,040 Speaker 4: you told the sociology story, we just aren't active in 818 00:43:56,080 --> 00:43:59,680 Speaker 4: civic life. I could tell the social media story, which is, 819 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:02,640 Speaker 4: you know, social media's driving us all crazy, which I 820 00:44:02,719 --> 00:44:05,799 Speaker 4: was also a true story. I could tell economic inequality story, 821 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:09,120 Speaker 4: we're just more separated from one another. I can even 822 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:13,399 Speaker 4: tell the coddling story, where overprotective parenting leads to kids 823 00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:16,080 Speaker 4: who are not resilient in the face of challenge. But 824 00:44:16,160 --> 00:44:17,960 Speaker 4: to me, the core story, and the one I addressed 825 00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:20,479 Speaker 4: in the book, is we're just not treating each other well. 826 00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:23,560 Speaker 4: I mean, we're just at a basic human level. We 827 00:44:23,600 --> 00:44:26,719 Speaker 4: find ourselves in the world that's distrustful and brutal, and 828 00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:28,319 Speaker 4: the meanness comes up. You know. I was at a 829 00:44:28,320 --> 00:44:31,200 Speaker 4: restaurant in New York a couple months ago, and I 830 00:44:31,239 --> 00:44:33,000 Speaker 4: happened to be chatting with the owner and he said, 831 00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:34,680 Speaker 4: I have to throw people out of this restaurant every 832 00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:38,640 Speaker 4: week now for rude behavior. A friend who's a nurse, 833 00:44:38,680 --> 00:44:41,360 Speaker 4: and she said, I have trouble keeping staff because the 834 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:44,120 Speaker 4: patients have gotten so abusive, that the nurses want to 835 00:44:44,160 --> 00:44:47,240 Speaker 4: leave the profession, and so there's just been this rising 836 00:44:47,320 --> 00:44:50,959 Speaker 4: tide of hate crimes. You know, the incidents on airplanes. 837 00:44:51,600 --> 00:44:54,799 Speaker 4: COVID made it all worse. But loneliness leads to meanness. 838 00:44:55,280 --> 00:44:59,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, an accompaniment like in the Pote Francis way, is 839 00:44:59,480 --> 00:45:02,759 Speaker 2: a very advanced move, like for a human being to 840 00:45:02,800 --> 00:45:06,960 Speaker 2: be able to do that, because accompaniment is sort of 841 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:11,200 Speaker 2: antithetical to the fix. What do you mean by accompaniment? 842 00:45:11,680 --> 00:45:13,480 Speaker 2: It's just like, I'm just gonna sit with you. Like 843 00:45:13,520 --> 00:45:16,160 Speaker 2: you can just tell me your weirdest, hardest thing. You 844 00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:18,200 Speaker 2: can say I think my marriage is ending. You can 845 00:45:18,239 --> 00:45:20,120 Speaker 2: say I don't. I'm as much money as I pretend 846 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:23,640 Speaker 2: like I have. You can say I think that my 847 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:28,320 Speaker 2: daughter is suicidal. You can say these horribly difficult things, 848 00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:33,200 Speaker 2: and I will not dive in with my smarty pants solution. 849 00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:36,080 Speaker 2: I'll just sit with you. I'll just sit right down 850 00:45:36,120 --> 00:45:39,920 Speaker 2: with you in it. But that is like very advanced, 851 00:45:40,120 --> 00:45:42,560 Speaker 2: Like not that many people I know in my life 852 00:45:43,120 --> 00:45:48,320 Speaker 2: are that good at biting their tongue because it's so uncomfortable. 853 00:45:48,520 --> 00:45:52,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm not. I always try to fix things, yes, people, 854 00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:55,960 Speaker 1: or that's my immediate impulse. How can I fix this 855 00:45:56,080 --> 00:45:59,439 Speaker 1: problem for you? Yeah, and I think you're right. 856 00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:01,719 Speaker 3: Let's tell me more. What else go on? 857 00:46:01,800 --> 00:46:05,440 Speaker 2: Like those seven words will take you so far, And 858 00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:09,480 Speaker 2: it's so relaxing to be like, I'm actually not formulating, 859 00:46:09,520 --> 00:46:13,319 Speaker 2: we're not taking turns talking. I'm actually just absorbing and 860 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:15,840 Speaker 2: I'm gonna let Like I remember talking to Claire, my daughter, 861 00:46:16,280 --> 00:46:18,719 Speaker 2: during the pandemic, and she was such a she was 862 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:21,000 Speaker 2: so bright eyed the whole time she was baking and 863 00:46:21,080 --> 00:46:24,000 Speaker 2: learning Spanish and like doing the pandemic, like getting an 864 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:27,440 Speaker 2: a and pandemic. And then she cracked one day and 865 00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:30,000 Speaker 2: I said, what else? And she said lacrosse? Like we 866 00:46:30,040 --> 00:46:32,880 Speaker 2: can't play lacrosse, which means I'm not getting any exercise, 867 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:35,160 Speaker 2: which means like I'm sluggish all day. I'm like, what else? 868 00:46:35,440 --> 00:46:37,480 Speaker 2: She's like, there are no parties, like I just watched 869 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:39,960 Speaker 2: fash times at Ridgemont High. None of that is like 870 00:46:39,960 --> 00:46:42,440 Speaker 2: my high school experience. My high school experience is sitting 871 00:46:42,440 --> 00:46:46,160 Speaker 2: in my bedroom. What else go on? Everybody's fighting over 872 00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:47,760 Speaker 2: who can go to parties and who can't? 873 00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:49,279 Speaker 3: What else? I mean? 874 00:46:49,360 --> 00:46:53,239 Speaker 2: She must have had twenty five things and all we 875 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:57,560 Speaker 2: did was let them surface and I had no answers 876 00:46:57,600 --> 00:46:59,959 Speaker 2: at all. It was just like let the river run 877 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:02,480 Speaker 2: and Claire like say it all. I don't care. I'm 878 00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:04,360 Speaker 2: not going to stop you. We need to talk to 879 00:47:04,440 --> 00:47:05,400 Speaker 2: Kelly Moore. David. 880 00:47:05,760 --> 00:47:09,040 Speaker 4: I know, I know there's a thing called the midwife 881 00:47:09,080 --> 00:47:11,920 Speaker 4: model that your job in some conversations when somebody's hurting 882 00:47:12,600 --> 00:47:14,279 Speaker 4: is your job is not to be the You're not 883 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:16,760 Speaker 4: giving birth, You're just the midwife. You're helping the person 884 00:47:16,760 --> 00:47:17,239 Speaker 4: give birth. 885 00:47:17,400 --> 00:47:18,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah. 886 00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:24,080 Speaker 2: Accompanyment is a noble aspiration person to person. I've never 887 00:47:24,120 --> 00:47:26,480 Speaker 2: even heard of that, so I'm going to think about that. 888 00:47:26,800 --> 00:47:30,000 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's like a pianist accompanying a singer, Like the 889 00:47:30,040 --> 00:47:32,719 Speaker 4: pianist is paying attention to the singer and he knows 890 00:47:32,760 --> 00:47:34,640 Speaker 4: he's not the star, but he's doing what he can 891 00:47:34,680 --> 00:47:36,719 Speaker 4: to make her shiney. 892 00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:37,160 Speaker 2: Like coming up underneath. 893 00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:38,160 Speaker 3: It's so beautiful. 894 00:47:38,280 --> 00:47:41,000 Speaker 4: Yeah. 895 00:47:41,040 --> 00:47:44,600 Speaker 1: After this shortbreak, David, Kelly and I get very pragmatic 896 00:47:44,680 --> 00:47:47,960 Speaker 1: when it comes to having a good conversation about thorny 897 00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:56,120 Speaker 1: tough subjects, including current events. With no fees or minimums. 898 00:47:56,160 --> 00:47:59,279 Speaker 1: Banking with capital one is the easiest decision in the 899 00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:02,480 Speaker 1: history of decison, even easier than deciding to listen to 900 00:48:02,520 --> 00:48:06,760 Speaker 1: another episode of your favorite podcast and with no overdraft fees? 901 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:11,160 Speaker 1: Is it even a decision that's banking reimagined? What's in 902 00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:15,479 Speaker 1: your wallet? Terms apply see capitolwe dot com slash bank 903 00:48:15,760 --> 00:48:24,160 Speaker 1: Capital one NA member fdic Kelly and I are back 904 00:48:24,239 --> 00:48:28,440 Speaker 1: with David Brooks. I wanted to ask you, I just 905 00:48:28,640 --> 00:48:33,759 Speaker 1: you know, everything you've talked about, of course, is surfacing 906 00:48:34,080 --> 00:48:39,560 Speaker 1: in the aftermath of those horrific barbarian attacks in Israel 907 00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:43,960 Speaker 1: that were just honestly so unspeak I don't even I 908 00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:47,640 Speaker 1: think words failed to even describe what happened in Israel, 909 00:48:48,239 --> 00:48:52,480 Speaker 1: and now of course the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding 910 00:48:52,560 --> 00:48:57,120 Speaker 1: and Gaza. I think words failed there as well. But 911 00:48:57,239 --> 00:49:04,440 Speaker 1: the reaction, David has been so intense, so angry, so 912 00:49:04,680 --> 00:49:08,520 Speaker 1: lacking in humility. You know that maybe you don't have 913 00:49:08,640 --> 00:49:12,879 Speaker 1: all the answers, And I'm curious how you've seen that 914 00:49:12,960 --> 00:49:17,960 Speaker 1: in light of writing this book and are afraid social relationships, 915 00:49:18,800 --> 00:49:23,239 Speaker 1: how you've used your lens to watch this and analyze it. 916 00:49:24,239 --> 00:49:26,319 Speaker 4: Thank you for asking that. It's obviously been a very 917 00:49:26,320 --> 00:49:30,080 Speaker 4: intense period. I guess at first I've sometimes had the 918 00:49:30,120 --> 00:49:32,400 Speaker 4: thought that we're in this epic battle between the forces 919 00:49:32,440 --> 00:49:37,239 Speaker 4: of dehumanization and the forces of humanization. And if you 920 00:49:37,280 --> 00:49:40,880 Speaker 4: want to know dehumanization, the ultimate form is somebody who 921 00:49:40,880 --> 00:49:44,720 Speaker 4: can go to a music festival and murder and rape 922 00:49:44,719 --> 00:49:47,680 Speaker 4: innocent teenager, very young people. I mean, that is the 923 00:49:47,840 --> 00:49:49,000 Speaker 4: essence of dehumanization. 924 00:49:49,640 --> 00:49:53,359 Speaker 2: It's like they were characters in a video game or something, right. 925 00:49:53,360 --> 00:49:56,319 Speaker 4: It's the failure recognized the humanity of the people right 926 00:49:56,360 --> 00:49:59,000 Speaker 4: in front of you, and to cackle while you're killing them. 927 00:49:59,440 --> 00:50:03,040 Speaker 4: And then, Frank, I saw the Israeli defense ministers say 928 00:50:03,040 --> 00:50:06,520 Speaker 4: we're going to war against animals, and I think Hamas 929 00:50:06,600 --> 00:50:09,840 Speaker 4: is evil, but they are human beings and we just 930 00:50:09,880 --> 00:50:13,160 Speaker 4: shouldn't call human beings animals. First of all, it's not 931 00:50:13,160 --> 00:50:15,840 Speaker 4: fair to the animals. They're not going around committing genocide. 932 00:50:16,520 --> 00:50:19,480 Speaker 4: But also it's just we should always respect there's another 933 00:50:19,560 --> 00:50:21,440 Speaker 4: human being on the side here. 934 00:50:21,719 --> 00:50:25,480 Speaker 1: Well, I think more importantly is that Palestinians are you know, 935 00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:29,040 Speaker 1: Hamas doesn't represent all Palestinians. I mean, honestly, the way 936 00:50:29,080 --> 00:50:32,440 Speaker 1: they behaved, and maybe this is wrong. I had no 937 00:50:32,560 --> 00:50:36,080 Speaker 1: issue with him calling the people who committed these crimes 938 00:50:36,239 --> 00:50:40,880 Speaker 1: animals because they were subhuman. To your point, David, But 939 00:50:40,960 --> 00:50:45,560 Speaker 1: I think the mistake is tarrying all Palestinians living in 940 00:50:45,600 --> 00:50:47,560 Speaker 1: Gaza as such. 941 00:50:48,200 --> 00:50:50,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, and some people, you know, you have to fight 942 00:50:50,239 --> 00:50:52,880 Speaker 4: iron with iron. You can't like reason with hamas like, 943 00:50:53,320 --> 00:50:56,040 Speaker 4: you just have to fight them. And that's the grim reality. 944 00:50:56,400 --> 00:50:58,640 Speaker 4: But you know, I was late at night one night, 945 00:50:58,680 --> 00:51:01,680 Speaker 4: I was doom scrolling through Twitter or whatever whatever's left 946 00:51:01,719 --> 00:51:05,400 Speaker 4: of it, and I was seeing all the videos of 947 00:51:05,719 --> 00:51:08,160 Speaker 4: the kids were killed in Israel, the bombings and Gaza, 948 00:51:08,280 --> 00:51:12,800 Speaker 4: just ream of dehumanization. And then I scroll and somehow 949 00:51:12,800 --> 00:51:15,359 Speaker 4: in my Twitter feed there I come across a video 950 00:51:15,400 --> 00:51:17,760 Speaker 4: of a short interview with James Baldwin, the great novelist 951 00:51:17,840 --> 00:51:21,759 Speaker 4: from the fifties and sixties, and he's saying, there's not 952 00:51:21,840 --> 00:51:24,480 Speaker 4: as much humanity in the world as one would like, 953 00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:28,040 Speaker 4: but there's more than you think there's enough. And you 954 00:51:28,080 --> 00:51:29,799 Speaker 4: have to remember when you walk down the street and 955 00:51:29,840 --> 00:51:32,000 Speaker 4: you look at the other people, you have to remember 956 00:51:32,040 --> 00:51:35,520 Speaker 4: you're looking at you. That could be you. You could 957 00:51:35,520 --> 00:51:38,560 Speaker 4: be the cop, you could be the monster, you could 958 00:51:38,560 --> 00:51:40,759 Speaker 4: be the cruel person. And you just have to make 959 00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:44,120 Speaker 4: a conscious choice to decide not to be that. And 960 00:51:44,160 --> 00:51:47,040 Speaker 4: so in the midst of all this dehumanization. When you 961 00:51:47,080 --> 00:51:52,080 Speaker 4: see Baldwin, you see a defiant humanist, a person who's 962 00:51:52,120 --> 00:51:53,879 Speaker 4: not going to put away as humanity in the midst 963 00:51:53,920 --> 00:51:58,239 Speaker 4: of conflict, in the midst of racism, which is dehumanization, 964 00:51:58,800 --> 00:52:00,640 Speaker 4: who's going to try to extend end up for the 965 00:52:00,719 --> 00:52:04,000 Speaker 4: human dignity in the human mind. And I just found 966 00:52:04,040 --> 00:52:08,360 Speaker 4: that defiant humanism in the face of dehumanizing circumstances is 967 00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:10,719 Speaker 4: so inspiring. It's like Mendela coming out of prison in 968 00:52:10,760 --> 00:52:13,400 Speaker 4: South Africa. It's like gold in my ear in Israel, 969 00:52:13,480 --> 00:52:16,160 Speaker 4: in the Middle East, it's like Gandhi in India, like 970 00:52:16,280 --> 00:52:21,160 Speaker 4: in brutal circumstances, discovering your humanity. And I'm a big 971 00:52:21,160 --> 00:52:23,759 Speaker 4: fan of a woman named Eddie Hillissom who was a 972 00:52:23,840 --> 00:52:27,440 Speaker 4: Jewish woman and grew up in Amsterdam the thirties and forties, 973 00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:31,799 Speaker 4: and when the Nazis occupied Germany. At that point she 974 00:52:31,840 --> 00:52:34,680 Speaker 4: was twenty five and frankly self indulgent and a little spoiled. 975 00:52:35,719 --> 00:52:38,560 Speaker 4: But over the next few years she was transformed into 976 00:52:38,600 --> 00:52:41,719 Speaker 4: someone who was basically a human saint who spent her 977 00:52:41,760 --> 00:52:45,239 Speaker 4: time caring for those other Jews in Amsterdam who are 978 00:52:45,239 --> 00:52:48,759 Speaker 4: in danger of getting shipped to Auschwitz, and she was 979 00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:54,080 Speaker 4: remembered as this warm, glowing, other centered person, and her 980 00:52:54,160 --> 00:52:58,160 Speaker 4: biographer wrote of her, she changed by paying attention. She 981 00:52:58,280 --> 00:53:01,560 Speaker 4: paid close attention to the people who were suffering, and 982 00:53:01,640 --> 00:53:04,640 Speaker 4: by power of that attention, she sort of grew by looking. 983 00:53:05,640 --> 00:53:08,280 Speaker 4: And so she understood the anxiety in some of these voice, 984 00:53:08,360 --> 00:53:11,440 Speaker 4: the fear in somebody else's, and in that way she 985 00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:14,720 Speaker 4: was transformed. And I've always found her example of somebody 986 00:53:14,719 --> 00:53:18,280 Speaker 4: who refused to get numb by bitterness, and who insisted 987 00:53:18,320 --> 00:53:23,120 Speaker 4: on being open and available and giving and accompanying people 988 00:53:24,040 --> 00:53:25,560 Speaker 4: even in the most brutal time. 989 00:53:25,960 --> 00:53:28,840 Speaker 2: I actually think that goes to the single most important 990 00:53:28,840 --> 00:53:31,560 Speaker 2: line in your book, which is that our greatest moral 991 00:53:31,600 --> 00:53:33,000 Speaker 2: act is the quality of our attention. 992 00:53:34,320 --> 00:53:38,560 Speaker 1: You also quote Peggy Noonan saying people are proud of 993 00:53:38,600 --> 00:53:39,440 Speaker 1: their bitterness. 994 00:53:39,520 --> 00:53:43,040 Speaker 4: Now, yeah, in every one of Peggy's columns there are 995 00:53:43,080 --> 00:53:44,960 Speaker 4: like three or four sentences you want to clip out 996 00:53:44,960 --> 00:53:45,680 Speaker 4: and say forever. 997 00:53:46,160 --> 00:53:49,799 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's true, isn't it? But it is depressing. And 998 00:53:50,440 --> 00:53:55,800 Speaker 1: you know, I have been chagrined that this whole idea 999 00:53:55,800 --> 00:54:01,879 Speaker 1: of practicing dialectical thinking holding two opposing views at once. Yes, 1000 00:54:02,560 --> 00:54:08,680 Speaker 1: the Israeli policies towards Gaza have been in some cases inhumane, 1001 00:54:09,480 --> 00:54:17,359 Speaker 1: and this attack was unconscionable and deserves universal condemnation. And 1002 00:54:17,520 --> 00:54:20,359 Speaker 1: it just doesn't seem like people can hold those two 1003 00:54:20,480 --> 00:54:25,080 Speaker 1: thoughts at once. Some people can, but they're even being 1004 00:54:25,120 --> 00:54:29,040 Speaker 1: accused of being complicit if they're holding these two thoughts. 1005 00:54:29,080 --> 00:54:33,120 Speaker 1: And for me as a journalist, honestly, it's been very, 1006 00:54:33,239 --> 00:54:37,840 Speaker 1: very difficult to cover this because I get angry DMS 1007 00:54:37,960 --> 00:54:42,160 Speaker 1: twenty four to seven from both sides. And do you 1008 00:54:42,239 --> 00:54:46,359 Speaker 1: think they're people who are able to try to look 1009 00:54:46,400 --> 00:54:52,640 Speaker 1: at to have empathy for both places or are those 1010 00:54:52,680 --> 00:54:53,839 Speaker 1: people in the minority? 1011 00:54:54,320 --> 00:54:57,680 Speaker 2: And could we potentially gin up some empathy for the 1012 00:54:57,719 --> 00:55:01,359 Speaker 2: people who are so drawn to certainty, Like could we 1013 00:55:01,440 --> 00:55:05,240 Speaker 2: say to all the people in your DMS, of course 1014 00:55:05,280 --> 00:55:07,479 Speaker 2: you want it to be black and white. Of course 1015 00:55:07,520 --> 00:55:10,399 Speaker 2: you want it to be clear as day. Of course 1016 00:55:10,440 --> 00:55:12,799 Speaker 2: you want it to be unequivocal, Like we want that 1017 00:55:13,280 --> 00:55:18,080 Speaker 2: every time everything comes across our transom, that's what we do. 1018 00:55:18,320 --> 00:55:20,680 Speaker 2: We're sorting as fast as we can good or bad, 1019 00:55:20,719 --> 00:55:21,560 Speaker 2: good or bad, good or bad. 1020 00:55:21,880 --> 00:55:23,680 Speaker 1: But things aren't good or bad. I mean, I think 1021 00:55:23,719 --> 00:55:27,719 Speaker 1: you're talking about factor fiction, but things are messy right, 1022 00:55:27,760 --> 00:55:33,560 Speaker 1: they're nuanced, They're complicated totally. And people are so righteous, yes, 1023 00:55:34,239 --> 00:55:37,040 Speaker 1: and you can understand that. And I want to be empathetic, 1024 00:55:37,080 --> 00:55:40,400 Speaker 1: as you say, Kelly, to those who are righteous, because 1025 00:55:40,440 --> 00:55:44,279 Speaker 1: I think they are bearing the burden of, you know, 1026 00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:51,799 Speaker 1: decades of oppression or decades of fear, decades of anti Semitism, 1027 00:55:51,920 --> 00:55:56,920 Speaker 1: or decades of being thought you're less than because of 1028 00:55:56,960 --> 00:56:01,040 Speaker 1: your circumstances. So I get it. It's just so hard 1029 00:56:01,080 --> 00:56:01,880 Speaker 1: to navigate. 1030 00:56:02,000 --> 00:56:02,360 Speaker 2: David. 1031 00:56:02,760 --> 00:56:06,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, I covered it for twenty years or so, 1032 00:56:06,600 --> 00:56:09,439 Speaker 4: and it was the hardest thing to write about because 1033 00:56:09,440 --> 00:56:11,680 Speaker 4: people are so polarized about that as issue. But I 1034 00:56:11,719 --> 00:56:13,919 Speaker 4: remember once I was at a dinner at when Shimo 1035 00:56:14,000 --> 00:56:15,960 Speaker 4: and Peiz was president of Israel. Heated dinner with like 1036 00:56:16,000 --> 00:56:19,440 Speaker 4: forty or fifty people, and he invited the Palestinian leadership 1037 00:56:19,560 --> 00:56:22,279 Speaker 4: was there. I remember Abu Allah, who was a lead 1038 00:56:22,320 --> 00:56:26,120 Speaker 4: Palestinian negotiator, and then the Israeli people who had been 1039 00:56:26,120 --> 00:56:28,480 Speaker 4: in the peace process for all their lives. It was 1040 00:56:28,520 --> 00:56:31,359 Speaker 4: a un named Dan Meridor and others, and a bunch 1041 00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:34,200 Speaker 4: of journalists were invited, and there was such a warmth 1042 00:56:34,280 --> 00:56:36,920 Speaker 4: in the room that it was as if everybody in 1043 00:56:37,000 --> 00:56:38,600 Speaker 4: the room was like a bunch of old guys who 1044 00:56:38,640 --> 00:56:41,480 Speaker 4: were in the peace process business, and they had been 1045 00:56:41,520 --> 00:56:45,120 Speaker 4: through crises, they'd been through years and decades of negotiation, 1046 00:56:45,960 --> 00:56:48,520 Speaker 4: and I remember that warmth and there. This was back 1047 00:56:48,560 --> 00:56:51,799 Speaker 4: in the nineties when it really did seem like peace 1048 00:56:51,880 --> 00:56:54,520 Speaker 4: was at hand, and those were people who were just 1049 00:56:54,560 --> 00:56:57,520 Speaker 4: dealing with the complexities of the situation, like how do 1050 00:56:57,560 --> 00:57:01,480 Speaker 4: we have a settlement where the Palestine get sovereignty over 1051 00:57:01,560 --> 00:57:05,080 Speaker 4: the Aluxeamosque and the Jews get sovereignty over the Western Wall? 1052 00:57:05,680 --> 00:57:07,840 Speaker 4: How do you do that? How practicality is how you 1053 00:57:07,880 --> 00:57:12,400 Speaker 4: do it? Now, nobody's talking about practicalities. Frankly, it's all theater. 1054 00:57:12,760 --> 00:57:16,040 Speaker 4: It's all terror theater, and people are just trying to 1055 00:57:16,040 --> 00:57:19,800 Speaker 4: get their message and their narrative across without just the 1056 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:22,600 Speaker 4: elements of like how actually would you have a two 1057 00:57:22,640 --> 00:57:26,000 Speaker 4: state solution? And I think what's happened is that both 1058 00:57:26,000 --> 00:57:31,400 Speaker 4: sides have given up on practical thinking. They just have decided, well, 1059 00:57:31,480 --> 00:57:34,240 Speaker 4: we'll postpone when we get but we're going to get 1060 00:57:34,240 --> 00:57:36,240 Speaker 4: it all. Someday we're going to get it all. We're 1061 00:57:36,280 --> 00:57:38,960 Speaker 4: going to wish that the other side didn't exist. And 1062 00:57:39,000 --> 00:57:41,000 Speaker 4: that's just not true, and the other side is going 1063 00:57:41,040 --> 00:57:43,200 Speaker 4: to be there forever and ever, and yet we're into 1064 00:57:43,280 --> 00:57:45,760 Speaker 4: the just I want to make a statement on Instagram 1065 00:57:46,080 --> 00:57:48,480 Speaker 4: and that's how I wage my politics these days. 1066 00:57:48,240 --> 00:57:51,120 Speaker 2: And that's what wins. I mean nobody. I have this 1067 00:57:51,520 --> 00:57:54,360 Speaker 2: scientist friend, Lisa Feldman Barrett, who I think you know, David, 1068 00:57:54,560 --> 00:57:57,080 Speaker 2: and she's often quoted. She's like one of the top 1069 00:57:57,160 --> 00:58:00,480 Speaker 2: one percent of scientists quoted in other people's reach, but 1070 00:58:00,560 --> 00:58:02,880 Speaker 2: she's never in the paper. And I said, why aren't 1071 00:58:02,880 --> 00:58:04,600 Speaker 2: you in the paper? And she said, because I won't 1072 00:58:04,640 --> 00:58:08,080 Speaker 2: say unequivocal things. And that's not what anyone wants to hear. 1073 00:58:08,120 --> 00:58:10,720 Speaker 2: So the journalists hang up and they call another scientist 1074 00:58:10,720 --> 00:58:13,600 Speaker 2: who will say, oh, yes, it's always this or it's 1075 00:58:13,640 --> 00:58:18,560 Speaker 2: always that, like black and white cells, and nuance is exhausting, 1076 00:58:19,400 --> 00:58:24,040 Speaker 2: like vitriol is very energizing. Righteousness you talk faster, you 1077 00:58:24,080 --> 00:58:26,800 Speaker 2: sit up higher, you draw people to you. It's like 1078 00:58:26,880 --> 00:58:30,880 Speaker 2: a total ego buzz and like sitting around saying like, Eh, 1079 00:58:31,000 --> 00:58:33,360 Speaker 2: this is really complicated. Look what are you going to 1080 00:58:33,440 --> 00:58:33,960 Speaker 2: do about that? 1081 00:58:34,120 --> 00:58:37,480 Speaker 1: Well, it's an engagement through enragement, right, I mean exactly 1082 00:58:37,560 --> 00:58:40,160 Speaker 1: the whole name of the game. These days, you know, 1083 00:58:40,280 --> 00:58:42,280 Speaker 1: David Kelly, and I I think could talk to you 1084 00:58:42,360 --> 00:58:45,440 Speaker 1: all day. But I'm curious as you look to the 1085 00:58:45,480 --> 00:58:50,880 Speaker 1: future because i hate to say it, but I'm very pessimistic. 1086 00:58:51,200 --> 00:58:56,120 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess, you know, in terms of solving 1087 00:58:56,440 --> 00:59:00,520 Speaker 1: these issues and changing it on a macro level. So 1088 00:59:01,680 --> 00:59:04,120 Speaker 1: when all is said and done, is the best thing 1089 00:59:04,200 --> 00:59:07,800 Speaker 1: you can say to people is change your life on 1090 00:59:07,840 --> 00:59:13,080 Speaker 1: a personal level. That developing these bonds and these friendships 1091 00:59:13,160 --> 00:59:17,120 Speaker 1: will somehow bubble up and make the world a kinder, 1092 00:59:17,240 --> 00:59:21,240 Speaker 1: gentler place. To paraphrase George Bush Senior. 1093 00:59:22,520 --> 00:59:24,720 Speaker 4: You know, I think we need top down change, Like 1094 00:59:24,760 --> 00:59:26,560 Speaker 4: it's very hard to have a calm society when your 1095 00:59:26,600 --> 00:59:29,200 Speaker 4: political leaders are ripping it apart, ripping it to shreds 1096 00:59:29,200 --> 00:59:31,600 Speaker 4: from the top. But we also need bottom up And 1097 00:59:31,640 --> 00:59:34,280 Speaker 4: when you look at moments in world history where in 1098 00:59:34,360 --> 00:59:37,840 Speaker 4: societies have really turned themselves around, and there are examples 1099 00:59:37,840 --> 00:59:40,160 Speaker 4: of this and written in the between eighteen thirty and 1100 00:59:40,200 --> 00:59:42,800 Speaker 4: eighteen forty eight. In eighteen thirty, it was like a 1101 00:59:42,840 --> 00:59:47,120 Speaker 4: totally screwed up society where alcoholism was rampant, domestic violence 1102 00:59:47,200 --> 00:59:50,120 Speaker 4: was rampant, poverty and cruelty, and by eighteen forty eight, 1103 00:59:50,400 --> 00:59:52,800 Speaker 4: you know, it was suddenly no longer acceptable to get 1104 00:59:52,920 --> 00:59:55,360 Speaker 4: drunk and beat your wife the way it was acceptable 1105 00:59:55,360 --> 00:59:57,840 Speaker 4: thirty years before that, And so you had the beginnings 1106 00:59:57,840 --> 01:00:02,160 Speaker 4: of Victorian morality. And this country between eighteen ninety and 1107 01:00:02,360 --> 01:00:05,360 Speaker 4: nineteen twenty or so, we took a society that was 1108 01:00:05,440 --> 01:00:08,840 Speaker 4: pretty brutal, filled with economic uncertainty, and we became a 1109 01:00:08,920 --> 01:00:13,360 Speaker 4: much more trusting society. And so you need top down 1110 01:00:13,440 --> 01:00:16,480 Speaker 4: political change, like in the our case, the progressive movement 1111 01:00:16,480 --> 01:00:19,520 Speaker 4: in nineteen tens, but you also need bottom up civic 1112 01:00:19,520 --> 01:00:22,800 Speaker 4: and relational change and cultural change. And so to me, 1113 01:00:22,880 --> 01:00:26,320 Speaker 4: you can't have a society at the top with democracy 1114 01:00:26,920 --> 01:00:29,919 Speaker 4: if you don't have trust at the bottom. And two 1115 01:00:29,960 --> 01:00:32,840 Speaker 4: generations ago, if you ask people do you trust your neighbors, 1116 01:00:33,600 --> 01:00:37,200 Speaker 4: it's sixty percent say yeah, people my Neighborho's are pretty trustworthy. 1117 01:00:37,640 --> 01:00:40,760 Speaker 4: Now that's down to thirty percent and nineteen percent of 1118 01:00:40,800 --> 01:00:43,840 Speaker 4: millennials and Gen Z. And so the only way to 1119 01:00:43,880 --> 01:00:47,000 Speaker 4: fix that is trustworthy behavior, showing up for each other, 1120 01:00:47,680 --> 01:00:49,480 Speaker 4: having a sense that as I go through my life 1121 01:00:49,480 --> 01:00:53,240 Speaker 4: in the casual encounters of life at grocery store, at 1122 01:00:53,240 --> 01:00:55,800 Speaker 4: a coffee shop with somebody buying a cash register. There's 1123 01:00:55,840 --> 01:00:58,840 Speaker 4: a little hint of recognition with each other, and then 1124 01:00:59,160 --> 01:01:01,960 Speaker 4: better relationships with my neighbors, better still relationships with my 1125 01:01:01,960 --> 01:01:06,280 Speaker 4: close friends. And so I'm enmeshed in this dance, this 1126 01:01:06,440 --> 01:01:09,200 Speaker 4: dance of people who are looking at me and are 1127 01:01:09,240 --> 01:01:12,280 Speaker 4: hearing me in big ways in little ways, and then 1128 01:01:12,360 --> 01:01:14,440 Speaker 4: you begin to feel calm. Then you really kind of 1129 01:01:14,520 --> 01:01:18,080 Speaker 4: establish a trusting work relationship. But it requires those minute, 1130 01:01:18,120 --> 01:01:19,560 Speaker 4: daily interactions of life. 1131 01:01:20,000 --> 01:01:23,680 Speaker 1: When I ask the barista, how are you, she says, 1132 01:01:23,880 --> 01:01:28,120 Speaker 1: I'm good, Thank you for asking. I mean, it really 1133 01:01:28,240 --> 01:01:34,520 Speaker 1: only takes very simple interactions to have an open heart 1134 01:01:34,560 --> 01:01:38,600 Speaker 1: and to actually care in big ways but small ways 1135 01:01:38,640 --> 01:01:41,480 Speaker 1: as well, you know, to smile at the person on 1136 01:01:41,560 --> 01:01:45,440 Speaker 1: the street, or I don't know, I've always been that person. 1137 01:01:45,640 --> 01:01:48,280 Speaker 1: I don't know what it is about me, but I 1138 01:01:48,360 --> 01:01:51,480 Speaker 1: see part of my job is to make somebody's day 1139 01:01:51,520 --> 01:01:54,640 Speaker 1: a little bit better. And I sound like Shirley Temple 1140 01:01:54,760 --> 01:01:55,080 Speaker 1: right now. 1141 01:01:55,640 --> 01:01:56,520 Speaker 4: No, that's why we love you. 1142 01:01:56,600 --> 01:01:59,840 Speaker 2: Kaddun with you and you are making so many people. 1143 01:02:00,360 --> 01:02:02,920 Speaker 1: But Kelly, you too, and now David you too. I 1144 01:02:02,960 --> 01:02:06,040 Speaker 1: think it takes a little bit of effort. It takes 1145 01:02:06,720 --> 01:02:09,360 Speaker 1: a second, you know, And John gets mad at me 1146 01:02:09,440 --> 01:02:12,800 Speaker 1: sometimes when people occasionally approach me or they want a 1147 01:02:12,840 --> 01:02:16,680 Speaker 1: selfie or whatever. He says, exit question exit questions, because 1148 01:02:16,720 --> 01:02:19,600 Speaker 1: I do end up sort of hearing their life story 1149 01:02:19,720 --> 01:02:22,720 Speaker 1: in some cases. But I think, you know, if I 1150 01:02:22,800 --> 01:02:26,320 Speaker 1: can make someone happy or feel seen coming back to 1151 01:02:26,360 --> 01:02:31,040 Speaker 1: the book and feel important and they are by the way, 1152 01:02:31,680 --> 01:02:34,760 Speaker 1: I feel like that small amount of effort is so 1153 01:02:35,080 --> 01:02:37,160 Speaker 1: worth it. Plus I don't want them telling their friends 1154 01:02:37,160 --> 01:02:38,120 Speaker 1: I was a real bitch. 1155 01:02:39,960 --> 01:02:44,320 Speaker 2: They're sad as well. All altruism is self servey. 1156 01:02:44,440 --> 01:02:47,360 Speaker 3: You see, Taylor was riped. It all goes back to swift. 1157 01:02:48,840 --> 01:02:52,520 Speaker 2: Isn't there some great social science around the value of 1158 01:02:52,560 --> 01:02:53,240 Speaker 2: weak ties? 1159 01:02:53,720 --> 01:02:57,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, there's. First, as Katie was talking, when my youngest 1160 01:02:57,320 --> 01:02:59,680 Speaker 4: son was nine, somebody came up to me on the 1161 01:02:59,720 --> 01:03:02,240 Speaker 4: street to say that my work whatever. And my son 1162 01:03:02,280 --> 01:03:03,960 Speaker 4: looks at me afterwards and said, you know, they come 1163 01:03:03,960 --> 01:03:05,040 Speaker 4: for you, but they stay for. 1164 01:03:05,080 --> 01:03:10,400 Speaker 3: Me, so right, So right? Is he a stand up? 1165 01:03:11,040 --> 01:03:13,000 Speaker 4: He wanted to be at that age he wanted to 1166 01:03:13,040 --> 01:03:13,680 Speaker 4: be a stand up. 1167 01:03:13,760 --> 01:03:15,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's funny. 1168 01:03:15,520 --> 01:03:17,800 Speaker 4: There is. Yeah, the strength of weak ties is like 1169 01:03:18,040 --> 01:03:20,120 Speaker 4: if you want a job or you want an opportunity, 1170 01:03:20,440 --> 01:03:22,400 Speaker 4: the people you know well know all the things you know, 1171 01:03:22,680 --> 01:03:24,400 Speaker 4: but the people you don't know well know things you 1172 01:03:24,400 --> 01:03:28,160 Speaker 4: don't know, and so it's it's those weak connections. And conversely, 1173 01:03:28,680 --> 01:03:31,520 Speaker 4: you were talking about being nice to the barista. If 1174 01:03:31,920 --> 01:03:34,320 Speaker 4: if somebody at a cash register is cruel to me 1175 01:03:34,440 --> 01:03:38,120 Speaker 4: or aloof or cold and clearly pissed off at the world, 1176 01:03:38,680 --> 01:03:42,360 Speaker 4: it dampens your day. I mean, these these minute interactions 1177 01:03:42,800 --> 01:03:46,080 Speaker 4: are weirdly powerful and shaping how you go through, you know, life. 1178 01:03:46,480 --> 01:03:48,960 Speaker 2: Sometimes I have to nudge myself to look someone right 1179 01:03:49,000 --> 01:03:52,360 Speaker 2: in the eyes, Like I just did it yesterday, taking 1180 01:03:52,360 --> 01:03:55,920 Speaker 2: this oil painting class, and it was the last class, 1181 01:03:56,000 --> 01:04:01,080 Speaker 2: and I wanted to thank the instructor, and rather than 1182 01:04:01,120 --> 01:04:02,640 Speaker 2: I put a lot of words on it and do 1183 01:04:02,680 --> 01:04:04,680 Speaker 2: a big show, I just made sure that I had 1184 01:04:04,720 --> 01:04:08,200 Speaker 2: her eyes, you know, for two or three seconds, and 1185 01:04:08,240 --> 01:04:10,320 Speaker 2: I just said thank you so much. I've loved this 1186 01:04:11,840 --> 01:04:15,560 Speaker 2: and it was like a thing like eye contact, like 1187 01:04:15,680 --> 01:04:19,960 Speaker 2: real eye contact. Iyebought eyeball is more rare than I 1188 01:04:20,000 --> 01:04:24,400 Speaker 2: wish it was, because it's way more impactful than a 1189 01:04:24,400 --> 01:04:25,640 Speaker 2: whole bunch of words. 1190 01:04:26,360 --> 01:04:30,280 Speaker 1: Well, I love this book, and David, you know, I'm 1191 01:04:30,320 --> 01:04:31,200 Speaker 1: a huge fan. 1192 01:04:32,680 --> 01:04:34,160 Speaker 2: And I always have been. 1193 01:04:34,240 --> 01:04:38,600 Speaker 1: I find you're writing more often than not, Like Peggy 1194 01:04:38,680 --> 01:04:42,680 Speaker 1: Noonan's more than a phrase. I find the things you 1195 01:04:42,720 --> 01:04:47,760 Speaker 1: say really profound and really influenced me in a positive way. 1196 01:04:47,920 --> 01:04:50,800 Speaker 1: So I would like to say thank you for all 1197 01:04:50,840 --> 01:04:53,760 Speaker 1: your writing, thank you for being so vulnerable and honest 1198 01:04:53,840 --> 01:04:57,040 Speaker 1: about your desire to grow as a person, because I 1199 01:04:57,080 --> 01:05:00,760 Speaker 1: think all of us want that despite all the societal 1200 01:05:00,840 --> 01:05:03,880 Speaker 1: things that are swirling around us that are actually working 1201 01:05:03,960 --> 01:05:07,880 Speaker 1: against that. And you know, all I can say is 1202 01:05:08,080 --> 01:05:11,680 Speaker 1: I'm going to try to see people even more because 1203 01:05:11,720 --> 01:05:15,320 Speaker 1: I think we can always do better at that. And 1204 01:05:15,960 --> 01:05:19,120 Speaker 1: I think I'm also going to focus on my really 1205 01:05:19,680 --> 01:05:23,160 Speaker 1: deep relationships because I think for me, I have so 1206 01:05:23,280 --> 01:05:27,160 Speaker 1: many friends and so many acquaintances, and because I'm interested 1207 01:05:27,160 --> 01:05:31,200 Speaker 1: in everyone, sometimes I'm spread too thin and I can't 1208 01:05:31,200 --> 01:05:34,720 Speaker 1: be a good friend to the people who really really matter. 1209 01:05:35,280 --> 01:05:38,640 Speaker 1: So I think that's important too, because there just aren't 1210 01:05:38,760 --> 01:05:42,400 Speaker 1: enough hours in the day to have this kind of 1211 01:05:42,440 --> 01:05:43,720 Speaker 1: relationship with people. 1212 01:05:44,400 --> 01:05:46,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, that things were of being spread too thin. I 1213 01:05:46,320 --> 01:05:47,840 Speaker 4: was just talking to my wife about this, Like, we 1214 01:05:47,920 --> 01:05:51,080 Speaker 4: have a friend who her marriage split up, and we 1215 01:05:51,160 --> 01:05:52,800 Speaker 4: learned about it a couple weeks so, and we like, 1216 01:05:53,200 --> 01:05:55,240 Speaker 4: you should break everything and be there for her at 1217 01:05:55,280 --> 01:05:58,080 Speaker 4: that moment. But then we got this obligation in that obligation, 1218 01:05:58,640 --> 01:06:01,320 Speaker 4: and so I think we were thinking, you just have 1219 01:06:01,360 --> 01:06:03,920 Speaker 4: to be ruthless. Like whatever obligation we're going to have 1220 01:06:03,920 --> 01:06:06,520 Speaker 4: to break, we won't remember it, but we will remember 1221 01:06:06,640 --> 01:06:10,160 Speaker 4: being there for her at that moment, and I will say, 1222 01:06:10,560 --> 01:06:12,800 Speaker 4: it's just such a pleasure to be with you. Guys. 1223 01:06:12,800 --> 01:06:15,320 Speaker 4: You guys are the superstars of this skill I'm trying 1224 01:06:15,320 --> 01:06:17,720 Speaker 4: to learn. And Katie, where you just did there? Like 1225 01:06:18,160 --> 01:06:19,720 Speaker 4: one way one of the things I learned is how 1226 01:06:19,720 --> 01:06:22,480 Speaker 4: to end a conversation is you thank somebody for their time, 1227 01:06:22,480 --> 01:06:26,480 Speaker 4: but then you specify something you really appreciated they told you, 1228 01:06:27,360 --> 01:06:29,600 Speaker 4: and then you say it thanks, it's been great to 1229 01:06:29,600 --> 01:06:31,760 Speaker 4: be with you. And when they end the conversation gracefully 1230 01:06:31,760 --> 01:06:33,840 Speaker 4: in that way, it's like they put a cherry on 1231 01:06:33,920 --> 01:06:36,240 Speaker 4: top you feel. You feel, oh yeah, what they liked 1232 01:06:36,280 --> 01:06:38,800 Speaker 4: about me is when I said that interesting thing about 1233 01:06:39,040 --> 01:06:41,320 Speaker 4: or told that interesting story and you think, wow, that 1234 01:06:41,960 --> 01:06:45,480 Speaker 4: person's a great listener. So another discreete tip on how 1235 01:06:45,480 --> 01:06:46,960 Speaker 4: to end conversations gracefully. 1236 01:06:47,040 --> 01:06:49,240 Speaker 2: All right, so here's my ending for you. I was 1237 01:06:49,280 --> 01:06:51,440 Speaker 2: gonna say, I don't want it to end go ahead, Kelly. 1238 01:06:52,160 --> 01:06:53,959 Speaker 3: I like that you've been willing to. 1239 01:06:55,480 --> 01:07:00,680 Speaker 2: Modulate in public, Like I think that there's real fear 1240 01:07:00,720 --> 01:07:03,560 Speaker 2: of people public figures saying I was wrong or I 1241 01:07:03,640 --> 01:07:06,040 Speaker 2: changed my mind, and I think it's to the great 1242 01:07:06,040 --> 01:07:08,640 Speaker 2: detriment of society. Like people should change their mind as 1243 01:07:08,680 --> 01:07:12,240 Speaker 2: new information becomes available, as new evidence surfaces, we should 1244 01:07:12,280 --> 01:07:17,280 Speaker 2: adjust accordingly, of course, And for some reason, it's sort 1245 01:07:17,320 --> 01:07:21,560 Speaker 2: of not done with public figures. And the way that 1246 01:07:21,600 --> 01:07:26,040 Speaker 2: your feelings about your party, the Republican Party have evolved 1247 01:07:26,320 --> 01:07:29,200 Speaker 2: over time for all of us to see, I think 1248 01:07:29,320 --> 01:07:33,160 Speaker 2: is a model for other people whose feelings might similarly 1249 01:07:33,200 --> 01:07:38,520 Speaker 2: be evolving over time. And it's essential that we set 1250 01:07:38,720 --> 01:07:40,400 Speaker 2: each other free in this way. 1251 01:07:41,520 --> 01:07:43,560 Speaker 3: So thanks, thank you. 1252 01:07:43,560 --> 01:07:46,720 Speaker 4: You know, I've always thought politics is a competition between 1253 01:07:46,800 --> 01:07:51,240 Speaker 4: partial truths, that in most issues both sides have something right, 1254 01:07:52,160 --> 01:07:54,120 Speaker 4: and the key is to try to find the balance 1255 01:07:54,160 --> 01:07:57,840 Speaker 4: in that circumstance. And you never, I found you never 1256 01:07:57,880 --> 01:07:59,920 Speaker 4: want to be too especially as a journalist, to be 1257 01:08:00,160 --> 01:08:03,080 Speaker 4: too associated with one party or not. And so I 1258 01:08:03,160 --> 01:08:06,240 Speaker 4: was conservative. I was never really Republican because I didn't 1259 01:08:06,280 --> 01:08:07,840 Speaker 4: want to be part of a team, because that like 1260 01:08:07,920 --> 01:08:10,400 Speaker 4: limits your thinking. And now one of my heroes is 1261 01:08:10,440 --> 01:08:13,840 Speaker 4: this guy at Philosopher, Isaiah Eberlyn. He said, I'm on 1262 01:08:13,880 --> 01:08:16,960 Speaker 4: the right word edge of the left word tendency, and 1263 01:08:17,040 --> 01:08:19,120 Speaker 4: so that's where I am these days. I'm on the 1264 01:08:19,160 --> 01:08:21,599 Speaker 4: right word edge of the left wore tendency. So happy 1265 01:08:21,600 --> 01:08:22,040 Speaker 4: to be there. 1266 01:08:22,600 --> 01:08:26,360 Speaker 1: Oh my god, a whole other podcast about what the 1267 01:08:26,360 --> 01:08:29,439 Speaker 1: hell is happening with the GOP, David, But that'll have 1268 01:08:29,600 --> 01:08:32,719 Speaker 1: to be for your next book or your next column, 1269 01:08:32,800 --> 01:08:36,439 Speaker 1: because what a mess. But we'll lend on a happier note. 1270 01:08:36,479 --> 01:08:39,360 Speaker 1: Good luck with the book, David. I really hope people 1271 01:08:39,400 --> 01:08:42,000 Speaker 1: will read it because I do think it'll improve their lives. 1272 01:08:42,160 --> 01:08:44,559 Speaker 1: And are you doing a big book tour? Are you 1273 01:08:44,640 --> 01:08:46,559 Speaker 1: talking to a lot of people? How are you getting 1274 01:08:46,560 --> 01:08:47,120 Speaker 1: the word out? 1275 01:08:47,360 --> 01:08:49,439 Speaker 4: Yeah? I get to go on a tour of America. 1276 01:08:49,479 --> 01:08:51,840 Speaker 4: I tell my musician friends, imagine a rock tour with 1277 01:08:51,880 --> 01:08:55,720 Speaker 4: all the fun taken out, and so it's like, I mean, 1278 01:08:55,760 --> 01:08:57,760 Speaker 4: the fun part is I get to meet people and 1279 01:08:57,800 --> 01:08:59,760 Speaker 4: give talks and you know, do signings. 1280 01:09:00,240 --> 01:09:03,200 Speaker 2: Thank you so much, and Kelly, what a treat to 1281 01:09:03,240 --> 01:09:04,840 Speaker 2: have you with me anytime. 1282 01:09:05,080 --> 01:09:08,760 Speaker 1: David, You're the best. My love to Anne and thank 1283 01:09:08,800 --> 01:09:10,040 Speaker 1: you for writing this book. 1284 01:09:10,640 --> 01:09:13,360 Speaker 4: Thank you for doing this. Of course, deeply appreciate both 1285 01:09:13,360 --> 01:09:14,080 Speaker 4: of you, LEAs. 1286 01:09:20,920 --> 01:09:23,840 Speaker 2: So Kelly, that was so fun. That was so fun. 1287 01:09:24,000 --> 01:09:25,759 Speaker 2: I know, I loved it. It was great. 1288 01:09:26,280 --> 01:09:29,280 Speaker 1: Thank you for doing this with me. I loved that conversation, 1289 01:09:29,360 --> 01:09:31,760 Speaker 1: and I honestly I loved having it with you. 1290 01:09:31,960 --> 01:09:34,519 Speaker 2: Well, I'll do it anytime. I loved it too, and 1291 01:09:34,560 --> 01:09:37,519 Speaker 2: I love seeing your little face. I was just thinking 1292 01:09:37,560 --> 01:09:40,439 Speaker 2: that the one question that we didn't get to fall 1293 01:09:40,479 --> 01:09:43,200 Speaker 2: into was the male female side of this, which is 1294 01:09:43,240 --> 01:09:47,000 Speaker 2: to say, it's really quite different in terms of potential 1295 01:09:47,040 --> 01:09:51,360 Speaker 2: impact for this kind of content to be coming from 1296 01:09:51,400 --> 01:09:59,439 Speaker 2: a conservative male columnist rather than say, a female psychologist, right. 1297 01:10:00,000 --> 01:10:03,840 Speaker 2: And I was also laughing sometimes when I was reading it. 1298 01:10:03,880 --> 01:10:05,240 Speaker 2: I was thinking, Oh, this is going to be so 1299 01:10:05,360 --> 01:10:07,160 Speaker 2: funny for Katie and I to be talking to him 1300 01:10:07,160 --> 01:10:09,799 Speaker 2: about this, because you and I are like holding people 1301 01:10:09,800 --> 01:10:13,479 Speaker 2: in the supermarket checkout line, you know, because they're telling 1302 01:10:13,600 --> 01:10:18,200 Speaker 2: us things on a street corner that he is just 1303 01:10:18,360 --> 01:10:21,920 Speaker 2: now learning how to elicit from a person. And I 1304 01:10:22,080 --> 01:10:27,920 Speaker 2: just wonder if many female listeners will agree that we 1305 01:10:28,120 --> 01:10:33,840 Speaker 2: have a tremendous amount of practice in this kind of conversation. 1306 01:10:34,240 --> 01:10:38,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, and a distinct advantage yeah, and well, I think 1307 01:10:38,560 --> 01:10:43,360 Speaker 1: men are conditioned to keep a type less emotionally attuned 1308 01:10:43,400 --> 01:10:46,280 Speaker 1: to people. So I think I hope men read this book. 1309 01:10:47,280 --> 01:10:51,000 Speaker 1: And although I really think everyone could use it, I 1310 01:10:51,040 --> 01:10:55,040 Speaker 1: think yes, women are I think more emotionally available. Although 1311 01:10:55,080 --> 01:10:57,840 Speaker 1: you can't generalize too much, but I think all of 1312 01:10:57,920 --> 01:11:00,800 Speaker 1: us could learn. I mean, I feel like I could 1313 01:11:00,840 --> 01:11:04,280 Speaker 1: be better. And I also think the bottom line of 1314 01:11:04,320 --> 01:11:08,320 Speaker 1: what David talked about, which is kind of captain obvious here, 1315 01:11:08,360 --> 01:11:12,240 Speaker 1: but I'm going to say it anyway, is is ask questions. 1316 01:11:12,720 --> 01:11:17,120 Speaker 1: You know, if you're in a social situation, or you 1317 01:11:17,240 --> 01:11:21,080 Speaker 1: are out on a date or with people. If you 1318 01:11:21,320 --> 01:11:25,760 Speaker 1: ask questions, if you are interested, people love to tell 1319 01:11:25,800 --> 01:11:30,880 Speaker 1: you their story. They love to talk about themselves. And conversely, 1320 01:11:31,600 --> 01:11:35,000 Speaker 1: if somebody doesn't ask you a question, you know, if 1321 01:11:35,040 --> 01:11:37,479 Speaker 1: you're out on a date or something, you know, I 1322 01:11:37,560 --> 01:11:40,360 Speaker 1: say this to people I know who are single and 1323 01:11:40,439 --> 01:11:46,240 Speaker 1: the person doesn't ask you a question, check please, because bbye, 1324 01:11:46,840 --> 01:11:51,400 Speaker 1: you know no kind of empathy or interest or curiosity 1325 01:11:51,439 --> 01:11:54,760 Speaker 1: about you. So I think whenever you find yourself in 1326 01:11:54,800 --> 01:11:58,760 Speaker 1: a sticky situation or you're at a party, just ask 1327 01:11:58,920 --> 01:12:04,960 Speaker 1: questions and everything else will follow. It's so simple. But 1328 01:12:05,120 --> 01:12:09,760 Speaker 1: something that I think people are not necessarily taught. So 1329 01:12:10,080 --> 01:12:16,639 Speaker 1: that would be my closing observation and instruction to everyone listening, 1330 01:12:17,560 --> 01:12:20,200 Speaker 1: be interested, be curious, and ask questions. 1331 01:12:20,600 --> 01:12:22,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think I would double down on that, 1332 01:12:23,000 --> 01:12:25,880 Speaker 2: which is is you're you're like one great question away 1333 01:12:26,840 --> 01:12:32,280 Speaker 2: from something new, Like you're one question away from learning 1334 01:12:32,320 --> 01:12:35,400 Speaker 2: something that you don't understand right now, or from a 1335 01:12:35,479 --> 01:12:39,120 Speaker 2: feeling that you haven't had in a while, or the 1336 01:12:39,160 --> 01:12:42,160 Speaker 2: beginning of a friendship like it's you're literally. 1337 01:12:41,840 --> 01:12:42,639 Speaker 3: One question away. 1338 01:12:42,800 --> 01:12:46,479 Speaker 2: It couldn't be simpler or cheaper, and it couldn't be 1339 01:12:46,560 --> 01:12:47,360 Speaker 2: more impactful. 1340 01:12:55,640 --> 01:12:58,840 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening everyone. If you have a question for me, 1341 01:12:59,240 --> 01:13:01,720 Speaker 1: a subject you want us to cover, or you want 1342 01:13:01,760 --> 01:13:05,120 Speaker 1: to share your thoughts about how you navigate this crazy world, 1343 01:13:05,479 --> 01:13:08,400 Speaker 1: reach out. You can leave a short message at six 1344 01:13:08,560 --> 01:13:12,240 Speaker 1: oh nine five point two five five five, or you 1345 01:13:12,280 --> 01:13:14,960 Speaker 1: can send me a DM on Instagram. I would love 1346 01:13:15,000 --> 01:13:18,000 Speaker 1: to hear from you. Next Question is a production of 1347 01:13:18,040 --> 01:13:22,400 Speaker 1: iHeartMedia and Katie Kuric Media. The executive producers are Me, 1348 01:13:22,760 --> 01:13:27,479 Speaker 1: Katie Kuric, and Courtney Ltz. Our supervising producer is Ryan Marx, 1349 01:13:28,040 --> 01:13:32,919 Speaker 1: and our producers are Adriana Fazzio and Meredith Barnes. Julian 1350 01:13:32,960 --> 01:13:38,080 Speaker 1: Weller composed our theme music. For more information about today's episode, 1351 01:13:38,280 --> 01:13:40,639 Speaker 1: or to sign up for my newsletter, wake Up Call, 1352 01:13:41,120 --> 01:13:44,000 Speaker 1: go to the description in the podcast app, or visit 1353 01:13:44,120 --> 01:13:47,280 Speaker 1: us at Katiecuric dot com. You can also find me 1354 01:13:47,360 --> 01:13:51,080 Speaker 1: on Instagram and all my social media channels. For more 1355 01:13:51,160 --> 01:13:56,479 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 1356 01:13:56,479 --> 01:14:02,960 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows with no fees 1357 01:14:03,080 --> 01:14:06,559 Speaker 1: or minimums. 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