The Road to Character

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • David Brooks challenges us to rebalance the scales between the focus on external success—“résumé virtues”—and our core principles. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE ECONOMIST

Characters

David Brooks (6)

The central fallacy in modern life is that accomplishments can produce deep satisfaction. That's false.

— David Brooks, amazon.com

How To Think Philosophy Advice Success Thinking

The average college GPA for a self-made millionaire is somewhere in the low B range. But at some crucial point in their lives, somebody told them they were too stupid to do something and they set out to prove the bastards wrong.

— David Brooks, amazon.com

character Failure Success success advice Advice

We can be knowledgeable with other men’s knowledge, but we can’t be wise with other men’s wisdom.” That’s because wisdom isn’t a body of information. It’s the moral quality of knowing what you don’t know and figuring out a way to handle your ignorance, uncertainty, and limitation.

— David Brooks, amazon.com

How To Think character The Person You'll Become

We don’t become better because we acquire new information. We become better because we acquire better loves. We don’t become what we know. Education is a process of love formation. When you go to a school, it should offer you new things to love.

— David Brooks, amazon.com

character Love Becoming The Person You'll Become

The sensitive person understands that each person's ordeal is unique and should not be compared to anyone else's. Next, they do the practical things: making lunch, dusting the room, washing the towels. They don't try to minimize what is going on. They don't attempt to reassure with false, saccharine…

— David Brooks, amazon.com

How To Think Philosophy character Thought Leading

Success leads to the greatest failure, which is pride. Failure leads to the greatest success, which is humility and learning.

— David Brooks, amazon.com

character Principle Philosophy Thinking Thought

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