I was about to comment approvingly and then recalled that I don’t have any clear memory of ever having actually read Brooks. I feel like I’ve read him, though, because I’ve read so much writing about him. My impression from various critiques I’ve read is that he takes a reasonable and humanistic approach to an issue, and then winds up with an amiably expressed conclusion that is similar to what a lot of assholes are saying.
My guess-- on zero evidence-- would be that like most of us, he has an emotional conviction, and then uses cherry-picking and confirmation bias etc. to get to the conclusion he wants. Then he talks about it in a less overheated way than many people whose brand is different from his.
A friend has been nudging me to join a book club for a few years and even added me to the book club's email list. I think he did this hoping the book titles and (presumably) insightful back and forth would intice me to join. Well, I darn near did, but then came some praise from a few of the members for David Brooks's recent meanderings on why Americans are mean to each other. It became clear to me that this is not the book club I'm looking for and what you've put here has made me even more confident in my decision. Thanks. I was not aware of the Ta-Nehisi Coates thing. That is just all kinds of wrong. I'd guess that one of Brooks's problems (at least) is white fragility.
“I’m am hard-pressed to think of a writer who has been less genuinely illuminating while having more public influence in my lifetime than David Brooks.”
I used to read Brooks in the aughts. It sticks in my memory that there was lightly dusted racism in his columns. Correct me if I'm misremembering, but he used to portray unfortunate actions or trends in the Black community as failures of the Black family in providing children with a moral formation. But the same actions/events in a white setting were not subject to the same analysis and judgement. And he never seemed to see the connection between the Republican policies he supported and the tribulations of working families on which he lavished his pompous prose.
An overall comment - I'm new to reading your work. I'm usually a skimmer(especially NYTimes pieces and any long blocks of text.) But, your Substack writings really draw me in, even when I don't really think I'll be interested in your topic. You say things, and I appreciate that. What brought me in was your reading recommendation - to be honest I didn't think you'd respond - but you did and gave me a great rec ( Sweet Lamb of Heaven by Lydia Millet). So bravo and thanks for intriguing reading opportunities.
I grew up hating David Brooks for his dour hypocrisy - Shields was so merry (and politically spot-on). I was able to ignore Brooks as an adult, coming of age with the internet and so on, until lockdown when I had public radio on constantly to keep from tearing my hair out. For some reason, his “reasonable” advice on how to build character pushed all my buttons, even more so than the blatant BS coming from Cuomo, Trump and everyone else. Thank you for commiserating. I found this post because someone I volunteer with on a local arts non profit sent around a Brooks column, allowing us to congratulate ourselves on the good work we’re doing. Instead, I rage-typed “Why is David Brooks such a hypocrite?” in my search bot, and, maybe AI isn’t such a bad evil overlord after all, because I landed here. 🙏 thanks Darth Google 🙌. The Road to the Road to Character was the Saturday afternoon read I needed.
I was about to comment approvingly and then recalled that I don’t have any clear memory of ever having actually read Brooks. I feel like I’ve read him, though, because I’ve read so much writing about him. My impression from various critiques I’ve read is that he takes a reasonable and humanistic approach to an issue, and then winds up with an amiably expressed conclusion that is similar to what a lot of assholes are saying.
My guess-- on zero evidence-- would be that like most of us, he has an emotional conviction, and then uses cherry-picking and confirmation bias etc. to get to the conclusion he wants. Then he talks about it in a less overheated way than many people whose brand is different from his.
A friend has been nudging me to join a book club for a few years and even added me to the book club's email list. I think he did this hoping the book titles and (presumably) insightful back and forth would intice me to join. Well, I darn near did, but then came some praise from a few of the members for David Brooks's recent meanderings on why Americans are mean to each other. It became clear to me that this is not the book club I'm looking for and what you've put here has made me even more confident in my decision. Thanks. I was not aware of the Ta-Nehisi Coates thing. That is just all kinds of wrong. I'd guess that one of Brooks's problems (at least) is white fragility.
I am so happy that you are off Twitter. Thank you. People seem to continue to offer excuses for why they stay on it.
“I’m am hard-pressed to think of a writer who has been less genuinely illuminating while having more public influence in my lifetime than David Brooks.”
Just gratified that such a quest exists!
I used to read Brooks in the aughts. It sticks in my memory that there was lightly dusted racism in his columns. Correct me if I'm misremembering, but he used to portray unfortunate actions or trends in the Black community as failures of the Black family in providing children with a moral formation. But the same actions/events in a white setting were not subject to the same analysis and judgement. And he never seemed to see the connection between the Republican policies he supported and the tribulations of working families on which he lavished his pompous prose.
Articulates views I feel about Brooks when I see him on PBS News Hour. He annoys me and I couldn't say why until I read your piece.
An overall comment - I'm new to reading your work. I'm usually a skimmer(especially NYTimes pieces and any long blocks of text.) But, your Substack writings really draw me in, even when I don't really think I'll be interested in your topic. You say things, and I appreciate that. What brought me in was your reading recommendation - to be honest I didn't think you'd respond - but you did and gave me a great rec ( Sweet Lamb of Heaven by Lydia Millet). So bravo and thanks for intriguing reading opportunities.
I grew up hating David Brooks for his dour hypocrisy - Shields was so merry (and politically spot-on). I was able to ignore Brooks as an adult, coming of age with the internet and so on, until lockdown when I had public radio on constantly to keep from tearing my hair out. For some reason, his “reasonable” advice on how to build character pushed all my buttons, even more so than the blatant BS coming from Cuomo, Trump and everyone else. Thank you for commiserating. I found this post because someone I volunteer with on a local arts non profit sent around a Brooks column, allowing us to congratulate ourselves on the good work we’re doing. Instead, I rage-typed “Why is David Brooks such a hypocrite?” in my search bot, and, maybe AI isn’t such a bad evil overlord after all, because I landed here. 🙏 thanks Darth Google 🙌. The Road to the Road to Character was the Saturday afternoon read I needed.