Why Does Inconsiderate, Self-centered, Foolish, Uncivilized Behavior Surprise Us?

     "We live in a society that encourages us to think about how to have a great career but leaves many of us inarticulate about how to cultivate the inner life. The competition to succeed and win admiration is so fierce that it becomes all-consuming. The consumer marketplace encourages us to live by a utilitarian calculus, to satisfy our desires and lose sight of the moral stakes involved in everyday decisions. The noise of fast and shallow communications makes it harder to hear the quieter sounds that emanate from the depths. We live in a culture that teaches us to promote and advertise ourselves and to master the skills required for success, but that gives little encouragement to humility, sympathy, and honest self-confrontation, which are necessary for building character."                            David Brooks. "The Road to Character." Random House, NY, 2015.

     "We happen to live in a society that favors ... characteristics that turns you into a shrewd animal that treats life as a game. You become a cold, calculating creature, who slips into a sort of mediocrity."                                        David Brooks, from his TEDtalk below