Repairing What Politics Can’t Fix: David Brooks on Trust, Morality, and Our Search for Meaning

We live in a difficult time. People have their opinions about how to solve problems, but distrust runs deep. People make promises—especially our politicians—but they can’t always deliver on those promises. In our season one finale, bestselling author and columnist David Brooks joins The Echoes Podcast to explore what’s really missing—and how we might find it again. Brooks helps us see that what’s broken in our world is not simply political, but spiritual and relational. He shares stories of moral formation and vulnerability, and together we practice the simple but powerful act of asking good questions. Along the way, we reflect on the limits of AI, the enduring power of art, and why overinvesting in friendship might just be the hope we need.

David Brooks is the author of The Road to Character, The Second Mountain, and How to Know a Person. A columnist for The New York Times and The Atlantic, he’s known for exploring the intersection of politics, culture, and morality.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Road to Character and How to Know a Person by David Brooks

• East of Eden by John Steinbeck

• The Gift by Lewis Hyde (referenced contextually)

• Ronald Reagan’s address at the Laymen’s Leadership Institute in 1974 (excerpted clip begins at 6:50).

• “Remembering Jim Lehrer” on PBS

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