Liberal Arts Blog — “The Greatest Life Hacks in the World (for Now)”, David Brooks (NYT)

Liberal Arts Blog — Tuesday is the Joy of Literature, Language, Religion, and Culture Day

Today’s Topic: “The Greatest Life Hacks in the World (for Now)”, David Brooks (NYT)

David Brooks is an extraordinarily prolific centrist commentator on politics and culture. He is a regular columnist at the New York Times. Although a Republican, he supported Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020. He recently had a column with a selection of “life hacks” from another journalist, Kevin Kelly, plus a few more from various sources. I found some them so good, I decided to share them with you. Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.

GETTING CHEATED, APOLOGIES, NOT YOUR FAULT

1. “Getting cheated occasionally is a small price to pay for trusting the best in everyone, because when you trust the best in others, they will treat you the best.”

2. “It’s not an apology if it comes with an excuse.”

3. “Just because it’s not your fault doesn’t mean it’s not your responsibility.”

WHAT THEY THINK OF YOU, SEEING A MOUSE, WRITING STUFF DOWN

1. “Ignore what they are thinking of you, because they are not thinking of you.”

2. “If you think you saw a mouse, you did and if there is one, there are many.”

3. “The biggest lie we tell ourselves is, “I don’t need to write this down because I will remember it.”

CARRYING IT ALL, MAKING THE CALL, FURTIVE

1. “If you are not sure you can carry it all, take two trips.”

2. “Always make the call. If you’re disturbed or confused by something somebody did, always pick up the phone.”

3. “Never be furtive. If you’re doing something you don’t want others to find out about, it’s probably wrong.”

NB: “You can always tell someone to go to hell tomorrow.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/02/opinion/david-brooks-life-hacks.html

David Brooks (commentator) — Wikipedia

ATTACHMENTS BELOW:

#1 A graphic guide to justice (9 metaphors on one page).

#2 “39 Songs, Prayers, and Poems: the Keys to the Hearts of Seven Billion People” — Adams House Senior Common Room Presentation, 11/17/20

Here is a link to the last four years of posts organized by theme: (including the book on foreign policy)

PDF with headlines — Google Drive

YOUR TURN

Please share the coolest thing you learned this week related to words, language, literature, religion, culture. Or, even better, the coolest or most important thing you learned in your life related to Words, Language, Literature (eg. quotes, poetry, vocabulary) that you have not yet shared.

This is your chance to make someone else’s day. Or to cement in your own mind something that you might otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply than otherwise about something dear to your heart. Continuity is key to depth of thought.