David Brooks: Should you live for your résumé ... or your eulogy?

Within each of us are two selves, suggests David Brooks in this meditative short talk: the self who craves success, who builds a résumé, and the self who seeks connection, community, love -- the values that make for a great eulogy. Can we balance these two selves? Perhaps, once we know them both.

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[famousamos]

As I grow older, I realize love and compassion for people is more important than materialistic success.

[vscardigno]

“Adam 1 is built by building on your strengths, Adam 2 is built by fighting your weaknesses” This is a very profound statement. Every leader that I’ve ever had that defaults to their strengths when discussing performance and or expectations comes off as if they’re trying to buy respect from the team. Rarely are they able to purchase it. The leaders that are truly respected are the ones who were humble enough to identify their weaknesses, had the courage to share those weakness with the team, and motivated enough to take the steps required to improve.

[lanyserogers]

As I watch the second Ted Talk for the leadership course I'm currently taking, I realize my professor isn't trying to create "leaders, " he's creating REAL PEOPLE. The world is driven by money and success. If. you don't have either, it feels like FOMO. These videos help to ground us as people and truly LIVE life not for temporary satisfactions. To be of service to ourselves and others without promised benefits is a life well lived.

[jessicakaitlynjohnson]

Amazing speech he gave, gave me chills!! so true

[robertmclean]

Amazing presentation! I've watched it repeatedly. There is great wisdom in these words if you take the time to ponder them. Don't judge the video, strive to understand it.

[anotherdoorcommunity]

Watching this again. Needs a little reminder every now and then!

[jessicafaust]

When I was younger there was a lot more love and compassion for others, but as the years have passed I have realized that a lot of people have lost that. I have seen a lot more hate in others and I do not understand why. We are not to judge others, yet more than half the population is about judging, and who is better than the next, or who has more than the next. We all need a reality check. Life is to short to be that miserable to try to make someone elses life miserable. Mr Brooks you hit it right on the head with this.

[jasonmartinez]

When I was in my 20s, I was lead to believe that our resume and our eulogy would be the same thing. Ever notice when a celebrity dies, the news media will focus on their legacy and their contribution to the music world or the sports world or the entertainment world or the world of politics. When I was young, lots of us thought, "Yeah, that's the way to go! A life well lived!"

[HeartofTarts]

"Nothing worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime. Therefore we must be save by hope."

[MasterX]

The inner self is just as important as the outer self, but we need to connect both and used them to a balanced potential to help others and make a better version of yourself at the same time. That's my view on life, succeed to make others happy, but failure to your everyday goals to make better goals tomorrow and increase yourself to make a stronger you.

[CraigDavison]

I truly believe in this sentiment. So often I see the wrong people get the job or should I say I don't see the right person getting the job.

Skills are easily acquired by most, where there is a desire to learn and to give all that you can regardless of any reward. People generally cannot learn selflessness or patients or gratitude, modesty or to be humble in all that they do. Providing you have an ounce of intelligence you can't not be successful if you live the life of Adam two, it just happens. Without Commitment Adam one will, no matter what his skills, ultimately fail. He is building his success in a house of cards.

[diannalovesfood]

You would think the people who listen to TED talks would be smart enough for critical listening...the fact that they complain of his use of religion shows their ignorance of the benefits of diversity. Just because you aren't religious doesn't mean his points are invalid. You can have hope faith and forgiveness just in the case of human interactions and your relationships with others. We all have a internal sense of what is right or wrong whether it is based on a religion or our natural human desires of companionship. Unless you truly believe that you can lead a cold calculating life style and still be happy and social so be it. He wasn't necessarily preaching and he wasn't saying everyone needs to be Christian he ended with a quote saying we need hope faith and forgiveness. You have the option of where you place these things so what is the problem exactly?

[streamspartners]

Adam II is most often viewed as weak or soft. Are we willing to care more about what is important or what is expedient? I appreciate this talk. It is a guidepost for me on my journey.

[radiohead]

Its simple as this you can ride middle fence all your life, its when the person chooses sides! This is a perfect example of left and right, metaphorically speaking! I approve of this! Made sense because love is what keeps us alive! To forgive your enemy is the best thing to do! On final note Hate is a strong word :-)

[michaelpisciarino]

0:12 Resume Virtues and Eulogy Virtues
0:45 Joseph Soloveitchik _The Lonely Man of Faith_ (1965)
0:53 2 Sides of our Nature
1. Creator, Ambition, Glory-Seeking, Builder (Economic Logic) 3:30 Building Your Strength
2. Be Good, Honor Goodness, Humble (Moral Logic) Fighting Sin/Weakness to create Good Character
1:39 The Two Natures are at War with each other.

2:19 A Shrewd, Calculating Creature
- Life is a game, where we need to Win

2:46 Commitment Lost
3:06 Back To Shame
4:12 We must saved by Hope, we must be saved by Faith, we must be saved by Love, we must be saved by Forgiveness

[jerze]

Great talk, the subject is one that i enjoy thinking and talking about with friends.

[theresagirzoneking]

Profoundly Intuitive. Beautifully insightful.

[KenyaCaples]

Defining myself to others comes from a source of combined skills and religious beliefs. In the midst of defining myself to others is where I constitute my characteristics in to a communications of understandings.

[craig]

This is great. I've thought this way for a while but never been able to explain it as well as this. l will be sharing this video.

[rebeccaread]

I thought the talk was insightful and positive.  I care less about a person's speaking skills and more interested in what he or she has to day.  Be a generous listener, especially when someone is obviously sharing something deeply felt.