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Intro
David Brooks suggests that there are two sides of human nature. The first side, which he calls Adam I, values the “resume virtues” that enable a person to climb the ladder of success. The second side, Adam II, has the “eulogy virtues” that are the strengths of character they’ve gained from triumphing over their weaknesses. Brooks claims that, without an Adam II side, a person leads a meaningless life that eventually falls to pieces. Every person is born with both talents and flaws, and the true success in life is to overcome one’s weaknesses.
Brooks describes a radio program episode aired just after the Allied victory in World War II. He is struck by the host’s humility in the face of this big victory. In contrast, he says, a football player today will make a show of their self-applause when they achieve something as mundane as scoring a touchdown. Brooks believes this contrast reflects a major shift that occurred in society around the late 1940s. People used to believe in humility and self-renunciation, but now they believe in self-celebration. In this shift to self-love, people lost the ability to build character and to articulate moral dilemmas.
Brooks recounts the biographies of many historical figures who all descended into humility before rising up strengthened. Frances Perkins, after witnessing the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, sacrifices everything to fight for the cause of workers’ rights. She illustrates how one can lead a meaningful life by surrendering their ego and responding to their vocation. Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower, while president of the United States, built a character fit for leadership and warned against the dangers of unchecked power. At the heart of his philosophy of power is the belief that man is a problem to himself, and that power can easily corrupt him if he does not apply self-restraint. Like Frances Perkins, Dorothy Day answered the call of religion and spent her life working in charity houses to help the poor. Her life is an example of how a person shapes themselves through suffering, rather than through happiness. George Marshall was an impressive military figure who kept his personal self extremely private. Because he had to build such an impressive character to be worthy of his great aims, few people knew him intimately.
Black civil rights leaders Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin protected themselves from becoming morally corrupt by advocating for non-violent protest. Like Eisenhower, they believed everyone becomes corrupt when they have too much power, and so they practiced self-discipline in their protests to keep themselves just. Mary Anne Evans a.k.a. George Eliot was a morally ardent but narcissistic young woman before she met her husband, George Lewes; after marrying him, she went on to write profound moral novels, showing the power of love to make someone forget themselves and serve greater causes. Similarly, the ancient theologian Augustine was only able to forget his perverse desires when he accepted God’s grace. Through his gratitude for God’s unconditional love, Augustine was transformed into a person who could willingly return God’s love. Samuel Johnson used the method of honest self-examination in his writing in order to grapple with his tormented nature. He is an example of how human beings are born with both good and bad qualities, and how they can overcome their demons through self-confrontation.
Brooks contrasts the quarterbacks Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath to show the stark cultural shift from moral realism to moral romanticism. Unitas was understated and selfless, whereas Namath was flashy and boastful. Each historical figure in The Road to Character is a moral realist: they believed they were flawed, and out of their weaknesses they built great character. Moral romanticists like Joe Namath, on the other hand, turned modern society into a meritocracy—a fast-paced, competitive society of individuals who only focus on success and who’ve surpassed the need for community.
In conclusion, Brooks hopes to turn society’s attention back to Adam II. If people focused on their inner character, their inner values would come into harmony with their external behavior, and they would experience moral joy.
