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David Brooks: Our Struggles Define Us

Season 6 Episode 619
Aired on 12/06/2015 | CC tv-14
New York Times columnist David Brooks is on a quest to understand how the most virtuous figures throughout history built their strong moral character, findings that were captures in his latest book, The Road to Character.

In his research, he also discovered that periods of suffering ultimately added more meaning to life than happiness, despite our culture's fixation on seeking joy. "If you ask anybody, 'What's the activity that you had that made you who you are?' no one says, 'You know I had a really great vacation in Hawaii.' No one says that. They say, 'I had a period of struggle. I lost a loved one. I was in the army. And that period of struggle or that period of toughness made me who I am.'"

Find out why David believes suffering helps us understand ourselves on a deeper level. Sometimes periods of suffering add more meaning to life than our moments of happiness.