David Brooks: Seeing People Deeply in a World of Shallow Interactions

New York Times columnist and bestselling author **David Brooks** joins Srini Rao to unpack what it really means to know and see another person — and how our ability to connect deeply has deteriorated in a world dominated by distraction, paradigmatic thinking, and judgment. Drawing from his latest book *How to Know a Person*, Brooks explores emotional architecture, the danger of moral detachment, the layers of trauma and transformation, and the developmental life tasks that shape our identities.Through deeply personal stories — including his own journey through divorce, emotional avoidance, and the workaholic tendencies that nearly derailed his relationships — Brooks offers a rare and unfiltered view of what it means to grow wiser. He shares the practices of “illuminators” who make others feel seen, the humble posture of accompaniment, and how curiosity, patience, and vulnerability are the cornerstones of human flourishing. This is a conversation about becoming unmistakable by showing up as fully human. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.