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David Brooks on Staying Humane in Inhumane Times

By David Brooks

Produced by Shannon Busta and Derek Arthur

These are cruel and challenging times. How did previous generations hold on to their sanity — and humanity — in the face of violence and instability?

In this audio essay, the columnist David Brooks seeks answers in the intellectual and moral traditions of ancient Athens and Jerusalem. The key to thriving, he argues, is to embody behaviors that might at first seem contradictory.

Credit…Illustration by The New York Times; Photograph by Getty Images

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This Opinion short was produced by Shannon Busta and Derek Arthur. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Sonia Herrero. Original music by Pat McCusker, Carole Sabouraud and Sonia Herrero. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Special thanks to Kristina Samulewski and Alison Bruzek.

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