Arthur C. Brooks Steers Us Away from Searching and Striving—Toward the Purpose and Meaning We’ve Been After All Along
Are you living a life of meaning and purpose? And do you realize that if the answer is “not quite,” you’re actually in the driver’s seat when it comes to changing direction?
Social scientist Arthur C. Brooks is constantly asking—and answering— the questions so many of us carry quietly: What drives us? Why are so many people unhappy? What actually leads to a purposeful and meaningful life?
In his new Life Above the Noise conversation with Maria, Brooks is teaching us how to navigate the “meaning crisis” and “age of emptiness” we’ve all been feeling—and what makes him so compelling is that he says he's lived it, too. Happiness hasn't come easy to him, but he’s spent decades studying it and sharing the tools to help others finally enjoy the journey.
You’ll walk away from this conversation reminded that happiness and meaning can only come from within—and with the right boundaries, discipline, and goals, you can steer yourself toward the life of purpose and meaning you’ve been searching for.
P.S. Maria is joining Arthur C. Brooks on March 27 for The Meaning of Your Life Virtual Experience, the global launch celebrating his groundbreaking new book The Meaning of Your Life, and you’re invited to register here.
Chapters
00:00 – The age of emptiness
08:08 – Why meaning has cratered
13:30 – Why strivers and high achievers struggle most
15:21 – How smartphones rewired our brains
21:14 – Privacy and the trap of chasing approval
27:12 – Why suffering is essential
29:01 – Treating your life as a pilgrimage
35:27 – AI: threat to meaning or a path back to humanity?
45:41 – Loving your enemies
Please note that we may receive affiliate commissions from the sales of linked products.
