The Arthur Brooks Show

In a special bonus episode, Simon Sinek talks to Arthur Brooks about loving your enemies at an event at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.

When people say they love God, what do they actually mean? Are they merely describing a feeling? A physiological experience? Or something more? Arthur seeks answers to what’s happening in our hearts and in our brains when people express love for the divine. Featuring conversations with Bishop Robert Barron, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, and Curt Thompson, psychiatrist and expert on neuroscience and spiritual practice.

References and further reading:

The soul of shame: Retelling the stories we believe about ourselves | Curt Thompson

Word on fire | Bishop Robert Barron

You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, and Megaphone. The Arthur Brooks Show is published by The Vox Media Podcast Network.

Though seemingly straightforward, the question, “Do you love your country?” has taken on added significance in recent years. So what does it mean to love one’s country? And how should we love our country? Arthur takes a closer look at the debate over the appropriate places of patriotism and nationalism, and the virtues and vices of each. Featuring conversations with Brown University political science professor Prerna Singh, Georgetown University international affairs professor Paul Miller, and National Review editor Rich Lowry.

References and further reading:

Nationalism can have its good points. Really. | Prerna Singh

Trump’s nationalism is arbitrary, dangerous, incoherent, and silly | Paul D. Miller

Trump’s unifying nationalism | Rich Lowry

You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, and Megaphone. The Arthur Brooks Show is published by The Vox Media Podcast Network.

It’s easy to love people who see the world in the same way that we do. But loving our enemies? That’s easier said than done. Arthur examines how former enemies learned to reconcile with one another, and how we can apply the lessons of love and reconciliation to modern political conflicts.

References and further reading:

Tattoos on the heart: The power of boundless compassion | Gregory Boyle

“Motive attribution asymmetry for love vs. hate drives intractable conflict” | Adam Waytz, Liane L. Young, and Jeremy Ginges

You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, and Megaphone. The Arthur Brooks Show is published by The Vox Media Podcast Network.

By many measures, Americans have fewer friends and feel lonelier than ever before. Arthur explores the decline of intimate friendship in the U.S., the consequences of loneliness, and how we can build the kinds of friendships that we most deeply desire. Featuring conversations with Doug Nemecek, Chief Medical Officer for Behavioral Health at Cigna, Julia Bainbridge, host of The Lonely Hour podcast, and Vivek Murthy, former surgeon general of the United States.

Do you love your job? Many of us don’t – and it’s beginning to show. Arthur looks at why many Americans are disengaged at work, why our jobs often leave us dissatisfied, and how a different approach to work and success can give us a greater sense of purpose and life satisfaction. Featuring conversations with organizational psychologist and host of the TED WorkLife podcast Adam Grant, Gallup Chairman and CEO Jim Clifton, bestselling author William Deresiewicz, and Arthur’s son Carlos Brooks.

References and further reading:

State of the American workplace | Gallup

Give and take: Why helping others drives our success | Adam Grant

Excellent sheep: The miseducation of the American elite and the way to a meaningful life | William Deresiewicz

You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, and Megaphone. The Arthur Brooks Show is published by The Vox Media Podcast Network.

Taking a risk for love – this is ‘romantic entrepreneurship.’ And these days, there’s a lot less of it. Arthur talks about generational differences in romantic risk-taking, our preoccupation with emotional safety, and the benefits of taking risks with your heart, even when things don’t work out. Featuring conversations with Arthur’s wife Ester Munt-Brooks, Romel Nicholas, and San Diego State University psychology professor Jean Twenge.

References and further reading:

The decline in adult activities among U.S. adolescents, 1976-2016 | Jean Twenge

The U.S. is in a crisis of love | Arthur C. Brooks

You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, and Megaphone. The Arthur Brooks Show is published by The Vox Media Podcast Network.

Arthur Brooks is back with a new season on love: why you need it and how to get it—but not just romantic love. Featuring episodes on our longing for better friendships in an age of loneliness, learning to find meaning in our work, the significance of loving one’s country, how to love your enemies, and what it means when we express love for God.

You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, and Megaphone. The Arthur Brooks Show is published by The Vox Media Podcast Network.

The last episode of the season looks at moral consensus, the necessity of a moral core around which our debates must revolve. Arthur talks to john powell, who leads the UC Berkeley Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society, and to John Tomasi, professor of political science at Brown University, and founder of the Political Theory Project.

References and further reading:

Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society | john powell

Political Theory Project – Brown University | John Tomasi

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You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, and ART19. The Arthur Brooks Show is published by The Vox Media Podcast Network.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the number and scope of crises we constantly see flashing across our phones and television screens. In fact, our brains – and our hearts – aren’t built to process conflicts on such a massive scale. In this episode, Arthur looks at ‘thinking small,’ the notion that by focusing on what is individual, local, and within our sphere of influence, we can paradoxically bring about more change, disagree more productively, and become happier people. Hear conversations with Paul Slovic, Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon, and James and Deborah Fallows, who share stories from their journey across the country for their book “Our Towns.”

References and further reading:

“If I look at the mass I will never act”: Psychic numbing and genocide | Paul Slovic

Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America | James Fallows and Deborah Fallows

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You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, and ART19. The Arthur Brooks Show is published by The Vox Media Podcast Network.