The Arthur Brooks Show

A special bonus episode, recorded with a live audience at the 92nd Street Y in New York City: Simon Sinek talks to Arthur about his book Love Your Enemies.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Arthur Brooks is back this Valentine's Day with a new season on love: why you need it and how to get it. But not just romantic love – love for all of the other important areas of our lives, too. Arthur explores what it means to find meaning in our work, the significance of loving one's country, our longing for better friendships in an age of loneliness and how to love your enemies.

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. To get in touch with the show, email arthurbrooksshow@voxmedia.com

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.”

This episode explores the experiences of conservative professors on campus, and why ‘viewpoint diversity’ matters in academia. We hear from Josh Dunn, Professor of Political Science at the University of Colorado and John Shields, Associate Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College, who co-authored a book on conservative academics. Zack Beauchamp from vox.com joins Arthur in a discussion about de-platforming and freedom of speech on campus, and Professor Robert George talks about his experience at Princeton. 

How can we keep contempt out of our disagreements? And why should we? Arthur talks to John Gottman, who’s spent most of his career as a social psychologist studying contempt within relationships. He is the co-founder of the Gottman Institute in Seattle, where he does work with married couples, and shares his insights on the corrosive nature of contempt, and how we can get out of the habit of expressing it, both in our personal relationships, and more broadly, as a nation.

There's a lot of disagreement on social media, but not a lot of meaningful debate. In this episode, we figure out how to change that by first understanding the nature of disagreement in the online space. Anonymity, silos, outrage - these flourish in our filter bubbles, but why is that? And we talk about how to go from text-based disagreement - which de-humanizes people, to the most powerful way to do meaningful debate - face to face.

The smartest person in the room doesn’t always win the debate — the best storyteller does. This episode explores the power of storytelling and how we can use stories to more effectively persuade, inspire, and unify others. We hear from sociologist Kathy Edin, neuroeconomist Paul Zak and Grant Gordon of the International Rescue Committee.

The story of an unexpected moment of "bridging"—two opponents share a stage. What happened when Hawk Newsome, leader of a small group of activists from Black Lives Matter of Greater New York showed up at a pro-Trump gathering. Arthur talks to Newsome about how that played out, and with John Powell, Director of the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society, about the challenges of sharing your stage (literally or metaphorically) with your ideological opponent.

How do we navigate substantive disagreements - political or otherwise - with those closest to us? And how do we hold a discourse without sweeping differences under the rug or burning bridges? This episode unpacks ways of dealing with those differences of opinion in personal relationships: a primer for dealing with conflict at the next family gathering, and an inspiring story of two friends whose relationship survived their politics. 

The first season of The Arthur Brooks show looks at the art of disagreement.