Summary
“One Road to Character” seeks to address Brook’s concerns with contemporary western culture, in which people are too centered on achievement. The author utilizes autobiographical examples to condemn the current fascination with “the Big Self” and to stress the advantages of developing character. According to the author, the character is composed of the desire to do good without seeking pleasure or reward, and an inner need to follow our purpose while establishing our significant faults and negative energies so that they are captured. Also, Brook perceives character to be an unshakeable commitment marked by a loyal living and devotion to morals and values (Brooks, 2015). Thus, the definition of personality according to Brook demonstrates the significance of creating a sensible moral vocabulary and living by it. The code of humility differentiates the significant philosophies of the greatest virtues particularly for people in pursuit of guidance on effective ways of fighting the 21 st -century obsession with self-saturation.
While the story of Francis Perkins is used to counter Brook’s beliefs and opinions, the infamous Triangle Factory Fire proves the significance of certain life-changing circumstances in determining one’s calling or purpose in life. The point that the author presents is obvious-life takes different turns in its course, bringing people to a place they never thought they would reach (Brooks, 2015). One thing that I note is the influence culture, and opportunity it has on our livelihoods, thus causing predictable lives. The author’s point is important and clear; most careers are shaped by prevailing situations rather than inner urges or passion. For example, modern youths are more likely to let college or high school graduations dictate their future, instead of what is right.
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From my analysis, it is evident that we live in times requiring us to advertise or market our potential and achievements and to learn the skills necessary for success without giving regards to values such as self-confrontation, sympathy, and humility. While these characteristics may make us successful in our endeavors, they indicate a total lack of character and skills in the marketplace. The book also reveals the autonomous and realistic “true self” in-depth scrutiny. According to Brooks, the true self is a much stronger agent that shifts one to places they never thought they would be or to do things they never would. In such cases, individuals require an additional point of reference (like the Shirtwaist Factory fire), rather than concentrating on the limits of the mind (Brooks, 2015). Points of reference must be powerful and large currents that act in quiet and subtle ways which an individual cannot directly perceive without thorough thoughts and dedications. These forces exist every time-even in the modern world, young people are often swayed by celebrity voices and unavoidable suggestions of documentaries which make one think, “that is my inner desire, that is my life’s purpose.”
Wise people like Frances Perkins consider soaring the achievement ladder an additional drama to an already chaotic life. As such, they surrender themselves to humiliation and frustrations, and strive to succeed with a careful and considerate composure (Brooks, 2015). These moves indicate emotional intelligence. As learned from the story of Frances, she showed up in situations that others would avoid, sought to achieve practical goals, and never tried to compare conditions or outcomes.
Perspectives/Bias of the Author
Brooks condemns the current lack of character and self-control in most people. According to him, character enables people to carry out sacrificial duties with significant composure without being driven by monetary rewards or societal statuses. Thus, people must do what is right under their circumstances rather than what others consider more prestigious. While Brooks asks people to behave with restraint and humility and not concentrate on climbing the achievement ladder, he also offers various contradictory and biased evaluations. First, the author criticizes the lack of inner motivations in a time he says “people are obsessed with the need to succeed and be admired.” He explains the importance of self-confrontation, sympathy, and humility in developing character. These statements demonstrate a pursuit of values which can assist a person to become deeply rooted in spirituality. Brooks outlines different historical figures like Frances Perkins and Ida Eisenhower and their quest towards generosity and selflessness. These illustrations are meant to make us emulate the lives of these “heroes” and use their examples to determine what we want to do. Thus, just like “high school or college graduations,” the author wants us to be shaped by the life achievements and ambitions of people he considers of character.
Also, Brook’s use of Adam 1 and Adam 2 demonstrates his lack of gender sensitivity. These illustrations fail to consider the role or significance of ‘Eve’ in character building despite using women like Frances Perkins in his article. Moreover, Brooks suggests that character can be developed by embracing moral values such as empathy, obedience, humility, suffering, selflessness, and vocation. To most readers, this may mean that character is composed of engraved habits, inspirations, and dispositions existing in need to overcome superficial urges.
Lessons Learned
From the reading, I have learned that prevailing circumstances are the single most important determiners of one’s calling or purpose in life. Circumstances can overwhelm restrictions created by elitism and social stratification. However, the main question after reading this article is the connection between lack of earthly wealth and the development of character considering that Brooks assigns material possessions to everyone’s morality and purpose.
References
Brooks, D. (2015). How the First Woman in the U.S. Cabinet Found Her Vocation. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/04/frances-perkins/390003/
