He then details and discusses the components of this second and superior stage in Parts II through V, under the umbrella title of “The Four Commitments,” – specifically: Vocation, Marriage, Philosophy and Faith, and, finally, Community. ![]() After that, however, the realization hits: Is there not something more? For Brooks, there is: It is called the “Second Mountain,” and this life stage is dedicated to others through one’s vocation and commitments, including intellectual and religious commitments, as well as the more intimate commitments – to one’s marriage - and the more societal commitments – to one’s community.īrooks traces this trajectory in five parts, starting with Part I, “The Two Mountains,” which is a description of the First Mountain and how individuals can be consumed by its pull, but then find themselves inevitably ready for a second climb. In his self-help book, The Second Mountain, former New York Times columnist and news commentator David Brooks shares his musings on the highs and lows of life – both professional and personal – from the vantage point of an older, wiser and more reflective self: One’s 20s, 30s and 40s comprise what Brooks calls the “First Mountain,” dedicated to career, finance, reputation and achievement. The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life. In short, this book is meant to help us all lead more meaningful lives.The following version of this book was used to create this guide: Brooks, David. In The Second Mountain, Brooks shows what can happen when we put commitment-making at the center of our lives. The path to repair is through making deeper commitments. We have taken individualism to the extreme-and in the process we have torn the social fabric in a thousand different ways. ![]() We live in a society, Brooks argues, that celebrates freedom, that tells us to be true to ourselves, at the expense of surrendering to a cause, rooting ourselves in a neighborhood, binding ourselves to others by social solidarity and love. But it’s also a provocative social commentary. In short, this book is meant to help us all lead more meaningful lives. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. In The Second Mountain, David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. They embrace a life of interdependence, not independence. They want the things that are truly worth wanting, not the things other people tell them to want. On the second mountain, life moves from self-centered to other-centered. There’s another, bigger mountain out there that is actually my mountain.Īnd so they embark on a new journey. ![]() They realize: This wasn’t my mountain after all. But when they get to the top of that mountain, something happens. Their goals on this first mountain are the ones our culture endorses: to be a success, to make your mark, to experience personal happiness. They get out of school, they start a career, and they begin climbing the mountain they thought they were meant to climb. ![]() Life, for these people, has often followed what we might think of as a two-mountain shape. “Deeply moving, frequently eloquent and extraordinarily incisive.”- The Washington PostĮvery so often, you meet people who radiate joy-who seem to know why they were put on this earth, who glow with a kind of inner light.
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