ABOUT THE SPEAKER
David Brooks - Op-ed columnist
Writer and thinker David Brooks has covered business, crime and politics over a long career in journalism.

Why you should listen

David Brooks became an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times in September 2003. He is currently a commentator on "The PBS Newshour," NPR’s "All Things Considered" and NBC's "Meet the Press."

He is the author of Bobos in Paradise and The Social Animal. In April 2015, he released with his fourth book, The Road to Character, which was a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Brooks also teaches at Yale University, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Born on August 11, 1961 in Toronto, Canada, Brooks graduated a bachelor of history from the University of Chicago in 1983. He became a police reporter for the City News Bureau, a wire service owned jointly by the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times.

He worked at The Washington Times and then The Wall Street Journal for nine years. His last post at the Journal was as Op-ed Editor. Prior to that, he was posted in Brussels, covering Russia, the Middle East, South Africa and European affairs. His first post at the Journal was as editor of the book review section, and he filled in as the Journal's movie critic.

He also served as a senior editor at The Weekly Standard for 9 years, as well as contributing editor for The Atlantic and Newsweek.

More profile about the speaker
David Brooks | Speaker | TED.com
TED2014

David Brooks: Should you live for your résumé ... or your eulogy?

David Brooks: Skal du leve for dit CV ... eller dit mindeord?

Filmed:
2,720,594 views

Inden i os er der to selv, foreslår David Brooks i denne korte meditative tale: Det selv som efterstræber succes, som bygger et CV og det selv der søger forbindelse, samhørighed, kærlighed -- de værdier som skabe et stort mindeord. (Joseph Soloveitchik har kaldt disse selv for "Adam 1" og "Adam 2" Brooks spørger: kan vi balancere disse to selv?
- Op-ed columnist
Writer and thinker David Brooks has covered business, crime and politics over a long career in journalism. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
So I've been thinkingtænker about the differenceforskel betweenmellem
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Så jeg har tænkt over forskellen mellem
00:14
the résumsumé virtuesdyder and
the eulogyLovtale virtuesdyder.
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dyderne på et CV og dyderne i en mindetale.
00:17
The résumsumé virtuesdyder are the
onesdem you put on your résumsumé,
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CV-dyderne er dem du putter i dit CV,
00:20
whichhvilken are the skillsfærdigheder
you bringtage med to the marketplacemarkedsplads.
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som er de færdigheder hvorved du sælger dig på markedet.
00:23
The eulogyLovtale virtuesdyder are the onesdem
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Dyderne i en mindetale, er dem
00:25
that get mentionednævnte in the eulogyLovtale,
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som vil blive sagt i en mindetale,
00:27
whichhvilken are deeperdybere: who are you,
in your depthdybde,
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som er dybere: Hvem du dybest set er,
00:30
what is the naturenatur of your relationshipsrelationer,
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hvad er naturen af dine relationer
00:31
are you bolddristig, lovingkærlig, dependablepålidelig, consistencykonsistens?
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er du modig, elskelig, troværdig, sammenhængende?
00:35
And mostmest of us, includinginklusive
me, would say
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Og de fleste af os, inklusiv mig selv, vil sige
00:36
that the eulogyLovtale virtuesdyder are the
more importantvigtig of the virtuesdyder.
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at dyderne i en mindetale er de vigtigste af dyderne.
00:40
But at leastmindst in my casetilfælde,
are they the onesdem that
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Men, i det mindste i mit tilfælde, er de såT dem
00:42
I think about the mostmest?
And the answersvar is no.
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jeg tænker mest på?
Og svaret er nej.
00:45
So I've been thinkingtænker about that problemproblem,
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Jeg har tænkt over det problem,
00:47
and a thinkertænker who has
helpedhjulpet me think about it
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og en tænker som har hjulpet mig med at tænke over det
00:48
is a guy namedsom hedder JosephJoseph SoloveitchikSoloveitchik, who was a rabbiRabbi
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er en fyr kaldet Joseph Soloveitchik, som var en rabbiner
00:50
who wroteskrev a bookBestil calledhedder "The
LonelyEnsom Man Of FaithTro" in 1965.
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der skrev en bog kaldet: "Den ensomme troens mand" i 1965
00:53
SoloveitchikSoloveitchik said there are two sidessider of our naturesnaturer,
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Soloveitchik sagde at der er to sider af vores natur,
00:56
whichhvilken he calledhedder AdamAdam I
and AdamAdam IIII.
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som han kaldte Adam 1 og Adam 2.
00:59
AdamAdam I is the worldlyverdslige, ambitiousambitiøse,
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Adam 1 er den verdslige, ambitiøse,
01:00
externalekstern sideside of our naturenatur.
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udadvendte side af vores natur.
01:03
He wants to buildbygge, createskab,
createskab companiesvirksomheder,
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Ham der vil bygge, skabe, danne virksomheder,
01:05
createskab innovationinnovation.
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skabe innovation.
01:06
AdamAdam IIII is the humbleydmyg
sideside of our naturenatur.
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Adam 2 er den ydmyge side af vores natur.
01:09
AdamAdam IIII wants not only
to do good but to be good,
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Adam 2 vil ikke bare gøre det godt, men vil være god,
01:12
to livelevende in a way internallyinternt
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vil leve et sådant indre liv
01:14
that honorshædersbevisninger God, creationskabelse and our possibilitiesmuligheder.
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som ærer gud, skabelsen og vores muligheder.
01:18
AdamAdam I wants to conquererobre the worldverden.
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Adam 1 ønsker at erobre verdenen.
01:19
AdamAdam IIII wants to hearhøre
a callingringer and obeyadlyde the worldverden.
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Adam 2 ønsker at høre et kald og adlyde verdenen.
01:22
AdamAdam I savorssavors accomplishmentrealisering.
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Adam 1 nyder bedrifter.
01:25
AdamAdam IIII savorssavors innerindre
consistencykonsistens and strengthstyrke.
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Adam 2 nyder indre sammenhæng og styrke.
01:27
AdamAdam I asksspørger how things work.
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Adam 1 spørger hvordan tingene fungerer.
01:30
AdamAdam IIII asksspørger why we're here.
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Adam 2 spørger hvorfor vi er her.
01:32
AdamAdam I'sJeg har mottomotto is "successsucces."
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Adam 1's motto er "succes".
01:35
AdamAdam II'sIIS mottomotto is "love, redemptionfrelse and returnVend tilbage."
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Adam 2's motto er "kærlighed, forløsning og hjemkomst".
01:39
And SoloveitchikSoloveitchik arguedargumenteret
that these two sidessider
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Og Soloveitchik argumenterede for, at disse to sider
01:41
of our naturenatur are
at warkrig with eachhver other.
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af vores natur er i krig med hinanden.
01:43
We livelevende in perpetualevig self-confrontationselvstændig konfrontation
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Vi lever i en evig selv-konfrontation
01:45
betweenmellem the externalekstern successsucces and the internalindre valueværdi.
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mellem den eksterne succes og de indre værdier.
01:49
And the trickytricky thing,
I'd say, about these
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Og den besværlige side, vil jeg mene, af disse
01:51
two sidessider of our naturenatur is they work
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to sider af vores natur er at de arbejder
01:53
by differentforskellige logicslogikker.
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efter forskellig logikker.
01:55
The externalekstern logiclogik is
an economicøkonomisk logiclogik:
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Den eksterne logik er en økonomisk logik:
01:57
inputinput leadskundeemner to outputproduktion,
riskrisiko leadskundeemner to rewardbelønning.
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Input leder til output, risiko leder til gevinst.
02:01
The internalindre sideside of our naturenatur
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Den interne side af vores natur
02:03
is a moralmoralsk logiclogik and
oftentit an inverseinvers logiclogik.
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er en moralsk logik og ofte en omvendt logik.
02:06
You have to give to receivemodtage.
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Du må give for at modtage.
02:08
You have to surrenderovergivelse
to something outsideuden for yourselfdig selv
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Du må overgive dig til noget udenfor dig selv
02:10
to gaingevinst strengthstyrke withininden for yourselfdig selv.
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for at opnå indre styrke.
02:12
You have to conquererobre the
desireønske to get what you want.
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Du må erobre begæret for at få hvad du vil have.
02:14
In orderbestille to fulfillopfylde yourselfdig selv,
you have to forgetglemme yourselfdig selv.
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For at indfri dig selv, må du glemme dig selv.
02:17
In orderbestille to find yourselfdig selv,
you have to losetabe yourselfdig selv.
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For at finde dig selv, må du tabe dig selv.
02:21
We happenske to livelevende in a societysamfund
that favorsfavoriserer AdamAdam I,
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Vi lever i et samfund som belønner Adam 1,
02:24
and oftentit neglectsforsømmes AdamAdam IIII.
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og ofte negligerer Adam 2.
02:27
And the problemproblem is, that turnsdrejninger
you into a shrewdsnu animaldyr
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Og problemet er at det gør dig til et udspekuleret dyr
02:30
who treatsgodbidder life as a gamespil,
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som betragter livet som et spil,
02:31
and you becomeblive a coldkold,
calculatingberegning af creaturevæsen
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og du bliver et koldt kalkulerende bæst,
02:34
who slipsunderkjoler into a sortsortere of mediocritymiddelmådighed
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som glider ned i en slags middelmådighed
02:37
where you realizerealisere there's a differenceforskel
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hvor du opdager at der er en forskel
02:38
betweenmellem your desiredønskede
selfselv and your actualfaktiske selfselv.
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mellem dit ønskede selv og dit faktiske selv.
02:41
You're not earningindtjening the sortsortere of eulogyLovtale you want,
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Du fortjener ikke den form for mindetale du ønsker,
02:45
you hopehåber someonenogen will give to you.
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som du håber at nogen vil give dig.
02:46
You don't have the
depthdybde of convictionoverbevisning.
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Du har ikke den dybe overbevisning.
02:48
You don't have an emotionalfølelsesmæssig sonorousnesssonorousness.
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Du har ikke den følelsesmæssige dybde.
02:51
You don't have
commitmentforpligtelse to tasksopgaver
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Du føler ikke forpligtelse til opgaver
02:52
that would take more than a lifetimelivstid to commitbegå.
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som det vil tage mere end et menneskeliv at udføre.
02:56
I was remindedmindet of a commonalmindelige
responserespons throughigennem historyhistorie
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Jeg blev mindet om et almindeligt svar gennem historien på
02:59
of how you buildbygge a solidsolid AdamAdam IIII,
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hvordan du bygger en solid Adam 2,
03:02
how you buildbygge a depthdybde of characterKarakter.
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hvordan du bygger en dyb karakter.
03:04
ThroughGennem historyhistorie, people
have gonevæk back
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Igennem historien, er folk gået tilbage
03:07
into theirderes ownegen pastsfortid,
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til deres egen fortid,
03:09
sometimesSommetider to a preciouskostbar
time in theirderes life,
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nogen gange til en dyrebar tid i deres liv,
03:11
to theirderes childhoodbarndom,
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til deres barndom,
03:12
and oftentit, the mindsind
gravitatesgraviterer in the pastforbi
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og ofte vil tankerne i fortiden drages mod
03:16
to a momentøjeblik of shameskam,
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til et øjeblik med skam,
03:18
some sinsynd committedengageret,
some acthandling of selfishnessselvoptagethed,
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en begået synd, en selvisk handling,
03:21
an acthandling of omissionundladelse, of shallownessoverfladiskhed,
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en udeladt eller overfladisk handling,
03:23
the sinsynd of angervrede, the sinsynd of self-pityselvmedlidenhed,
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vredens synd, selvmedlidenheds synd
03:26
tryingforsøger to be a people-pleasermennesker-pleaser,
a lackmangel of couragemod.
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forsøg på at være en spytslikker, mangel på mod.
03:29
AdamAdam I is builtbygget by
buildingbygning on your strengthsstyrker.
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Adam 1 er bygget på en opbygning af dine styrker.
03:34
AdamAdam IIII is builtbygget by fightingkampene
your weaknessessvagheder.
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Adam 2 er bygget på at kæmpe mod dine svagheder.
03:38
You go into yourselfdig selv,
you find the sinsynd
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Du går ind i dig selv, du finder synden
03:41
whichhvilken you've committedengageret over
and again throughigennem your life,
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som du har begået igen og igen igennem livet,
03:42
your signatureUnderskrift sinsynd
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din signatursynd
03:44
out of whichhvilken the othersandre emergedukke op,
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fra hvilken de andre udspringer,
03:47
and you fightkæmpe that sinsynd and you wrestlekæmper with that sinsynd,
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og du kæmper mod den synd og du brydes med den,
03:50
and out of that wrestlingbrydning,
that sufferinglidelse,
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og ud af den brydning, den lidelse
03:53
then a depthdybde of characterKarakter is constructedkonstrueret.
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bliver karakterens dybde formet.
03:57
And we're oftentit not
taughtundervist to recognizegenkende
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Og vi er ofte ikke oplært i at genkende
03:58
the sinsynd in ourselvesos selv,
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synden i os selv,
04:00
in that we're not taughtundervist in this culturekultur
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og vi er ikke oplært i denne kultur
04:01
how to wrestlekæmper with it,
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i hvordan vi skal brydes med den,
04:03
how to confrontkonfrontere it,
and how to combatbekæmpe it.
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hvordan vi konfronterer den og
hvordan vi bekæmper den.
04:06
We livelevende in a culturekultur
with an AdamAdam I mentalitymentalitet
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Vi lever i en kultur med en Adam 1 mentalitet
04:09
where we're inarticulateuartikulerede
about AdamAdam IIII.
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og vi er stumme omkring Adam 2.
04:13
FinallyEndelig, ReinholdReinhold NiebuhrNiebuhr
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Til sidst, Reinhold Niebuhr
04:14
summedopsummerede up the confrontationkonfrontation, the fullyfuldt ud livedlevede
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opsummerede konfrontationen mellem det fuldt levede
04:16
AdamAdam I and AdamAdam IIII life, this way:
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Adam 1 liv og Adam 2 liv, på denne måde:
04:20
"Nothing that is worthværdi doing
can be achievedopnået in our lifetimelivstid;
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"Intet der er værd at gøre kan opnås i vores levetid,
04:23
thereforederfor we mustskal
be savedgemt by hopehåber.
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derfor må vi blive frelst af håb.
04:26
Nothing whichhvilken is truerigtigt or
beautifulsmuk or good makesmærker
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Intet der er sandt eller smukt eller godt giver
04:29
completekomplet sensefølelse in any immediateumiddelbar contextsammenhæng of historyhistorie;
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komplet mening i en umiddelbar
historisk sammenhæng.
04:32
thereforederfor we mustskal be savedgemt by faithtro.
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Derfor må vi blive frelst igennem tro.
04:34
Nothing we do, howeverimidlertid virtuousdydige,
can be accomplishedgennemført alonealene;
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Intet vi kan gøre, uanset hvor dydigt,
kan blive fuldført alene.
04:38
thereforederfor we mustskal
be savedgemt by love.
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Derfor må vi frelses gennem kærlighed.
04:41
No virtuousdydige acthandling is quitetemmelig as virtuousdydige
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Ingen dydig handling er helt så dydig
04:44
from the standpointstandpunkt of our friendven
or foefjende as from our ownegen standpointstandpunkt.
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set fra vor ven eller fjendes synspunkt,
som fra vores eget
04:48
ThereforeDerfor we mustskal be savedgemt
by that finalendelige formform of love,
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Derfor må vi frelses af den endelige form for kærlighed,
04:50
whichhvilken is forgivenesstilgivelse.”
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som er tilgivelse."
04:52
ThanksTak.
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Mange tak.
04:54
(ApplauseBifald)
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(Bifald)
Translated by Anders Finn Jørgensen
Reviewed by Troels Larsen

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
David Brooks - Op-ed columnist
Writer and thinker David Brooks has covered business, crime and politics over a long career in journalism.

Why you should listen

David Brooks became an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times in September 2003. He is currently a commentator on "The PBS Newshour," NPR’s "All Things Considered" and NBC's "Meet the Press."

He is the author of Bobos in Paradise and The Social Animal. In April 2015, he released with his fourth book, The Road to Character, which was a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Brooks also teaches at Yale University, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Born on August 11, 1961 in Toronto, Canada, Brooks graduated a bachelor of history from the University of Chicago in 1983. He became a police reporter for the City News Bureau, a wire service owned jointly by the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times.

He worked at The Washington Times and then The Wall Street Journal for nine years. His last post at the Journal was as Op-ed Editor. Prior to that, he was posted in Brussels, covering Russia, the Middle East, South Africa and European affairs. His first post at the Journal was as editor of the book review section, and he filled in as the Journal's movie critic.

He also served as a senior editor at The Weekly Standard for 9 years, as well as contributing editor for The Atlantic and Newsweek.

More profile about the speaker
David Brooks | Speaker | TED.com