Surely the unexamined life is not worth living, and the one that Gaga presents is pretty thoroughly examined and critiqued and even despised. As I read here, some are so willing to despise all, they begin venting their disdain almost before getting past Mr Brook's byline. But both Gaga and Brook are putting it on the line, courageously, without stopping for the opinion of others. Both depend upon finding favor, of course, but seem not to be guided by that. Isn't David Brook on the Opinion page because he represents a more conservative voice, to help modulate and give texture to the page? Yes, what he writes is personal, as is obviously the work of Gaga. They are an unlikely pairing and are a great contrast of character and mode of expression to give us on a Friday. Like an early wine tasting, then, I so thoroughly appreciate this essay and the inclusiveness of its thought. Cue the music.
49
There is hope for you yet, David Brooks. it appears you want to get out of the sanctimonious straightjacket you have crafted and packaged as "lessons in modesty" and learn something about yourself. Keep at it.
13
Some of the readers talk of luck. I don't believe in luck. I think luck is a term people use as a crutch. Life is a journey - so its passion and fearlessness that gets us to our goals. I am a Real Estate Agent in Miami. A Gay African American Real Estate Agent. I love my work. I have been doing it since 1999. Fear has consumed me in in so many ways. I work through those fears - fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of the unknown. But I what I do know, I will get to my goal, because finally I don't care about those fears anymore - yes fear creeps in from time to time - but less now
19
Brooks' column seems in many ways a description of his own life or, as I really know little of his personal life, of his public persona. He has had the courage to largely give up the identity for which he gained fame and material reward -- that of the conservative pundit -- for ruminations on what it means to be a human being. I, for one, find him in this latter role much more productive and enlightening.
Perhaps the column is even an unconscious "coming out" statement on his part. Brooks has always seemed a thoughtful person in its literal sense, and my guess is that he has largely processed his years as a conservative pundit, using the totality of several decades of belief, criticism, analysis, and self-reflection to arrive at the current point, where he tries to make observations and draw lessons about the human condition and human nature, viewing the contemporaneous as emblematic, rather than as an end in and of itself.
Agree with his current observations and analysis or not, his new persona does provide food for thought often absent previously. Perhaps this is a reflection of the best of "aging", where one goes from the certainties of intelligence to the understanding of wisdom.
Inasmuch as Brooks uses a performance of Lady Gaga's music as a jumping off point for this column, I feel compelled to recommend a truly unusual and excellent version of her song, "Starstuck" by Squid Inc. on their album, "Fresh Ink. (http://www.squidincquartet.com/)
Perhaps the column is even an unconscious "coming out" statement on his part. Brooks has always seemed a thoughtful person in its literal sense, and my guess is that he has largely processed his years as a conservative pundit, using the totality of several decades of belief, criticism, analysis, and self-reflection to arrive at the current point, where he tries to make observations and draw lessons about the human condition and human nature, viewing the contemporaneous as emblematic, rather than as an end in and of itself.
Agree with his current observations and analysis or not, his new persona does provide food for thought often absent previously. Perhaps this is a reflection of the best of "aging", where one goes from the certainties of intelligence to the understanding of wisdom.
Inasmuch as Brooks uses a performance of Lady Gaga's music as a jumping off point for this column, I feel compelled to recommend a truly unusual and excellent version of her song, "Starstuck" by Squid Inc. on their album, "Fresh Ink. (http://www.squidincquartet.com/)
7
Lady Gaga caught my attention when during an interview a few years ago, she played some of her songs solo, and only on acoustic paino. Beautiful voice and command of her instrument. Plus her lyrics stripped of all the dance hall hoopla are rock songs! Full of angst, yearning and frustration with people and life's it shouldn't be this hard moments.
I'm a 50-ish yo male, die hard rocknroll maniac, and fell in love right then and there. Plus she struck a chord with me in her message to her diehard young fans about embracing your differences, your quirks. They make you who you are, so stick with them if they energize you, and fuel your passions. Don't just act quirky, or pretend to be, but find what is authentic to you.
It was in one song in particular that I found inspiration - "Hair". It's the modern sequel to CSN's - David Crosby to be exact - " Almost Cut my Hair." I often play those two songs back to back to get pumped up when I'm feeling the odd man out around all the salon coifed and overly manicured males around me.
Lady Gaga is the real deal.
I'm a 50-ish yo male, die hard rocknroll maniac, and fell in love right then and there. Plus she struck a chord with me in her message to her diehard young fans about embracing your differences, your quirks. They make you who you are, so stick with them if they energize you, and fuel your passions. Don't just act quirky, or pretend to be, but find what is authentic to you.
It was in one song in particular that I found inspiration - "Hair". It's the modern sequel to CSN's - David Crosby to be exact - " Almost Cut my Hair." I often play those two songs back to back to get pumped up when I'm feeling the odd man out around all the salon coifed and overly manicured males around me.
Lady Gaga is the real deal.
10
Well, I am a total liberal and never agree with David Brooks' political point of view. But his sensitivity, the depth of which seems so out of step with the Right,
is mostly beautifully revealed in this, his finest article. Thanks.
is mostly beautifully revealed in this, his finest article. Thanks.
23
beautiful writing
3
This is an interesting article with a fundamental flaw: Lady Gaga is not a real person. She is a personality played by Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. It may be that Ms. Germonotta created this personality to break through her fears and live with abandon, but it's misleading to pretend that the art and the artist are the one and the same.
10
Mr. Brooks' never ending desire for the absolute usually results in simplistic platitudes. Here is no exception. Bombastic decrees such as: "People with passion are just less willing to be ruled by the tyranny of public opinion." What gall. How dare you?
9
Man, that's a lot of platitudes for one column.
12
It's most amusing how many people who hit the big time in corporate America immediately take up the mantra of their own exceptionalism without noticing the company with whom they are including themselves (Kardashians, etc.). Unfortunately American exceptionalism has devolved into American excessism.
15
Brooks' imprimatur makes it official: Lady Gaga is over.
15
I've always thought that what makes us different from all other animals is our ability to imagine things that don't exist in reality. It's how we create art, religion, nations, human rights, and political parties, among other imagined realities.
But you say that we are different by being the only animals that are born unfinished and must find a way to complete ourselves. Some of us do so passionately, driven by a fierce longing, but that there are many ways to do it.
I see the difference you cite as another side of the same coin of imaginative thinking. We are the only animals that can imagine things that don’t exist AND we are compelled to do so. We all do it but, sadly, only a very few of us with creative genius.
But you say that we are different by being the only animals that are born unfinished and must find a way to complete ourselves. Some of us do so passionately, driven by a fierce longing, but that there are many ways to do it.
I see the difference you cite as another side of the same coin of imaginative thinking. We are the only animals that can imagine things that don’t exist AND we are compelled to do so. We all do it but, sadly, only a very few of us with creative genius.
2
I found this description of passion somewhat one-sided. Passion can be either centrifugal, emanating from the center as described here, or it can be centripetal, reacting to a need of others. Peter Gomes, the late Harvard Chaplain, used to quote one of his colleagues who defined a vocation as the place "where your passion meets the needs of the world". What Brooks describes is an internally generated passion, which in Lady Gaga's case expresses itself in music and art that clearly resonates with her audience, thereby fulfilling a need - as a secondary effect, however. I have great admiration for that. I have much greater admiration, however, for people who passionately respond the the needs of others. often requiring personal sacrifice. Centrifugal passion can be destructive or beneficial, whereas centripetal passion has to be beneficial by definition.
4
I don't think that Brook's is telling people they all can be Lady Gaga or someone in the 1/10th of 1%, I think what he is talking about is the power of passion. Thoreau wrote that most men lead lives of quiet desperation, and what that means in at least some senses is those living life without passion. Having a passion for something means enjoying doing it, and it also means not being afraid, as David wrote, of what people think. Most people are bound by lives that say "you should fit in, you should do the sensible thing", so people get a degree in something respectable, they live like others seem to want them to live, then wonder why life seems so empty.
It has gotten much worse as the economy has shrunk, kids are being told only to do those things they will do well in, that experimentation and trying and failing is a disaster, they take classes, not because they want to, but because it looks good on an admissions form, they do activities, not that they enjoy, but because the cretins who do college admissions think that is a good thing.
Being the parent of a music student, who has that passion, I hear it all the time, how he won't be able to get a job, he'll starve, I have seen plenty of kids with a passion for music being told to get a degree in accounting or engineering (one of which is passionless, the other one you have to be passionate about, in that order). We live in a society where passion seems only to mean anger about something, and that is sad.
It has gotten much worse as the economy has shrunk, kids are being told only to do those things they will do well in, that experimentation and trying and failing is a disaster, they take classes, not because they want to, but because it looks good on an admissions form, they do activities, not that they enjoy, but because the cretins who do college admissions think that is a good thing.
Being the parent of a music student, who has that passion, I hear it all the time, how he won't be able to get a job, he'll starve, I have seen plenty of kids with a passion for music being told to get a degree in accounting or engineering (one of which is passionless, the other one you have to be passionate about, in that order). We live in a society where passion seems only to mean anger about something, and that is sad.
37
Yes, some here are missing the point, he is talking about the power of passion. When one naturally feels something bigger/more..... they let that feeling draw and shape them.
4
Passion is such an overused word. My "passion" right now is on trying to keep my eyes open and not fall asleep from caring less what Lady Gaga thinks about herself.
5
This is a beautifully written and characteristically insightful piece by Mr Brooks. However, in contrast to what one commentator recently wrote here, this is no quirky departure from Brooks's mature but staunch conservatism. The idea that we are different from other animals in that we are, "naturally unfinished" needing to "bring ourselves to fulfillment, to integration and coherence" is a very conservative idea indeed. The idea seems to be that in order to be fulfilled we must produce the goods, that this is the manifest destiny of of our species, which can excuse and invite outrageous passion; this is Brooks paen to the "outsider candidates" who are getting attention in this years elections.
3
David Brooks continues to back away from defending Republicans' behavior and policies and inches close to becoming some sort of media-arts reviewer. When he comments on the meaningful nexus between the mob and the doctors on GENERAL HOSPITAL, we will know that his transformation is complete.
11
America celebrates show-offs of which Gaga is a prime example. If you pour on enough syrupy sentimentality you might even get away with calling their drive as "passionate". I don't buy it. It sugary fast-food for the soul.
9
It is quite a generation of female singers. Gaga wear costumes. Miley wears none. Swift sings of every relationship she has ever been in. Perry is coming at us like a dark horse. We can fit under Rihanna's umbrella. And, may she rest in peace, Amy Winehouse doesn't want to go to rehab. Most of us best remember the pop music we listened to during our teenage years. That's when we lived with the most passion. I suppose some who continue to live with teenage passion become great artists. But I think most are like a 70 year old who has the moves of Jagger and may be the greatest novelty act out there.
4
I am afraid of nothing just as we are told to be, "Be anxious for nothing". Can you claim the same, David? If not, why not?
David,
One of the best articles I've read regarding passion in the arts, and in life. Some have called the "Art of Personality" the final work of art.
Surely you've come over to the side of light, or at least registered as an Independent.
One of the best articles I've read regarding passion in the arts, and in life. Some have called the "Art of Personality" the final work of art.
Surely you've come over to the side of light, or at least registered as an Independent.
4
I know! David Brooks! Wholly unexpected, as was the piece on disfunction in GOP.
1
I've always considered Mr. Brooks from the old school intellectual GOP, he no longer fits in with the current incarnation of republicans. I've enjoyed several of his columns over the past couple of years, something happened that sent him of on a new and sensitive trajectory.
4
Watching AHS Season 5, one can see that Lady Gaga is also already a far better actor than Madonna is ever was even after having made seemingly umpteen attempts at it in movies. Sorry, Madonna, but this gal can act as well as sing.
2
Dear David Brooks,
Lianne La Havas.
Lianne La Havas.
Inasmuch as Brooks uses a performance of Lady Gaga's music as a jumping off point for this column, I feel compelled to recommend a truly unusual and excellent version of her song, Starstuck, by Squid Inc. on their album, "Fresh Ink. (http://www.squidincquartet.com/)
Brooks' column seems in many ways a description of his own life or, as I really know little of him personally, of his public persona. He has had the courage to largely give up the identity for which he gained fame and material reward -- that of the conservative pundit -- for ruminations on what it means to be a human being. I, for one, find him in this latter role much more productive and enlightening.
Perhaps the column is even an unconscious "coming out" statement on his part. Brooks has always seemed a thoughtful person in its literal sense, and my guess is that he has largely processed his years as a conservative pundit, using the totality of several decades of belief, criticism, analysis, and self-reflection to arrive at the current point, where he tries to make observations and draw lessons about the human condition and human nature, viewing the contemporaneous as emblematic, rather than as an end in and of itself.
Agree with his current observations and analysis or not, his new persona does provide food for thought often absent previously. Perhaps this is a reflection of the best of "aging", where one goes from the certainties of intelligence to the understanding of wisdom.
Brooks' column seems in many ways a description of his own life or, as I really know little of him personally, of his public persona. He has had the courage to largely give up the identity for which he gained fame and material reward -- that of the conservative pundit -- for ruminations on what it means to be a human being. I, for one, find him in this latter role much more productive and enlightening.
Perhaps the column is even an unconscious "coming out" statement on his part. Brooks has always seemed a thoughtful person in its literal sense, and my guess is that he has largely processed his years as a conservative pundit, using the totality of several decades of belief, criticism, analysis, and self-reflection to arrive at the current point, where he tries to make observations and draw lessons about the human condition and human nature, viewing the contemporaneous as emblematic, rather than as an end in and of itself.
Agree with his current observations and analysis or not, his new persona does provide food for thought often absent previously. Perhaps this is a reflection of the best of "aging", where one goes from the certainties of intelligence to the understanding of wisdom.
7
A Conservative as Conservative can be, Op-Ed writer like David brooks finds inspiration in Lady Gaga, the epitome of pushing the envelope of social behavior, thoughts, of life itself. If the contorted videos and songs are expressions of her fearlessness, her experiences, her fantasies and passions, then I am very worried for my kids. Lady Gaga and David Brooks! Who knew?
2
I can't help playing contrarian here, This is all very extravagant, much like Lady Gaga herself, but I find Mr. Brooks's reverie on passion overplayed. Let's not get carried away on the tide one word from a celebrity's acceptance speech (and "sort of a cliche" at that). It seems to me that people who can religiously avoid the routine have "people for that,." And don't many celebrities appear to lead "amplified lives"?
5
All of what Brooks talks about is true. What comes to my mind is the adage "a broke artist" All artists start out by expressing their emotions in a form of their choosing and continue to grow from there. Paint, song, dance are some forms of expression. Some die broke but happy. Some give it up to pursue "normal" money. Then there are the Lady Gagas.
Gaga has a set of pipes that blow my mind. And her range of talent is amazing.
Gaga has a set of pipes that blow my mind. And her range of talent is amazing.
Passion does not make something true, passion is irrational, irrationality does not make it good but more likely destructive, passion easily manipulates and passion can make you easily manipulated to do great evil. How about not passion but reasoned logical critical analytical educated thought. How about proving something with hard and logic based evidence and the scientific method. something that can be corroborated and proved and reproved. Passion accused men and women of Salem of witchcraft and killed them, such irrational thinking kills people as witches all over the world. Passion is for primitives and the uneducated but is used in the human war to dominate and succeed over others and themselves. And Germany please don't get me started.
For many years, I couldn't get beyond the meat dress, thinking constant provocation a substitute for talent. Then, I stopped and really listened to her voice. And I realized that Lady Gaga can back up that meat dress with a powerful set of pipes, a wonderful voice. How wrong I had been.
So sing, and let your passionate freak flag fly, Lady.
So sing, and let your passionate freak flag fly, Lady.
4
David Brooks is often a thoughtful and interesting writer. But music, and the music industry, are not areas on which he should opine, because he clearly does not have the knowledge base. The idea of Lady Gaga being some sort of icon of creativity and passion is laughable.
As a pop star, she is a poor Madonna impersonator who has made her name on cheap gimmicks and publicity stunts. As a "jazz" singer, she does not even merit mention. She is, at best, a mid-level Broadway-style singer attempting to convert her career into the pop-jazz idiom because she is aging out of her original demographic. Tony Bennett works with her not because she deserves any sort of recognition for the quality of her performances, but because his publicity people realized a good marketing opportunity, and they took it.
As a pop star, she is a poor Madonna impersonator who has made her name on cheap gimmicks and publicity stunts. As a "jazz" singer, she does not even merit mention. She is, at best, a mid-level Broadway-style singer attempting to convert her career into the pop-jazz idiom because she is aging out of her original demographic. Tony Bennett works with her not because she deserves any sort of recognition for the quality of her performances, but because his publicity people realized a good marketing opportunity, and they took it.
1
You have to choose only one thing?
1
Hey, I like this new David Brooks! This is likely one of my favorite posts from him. As a big fan of Gaga, and a father of a popular artist, I concur.
2
Passion is only one kind of temperament. You're not less of a person if you aren't driven by it. Not everyone runs on vertiginous emotional ups and downs, obsessions and fears. Not everyone will "find their passion" and pursue it. Lots of people live happy, useful, productive lives without the fireworks - choosing a career and pursuing it diligently, loving their families deeply and completely. You don't have to be "brave" to take the risk of failure with equanimity, and not to much care what other people think. You could just be wired differently.
5
"Who would you be and what would you do if you weren’t afraid?"
The writer ruefully cringes; regards the shame and scorn curling up his spine in the mirror of his laptop and hits "send."
The writer ruefully cringes; regards the shame and scorn curling up his spine in the mirror of his laptop and hits "send."
1
This is a very nice piece about Gaga and passion- but let me just comment that Gaga was born into an affluent Manhattan family. Good for her. While that doesn't take away from her talent or drive, it certainly may have made it easier for her to achieve her passion if she didn't have to work 3 jobs to pay the rent while pursuing her career in the arts.
The income inequality, job insecurity, demise of unions, off shoring of jobs- all policies promoted by Brook's beloved Republican party- well, this piece just made me laugh out loud coming from Mr. Brooks of all people.
I would have preferred some examination of policies that would promote support for artistic passion for anyone with loads of talent instead of using a person born into wealth as a prime example.
The income inequality, job insecurity, demise of unions, off shoring of jobs- all policies promoted by Brook's beloved Republican party- well, this piece just made me laugh out loud coming from Mr. Brooks of all people.
I would have preferred some examination of policies that would promote support for artistic passion for anyone with loads of talent instead of using a person born into wealth as a prime example.
3
There is a reason, beyond talent, why Lady Gaga has built, step by step, a following of fans who genuinely like her as a person. David Brooks is right that Lady Gaga’s bravery is the key. Honesty, the frequent companion of courage, is another component.
Her outlandish performances, both visually and musically, were first thought to be mere attention-getting by someone who did not care what people thought of her as long as the noticed her. That is incorrect. If Lady Gaga didn’t care what people thought, there would be no courage involved. She cared very much, but was willing to risk disapproval or worse, dismissal, in order to advance her art and her personal growth.
As contradictory as it may sound, Taylor Swift, to a lesser degree, now emulates the indomitable bravery of Lady Gaga.
Her outlandish performances, both visually and musically, were first thought to be mere attention-getting by someone who did not care what people thought of her as long as the noticed her. That is incorrect. If Lady Gaga didn’t care what people thought, there would be no courage involved. She cared very much, but was willing to risk disapproval or worse, dismissal, in order to advance her art and her personal growth.
As contradictory as it may sound, Taylor Swift, to a lesser degree, now emulates the indomitable bravery of Lady Gaga.
"I suppose that people who live with passion start out with an especially intense desire to complete themselves. We are the only animals who are naturally unfinished. We have to bring ourselves to fulfillment, to integration and to coherence." (Brooks)
Brilliant words. But self-actualization doesn't necessarily mean becoming rich or famous. It can be the opposite......a Wall Street broker dropping out for a simple life building handmade cabinets in the Adirondacks. Self-actualization is a life-long journey of discovery, the courage to question one's identity and values, choose the path true to one's unique talents, interests and abilities, then to be flexible enough to continue to grow, learn and change. Those interested may want to read about Myers-Briggs, and see: http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=self+actuali...
Brilliant words. But self-actualization doesn't necessarily mean becoming rich or famous. It can be the opposite......a Wall Street broker dropping out for a simple life building handmade cabinets in the Adirondacks. Self-actualization is a life-long journey of discovery, the courage to question one's identity and values, choose the path true to one's unique talents, interests and abilities, then to be flexible enough to continue to grow, learn and change. Those interested may want to read about Myers-Briggs, and see: http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=self+actuali...
2
Is the subtext that passion is validated by fame and recognition? If so, then passion is passion for fame.
We each live passion in our own way -- most authentically when there is no concern for it being recognized or celebrated.
The piece subtly reinforces the 'American Idol / The Voice' homogenization of passion in our popular culture -- obsession with what Gaga herself called 'The Fame Monster' -- in her hit album........
We each live passion in our own way -- most authentically when there is no concern for it being recognized or celebrated.
The piece subtly reinforces the 'American Idol / The Voice' homogenization of passion in our popular culture -- obsession with what Gaga herself called 'The Fame Monster' -- in her hit album........
2
Most of us, Mr. Brooks, work hard and die in debt. We do what we have to do to keep afloat and reserve our passion for our families and friends. Blonde ambition is out of style and you are out of step. today we listen to Adele. Hello.
3
I'm about the same age as David Brooks and after reading his columns for the last few years, I've developed the strong feeling we are witnessing his mid-life crisis. Or if not a crisis a remaking of himself. It's interesting at times, tedious at other times, but there's usually something in his writing I can relate to. (Except for that whole GOP thing.)
2
I am at a crossroads between fear and passion, and at the age of 58 passion is winning. I have lived a small, ordinary life and still do, but four years ago I reached a point where my boring job in a cubicle became intolerable.
I had been working at this job for health insurance and of course the money to pay the bills. College tuition for my two daughters, heating oil during cold NH winters, food on the table and clothes on our backs, with very little left for retirement savings.
When my younger daughter left for Denver I opted out of the "repetitive, routine and deadening." I wrote a novel and writing saved my life.
My husband and I moved to Florida where I worked part-time for Accountemps. His work in construction became ever more difficult. With two herniated discs and bad knees he could no longer lift 40 foot ladders onto the back of his truck, so we threw caution to the wind, applied for an innkeeping job, and now find ourselves in northwestern Connecticut running a bed and breakfast.
The work is rewarding but I continue to write. My third book has garnered some lovely reviews but it doesn't pay the bills. Yet! I say that because the passion burns bright and I now find myself on the other side of fear. At my age there is little hope of really increasing that nest egg. Retirement seems like a fairy tale my parent's generation told us about. So I am chasing the answer to your question, David. Who would you be and what would you do if you weren’t afraid?
I had been working at this job for health insurance and of course the money to pay the bills. College tuition for my two daughters, heating oil during cold NH winters, food on the table and clothes on our backs, with very little left for retirement savings.
When my younger daughter left for Denver I opted out of the "repetitive, routine and deadening." I wrote a novel and writing saved my life.
My husband and I moved to Florida where I worked part-time for Accountemps. His work in construction became ever more difficult. With two herniated discs and bad knees he could no longer lift 40 foot ladders onto the back of his truck, so we threw caution to the wind, applied for an innkeeping job, and now find ourselves in northwestern Connecticut running a bed and breakfast.
The work is rewarding but I continue to write. My third book has garnered some lovely reviews but it doesn't pay the bills. Yet! I say that because the passion burns bright and I now find myself on the other side of fear. At my age there is little hope of really increasing that nest egg. Retirement seems like a fairy tale my parent's generation told us about. So I am chasing the answer to your question, David. Who would you be and what would you do if you weren’t afraid?
4
David Brooks is a thoughtful and interesting writer. But music, and the music industry, are not areas on which he should opine, because he clearly does not have the knowledge base. As a pop star, Lady Gaga is a poor Madonna impersonator who has made her name on cheap gimmicks and publicity stunts. As a "jazz" singer, she does not even merit mention. She is, at best, a mid-level Broadway-style singer attempting to convert her career into the pop-jazz idiom because she is aging out of her original demographic. Tony Bennett works with her not because she deserves any sort of recognition for the quality of her performances, but because his publicity people realized a good marketing opportunity, and they took it.
Hey that's really nice, but being able to make a living that way is for one in a million - through the luck of either the connections of one's family or having to have stumbled into the right place at the right time. This is not a formula for success or even survival for the 99.999% of humanity. Unless, of course, there's a robust social safety net, but of course, Brooks is opposed to that.
5
This remainds me of the quote: We don't spend our lives finding ourselves. We spend our lives creating ourselves.
2
A good column on the surface, but with some glaring blind spots. Is every scientist trying to understand some part of the universe--or the nature of the very universe itself--really just dealing with his or her "issues"? Yes, there is risk of failure and the need to persuade others of the worthiness of the quest, and courage is required, but it seems to me that there is a fundamental difference between this kind of personal strength and the courage of an artist who digs down deep and "makes _herself_ a work of art."
On the other side, Mr. Brooks ignores the importance of craft, which means having both the physical ability to perform at a certain level and the discipline to hone that skill so it can "make herself _a work of art_" and not just incoherent self-expression.
I don't think Mr. Brooks gives enough importance to Lady Gaga's breadth and versatility, either. She doesn't simply express herself; she can take on the voice of any number of musical genres to do so.
On the other side, Mr. Brooks ignores the importance of craft, which means having both the physical ability to perform at a certain level and the discipline to hone that skill so it can "make herself _a work of art_" and not just incoherent self-expression.
I don't think Mr. Brooks gives enough importance to Lady Gaga's breadth and versatility, either. She doesn't simply express herself; she can take on the voice of any number of musical genres to do so.
And of course, living with passion and courage does NOT mean you will become famous, rich or powerful. But of course, we all know that, don't we Mr. Brooks.
1
Thanks to all those commenters who took the trouble to read this Brooks column. This one looked so bad I went straight to the real stars, the NY Times commenters, and to our superstar commenter Gemli.
2
I'm not sure what this article is about.
Is Lady Gaga reputed to be afraid? Certainly Stephanie did not have a deprived childhood or go without meals (unless she chose to). Indeed, she attended an upper east side private school that installs self confidence in its students.
On the other hand, it is, I would suppose, axiomatic that those who succeed in a field are passionate about it; they are driven. Success does not, of course, arrive in the mail. But as has already been pointed out, not every exceptionally talented, driven person is successful. Luck and some connections helps immensely.
Is Lady Gaga reputed to be afraid? Certainly Stephanie did not have a deprived childhood or go without meals (unless she chose to). Indeed, she attended an upper east side private school that installs self confidence in its students.
On the other hand, it is, I would suppose, axiomatic that those who succeed in a field are passionate about it; they are driven. Success does not, of course, arrive in the mail. But as has already been pointed out, not every exceptionally talented, driven person is successful. Luck and some connections helps immensely.
3
There are all kinds of people with all kinds of passion doing all kinds of jobs in all kinds of ways in our society. And they all have different personalities, arriving with their passion in different ways, from different backgrounds and cultures. Afraid, not afraid, outwardly passionate, inwardly passionate, outwardly calm, passionate artistically, personally mundane, millions of permutations that could occur in millions of human endeavors.
ON a different note: Lady Gaga's talent and passion are real, but she also chooses to wear them on her arm, she is a show person. Alternately, the exquisite nature of Mr. Hancock's passion through his music at different periods throughout his career is perhaps a jewel not so often heard or appreciated in our society, overlooked by the lower hanging fruit that Ms. Gaga and so many others wear on their arms..
ON a different note: Lady Gaga's talent and passion are real, but she also chooses to wear them on her arm, she is a show person. Alternately, the exquisite nature of Mr. Hancock's passion through his music at different periods throughout his career is perhaps a jewel not so often heard or appreciated in our society, overlooked by the lower hanging fruit that Ms. Gaga and so many others wear on their arms..
2
Until David Brooks finally wrote an honest column about Republicans last week I was pretty fed up with his moral musings. But I thoroughly enjoyed this column; for some reason it made me feel hopeful. I've taught drawing for the past 30 years to aspiring art college students. Now finally in my 60's I'm making my way as an artist instead of a struggling single mother who has to work two other part time jobs to support her "teaching habit". I don't have a car. I bought my first new sofa on my sixtieth birthday. But I have joy and passion in my life. Sometimes in my darker moments I worry that teaching young people how to draw is not a serious pursuit. What's the good in it? In reality I didn't chose this life as much as it chose me. Seriously why would anyone "chose" a life of financial struggle just to share her passion for drawing? Choosing, or more aptly I think, being chosen and accepting the challenge to live a life of passion has nothing to do with material success or outside accolades. It's all about doing what one has to do to stay sane and in most cases healthy. If I could be and do what I wanted if I wasn't afraid I'd be and do exactly what I'm doing. (Okay, maybe at a higher pay rate.) It's not been easy or conventional, but the peace and fullness I experience are unequivocal.
3
Back when I was an academic I was reputed to have said that everyone should have at least five careers in their lifetimes. Now that I am approaching my 7th decade, though I have no memory of saying such a thing, it seems I have fulfilled the requirement.
All of my disparate careers required education and training, and posed a high barrier to entry. My only reason for pursuing any of these jobs was interest and passion; and almost all were started by some accident or unplanned adventure in my life. None were motivated by status-seeking, the pay or any desire to make a mark on the world.
More importantly, none of these choices were made to learn something about myself, though it truth this was often an interesting by-product. Rather, each profession was motivated by an interest in how the world works, what I might do to help others, and often just the sheer beauty of the subject.
So often we recognize passion only when it manifests itself in noteworthy public acts. But for many of us, passion is deeply personal and often private. I've made my choices based almost entirely on some indescribable love for the process of learning and practicing. I struggle to explain this to others, and feel no need to do so. My happiness lies exclusively in the pursuit.
So I think Mr. Brooks does a disservice to the passionate life by using very public examples. One doesn't need to be a star to live passionately; and in some cases, stardom can even kill the passion.
All of my disparate careers required education and training, and posed a high barrier to entry. My only reason for pursuing any of these jobs was interest and passion; and almost all were started by some accident or unplanned adventure in my life. None were motivated by status-seeking, the pay or any desire to make a mark on the world.
More importantly, none of these choices were made to learn something about myself, though it truth this was often an interesting by-product. Rather, each profession was motivated by an interest in how the world works, what I might do to help others, and often just the sheer beauty of the subject.
So often we recognize passion only when it manifests itself in noteworthy public acts. But for many of us, passion is deeply personal and often private. I've made my choices based almost entirely on some indescribable love for the process of learning and practicing. I struggle to explain this to others, and feel no need to do so. My happiness lies exclusively in the pursuit.
So I think Mr. Brooks does a disservice to the passionate life by using very public examples. One doesn't need to be a star to live passionately; and in some cases, stardom can even kill the passion.
5
"Members of the clergy sometimes say they convert themselves from the pulpit. By speaking out their faith, they make themselves faithful."
what does that say about the clergy? and religion in general? and conversion to "the way" in general? and humans even more generally?
at least ms. gaga's music is catchy and sexy. i can't say the same for the so-called holy spirit. however, the best remains classical piano and violin. now that's a life full of passion.
what does that say about the clergy? and religion in general? and conversion to "the way" in general? and humans even more generally?
at least ms. gaga's music is catchy and sexy. i can't say the same for the so-called holy spirit. however, the best remains classical piano and violin. now that's a life full of passion.
2
Brooks column seems in many ways a description of his own life or, as I really know little of him personally, of his public persona. He has had the courage to largely give up the identity for which he gained fame and material reward -- that of the conservative pundit -- for ruminations on what it means to be a human being. I, for one, find him in this latter role much more productive and enlightening.
Perhaps the column is even an unconscious "coming out" statement on his part. Brooks has always seemed a thoughtful person in its literal sense, and my guess is that he has largely processed his years as a conservative pundit, using the totality of several decades of belief, criticism, analysis, and self-reflection to arrive at the current point, where he tries to make observations and draw lessons about the human condition and human nature, viewing the contemporaneous as emblematic, rather than as an end in and of itself.
Agree with his current observations and analysis or not, his new persona does provide food for thought often absent previously. Perhaps this is a reflection of the best of "aging", where one goes from the certainties of intelligence to the understanding of wisdom.
Inasmuch as Brooks uses a performance of Lady Gaga's music as a jumping off point for this column, I feel compelled to recommend a truly unusual and excellent version of her song, Starstuck, by Squid Inc. on their album, "Fresh Ink. (http://www.squidincquartet.com/)
Perhaps the column is even an unconscious "coming out" statement on his part. Brooks has always seemed a thoughtful person in its literal sense, and my guess is that he has largely processed his years as a conservative pundit, using the totality of several decades of belief, criticism, analysis, and self-reflection to arrive at the current point, where he tries to make observations and draw lessons about the human condition and human nature, viewing the contemporaneous as emblematic, rather than as an end in and of itself.
Agree with his current observations and analysis or not, his new persona does provide food for thought often absent previously. Perhaps this is a reflection of the best of "aging", where one goes from the certainties of intelligence to the understanding of wisdom.
Inasmuch as Brooks uses a performance of Lady Gaga's music as a jumping off point for this column, I feel compelled to recommend a truly unusual and excellent version of her song, Starstuck, by Squid Inc. on their album, "Fresh Ink. (http://www.squidincquartet.com/)
1
"To be emotional is to attach yourself to something you value supremely but don’t fully control. To be passionate is to put yourself in danger."
Take note, Mets fans.
Take note, Mets fans.
An inspiring and provocative piece which, nevertheless, leaves open musings about the dark side: how many talented, dedicated people in the arts/entertainment (etc.) world get the passion they need to continually express themselves from drugs and succumb to tragedy from over work, over exposure and over intoxication? How many are so passionate that they can't maintain stabilized intimate relationships? And then there are those who are passionate about making money and other pursuits that might be empty and destructive?
13
David sums up by saying: "Who would you be and what would you do if you weren’t afraid?" and he seems to be suggesting that we try to be more courageous to live life to its fullest. Interesting point. But I believe that its important to always be cognizant of the fact that "courage" is a TWO-edged sword. It can be used for good as well as for evil, as often used for the one as the other. Evil tyrants have perhaps asked David's question of themselves before they acted as well as great artists & noble humanitarians.
If one defines courage as simply the willingness to overcome one's fear regarding personal safety & well-being for the sake of what one feels is a greater goal, then such acts such as were perpetrated by the 9/11 terrorists, Nazi soldiers, Kamikaze pilots, suicide terrorists, violent gangsters, etc. can be categorized as "brave" acts, however perverse their basis & horrific their consequences. It's always important to distinguish such "courage" from what I would call MORAL courage, which by definition produce positive outcomes for humanity, such as that displayed by Rosa Parks & Dr. King, Mohandas Gandhi, Oscar Schindler, & people like them.
Notably, our current failure to make this distinction regarding morally justified versus unnecessary macho warfare is at the heart of a lot of horrible calamities going on in the world today.
If one defines courage as simply the willingness to overcome one's fear regarding personal safety & well-being for the sake of what one feels is a greater goal, then such acts such as were perpetrated by the 9/11 terrorists, Nazi soldiers, Kamikaze pilots, suicide terrorists, violent gangsters, etc. can be categorized as "brave" acts, however perverse their basis & horrific their consequences. It's always important to distinguish such "courage" from what I would call MORAL courage, which by definition produce positive outcomes for humanity, such as that displayed by Rosa Parks & Dr. King, Mohandas Gandhi, Oscar Schindler, & people like them.
Notably, our current failure to make this distinction regarding morally justified versus unnecessary macho warfare is at the heart of a lot of horrible calamities going on in the world today.
8
This is one of David's best columns ever. And I can tell you why. He is best when talking about cultural, social, and personal issues. He loses me when he delves into politics. I am not saying he should not write about politics, since he is a op-editor, and has free reign to speak on whatever. But politics is not his forte.
4
You write like a poet at times and are almost always insightful. Could you move a little more to the left? I would like you to be more like me:)
2
Fascinating comments. Some are defensive, as in, of course you will be recognized if you are talented and famous. It is then supposedly, relatively easy to live your passion. Others excoriate her modus operandi, express their disgust/dislike. Lots of focus on the word: passion.
Mr Brooks is merely trying to point out that when an individual is able to discover and access their true self come to terms with who they are- the good/bad, it puts them light years a head of the rest of us in terms of consciousness. Passion is more easily accessible because being ones true self is liberating on many levels. Fears that freeze, are still present but no longer immobilizing. Lady Gaga is awesome , she does looks of good works, charity and other wise
Mr Brooks is merely trying to point out that when an individual is able to discover and access their true self come to terms with who they are- the good/bad, it puts them light years a head of the rest of us in terms of consciousness. Passion is more easily accessible because being ones true self is liberating on many levels. Fears that freeze, are still present but no longer immobilizing. Lady Gaga is awesome , she does looks of good works, charity and other wise
1
Middle-aged white men should not make pop music references. Lady Gaga is not `her own unique creature whom no one else could copy.' She is a reiteration of Madonna, who was herself a blurry copy of various singers, notably Debbie Harry, who owed much to the girl singers of the 1960s, and so on back to at least Billie Holiday, who was born in 1915. Brooks once again is building a mountain of abstraction on a highly dubious foundation.
7
I think David's got a crush on Lady G.
3
Brook's cogent commentary is packed with truth. However, action taken in the name of passion without reason, as Plato and Aristotle remind us, is an fool's errand. So much post-post-modern discourse equates passion with credibility: in classical terms pathos equals ethos. When passion motivates reason, action is rational. When passion IS reason, action is taken without rational thought of consequences or acceptability. In the later case, screaming is rhetoric. Emotion is art. Lady Gaga's art is pop-adolescent-angst at best, but Brooks relates her as a model of artistic fervor. His ideas about passion are apt. His characterization of Ga-ga gags the discerning artisan.
Well, it took many years, but you finally wrote something worth reading. Very meaningful column.
3
Opting out of things that are "repetitive, routine and deadening" could refer to aspects of child-rearing, relationship building, and eventually to the track they've put themselves - to quote from Monty Python "I've had more gala lunches than you've had hot dinners."
But what Lady Gaga represents for me - and she is immensely talented, hardworking and smart - is the need nowadays for an artist to give everything to the public, to the business, to give everything, to reach so far and so huge, just to make it. The gulf between the rich and poor artists, like everywhere else, is so stark, so huge, so winner take all that there is no equivalent of the middle class for artists - people who can connect with an audience, do great work, but not have to giganticize everything.
People could say that this is all as it should be, but it leaves out and silences a lot of really important voices from the cultural sphere, in the same way that often the best political candidates recuse themselves in this climate. And it's a world wide phenomenon now, just look at Karl Ove Knaussgaard's books - turning himself (and everyone he knows) into literature. Great work, but at what cost?
But what Lady Gaga represents for me - and she is immensely talented, hardworking and smart - is the need nowadays for an artist to give everything to the public, to the business, to give everything, to reach so far and so huge, just to make it. The gulf between the rich and poor artists, like everywhere else, is so stark, so huge, so winner take all that there is no equivalent of the middle class for artists - people who can connect with an audience, do great work, but not have to giganticize everything.
People could say that this is all as it should be, but it leaves out and silences a lot of really important voices from the cultural sphere, in the same way that often the best political candidates recuse themselves in this climate. And it's a world wide phenomenon now, just look at Karl Ove Knaussgaard's books - turning himself (and everyone he knows) into literature. Great work, but at what cost?
4
In the heyday of the Hollywood movie star, we were not allowed to see Dietricjh or Garbo getting their nails done or grabbing dinner. We got what we could get and they always left us wanting more.
I just don't think our periodic glimpses of stars in the ''Sunset Boulevard'' days would have been remotely as alluring if we had weekly photos of them buying gas at the Esso or Sinclair stand waiting for Alfred to check the tires.
I just don't think our periodic glimpses of stars in the ''Sunset Boulevard'' days would have been remotely as alluring if we had weekly photos of them buying gas at the Esso or Sinclair stand waiting for Alfred to check the tires.
Mr. Brooks, an excellent read and powerful writing!
I felt Lady Gaga, initially, was like so many of todays amateur musicians and singer/songwriters who wanted to "break into the charts" with flash and gimmickry. And perhaps the later is true. She is a accomplished piano player, talented songwriter, and a passionate singer who looks beautiful with a dynamic stage presence.
"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."...Frank Zappa.
Conventional wisdom is my favorite oxymoron after civil war.
Conformity and conventions are social constructions of reality. Historically, many of the great artists have not been constrained or convinced by any of these con words.
An artist must be the most REAL-my acronym for a realized existential authentic lifestyle/passion.
Individuality is so often professed, but not practiced-as it takes courage to be a non-conformist. Also, you will not be accepted and approved of, at best, shunned and ridiculed, at worst. And will be very, very lonely till you conquer that weakness.
As many of us know, social conformity is a secular, simple, shallow, superficial, cultural artifact and invention of a particular zeitgeist and place.
The many diverse comments, I find are quite insightful, instructive, and informative-and often quite amusing.
Keep those cards and letters coming. How's that for an anachronism. Who would have predicted that looking at a wrist watch would one day be the most truest of anachronisms?
I felt Lady Gaga, initially, was like so many of todays amateur musicians and singer/songwriters who wanted to "break into the charts" with flash and gimmickry. And perhaps the later is true. She is a accomplished piano player, talented songwriter, and a passionate singer who looks beautiful with a dynamic stage presence.
"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."...Frank Zappa.
Conventional wisdom is my favorite oxymoron after civil war.
Conformity and conventions are social constructions of reality. Historically, many of the great artists have not been constrained or convinced by any of these con words.
An artist must be the most REAL-my acronym for a realized existential authentic lifestyle/passion.
Individuality is so often professed, but not practiced-as it takes courage to be a non-conformist. Also, you will not be accepted and approved of, at best, shunned and ridiculed, at worst. And will be very, very lonely till you conquer that weakness.
As many of us know, social conformity is a secular, simple, shallow, superficial, cultural artifact and invention of a particular zeitgeist and place.
The many diverse comments, I find are quite insightful, instructive, and informative-and often quite amusing.
Keep those cards and letters coming. How's that for an anachronism. Who would have predicted that looking at a wrist watch would one day be the most truest of anachronisms?
1
Lada Gaga is spectacular and has an inclusive message. It's okay for anyone to be loved, to be lovely, to be encouraging, to be encouraged and to be generous. Accepting support can be harder than offering the same to others. I'm grateful for her big heart.
1
Love this column!
I thought that Brooks in this column was contradicting his usual philosophic stance of rationality. But then I remembered that one of his chief philosophic gods is Edmund Burke, who taught that rationality alone does not control or explain our human existence. Passion is the great motivator of our lives, and we must learn to live with it and make use of it. Brooks has the wit to see that in Lady Gaga we have a powerful exemplar of recognizing and harnessing our passions toward our life's goals, rather than letting others impose their ideas or desires on us. I've dismissed her as pandering to anarchic sexuality, but I've decided, on David Brooks's advice, to give her another look. Thanks, David.
2
Supporting David Brooks' observation: We should also confer a passionately-earned "bravo" or "brava" for those courageous outside the performing arts. There is a refreshing honesty to passion - the more the act or opinion departs from the "norm", the more deserved the accolade. Yet this Nation has become more politically correct (read: wimpish) and we are being tested throughout the world. What we need are more Lady Gaga's, more Teddy Roosevelts, and quite possibly, we have received some of the needed passion and honesty in Donald Trump.
Mr. Brooks:
It is all well and good to be dazzled by talent in the service of passion. We can be inspired and uplifted by such performance. There is no substitute for experiencing the commitment of a live performance the holds us in thrall and renders time irrelevant. It takes a great deal of courage to stand in front of an audience and attempt to create such an act of transformation by an act of self-revelation.
However,passion does not pick sides and exhibits no tendency towards goodness or towards the completion of the human animal or the improvement of the human condition. In your last column you paraphased Yeats and bemoaned those times when the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of paasionate intensity. What a difference a day makes.
There is certainly an abundance of passion evident and on display in the Middle East these days. Passionate intensity has rendered our politics inept
and our collective future fraught with uncertainty. History is full of examples
of passionate and hateful leaders, espousing venomous behavior.
, no one can accuse Hitler of lacking passion.
Passion also creates zealots who can easily become a threat to order, as the current Republican Party's situation exhibits plainly. So. be careful of unbridled enthusiasm, elicited by passionate display, in the service of bad ideas.Passion is the handmaid of desire and desire... well that's another column or two or...
Glad you had a good night out .
It is all well and good to be dazzled by talent in the service of passion. We can be inspired and uplifted by such performance. There is no substitute for experiencing the commitment of a live performance the holds us in thrall and renders time irrelevant. It takes a great deal of courage to stand in front of an audience and attempt to create such an act of transformation by an act of self-revelation.
However,passion does not pick sides and exhibits no tendency towards goodness or towards the completion of the human animal or the improvement of the human condition. In your last column you paraphased Yeats and bemoaned those times when the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of paasionate intensity. What a difference a day makes.
There is certainly an abundance of passion evident and on display in the Middle East these days. Passionate intensity has rendered our politics inept
and our collective future fraught with uncertainty. History is full of examples
of passionate and hateful leaders, espousing venomous behavior.
, no one can accuse Hitler of lacking passion.
Passion also creates zealots who can easily become a threat to order, as the current Republican Party's situation exhibits plainly. So. be careful of unbridled enthusiasm, elicited by passionate display, in the service of bad ideas.Passion is the handmaid of desire and desire... well that's another column or two or...
Glad you had a good night out .
4
The problem with our culture is that we glorify celebrity and shame low-wage hard workers. Kids pick up on this message, and it sets them up for disappointment. Wouldn't it be great if this column was about an inner-city middle school teacher; Wouldn't it be great if it outlined what makes that teacher courageous and special and artistic. The irony: take Lady Gaga out for dinner and I'll bet she would praise a teacher--not a famous artist--as a hero, very creative, passionate, full of fierce longing and courage. Yes, Lady Gaga is a great artist, but art takes many forms, most of it not marketed or sold or filmed or posted. There is great art in the teacher, the stay at home dad, the waitress, the clerk, the garbage man, the cab driver... these "lesser" occupations need more recognition for what they give our community.
6
Two questions come to mind regarding this piece.
#1, Mr. Brooks, how do you know? I mean really know, not just from something you read or overheard at a cocktail party.
#2, Does the Lady Gaga know you are writing about her? I ask this because every time a right winger uses something from an artist these days, that artist has asked that righty to cease and desist.
Passion and fear can be used to uncover deep mysteries through music and art and dance, and yes writing.
Passion and fear can also be used to gin up hatred and xenophobia and racism and fascism in those who can't understand lofty words like these.
The majority of people with Mr. Brooks political views belong in the second camp.
I am wondering if Brooks is on the verge of an epiphany?
#1, Mr. Brooks, how do you know? I mean really know, not just from something you read or overheard at a cocktail party.
#2, Does the Lady Gaga know you are writing about her? I ask this because every time a right winger uses something from an artist these days, that artist has asked that righty to cease and desist.
Passion and fear can be used to uncover deep mysteries through music and art and dance, and yes writing.
Passion and fear can also be used to gin up hatred and xenophobia and racism and fascism in those who can't understand lofty words like these.
The majority of people with Mr. Brooks political views belong in the second camp.
I am wondering if Brooks is on the verge of an epiphany?
3
I think you have success, fame, recognition by one's peers, and perhaps wealth confused with passion. Being a passionate person does not, often result in success, fame, or even recognition or fame. And there are many passionate people who have died in poverty. Yes some are recognized after their deaths but more are often not remembered at all.
Also a passionate creator person has a schedule of practicing the base-line skills routinely. It is the person who is not looking to find or is to lazy to look or is still pursuing the search for passion, these persons can not tolerate repetitive routine and opt out. Repetitive routine is not deadening for the passionate person because they realize it is strengthening their skills, whether it be meditation, dance, art, voice, writing, or medicine... There are so many things available for passion and that is what the search is about. Once found, it requires work and dedication and the reward is, for the passionate person, an ever-widening universe and self to be found within.
Also a passionate creator person has a schedule of practicing the base-line skills routinely. It is the person who is not looking to find or is to lazy to look or is still pursuing the search for passion, these persons can not tolerate repetitive routine and opt out. Repetitive routine is not deadening for the passionate person because they realize it is strengthening their skills, whether it be meditation, dance, art, voice, writing, or medicine... There are so many things available for passion and that is what the search is about. Once found, it requires work and dedication and the reward is, for the passionate person, an ever-widening universe and self to be found within.
3
Who would have thought, a republican-leaning journalist running away from the pack, trying to define himself with the abandon passion requires. Each of us is unique, and irreplaceable, if we could only abandon the constraints we put on ourselves to do things. or not, to please other's opinions, instead of trusting ourselves in the passion life requires. Well said. Wish it were that easy to do.
Save your passion for your spouse.
3
My passion is to see the U.S. return to some semblance of economic equality so that all those working long hours and multiple jobs just to pay the bills might have a few minutes to sit and think about their passion. Millions cannot afford that luxury.
95
Loved this piece….spoke to loud to me. When I stepped out a corporate career and my comfort zone, it was scary and humiliating to start at the bottom of the ladder of what I loved…I am far from the top but I am glad i can answer the last question!!
1
or: arch- conservative is dazzled by night on the town with liberal-types who exhibit passion and have fun.
3
I wonder what kind of world we would have if everyone had the courage to just be him or herself, no matter what the consequences? I wonder if anyone would drive a garbage truck, or clean the latrines in public parks, or pick strawberries in the hot sun?
Probably not, I'm thinking. And yet all of those things need to be done in order for the civilization that supports entertainment goddesses like Gaga to exist. So it seems kind of ridiculous to praise a member of the extraordinarily privileged class of celebrity elites for selling people this fable about "being yourself" and "following your passion" when we all know that for the majority of people that's impossible, not because they lack courage or conviction but because our social and economic system requires a lot more janitors and cashiers and fruit pickers than it does entertainers.
Probably not, I'm thinking. And yet all of those things need to be done in order for the civilization that supports entertainment goddesses like Gaga to exist. So it seems kind of ridiculous to praise a member of the extraordinarily privileged class of celebrity elites for selling people this fable about "being yourself" and "following your passion" when we all know that for the majority of people that's impossible, not because they lack courage or conviction but because our social and economic system requires a lot more janitors and cashiers and fruit pickers than it does entertainers.
3
Yet while you wax poetic about Gaga, what is unspoken is how much she was nurtured in the arts as a child. While the Republican Party has been less than enthusiastic about supporting the arts and education - clearly our society benefits from having more Gagas. She knows it – and she has been out there, reaching out to kids and trying to inspire them. A strong, wise society recognizes that the children are our future – to quote a different famous artist – and focuses resources on schools, family support structures (like family leave and good daycare), and even food. Today's Republican Party can't be bothered.
5
Lady Gaga is a very talented singer. It's too bad in a way she couldn't rest on that laurel since it's going to be exhausting to keep up her idiosyncratic style for the life of her career, I would think.
Hey, I'm a liberal and all that, but are we getting into that self-actualizing action? Selfish humanism? Are we deifying the search for being truly ourselves? LOVE is the other side of fear, not this stuff.
Nice column with a positive message, but I do question this popular notion of emulating celebrities as a path toward a successful life and self actualization. How often we find that many celebrities are just as deeply unhappy, addicted, and depressed as many ordinary people are. Your passion is what you say it is, if it's passion for being a good parent, being good at whatever work you do, passion for cooking good food or whatever...but usually for the vast majority it's in the small things. And while I admire Lady Gaga very few will ever reach her level of stardom. Perhaps a column is needed about the values that are required to live out our everyday lives in dignity living up to our responsibilities even while facing sometimes deadening work yet still finding passion in our lives. That would be more real than putting Lady Gaga even higher up on a pedestal than she already is.
Nice column, Mr. Brooks. I almost hate to have to point out that much of human fear revolves around the inherently unequal, inherently exploitative, economic system called, "capitalism."
How much of that is absolutely necessary, I couldn't say. But I do know that--as in "Eat, Pray, Love"--it's one heck of a lot easier to live freer and more fearlessly when you gots a ton of money and power.
How much of that is absolutely necessary, I couldn't say. But I do know that--as in "Eat, Pray, Love"--it's one heck of a lot easier to live freer and more fearlessly when you gots a ton of money and power.
1
Basically I think Mr. Brooks just fell in love.
3
This is such a string of, at best, hypotheses, declarations cast out like hard seemingly nutritious kernels of corn to us hungry barnyard chickens. Lady Gaga seems to have cast her psychedelic spell on Mr. Brooks, to elicit this impulsive intellectualized outpouring of what he must think is his passion, to explain why people are the way they are. Entertaining, yes, but no tears.
2
A passionate life doesn't require flamboyance. It requires hard work, much of it tedious (alas). Here's a poem by Adam Zagajewski that speaks of the diligence needed to discover and to defend the truth -- a passionate occupation if there ever was one:
Don't allow the lucid moment to dissolve
Let the radiant thought last in stillness
though the page is almost filled and the flame flickers
We haven't risen yet to the level of ourselves
Knowledge grows slowly like a wisdom tooth
The stature of a man is still notched
high up on a white door
From far off, the joyful voice of a trumpet
and of a song rolled up like a cat
What passes doesn't fall into a void
A stoker is still feeding coal into the fire
Don't allow the lucid moment to dissolve
On a hard dry substance
you have to engrave the truth
Don't allow the lucid moment to dissolve
Let the radiant thought last in stillness
though the page is almost filled and the flame flickers
We haven't risen yet to the level of ourselves
Knowledge grows slowly like a wisdom tooth
The stature of a man is still notched
high up on a white door
From far off, the joyful voice of a trumpet
and of a song rolled up like a cat
What passes doesn't fall into a void
A stoker is still feeding coal into the fire
Don't allow the lucid moment to dissolve
On a hard dry substance
you have to engrave the truth
I have to disagree. What about contempoary american society makes you think that Gaga's whimsical, eccentric masquerade is an act of bravery? Gaga is exactly what consumers of music and celebrity crave: a sensationalist with few boundaries.
Does it take bravery to be Gaga, sure; but no more or less than it takes to mount a giant banana on stage or swing naked on a wrecking ball.
Does it take bravery to be Gaga, sure; but no more or less than it takes to mount a giant banana on stage or swing naked on a wrecking ball.
2
Excellent article as usual David but it does present a dilemma what I take from this is that most successful people are driven, egotistical and self centered and there is certainly nothing wrong with that if the people running the world would quit involving everyone else in their causes, best example being wars of choice in the Middle East, and allow us to go back to chasing our own dreams rather than those of Israeli lobbyists and defense contractors. Bernie 2016.
3
It is utterly amazing that even this column draws out the bitter politics in so many readers. Just sad. Here's hoping David's thoughtful observations yield more passion and less poison in our lives.
1
There is high passion and low passion. Some trees produce fruit for many, others do not.
I will take the passion of Mother Theresa over the typical Hollywood-expressed passion.
Also a trait of high passion is to work hard without seeking attention.
I will take the passion of Mother Theresa over the typical Hollywood-expressed passion.
Also a trait of high passion is to work hard without seeking attention.
I'm confused by the comments that denigrate Lady Gaga's talent, as this column was not a judgment on the quality of Lady Gag's artistic output, or talent, musical or otherwise.
Rather, in the context of a recent event he attended, also attended by Lady Gaga, Mr. Brooks was simply observing the relatively uncommon type of person who is compelled to explore herself and her identity in an uninhibited, public, creative and seemingly fearless manner.
Regardless of anyone's opinion on her latest album or work on a television show, the courage to be and become oneself - fully, generously, and undeterred by fear - is an admirable quality that Lady Gaga (and many other artists) possess.
Rather, in the context of a recent event he attended, also attended by Lady Gaga, Mr. Brooks was simply observing the relatively uncommon type of person who is compelled to explore herself and her identity in an uninhibited, public, creative and seemingly fearless manner.
Regardless of anyone's opinion on her latest album or work on a television show, the courage to be and become oneself - fully, generously, and undeterred by fear - is an admirable quality that Lady Gaga (and many other artists) possess.
It's not just the arts. There are many scientists and engineers that want to use their skills to make the world a better place (I'm one of them). What they do is more lasting and tangible, but usually not as spectacular. But there are so many forces that inhibit their succeeding, most having to do with corporate timidity and concern for profits.
1
Passion? Oh, spare me. We have a Congress full of very passionate people whose "passion" blinds them to the needs of the nation. At least Gaga's passion and the fame, adulation, and financial reward that flows from it doesn't seek to deny the poor, sick, elderly, and disadvantaged any of the benefits of our Founders' passionate dream.
Passion? I think those congressman about which you speak are governed by cash. They have a theatric passion that's painfully obvious., which is why they're so despised.
Lady Gaga may be very passionate, but so are many others in many different fields. In the end, it's not the passion that makes us admire her. It's her fame.
1
Every child is brought into this world with unlimited creativity, and a passion to use it. From dance to math, to art to science, to music to economics. At times, occupying multiple passions simultaneously without restraint.
And then, for most, we 'un-learn' these creative, passionate impulses as culture asks us to conform, to consume, to pursue things and shiny tokens. To become smaller than we are in vision, language and outlook.
Some break out of this dynamic--good for them--but it's the dynamic of systemic narrowing and conformity directed at our children that makes Lady Gaga seem so rare. And that's unfortunate.
And then, for most, we 'un-learn' these creative, passionate impulses as culture asks us to conform, to consume, to pursue things and shiny tokens. To become smaller than we are in vision, language and outlook.
Some break out of this dynamic--good for them--but it's the dynamic of systemic narrowing and conformity directed at our children that makes Lady Gaga seem so rare. And that's unfortunate.
3
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity" [WBY]
Of course a soupçon (or more) of passion is important, but a life controlled only by passion is an animal life. Fear, anger, hatred... these are passions that we see on the national stage in too great abundance.
Let's get serious, and stop meandering among the weeds on the periphery of our communal lives.
Are full of passionate intensity" [WBY]
Of course a soupçon (or more) of passion is important, but a life controlled only by passion is an animal life. Fear, anger, hatred... these are passions that we see on the national stage in too great abundance.
Let's get serious, and stop meandering among the weeds on the periphery of our communal lives.
1
I am not sure what passion is (I’m more neutrally driven), yet I don’t think Mr. Brooks’ poetic speculations describe it. My closest sense of it attaches to the image of Ray Bradbury, science fiction fantasist, who knew he had never lost his childhood sense of wonder. It informed his life into old age and all of his writing – rockets, carnivals, dinosaurs. To me, that’s natural, healthy child-based wonder and passion. So many adults are driven or piqued in the manner of the oyster and its pearl: An irritant gets inside, and the oyster builds this shiny orb around it just to protect itself. Many struggle for power and fame as a prosthetic ego. That might look like passion to an adult who doesn’t know what it is.
3
Mr. Brooks;
you have coaxed me in these last few years from being someone who instinctively found you dangerous and cunning, to someone who now thinks you are on the verge of becoming a national treasure.
We are all in the wilderness, with matches that are wet, a broken compass, and the cold dark of a wet night descending rapidly on our tribe - who gets to tell us which direction to follow, which path to take that will bring us to warm sunlight and safety when the morning inevitably comes?
Your musings and delving into the psychology of how we might become better humans against the backdrop and reality of the maw that is our culture have been brave, insightful, and truthful - all traits lacking in the dominant culture.
Thanks for bring something hopeful to the party - and I don't mean either the Republican or Democratic wastelands.
you have coaxed me in these last few years from being someone who instinctively found you dangerous and cunning, to someone who now thinks you are on the verge of becoming a national treasure.
We are all in the wilderness, with matches that are wet, a broken compass, and the cold dark of a wet night descending rapidly on our tribe - who gets to tell us which direction to follow, which path to take that will bring us to warm sunlight and safety when the morning inevitably comes?
Your musings and delving into the psychology of how we might become better humans against the backdrop and reality of the maw that is our culture have been brave, insightful, and truthful - all traits lacking in the dominant culture.
Thanks for bring something hopeful to the party - and I don't mean either the Republican or Democratic wastelands.
56
Thanks Mr. Brooks,
Well said!
Well said!
Yet again, David Brooks has written an insightful and inspiring column that never veers into sentimentality or sycophantism. Long may he stay his course, and long live Lady Gaga!
A very good description of the creative spirit. Unfortunately it is precisely what politicians are not where the private self is carefully masked by the public self.
What often seems to happen is that the genuflection to party loyalty, obligatory gestures to public demand for orthodoxy in everything from food to religious cues eventually wash away the creative. This may account for why the many in pursuit of the humanities in areas such as art, musical composition, literature and the performing arts are momentarily honored, but not seriously invited to engage is a dialog with the public self of politicians.
What often seems to happen is that the genuflection to party loyalty, obligatory gestures to public demand for orthodoxy in everything from food to religious cues eventually wash away the creative. This may account for why the many in pursuit of the humanities in areas such as art, musical composition, literature and the performing arts are momentarily honored, but not seriously invited to engage is a dialog with the public self of politicians.
"We are the only animals who are naturally unfinished. We have to bring ourselves to fulfillment, to integration and to coherence."
For most this a metamorphosis into psychic entropy!
Nature is devolving into dystopia!
For most this a metamorphosis into psychic entropy!
Nature is devolving into dystopia!
I often enjoy David's column as well as his commentary on Shields and Brooks on the News Hour even though he represents "the other side" to me. This totally unpolitical piece is very thought provoking; especially the last line. Like Lake Woebegoner, I was not a Gaga fan until she teemed up with Tony Bennet. Then I saw she was not just a shock artist but a very talented singer who was not afraid to try anything. She treated the old music with great respect as she did Julie Andrews when she performed her Sound of Music medley. I disagree with fear making us what we might be, but rather with the last line of David's column "Who would you be and what would you do if you weren’t afraid?"
If Mr. Brooks would turn his gaze back to the world of politics, he would see exactly what a life of passion offers in this realm. The only honest and truly passionate candidate running for President in 2016 is Bernie Sanders. The others are all obviously motivated by power and ego-gratification. Perhaps there is a lesson there for all of us.
2
I'm incredibly amused by the prospect that David Brooks is a closet Gaga fan. (Nothing to be ashamed of - I enjoy Gaga too!)
3
What would a person be like if with more courage, less fear, or with more or less passion or more or less intelligence or any quality really?
I see no reason why we should not actually pursue that question and put it on scientific footing. Consider that my passion and courage, declaration of no fear for the moment. Actually examine people who demonstrate less fear than the rest of us--see how they behave. Test and see how much more or less fear operates when mingled with other qualities. I am in the process of building a P-40 Flying Tiger model plane; yesterday I started learning about the color wheel, how to mix colors, etc. to get a light orangish color to get camouflage on model right. Get scientists up and running and get a color wheel for human qualities.
Speaking personally, what I would have done if I had had more passion and were less afraid is difficult to predict and could have been either grim from normal perspective or inspiring. I could have focused more and become a musician or driven harder to become a writer. Or I could have ruthlessly pursued a line of questioning such as "what would it really mean to not be driven by ego?" and answered said question by remarking that only by committing suicide could one be sure of not living egotistically, especially suicide after letting loved ones know the suicide had nothing to do with depression or that it was in any way their fault (suicide out of hidden resentment, etc.) Hard to tell how one would be if different.
I see no reason why we should not actually pursue that question and put it on scientific footing. Consider that my passion and courage, declaration of no fear for the moment. Actually examine people who demonstrate less fear than the rest of us--see how they behave. Test and see how much more or less fear operates when mingled with other qualities. I am in the process of building a P-40 Flying Tiger model plane; yesterday I started learning about the color wheel, how to mix colors, etc. to get a light orangish color to get camouflage on model right. Get scientists up and running and get a color wheel for human qualities.
Speaking personally, what I would have done if I had had more passion and were less afraid is difficult to predict and could have been either grim from normal perspective or inspiring. I could have focused more and become a musician or driven harder to become a writer. Or I could have ruthlessly pursued a line of questioning such as "what would it really mean to not be driven by ego?" and answered said question by remarking that only by committing suicide could one be sure of not living egotistically, especially suicide after letting loved ones know the suicide had nothing to do with depression or that it was in any way their fault (suicide out of hidden resentment, etc.) Hard to tell how one would be if different.
You have no idea how much I needed to see this message today. I'm a few feet from the finish line in a year long, passion fueled marathon where I've put everything on the line at 55 years old. The past few weeks have had me wondering if I have enough fuel to get me over the finish line. I do and I will! Thank you David.
46
Rooting for you, Amy. Good luck!
Lady Gaga is a woman, to be sure, that is to be applauded for so many aspects of her life and the impact she has had on society.
If you look into Lady Gaga's biographical information, you will find ventured on her own in NYC at like the age of 17. She also has alluded to feelings at an early age of "not fitting in".
This woman had the courage to find her way with her passion, yes. And what many people may not know, because Lady Gaga is not a braggart, she is a humble soul at heart - she is more of a philanthropist and activist than imaginable. She shares what she has reaped and she does it with definitive joy.
Mr. Brooks, thank you so much for this column. As a woman who feels not to "fit in" sometimes, but of passion and cause, it is understandable the pings of pain at times. But for some reason, we still have the innards to pick ourselves up and move on to the next passion project. We seem to have the ability to leave the pain pings behind, and hopefully, with a smile. Perhaps the inner joy of creativity and passion is more important in the long run than those temporary uneasy reminders that we're not always like some or many of the other people around us.
And to parents out there - if you see this in your child, like Lady Gaga's parents must have, help your child be true to him/her self. It will give inner strength that will go so far, and for a long, long time. Because those kids are who they are, and will be for a long, long time. Find joy with them.
If you look into Lady Gaga's biographical information, you will find ventured on her own in NYC at like the age of 17. She also has alluded to feelings at an early age of "not fitting in".
This woman had the courage to find her way with her passion, yes. And what many people may not know, because Lady Gaga is not a braggart, she is a humble soul at heart - she is more of a philanthropist and activist than imaginable. She shares what she has reaped and she does it with definitive joy.
Mr. Brooks, thank you so much for this column. As a woman who feels not to "fit in" sometimes, but of passion and cause, it is understandable the pings of pain at times. But for some reason, we still have the innards to pick ourselves up and move on to the next passion project. We seem to have the ability to leave the pain pings behind, and hopefully, with a smile. Perhaps the inner joy of creativity and passion is more important in the long run than those temporary uneasy reminders that we're not always like some or many of the other people around us.
And to parents out there - if you see this in your child, like Lady Gaga's parents must have, help your child be true to him/her self. It will give inner strength that will go so far, and for a long, long time. Because those kids are who they are, and will be for a long, long time. Find joy with them.
3
Brooks must have felt overwhelmed by the unmistakable talent, creativity, and human dynamism in the room during the dinner for Americans for the Arts. Why was he invited, I wonder? I looked at the information about "Americans for the Arts."
http://www.americansforthearts.org/about-americans-for-the-arts/business...
http://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/promotion-and-recognition/...
I still don't know why he was invited. But I wish he could be transformed by passion to reinstate tax support for public schools that includes music and art. Lady Gaga is wonderful but all of the American children are wonderful. So why can't Brooks's political party support public education so that everyone can have a chance to develop their passions-- not just the people at this lovely dinner?
http://www.americansforthearts.org/about-americans-for-the-arts/business...
http://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/promotion-and-recognition/...
I still don't know why he was invited. But I wish he could be transformed by passion to reinstate tax support for public schools that includes music and art. Lady Gaga is wonderful but all of the American children are wonderful. So why can't Brooks's political party support public education so that everyone can have a chance to develop their passions-- not just the people at this lovely dinner?
2
Lovely appreciation I wouldn't have expected from Brooks, but this jarred: "She is always being hurt or thrown off balconies." Always?
I am delighted to learn that it is only fear, and not a lack of talent and ability, which is holding me back!
6
Jung and others has noted that most artistic endeavors are attempts to air and perhaps even expiate one's perceived limitations and imperfections. Gaga's art apparently reflects hers [whatever they may be]. Picasso, Wagner, and Beethoven provide other classic examples.
Their frustrations and those of most others have resulted in passionate artistry, rather than political, religious passion which have rarely had a positive effect on human history.
Their frustrations and those of most others have resulted in passionate artistry, rather than political, religious passion which have rarely had a positive effect on human history.
2
I can think of another women celebrity who came to a very bad ending but was praised to high heavens and controversial when she was alive. Her name was Diana - Princess of Wales. She was a characature like Gaga who started out as a child of the downtrodden running around in strange outfits and being outrageous, mildly talented and now look at her splashed across the fashion magazines like a princess, too. Give me a break.
I vividly remember sitting in church pews as a little kid and having to listen to preachers give pretty good penetrating analyses for why people don't believe in their particular theology or why people are selfish or why they lie. They were the same people who believed in the universe being created 6,000 years ago in six 'days' and a worldwide Flood and talking donkeys and talking snakes. Ayn Rand, espousing no-holds-barred capitalism, was a good armchair psychologist as well. Apparently, the NYTimes is quite lax with its columnists ( and too censorious with its readers' comments). David, you made some observations regarding some Republicans a couple of columns ago. Your article cried out for more development. What are we as Americans supposed to do with the information you provided? Please elucidate further. We don't care about this other stuff.
Last sentence of James Agee's Prolog to A Death in the Family: "....who quietly treat me, as one familiar and well-beloved in that home: but will not, oh, will not, not now, not ever; but will not ever tell me who I am." Indeed it is each of our task to discover who we are, through the process of living passionately, with authenticity.
2
Listen, say what you want about her, but the girl can sing.
Mission accomplished.
Mission accomplished.
1
Most people follow the path of least resistance because it's easier to do.
Striking and sticking out takes too much work, not to forget ridicule or hatred and often includes poverty, (starving artist). Simply, the average person does not have the self belief, energy, stamina or creativity to follow their true ambitions day in and day out.
I've found throughout life those without these burning desires do spend an inordinate amount of time squashing the dreams and ideals of those that do.
It's extremely hard on the ones that do and sadly their inner flame is often extinguished too early in their life.
Striking and sticking out takes too much work, not to forget ridicule or hatred and often includes poverty, (starving artist). Simply, the average person does not have the self belief, energy, stamina or creativity to follow their true ambitions day in and day out.
I've found throughout life those without these burning desires do spend an inordinate amount of time squashing the dreams and ideals of those that do.
It's extremely hard on the ones that do and sadly their inner flame is often extinguished too early in their life.
4
Mr. Brooks, I say this with all goodwill, there are some things you should not write about because you simply do not live them. How do I know that? Because while Republicans can try to live a life of proper passion, the new Republican leaders, and you are one, cannot. Passion alone is not a great virtue and can even be a vice; often used to justify the most reprehensible action(s) toward others ‘I’m sorry, I’m just passionate’, ‘there is WMD!’, and in policy when we hear of those passionately awarding greater tax-cuts for the richest while denying 46 million Americans live in poverty. This Incomplete Passion can be found in many from a few celebrity chefs to Hitler. They, uniformly, lack genuine Empathy & Compassion instrumental in the formation of Proper Passion. Soren Kierkegaard and so many others understood this non-trivial distinction. You do not.
Proper passion feels a symbiosis with our inner world & environment and not as you characterize. It is disquieted by the tyranny of majority, the complacency of willful ignorance to be led like sheep. Republicans prefer Authoritarians. When Republicans erupted in cheers at Rand Paul saying he would let his staffer die if (s)he could not afford healthcare that's an empty passion.
All too often, we extinguish real passion for the sake of our economic model. We promote vocations that swim in Improper Passion and we devalue those that passionately refuse your tyranny.
Living with proper passion is not cliché David, its heroic.
Proper passion feels a symbiosis with our inner world & environment and not as you characterize. It is disquieted by the tyranny of majority, the complacency of willful ignorance to be led like sheep. Republicans prefer Authoritarians. When Republicans erupted in cheers at Rand Paul saying he would let his staffer die if (s)he could not afford healthcare that's an empty passion.
All too often, we extinguish real passion for the sake of our economic model. We promote vocations that swim in Improper Passion and we devalue those that passionately refuse your tyranny.
Living with proper passion is not cliché David, its heroic.
4
You don't find passion, it finds you. Passion is a product of an intense desire that comes from within. While usually applied to artistic or religious expression it is also a product of other pursuits, less laudatory, like the accumulation of wealth or power. That same intrinsic drive to accomplish that characterizes all passion can be a force influencing humanity for both good and - I won't term this in religious terms so I'll skip evil and simply say - bad. Though often blurred for hyperbolic purpose there is a pronounced difference between bad and evil in terms of deployment.
Ever notice that almost every movie is about one thing: An ordinary person encountering extraordinary circumstances and acting heroically?
Interesting piece, David.
Lady Gaga isn't my type of zany entertainer. I go way back to the Marx Brothers. It took all four of them to get the same zany effect as Gaga, but only Chico could belt out a tune on the piano like she does.
Here's an answer to your friend's query: "Who would you be and what would you do if you weren’t afraid?" You would be nobody. It's Fear who makes us what we might be.
Lady Gaga isn't my type of zany entertainer. I go way back to the Marx Brothers. It took all four of them to get the same zany effect as Gaga, but only Chico could belt out a tune on the piano like she does.
Here's an answer to your friend's query: "Who would you be and what would you do if you weren’t afraid?" You would be nobody. It's Fear who makes us what we might be.
17
Only partly. And I get real tired of this "gift of fear," stuff, tied as it is to bogus notions about human evolution and male aggressivity's being necessary.
i recommend reading Alfred Bester's "The Demolished Man," with particular attention to the last page.
i recommend reading Alfred Bester's "The Demolished Man," with particular attention to the last page.
Find her performance of the Sound of Music medley at the Oscar ceremony earlier this year - it's a whole different Lady Gaga. Not zany at all. It was moving.
1
Good column. I'm reminded of the artworlds of the 1960s in New York and San Francisco, when much that was rule-bound, conventional, and familiar was thrown to the wind, as in performance art. As John Cage would argue, the task of art is to discover new areas of freedom in which people have the opportunity to re-invent themselves.
3
Wow - I'm gaga-ed by a David Brooks column. Well done.
6
Don't for a minute think this is not a typical David Brooks column. What Brooks understands is power, success, prestige. It is his obsession. You will never find him celebrating an undiscovered artistic talent, because he would not understand it. He is willing to wax poetic about the virtues of the successful -- once they are successful -- but his worldview is not broad enough to embrace what it would take as a society to make everyone's life more open to self-exploration, expression, and achievement.
45
Well said @James in Austin. I completely agree.
I disagree. James....I think Mr. Brooks has a passion for ideas, the more abstract and sweeping, the better. We, like him, have to deal with our own worldview and what we can do to leave it the better for our being here. Worry less about everyone else'l life and focus on our own. Like Gaga.
Wow! This seems like it could be the basis for a reasonable question, but to make such a categorical and sweeping assumption about Mr. Brooks strikes me as seriously overreaching. I heard myself asking, "and you know this how??"
Our modern understanding of "passion" is, of course, vastly different from what the medieval or ancient world understood by this notion. For those earlier times, "passion" meant something one undergoes or suffers -- hence the related term "passive" and the "passion of Christ." Passion was precisely *not* who one was, but was something that happened to you, and which could be pleasant (such as the passion of falling in love) but more often than not was an affliction of the soul (suffering, anger, sorrow, etc.).
Today we do not at all understand passion in this sense. We think of passion as pertaining to one's innermost identity, not a passive undergoing, but an active striving of some sort.
But this is what both the medievals and the ancients thought of under the term "appetite." Our "passion" is what earlier ages called our appetitive nature.
That we so embrace passion suggests a kind of deep historical conceptual confusion or shift, or the forgetting of an older sense of autonomy. Jesus of Nazareth too experienced a deep passion; but he, as for most of the ancient world of any decent upbringing, would have rather that cup be taken from him. To actually embrace and seek passion, is to embrace and seek that over which one has no control. It is to seek what the Greeks called "ecstasis" -- the erasure of the self, not its completion.
Today we do not at all understand passion in this sense. We think of passion as pertaining to one's innermost identity, not a passive undergoing, but an active striving of some sort.
But this is what both the medievals and the ancients thought of under the term "appetite." Our "passion" is what earlier ages called our appetitive nature.
That we so embrace passion suggests a kind of deep historical conceptual confusion or shift, or the forgetting of an older sense of autonomy. Jesus of Nazareth too experienced a deep passion; but he, as for most of the ancient world of any decent upbringing, would have rather that cup be taken from him. To actually embrace and seek passion, is to embrace and seek that over which one has no control. It is to seek what the Greeks called "ecstasis" -- the erasure of the self, not its completion.
6
Very well said, Mr. Brooks. I was reading this column, nodding along, but waiting for the sudden shift--the moment where the life of passion subtly morphed into an endorsement of conservative politics. That moment never came (or if it did it was so subtle I missed it). Instead, you've given us a very thoughtful reflection on the nature of the creative impulse. Thank you.
10
I fear that you mistake extreme narcissism, exhibitionism, and gratuitous ugliness for passion and play, and her “work” in AHS exemplifies this. She stars in a spectacle that is the zero degree sum of mindless depravity, reveling in abjection, mutilation, and violation of bodies and spirits but without any of the artistry or insights brought to the subject of transgression by the likes of Sade, Lautreamont, Waters,Pasolini, or the cultural icons whose character she’s meant to recall. This adds a vicious soullessness to our apocalyptically idiocratic world. She’s a degraded version of the antecedents that AHS creators smugly reference: Deneueve and Bowie in “The Hunger.” It’s possible to create a powerfully provocative, transgressive, and yes passionate challenge to the status quo, in arts and philosophy; the above figures all do so. But sporting a meat dress - decorating oneself in the innards of animals slaughtered in an abattoir, a space that, as Adorno observes, must cause us to think of Auschwitz, if we are thinking at all - and literally and figuratively bathing in the cesspool of our current popcultural zeitgeist, is an active destruction of culture, creativity, passion, and play. Smearing oneself with the tripes of living beings, grinning through the bloody leavings of others’ pain, without any of the intellectual or artistic meditation upon transgression that the greatest performers and writers have wrought, is merely abject.
13
I think you miss what she adds to such an aesthetic--to put it briefly, the female experience of being turned into meat.
Hey, I don't love everything Lady Gaga does, but I will tell you what makes her different, from say people like Beyonce. Gaga is a trained musician who plays piano and writes her own music. She has a lovely voice, and she has VISION.
So, does this mean you don't like Lady Gaga?
Fear can be acronym for either "Forget everything and run", or "Face everything and realize" your full potential. Gaga is the embodiment or the recovery of the forgotten fragments of self by the merging of implicit memory with explicit story to achieve an attuned relationship to both the inner and outer world. Its seems like so much psychobabble, but it's really - as David's expansive insights imply, taking a once babbling and disabling self by curious hand through courageous exploration into coherent understanding and sweet, growing contentment.
1
Ironic that this article appears after the Benghazi hearings, where the Republican passion for Hillary's demise was in full display --- too bad, they don't have an equal passion for governing.
8
'We are the only animals who are naturally unfinished.' Good line - reminds me of Nietzsche's 'man's nature is nature-altering.' But what would finished represent?
3
Death.
It is not good when unusually gifted people are held up as models. Maintaining common decency and doing ones duty is within reach of most, and is enough. great achievers often have trouble with that, although we benefit from their attainments.
3
Geez David, is there anything that you can't turn into lectures of self-absorbtion? Surely you know the very word passion is from the Latin pati (suffer) and gained it's current meaning from the passion of the Christ. Surely there can be people who are passionate about a goal, not about making themselves known. I'm just not sure why Republicans can't understand such a concept. Climate scientists, teachers, health care workers (all the et cetera GOP boogeymen) are NOT passionate only for fame and money.
4
I guess it's okay if the occasional Gaga lives a passionate life. But a world full of people living and being passionate, unafraid lives would be awful. Most of us have to care what others think about us...it's what makes everything work.
29
The problem, Tim, is fear is the single biggest stumbling block to being successful at any level. Being concerned about what other people think about is one aspect of depression. Being fearless at some level is almost always necessary or else you would be afraid to make any decisions and get stuck.
I think we would be off if we had more Lady Gagas.
I think we would be off if we had more Lady Gagas.
But, obviously Gaga cares what other people think of her - she had tears in her eyes, clearly moved by the tribute.
Of course you know you don't have to be a 'Lady Gaga' to be passionate, creative or a non-conformist. People across a broad spectrum have passion of arts, sciences, business and--oh,oh--politics.
Bernie is passionate, creative and a non-conformist...so is, yikes, Donald Trump--it just comes from different perspectives.
Bernie is passionate, creative and a non-conformist...so is, yikes, Donald Trump--it just comes from different perspectives.
1
Passion, for me, has always been one of life's "requirements". But as much as I have integrated into my own life, I still get a ton of pleasure witnessing it in others.
Watching the hands of pianist Daniil Trifonov whizz across the keyboard and then slow to passionately play the andante.
Listening to the acceptance speech of a teacher who has been recognized for excellence.
Getting close to a Van Gogh painting.
Seeing the incomparable look on a child's face when a new skill is learned.
If you lack passion in your life, get busy discovering where it is in you. Until you get there, revel in the passion of others!
Watching the hands of pianist Daniil Trifonov whizz across the keyboard and then slow to passionately play the andante.
Listening to the acceptance speech of a teacher who has been recognized for excellence.
Getting close to a Van Gogh painting.
Seeing the incomparable look on a child's face when a new skill is learned.
If you lack passion in your life, get busy discovering where it is in you. Until you get there, revel in the passion of others!
The way she dresses (from wild to mild), the downplay of the makeup, the more frank way she deals with public speaking, all indicate someone who is willing to change and I have a feeling that after achieving success playing a fantasy, she has come full circle and is her origunal self. I like the original better.
5
The only part of the article with which I do not agree in this model of the life of passion is the following: "They opt out of things that are repetitive, routine and deadening." Whether people have the luxury of opting out depends on a variety of things often beyond the person's control. I believe there are people with the courage, creativity, and fire to lead a life of passion even if circumstances do not allow them to opt out. And those, I think are the people who deserve our greatest admiration.
4
Thank you for writing this. Over the years , I have seen so many amazing Off-Off-Broadway shows, populated by deeply talented performers, all of whom were stretching every nerve to suceed, and none of whom have risen higher. I have also seen Broadway performers who were shallow and dull. It is factually incorrect to the point of evil to believe that those at the top of any profession are somehow superior to those who were not gifted at birth with support and connections. Thank you for recognizing this.
I like the celebration of passion as complete anathema to things like stoicism, puritan ethics and a large part of Buddhist wisdom. Passion, for lack of a better word. is good.
1
30 years teaching in high needs schools in Harlem and the South Bronx.
I identify with the passion, but would also add, from a teaching perspective, the joy of the moment is equally balanced, if not overshadowed, with the realization that in order to get those "wins" you have to lose more often.
It is akin to a long term addiction, where you realize the damage done in the doing, but can't walk away from the high that comes from the moment.
I identify with the passion, but would also add, from a teaching perspective, the joy of the moment is equally balanced, if not overshadowed, with the realization that in order to get those "wins" you have to lose more often.
It is akin to a long term addiction, where you realize the damage done in the doing, but can't walk away from the high that comes from the moment.
I think it is rare for a clergy person to say they "convert themselves". Yet with only a slight (yet significant) change in the verb form, I do believe many would claim they "are converted" by the very word they preach to others.
So how does "passion" fit into all of this, particularly when the root meaning of the word is equated to "suffering". Indeed, to be a passionate person is to have a courage that challenges the status quo, the accepted norms, that keep most people within predictable boxes. But inevitably, it also involves pain and suffering since it is rarely safe to break norms. Mr. Brooks notes this "danger" but only scratched the surface of the relationships between passion and suffering - and then the transformation that is then possible because of it. Perhaps there will be a "part II" of his column...
So how does "passion" fit into all of this, particularly when the root meaning of the word is equated to "suffering". Indeed, to be a passionate person is to have a courage that challenges the status quo, the accepted norms, that keep most people within predictable boxes. But inevitably, it also involves pain and suffering since it is rarely safe to break norms. Mr. Brooks notes this "danger" but only scratched the surface of the relationships between passion and suffering - and then the transformation that is then possible because of it. Perhaps there will be a "part II" of his column...
In this column Mr. Brooks is perspicacious and inspiring.
Now that I am an Octogenarian I can look back with a gentle sadness at those whom I have known who were talented and intimidated by authority, even when authority was dead wrong. I kept my shaky vision of what was best for my students firmly in mind. While the world around me was organizing itself into a uniform way of doing things, I resisted. My thought was that when I participated in the hiring process, I would seek out people who were different from each other. My theory was simple. All the kids had to take my subject for 4 years. Therefore, I wanted them to have as many different kinds of teachers as we could imagine. The system struggled in the other disciplines to have carbon copies of the various department heads. In my discipline the kids would have the experience of 6 very different kinds of thinking and people. My thinking centered on the fact that we were charged with enlarging our students ability to think. It wasn't a panacea, but it stumbled along in the right direction. And yes, your idea of passion was the heart of the matter. Being oneself and not what someone else expected of you freed the teachers to be creative and daring and exciting. They seemed to love their job and the kids! I miss that excitement and grow sadder when I read of all the efforts at uniformity which I know to be inane. So bravo to Lady Gaga! And all those who dare to teach!
73
I am enjoying the rebirth of a human David Brooks. His question at the end of this wonderful editorial is priceless and one we should all try to answer.
3
Cut it out. Apparently those in "the arts," like Lady Gaga, are passionate, whereas, by implication, those in other worlds, perhaps especially the sciences, are dispassionate? No. What Lady Gaga represents is, certainly, entertainment, but also a kind of artistry (like all other "pop art") that exploits what is fashionably "new" and "original," drowning in "self-expression," that takes no responsibility for, affection for, nor respect for, the integrity of artistic, cultural tradition. (Omigod! I sound like a conservative. I hope nobody notices.). This is a kind of artistry that also plagues a great deal of what we call the sciences these days--much of it is "pop" science. What matters is "originality" and a passion for "the new," not a fundamental respect for what is real, including those vast worlds of human accomplishment called the arts and sciences. I do grudgingly admit that there is some minor freshness, meaning a reminder of what training and skill can accomplish even in the entertainment worlds, to Lady Gaga's performances. But her "passion" and "self-expression" are chiefly the hallmarks of the monstrous world(s) of entertainment and the monstrous world(s) of bad science that plague our contemporary doings-together. The uncovering of her private, secret, intimate state of being that you give respectability by labeling it passion is not something to be admired, it's bad artistry--it's a form of carelessness in self-exposure. We all should cut it out.
2
I think I understand what you're saying, rjon. The other night I watched "MadMax:Fury Road" on dvd, then watched the special feature on its making. I couldn't help thinking that if all the time, money and creativity that goes into entertainment went into, say, developing and promoting alternative energy, we wouldn't be in the climate fix we are today. Even as an artist myself, I've become disenchanted with the arts, except those that aspire to something more noble than money and personal acclaim.
1
I would be the evil scientist that came up with a device that changed humanity at the genetic level. I would implant more empathy, less greed, a voracious learning ability and hard wire the desire to work together for a sustainable future.
David, what happens when we arrive at this plateau; when we “. . . bring ourselves to fulfillment, to integration and to coherence." and we're wrong. That is exactly what the Republican Party is thrusting in our faces, that the Freedom Caucus is pushing down the throats of the rest of Congress. America is being beaten up by a small throng of thugs whose desire is to stop us in our tracks at the expense of the vast majority of Americans.
How do we defeat gagaism?
How do we defeat gagaism?
1
Regardless of anyone's opinion on her latest album or work on a television show, the courage to be oneself - fully, generously, and without fear - is an admirable quality that Ms. Germanotta (and many other arguably more talented artists) possess.
This column was not a judgment on the quality of Stefani Germanotta's artistic output, or talent, musical or otherwise.
This column was not a judgment on the quality of Stefani Germanotta's artistic output, or talent, musical or otherwise.
If I remember correctly, "Lady Gaga" was a talented youngster who attended Sacred Heart, on Fifth Avenue. That her parents had money (and, perhaps, cheered her on) no doubt contributed to her willingness to take a chance. I certainly don't begrudge her that luxury. Lots of good things have come out of the moneyed classes. Strides in the sciences, in 19th-century England, came out of the respectable, puttering landed gentry.
Mr. Brooks, are you writing about Lady Gaga today because it's too painful for you to contemplate your Republican friends' behavior yesterday?
Mr. Brooks, are you writing about Lady Gaga today because it's too painful for you to contemplate your Republican friends' behavior yesterday?
8
Another thought after reading comments on so many great artists not achieving fame and wide acclaim. Some artists strive for fame, for appreciation on a large scale, for commercial success and popularity. If they fall short of that, they feel diminished, just like average young athletes who set their sights or whose parents set their sights on a college scholarship or on MLB or the NFL. I think the majority of artists, 'though, do their art because they love to do their art or they must do their art. If they can make a living at it, that's enough for them. I remind myself of this and offer this reminder to all of us because there is a world of great art, literature and performance out there that will never make it to Billboard's rankings, or to television, or even to a recording contract. This art is in no way less than the art of those who've achieved fame.
6
In other words...is passion sometimes more of a calling? Is there a difference? Discuss.
"We are the only animals who are naturally unfinished. We have to bring ourselves to fulfillment, to integration and to coherence."
It's axiomatic thinking like this that deadens one to the sin of eating other sentient beings. Moreover, it's a slippery slope from thinking that only humans among animals have certain special traits to thinking that only Americans (or, only our tribe -- whatever it is) among other people have certain special traits.
This kind of faux profundity is the essence of Brooks' conservatism; it assumes exactly what is questionable.
It's axiomatic thinking like this that deadens one to the sin of eating other sentient beings. Moreover, it's a slippery slope from thinking that only humans among animals have certain special traits to thinking that only Americans (or, only our tribe -- whatever it is) among other people have certain special traits.
This kind of faux profundity is the essence of Brooks' conservatism; it assumes exactly what is questionable.
4
I must admit that I was not a Gaga fan until I was lucky enough to see her in concert at Radio City. She is simply brilliant and one of the most talented artists of her generation. She is an inspiration to her fans and she has worked tirelessly for issues that are important to her and to many of us. Comparing Gaga to Ella Fitzgerald or Renee Fleming is beyond ridiculous. They I'm sure, would appreciate her talent and musicality. Just ask Tony Bennett- he knows better than anyone about this.
36
I totally agree with you Tony. The Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga duets were and still are a revelation regarding Gaga's vocal chops.
Long time reader, first time commenter. I love your work, David, and my comment is not towards you, it is about the word "passion" and it's overuse in our world of incessant proclamations. The word has become nauseating! As my mother would say, long before Nike made it famous, "Just do it."
I don't live with fear, David, but I do have student debt.
6
Many with great wealth and influence would strive to complete our nation's great unfinished business.
http://lifeamongtheordinary.blogspot.com/2015/10/our-great-unfinished-bu...
http://lifeamongtheordinary.blogspot.com/2015/10/our-great-unfinished-bu...
Mr. Brooks seems to think a life of passion can only be expressed in public, in the arts, from the pulpit. He throws a bone to today's fashionable heroism of "parenting." I would suggest that passion can live and breathe - and stay - within the individual if that is the form it takes. Life is exhilarating in and of itself so it stands to reason that passion can be evoked and experienced in and of itself. I believe it does. I would never question Mr. Brooks' sincerity. But he does seem to have gone more than a little Gaga over a TV award show.
1
I am not a fan of Dolly Parton's, Madonna's or Lady Gaga's music or "showmanship", though I do really believe that each has tried to push the boundaries.
However, Lady Gaga was one of THE funniest non-comedian hosts that SNL has ever had. In fact, I think that Lady Gaga should NOT be invited back because she was so good the first time that a second probably just couldn't be as good.
Are you listening, Lorne Michaels?
But Louis C.K., Chris Rock, Melissa McCarthy and Amy Schumer need to all come back to SNL once in a while, though not every year.
However, Lady Gaga was one of THE funniest non-comedian hosts that SNL has ever had. In fact, I think that Lady Gaga should NOT be invited back because she was so good the first time that a second probably just couldn't be as good.
Are you listening, Lorne Michaels?
But Louis C.K., Chris Rock, Melissa McCarthy and Amy Schumer need to all come back to SNL once in a while, though not every year.
David Brooks should be sentenced to write about nothing but the consequences of the hateful politics he espouses---including fatal cuts to support for the arts. He is incapable of connecting the dots between his politics and his ruminations on culture, values, virtue. Perhaps his editors should help him along?
1
David I'm still trying to absorb the rather eclectic image of you juxtaposed with Sophia Loren and Lady Gaga. If there was a "Non-Sequitur Hall of Fame" that would be a unanimous selection. When you write one of these "pontification pieces" I feel I'm glimpsing some personal Faulknarian stream of consciousness. While your column today isn't exactly "The Sound and the Fury" it is revealing. The last lines seem to suggest an embracing of the "ID". I would posit that concept of David Brooks unleashing his ID is beyond comprehension.The visualization of such an occurance would be the ultimate moment in surrealism.
1
I too thought that Brooks in this column was contradicting his usual philosophic stance of rationality. But then I remembered that one of his chief philosophic gods is Edmund Burke, who taught that rationality alone does not control or explain our human existence. Passion is the great motivator of our lives, and we must learn to live with it and make use of it. Brooks has the wit to see that in Lady Gaga we have a powerful exemplar of recognizing and harnessing our passions toward our life's goals, rather than letting others impose their ideas or desires on us.
Aristotle taught that in ethics, there is a "Golden Mean", a middle path, the straight and narrow. On one side there is courage and on the other side, foolhardiness. Passion propels the artist forward. Did Mozart work himself to an early death driven by a foolish or courageous passion? The same question can be asked of Robert Schumann, Edgar Allen Poe, and Sylvia Plath. On the other hand, passion and the courage to be vulnerable as exhibited by those who also maintained their personal integrity are noteworthy. John Updike wrote in his cabin retreat alone. Tina Fey and Jerry Seinfeld began their careers out front before audiences in Improve Performance and Stand Up Comedy, respectively. I heard Henry Moore say to young artists just starting out, "Go out and produce as much art as you can early. It will be bad art. Create as much bad art as you can, early; and you will get to creating good art."
3
Thank you Mr. Brooks for an insightful and thought provoking column. You are at your very best in writing about the human condition, it's problems, successes, and failures. Please reserve a future column to the elected officials in government whose passion seems to be to destroy rather then build, create and accept a diverse country that is changing demographically. Yes African Americans, Women, Hispanic, Asians will one day be our leaders. This country is not reserved for white only
2
Pop music is mostly presentation without substance. Empty cliches. Many performers have even dispensed with live "singing." The rubes don't mind it, as long as the lip syncing includes costumes and fake dancing, signifying nothing.
1
If you're insinuating Lady Gaga is without talent, please take a moment to head over to YouTube and check out the numerous videos of just her, her piano and her voice.
The girl's got chops and is far, far from the lip-synced "pop music" you're referring to.
The girl's got chops and is far, far from the lip-synced "pop music" you're referring to.
The worst are full of passionate intensity. I'll settle for calm deliberation.
45
Bravery isn't the absence of fear, but the unwillingness to be ruled by it. And yes, it is a prerequisite for passion. Ruled by fear, one follows the path of least resistance and greatest safety. In this world, that path usually leads nowhere good.
Of course none of us has the strength to follow the path of greatest resistance, which may lead to the greatest goal. But oftentimes those who attempt this path and manage to stay on it for a while end up changed for the better.
The willingness to ignore fear and struggle against one's greatest limitations characterizes the embrace of passion. It does not always lead to wealth or fame, but I think it's always worthwhile.
Of course none of us has the strength to follow the path of greatest resistance, which may lead to the greatest goal. But oftentimes those who attempt this path and manage to stay on it for a while end up changed for the better.
The willingness to ignore fear and struggle against one's greatest limitations characterizes the embrace of passion. It does not always lead to wealth or fame, but I think it's always worthwhile.
64
The forty members of the Republican Freedom Caucus in the House of Representatives live without fear.
In the words of Eugene Robinson, "these 40 or so legislative bomb-throwers insisted on fighting battles they had no chance of winning and repeatedly took the country to the brink of calamity".
They know that the lack of any tangible legislative achievement will not hurt their chances of reelection or their political careers.
To be without fear is, often, is because one is beyond accountability, beyond responsibility.
In the words of Eugene Robinson, "these 40 or so legislative bomb-throwers insisted on fighting battles they had no chance of winning and repeatedly took the country to the brink of calamity".
They know that the lack of any tangible legislative achievement will not hurt their chances of reelection or their political careers.
To be without fear is, often, is because one is beyond accountability, beyond responsibility.
174
On the contrary, the Republican Freedom Caucus appears to be very afraid. Witness the fact that "the Freedom Caucus does not officially disclose who belongs to it (aside from its nine founding members), though various unofficial lists have circulated. Membership is by invitation only, and meetings are not public."
Source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/10/20/house-freedom-caucus-wha...
Why all the secrecy?
Source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/10/20/house-freedom-caucus-wha...
Why all the secrecy?
On the contrary, the Republican Freedom Caucus behaves the way they do because they are afraid.
Excellent post, Arun Gupta. Passion is a force that will transform a person's life, but whether that transformation will improve the lives of others, as in the case of Lady Gaga, or do great harm, depends on other factors. Lady Gaga channels her passion through a profound sense of the value of other people's lives, and thus her music is informed by empathy for human suffering.
In the case of the congressmen you mentioned, on the other hand, passion expresses itself through a deep commitment to a rigid, abstract ideology, a loyalty that replaces concern for human needs with a yearning for purity. If real human beings suffer because of the interruption of government services, that reality cannot compete with the need to remain true to the demands of their ideology. This blindness to human needs fostered by a passionate attachment to some abstract ideal is not a bad definition of 'fanaticism.'
Passion is like a force of nature, capable of lifting us to sublime heights, or of destroying us. Our sense of humanity, of being connected to other people, or the lack thereof, will help determine which.
In the case of the congressmen you mentioned, on the other hand, passion expresses itself through a deep commitment to a rigid, abstract ideology, a loyalty that replaces concern for human needs with a yearning for purity. If real human beings suffer because of the interruption of government services, that reality cannot compete with the need to remain true to the demands of their ideology. This blindness to human needs fostered by a passionate attachment to some abstract ideal is not a bad definition of 'fanaticism.'
Passion is like a force of nature, capable of lifting us to sublime heights, or of destroying us. Our sense of humanity, of being connected to other people, or the lack thereof, will help determine which.
The ability to conquer fear of life comes from knowing that life is finite. The summer I graduated college my best friend, David Belkin, drowned while crossing a stream in the Sierras. He did everything right but slipped and died anyway. His death taught me that I better not delay on doing what I want to do. So I jumped off the MBA-corporate track and began living a life without fear.
Nearly forty years later what does that look like? Surprisingly close to Leave it to Beaver. There's passion here and there. But mostly it's just really, really nice.
Thanks to my friend, David Belkin.
Nearly forty years later what does that look like? Surprisingly close to Leave it to Beaver. There's passion here and there. But mostly it's just really, really nice.
Thanks to my friend, David Belkin.
51
"Conquering fear" is a mistaken notion. Nobody lives without fear. But some make friends with it, and that makes all the difference.
"When you are afraid to do something, you know that you are alive. But when you are afraid to do what you are afraid of, you are dead." — William Faulkner
"When you are afraid to do something, you know that you are alive. But when you are afraid to do what you are afraid of, you are dead." — William Faulkner
1
Mr. Brooks' column caught me off guard this morning, in a pleasant way for a change. After spending yesterday watching the horror of the Benghazi witch hunt in a deep malaise he hits us with a paean to Lady Gaga, who in her own unique, brilliant way is a model for progressivism. She had me after the first ten seconds the first time I saw her perform. It didn't take ten seconds to feel disgusted with the Trey Gowdys of this country.
If David Brooks can be a fan of Lady Gaga maybe there's hope for conservatives. Probably not.
If David Brooks can be a fan of Lady Gaga maybe there's hope for conservatives. Probably not.
86
What we're lacking is not the personal, idiosyncratic, and outright bizarre expression of passion by individuals dying for attention, but, rather, a coherent, collective expression of passion in the form of genuine political and cultural cooperation in working towards a more just and sustainable society.
55
I watched a local play a couple of years ago and was astounded at the talent of two the actors. Exceptional acting talent - at least to me - requires a heightened awareness of human emotion, human reaction, acute self-awareness and true empathy. These two actors displayed it all in rare form. And I wondered why they were performing locally when their talents should be appreciated on a far broader level.
And then I realized how many truly talented people never have claims to real fame, and can't make a living at their art or their craft. Fame is mostly luck, money and who you know. Many of the people I've met in the arts that are nationally or internationally celebrated are the beneficiaries of nepotism. And for those without an elite relative, achieving artistic fame is as much a rigorous social climb as it is anything else, often capitalizing on youthful good looks. Regardless, without promotion, they can't achieve much if anything.
It's interesting that people still laud the praises of media icons like Lady Gaga. But thankfully, the internet is changing that a little with appreciation for the many talented people out there. Personally, I don't want to see little girls singing Lady Gaga songs, parroting a celebrity. I like it when little girls and boys sing their own songs. And if Lady Gaga had asked them to do that, or Americans for the Arts for that matter, I would've been impressed.
And then I realized how many truly talented people never have claims to real fame, and can't make a living at their art or their craft. Fame is mostly luck, money and who you know. Many of the people I've met in the arts that are nationally or internationally celebrated are the beneficiaries of nepotism. And for those without an elite relative, achieving artistic fame is as much a rigorous social climb as it is anything else, often capitalizing on youthful good looks. Regardless, without promotion, they can't achieve much if anything.
It's interesting that people still laud the praises of media icons like Lady Gaga. But thankfully, the internet is changing that a little with appreciation for the many talented people out there. Personally, I don't want to see little girls singing Lady Gaga songs, parroting a celebrity. I like it when little girls and boys sing their own songs. And if Lady Gaga had asked them to do that, or Americans for the Arts for that matter, I would've been impressed.
126
"... I realized how many truly talented people never have claims to real fame, and can't make a living at their art or their craft..."
The comments in the NYT, including yours today, are a testament to your point.
Quite a few, over the widest range of topics, including yours today, are well crafted and uncompensated. The Times and its professional writers are frequently upstaged by the unheralded amateurs. Almost daily, in fact.
The comments in the NYT, including yours today, are a testament to your point.
Quite a few, over the widest range of topics, including yours today, are well crafted and uncompensated. The Times and its professional writers are frequently upstaged by the unheralded amateurs. Almost daily, in fact.
3
Truer words were never spoken. Several years ago I attended a (private) high school gospel concert. Their singing was so majestic and harmonic we felt transported. The hair just stood up on the back of your neck. I am as religious as a chair, but all I could do was weep and clap.
Lady Gaga talented? Fearless? Let's try lucky. I bet there is a rich daddy in her background, a la Taylor Swift.
Lady Gaga talented? Fearless? Let's try lucky. I bet there is a rich daddy in her background, a la Taylor Swift.
1
The words "passion" and "passionate" are more than a bit threadbare and frayed around the edges these days. It's a rare interview seen on TV between a show host and guest where the interviewee's passion is not dragged out and held up for the audience's inspection and applause. This passion ranges from rescuing 3-legged dogs and orphaned frogs to maintaining the perfect flower bed to driving 500 miles in a race to nowhere around and around and around, constantly turning left. The pursuit of the last two, to me, seem to have more than a bit of the "repetitive, routine and deadening" to them, but the Zen of many mundane activities is calming and peaceful, something worth being passionate about, I guess.
My father would say of those with such single-minded focus and purpose, "He's got a one-track mind." Not a compliment, by the way. I guess a polymath could be said to be "passionate" about learning, acquiring knowledge and expertise in a wide, disparate number of skills and fields of endeavor and subjects of study, without exactly being "passionate" about mastery of any one of them in particular.
And the wino is passionate about his next drink.
My father would say of those with such single-minded focus and purpose, "He's got a one-track mind." Not a compliment, by the way. I guess a polymath could be said to be "passionate" about learning, acquiring knowledge and expertise in a wide, disparate number of skills and fields of endeavor and subjects of study, without exactly being "passionate" about mastery of any one of them in particular.
And the wino is passionate about his next drink.
2
There is a lot oF selfeshness in passion but if you don't do it ,no one will do it for you whatever it turns out to be.
3
I love this. Thank you for writing this piece about Lady Gaga. Art helps us reimagine ourselves and our society.
9
Lovely, fluffy essay, but the choices one makes while living with passion are often at odds with being passionate. Passionate gets you into trouble in the workplace because it's not exactly a valued commodity.
What do you call a drummer who just broke up with his girlfriend? Homeless.
Passion is rarely the partner of economic independence because our society does not value stuff without an ROI. The senior son, a professional musician, has a day job in an independent bookstore because they allow him the freedom to practice his art on its demanding schedule, but has not benefits .....and no health insurance until ACA. Gone are the WPA days or CETA grants that helped artists to survive. There is no protection for artist; their work, in whatever medium, is not valued, ergo, they have to curb their passion to earn enough to pursue their art.
It's nice that a foundation was honoring artists, and they work toward arts "policy." But what do they do to encourage and sustain passion in the real arts world?
Until artists of all ages find a partner for thriving in the "real world," we will continue to be a nation that devalues passion and discourages artists.
http://wifelyperson.blogspot.com/
What do you call a drummer who just broke up with his girlfriend? Homeless.
Passion is rarely the partner of economic independence because our society does not value stuff without an ROI. The senior son, a professional musician, has a day job in an independent bookstore because they allow him the freedom to practice his art on its demanding schedule, but has not benefits .....and no health insurance until ACA. Gone are the WPA days or CETA grants that helped artists to survive. There is no protection for artist; their work, in whatever medium, is not valued, ergo, they have to curb their passion to earn enough to pursue their art.
It's nice that a foundation was honoring artists, and they work toward arts "policy." But what do they do to encourage and sustain passion in the real arts world?
Until artists of all ages find a partner for thriving in the "real world," we will continue to be a nation that devalues passion and discourages artists.
http://wifelyperson.blogspot.com/
34
What do you call a really successful songwriter?
A fellow whose wife has two good jobs.
A fellow whose wife has two good jobs.
1
My passion is horses. My family never had horses, or money, but at 3 years old, I KNEW I would work with horses. Where did it come from? I wonder that myself. I could not see anything but horses, and that led me to Polo. Ridiculous for a woman in the 80's to consider being a pro polo player. I was told, "nobody will ever hire a woman player." I could not stop. I groomed for others, I cleaned hundreds of stalls-I was a professional polo player for 18 years. How? It was passion, plain and simple. I could not see, breathe, or move forward without it. I am so thankful, though I did have to live a "weirdo" as a single woman in a mans' world. I was called every label imaginable to try to place me. Didn't matter. I know now what a gift I was given when I was born with a passion.
22
An artist with passion is so immersed with the art form captivating his/her attention as to have little time to arrange thoughts or the self, leaving the task of defining the artwork or the artist to others, having some knowledge about the art.
2
OMG! A piece by David that I agree with! In those small hours of the night, who has not occasionally wondered about the various turning points and where they led? For every Gaga, there are thousands of bands and solo musicians who are as passionate but for quirks of fate, will never really "make it." The same applies to any of the arts or sports, or literature or or or...
Most of us will be fair or even very good within our passion and never reach great - at least as defined by outside recognition. Never the less, it is still fulfilling to follow our passion as best we can.
Most of us will be fair or even very good within our passion and never reach great - at least as defined by outside recognition. Never the less, it is still fulfilling to follow our passion as best we can.
8
David Brooks - Romantic conservative. This is a world class oxymoron, as modern conservatism is among the very least romantic notions.
The problem with this flowery ode to the very talented Lady Gaga is its utter disregard for reality. The opportunity to be a passionate eccentric is limited to the few who have either privilege (which Lady Gaga enjoyed) or a rare kind of courage. Most folks are too busy figuring out how to pay the rent and their "freedom to navigate" is constrained by their need to survive.
Brooks asks, "Who would you be and what would you do if you weren't afraid?"
I ask Brooks, "Why do you support politicians and policies which create social and economic conditions that make poor and working class folks fearful for their survival?"
Passion and narcissistic self-fulfillment are a luxury. Let's talk about rights.
The problem with this flowery ode to the very talented Lady Gaga is its utter disregard for reality. The opportunity to be a passionate eccentric is limited to the few who have either privilege (which Lady Gaga enjoyed) or a rare kind of courage. Most folks are too busy figuring out how to pay the rent and their "freedom to navigate" is constrained by their need to survive.
Brooks asks, "Who would you be and what would you do if you weren't afraid?"
I ask Brooks, "Why do you support politicians and policies which create social and economic conditions that make poor and working class folks fearful for their survival?"
Passion and narcissistic self-fulfillment are a luxury. Let's talk about rights.
95
Yes, exactly. When Brooks concludes with "Who would you be and what would you do if you weren’t afraid?" I can't help but add, "Who would you be with a playing field made equal by supportive social programs?"
69
I think it's a case of "what could I'd do if I knew I couldn't fail" more than "what would I do if I wasn't afraid". Many people who think this way are not rock stars but find success in their own professional or personal live.
1
This is romantic hogwash. What, exactly, is Lady Gaga's "passion" Mr. Brooks? Her "self"? This is what you are extolling? Seems more like utter self-involvement plus some talent and a whole lot of luck. Also exhibitionism.
Now that the Republican party is in the process of devouring itself this is what you choose to write about? Phew.
Now that the Republican party is in the process of devouring itself this is what you choose to write about? Phew.
18
Yes, Lady Gaga is narcissistic and self involved, but she has a good heart and she is a philanthropist. Look beyond the making spectacle of herself; I personally have never heard a song of her's, nor care to hear her or watch her, but I do respect her helping others. I think that may be her passion.
Now the GOP, there is a self absorbed, selfish venal bunch of men and women who couldn't care less about the American people, only their benefactors, oligarchs and corporations. That's a passion too, I guess.
Now the GOP, there is a self absorbed, selfish venal bunch of men and women who couldn't care less about the American people, only their benefactors, oligarchs and corporations. That's a passion too, I guess.
Relevance of a life of art, intellect, passion, self-expression (type of person who is perhaps opposite of a secretive, restrained, always a "team player" type of person) for our modern times?
The first obvious thing about such a type of person is integrity. A person who grapples significantly with complexity and puts him or herself out there--and probably complexity can be dealt with only by having itself externalized and organized whether that means on chessboard or drawing pad or writing paper or composition paper or blueprint--rapidly gets used to necessary process of method of construction of work and criticism of work. Pride in the right way to do things and always the search to find a better way of doing things.
Virtually our entire way of seeing things exists because of such people, whether you want to speak of American Constitution, Declaration of independence, Wright Brothers craft or Ernest Hemingway. Now contrast this with the triumph of so many people who call for the need to be a restrained, team player, secretive type of person! Contrast this with "National Security depends on structures which can move secretively and quickly"!
My question is simple: Can the restrained, team player, secretive type of person even adequately conceptualize the world let alone, "hold it in head and build it in superior fashion"? Can the world be conceptualized and fashioned in better manner by people operating as a team (whether business or governmental) in secretive fashion?
The first obvious thing about such a type of person is integrity. A person who grapples significantly with complexity and puts him or herself out there--and probably complexity can be dealt with only by having itself externalized and organized whether that means on chessboard or drawing pad or writing paper or composition paper or blueprint--rapidly gets used to necessary process of method of construction of work and criticism of work. Pride in the right way to do things and always the search to find a better way of doing things.
Virtually our entire way of seeing things exists because of such people, whether you want to speak of American Constitution, Declaration of independence, Wright Brothers craft or Ernest Hemingway. Now contrast this with the triumph of so many people who call for the need to be a restrained, team player, secretive type of person! Contrast this with "National Security depends on structures which can move secretively and quickly"!
My question is simple: Can the restrained, team player, secretive type of person even adequately conceptualize the world let alone, "hold it in head and build it in superior fashion"? Can the world be conceptualized and fashioned in better manner by people operating as a team (whether business or governmental) in secretive fashion?
1
I'd be hungry. This is the great tragedy is that instead of using our excess productivity to allow us each to find our calling, we are stuck working at things that matter little to us, to enrich our bosses.
14
It does not have to be either or. It can be both and. You can work a boring job and pursue your passion. What's important is knowing yourself well enough to discern what is important to you, what lights you up, what propels you forward? Then find a way to spend at least some of your time pursuing your passion. Passion may not equal livelihood, it doesn't have to. Wayne Dyer said: "don't die with the music still in you." You may never be Lady Gaga but it doesn't mean you can't sing with the same passion as her.
In the past several weeks, the former "newspaper of record" has treated its readers to articles featuring Rhianna, Nicki Minaj and now Lady Gaga. I don't care about these pop culture lightweights; but if I did care, the New York Times is NOT the resource I would look to for information about them. Whatever corporate imperatives are driving the recent turn toward lightweight pop music themes are misguided.
22
Whew! Back off. I am hoping you are a super sophisticated music critic and not someone who considers culture as mere fluff. I for one appreciate articles that reflect on culture as a means of understanding who we are.
Excellent opinion, for me Lady Gaga is the most talented woman in music industry, I admire her so much, I can say that she's my idol because she puts a lot of passion in her work, I love her music, the way she rules the world and her intelligence in all the business, now she's a legend.
I've always believed that the passion came from the quest to have performed it perfectly or masterfully, but good luck to all in getting any thanks or credit for it, at least in your own house. Must be why Lady Gaga is so grateful for the blessing of respectability, eh?
As to the last part, "what would you be and what would you do if you weren't afraid? Move to a land of cold and snow. Run around in baggy corduroys and socks that don't match. Eat the best food and drink the best drinks and write home to pay for it all. (I've been assigned to the Tundra?)
As to the last part, "what would you be and what would you do if you weren't afraid? Move to a land of cold and snow. Run around in baggy corduroys and socks that don't match. Eat the best food and drink the best drinks and write home to pay for it all. (I've been assigned to the Tundra?)
1
Lady Gaga? Seriously? Why is Mr. Brooks using the latest lowbrow, talentless pop tart to teach us about 'living passionately? What about Madonna, or Britney Spears, or any of a number of self-promoting celebrities?
Not exactly 'the agony and the ecstasy'. Seriously.
Not exactly 'the agony and the ecstasy'. Seriously.
10
Gaga is over. David, get with it.
4
Ummm, no she's not, Bill. Just watch.
Are we truly unfinished at birth? Or just cultured to be unsatisfied with our natural condition? Is it only lack of courage that keeps us from grand accomplishments? Or is it possible that simplicity and contentment is a well lived life? Raising kids, keeping home, cultivating relationships, serving others nearby.
3
It is over 20 years since I took a big leap, emigrated to another country and started my own company. I am quite passionate about engineering and systems, although I think that is due to the capricious nature of my family. Growing up I was drawn to math and engineering because there are rules that don't get changed. There is almost always one correct answer, or in engineering very often one "best" solution. I'm very passionate about my work. I've been and am very lucky.
But I understand that without all the advantages I had I couldn't be where I am today. Tall, white, male, American, got out of university just as the USSR was crumbling, etc., etc. I compare my situation to my wife's. She is tall, white, and beautiful, but Slavic. She was born in the former Czechoslovakia. She also took a big leap and emigrated. Her experience in Austria is quite different than mine. She has had to face xenophobia almost daily even though she has also been here over 20 years. She is passionate about her work as a designer, but it is frustrating facing the mountain of prejudice. She finds much more acceptance on-line than on the street.
So passion is great, but let's be realistic about how far each person can go in today's world. I think it is safe to say that I wouldn't be where I am if I had been born brown skinned in Mississippi. Maybe that is why I'm also passionate about equality and making sure that everyone can have the same opportunities that I had. Feel the Bern.
But I understand that without all the advantages I had I couldn't be where I am today. Tall, white, male, American, got out of university just as the USSR was crumbling, etc., etc. I compare my situation to my wife's. She is tall, white, and beautiful, but Slavic. She was born in the former Czechoslovakia. She also took a big leap and emigrated. Her experience in Austria is quite different than mine. She has had to face xenophobia almost daily even though she has also been here over 20 years. She is passionate about her work as a designer, but it is frustrating facing the mountain of prejudice. She finds much more acceptance on-line than on the street.
So passion is great, but let's be realistic about how far each person can go in today's world. I think it is safe to say that I wouldn't be where I am if I had been born brown skinned in Mississippi. Maybe that is why I'm also passionate about equality and making sure that everyone can have the same opportunities that I had. Feel the Bern.
20
A really well-written essay, David. I would only add the key element you don't mention here, the importance of discipline and practice in expressions of passion.
Great artists--whether it's an individual like Dylan or a group like The Beatles--embody the playfulness and passion you mention, but they also are a result of intense discipline and practice in perfecting their art. In the book Talent is Overrated, a number is even hypothesized--10,000 hours--for gaining mastery in a given art form.
And yes, she's often 'over the top' with her gritty NYC street-style, but Lady Gaga definitely embodies all of these qualities in her inimitable art.
Great artists--whether it's an individual like Dylan or a group like The Beatles--embody the playfulness and passion you mention, but they also are a result of intense discipline and practice in perfecting their art. In the book Talent is Overrated, a number is even hypothesized--10,000 hours--for gaining mastery in a given art form.
And yes, she's often 'over the top' with her gritty NYC street-style, but Lady Gaga definitely embodies all of these qualities in her inimitable art.
5
It isn't that people who live their lives with passion aren't afraid. They are. They just take action anyway.
4
Live your dream! Don't let them hold you back! Pursue your passion at all cost! As noted by him, Brooks' column is just peppered with clichés.
What a trite, silly piece.
Brooks throws in a few generic professions, including parenting, to make his point seem balanced. Yet, as always with our cult of celebrity, his focus is on Lady Gaga. Using someone from the arts - a merciless, unforgiving field at which only a small fraction make an actual living and an even smaller fraction of that actually achieve renown – as an example of “passion”, talented as Gaga may be, is so hackneyed. Just as bad would have been using professional sports. Or writing. All these fields that have great surface appeal to many, many people simply are dead-end professions for 99% of the aspirants.
Its far from just being about passions – its about having talent and then having the dedication, work ethic and, often most of all, the simple luck to make it in a competitive field.
Yes, have dreams and aspirations. But, also have the common sense to be realistic about what you can do and what your willing to do to get it. Then go get a degree in accounting.
What a trite, silly piece.
Brooks throws in a few generic professions, including parenting, to make his point seem balanced. Yet, as always with our cult of celebrity, his focus is on Lady Gaga. Using someone from the arts - a merciless, unforgiving field at which only a small fraction make an actual living and an even smaller fraction of that actually achieve renown – as an example of “passion”, talented as Gaga may be, is so hackneyed. Just as bad would have been using professional sports. Or writing. All these fields that have great surface appeal to many, many people simply are dead-end professions for 99% of the aspirants.
Its far from just being about passions – its about having talent and then having the dedication, work ethic and, often most of all, the simple luck to make it in a competitive field.
Yes, have dreams and aspirations. But, also have the common sense to be realistic about what you can do and what your willing to do to get it. Then go get a degree in accounting.
3
Some people say that those who can't do, teach. There are also those who don't want to do but try to hide that by changing that which must be done -- for example, instead of rolling up their sleeves and pitching in to help, their task becomes describing why pitching in might be a transformative thing to do. But talking about it leads to more talking about it, not doing it. If you want to know what it's like to be transformed, do it. Let go and follow where something other than your ego and "the way it's supposed to be" leads. If you want to talk, go right ahead, talk -- telling tales to try to forestall something one is avoiding has a fine pedigree in 1001 Arabian Nights, I think. The universe doesn't care whether one does or one talks. What one is avoiding will be taken up by someone else. But talking about how transformation takes place will not change the "physics" of how it happens or make the process any more under the control of the person being transformed, I don't think, although it might make the process harder for other people to engage in if they become confused about how it works. Excessive fear of what transformation requires may be a developmental thing -- its dissipation may lie less in talking about what transformation is and how it works, or in trying to change those things, and more in just living life and living it without trying to control where it is taking one. Because if we saw transformation coming, most of us would probably duck and hide.
3
Fair enough. But I like to muse on how many really talented people there are who never catch the break to become big time culture changing stars. For every Gaga there are 10 with more talent who don't catch the break. What it really boils down to is that in the creative space is talent might get you in the game but luck determines the outcome. "Stoking the star making machinery behind the popular song" tells it all. The creative world is littered with bodies and souls of those who just didn't quite make the cut.
107
True, Paul. I used to say as an actor in the City, talent buys you a lottery ticket. I was lucky enough to make a good living at it for 15 years. Many very talented people I knew during that time waited tables throughout.
2
Luck, the saying goes, favors the well prepared. Maybe that--good preparation in all its forms--is what separates those who succeed from those with talent who do not.
4
Oh Paul, "making the cut to become big time culture changing stars" has very little to do with passion. You can be a passionate homemaker, a passionate car mechanic, a passionate teacher, etc. It is a zest for life, a joy for living, a commitment to be the very best at whatever is your passion. I am 74 and am over the moon with the opportunity to do what I love: teaching seniors to act & write in my senior arts colony. I am eternally curious and life is all we have. At my age, I assure you life can be harsh, tragic and unforgiving and it can be astonishingly, unexpectedly, surprisingly wondrous.
134
Thank you Mr. Brooks. This is a wonderful essay. I have a new appreciation for and understanding of Ms Gaga.
Now if only the United States electorate could recognize the choice to be unafraid: to embrace ourselves and throw ourselves out into the world with passion and courage.
Could we bravely embrace all Americans: educate all Americans, face up to our fears of social and economic change? Most of our ancestors fought through huge difficulties to survive in the wilderness that has been America. Mine escaped death from a war in Europe and traveled on foot and horseback half way across the nation to raise an ax to huge trees and clear land for farms. Cherokees walked much further to an alien landscape to survive. African-Amercians endured the hardships of brutal slavery. They struggled to maintain their humanity and their love for their families. Today our struggles differ: many of us must try to keep on loving even when we have too much leisure and too many material possessions. Distractions from reality swamp our determination to complete ourselves.
Wake up America and love yourself.
Now if only the United States electorate could recognize the choice to be unafraid: to embrace ourselves and throw ourselves out into the world with passion and courage.
Could we bravely embrace all Americans: educate all Americans, face up to our fears of social and economic change? Most of our ancestors fought through huge difficulties to survive in the wilderness that has been America. Mine escaped death from a war in Europe and traveled on foot and horseback half way across the nation to raise an ax to huge trees and clear land for farms. Cherokees walked much further to an alien landscape to survive. African-Amercians endured the hardships of brutal slavery. They struggled to maintain their humanity and their love for their families. Today our struggles differ: many of us must try to keep on loving even when we have too much leisure and too many material possessions. Distractions from reality swamp our determination to complete ourselves.
Wake up America and love yourself.
7
Gaga is the rare bird that bridges brilliant talent and performing skill with popular taste, especially among the young. She has the pipes, the chops. So many of her peers are immersed in artifice of one stripe or another, auto-tuning or lip-syncing their way to popular success, but Gaga is the real deal. Notwithstanding her mass pop music appeal, just listen to her rendition of "Lush Life" by Billy Strayhorn, and you'll see and hear the singular and amazing passion in there.
7
"Lady Gaga is her own unique creature, whom no one could copy."
Can someone explain to me how the quintessentially derivative become unique?
Can someone explain to me how the quintessentially derivative become unique?
18
Gotta like this Essay, but I also gotta agree with you Mr Eller.
"Can someone explain to me how the quintessentially derivative become unique?"
I can't say my View of Lady Gaga is particularly knowledgeable, but every last time I have seen her, this is my thought as well. It is always derivative & always taking from someone else.
"Can someone explain to me how the quintessentially derivative become unique?"
I can't say my View of Lady Gaga is particularly knowledgeable, but every last time I have seen her, this is my thought as well. It is always derivative & always taking from someone else.
People who were not attuned to the avant garde of their generation reach middle age and seek hipness through the interests of their children. A Reagan conservative will not have the curiosity to seek out Grace Jones or Wendy O. Williams and would not deigned to have attended Bette Midler shows. Ms. Gaga is a woman of vast privilege who was able to absorb (repackage, really) the passions of working class women who made their own way.
And as Tony Bennett allowed us octogenarians to discover, she can really sing.
5
Maybe Lady Gaga just wanted to be rich and famous. But we can't write columns about that, and achieve a semblance of higher ideals, can we. So we "rhapsodize."
5
Rhapsodize... What an interesting word.
Lady Gaga , like Rhapsody in Blue, or that great gender strainer band "Queen"?
I was never a big D. Brooks or L. Gaga booster, or even dancer/listener/ reader as I always felt I couldn't identify their authenticity or originality, but the beat goes on!
Lady Gaga , like Rhapsody in Blue, or that great gender strainer band "Queen"?
I was never a big D. Brooks or L. Gaga booster, or even dancer/listener/ reader as I always felt I couldn't identify their authenticity or originality, but the beat goes on!
Another beautifully written column. One can sense your passion.
In the novel, Demian, Hesse made the point that every person's life is journey unto themselves. The psychological term is, Self Actualization, which refers to one reaching their full potential.
Unfortunately, for some that process requires diagnosis and medication.
Unfortunately, for some that journey is stymied by inner fears, doubt and guilt; externally by the ugliness of others. Self medication, (drugs, alcohol) overtakes the individual and becomes the end goal itself.
It can be difficult to get it just right.
In the novel, Demian, Hesse made the point that every person's life is journey unto themselves. The psychological term is, Self Actualization, which refers to one reaching their full potential.
Unfortunately, for some that process requires diagnosis and medication.
Unfortunately, for some that journey is stymied by inner fears, doubt and guilt; externally by the ugliness of others. Self medication, (drugs, alcohol) overtakes the individual and becomes the end goal itself.
It can be difficult to get it just right.
7
Musicians are ultimately judged on their music, not on their lifestyles, media relations or even their public service. A respectful and informed commentary, which seems to be what is aimed at here, needs to acknowledge that front and center.
2
A commenter wrote that "fear is what gets most of us through life". It's been a big factor for me, although perhaps I would have called it by other names. I have a blessed life of health and security. But fear is part of what got me here and keeps me here. Fear of failing kept me at my studies when I'd have rather partied, fear of quitting made me finish my degrees rather than abandon my work. Fear of overextending myself made me careful about debt and willing to do any job from McDonald's to waitressing to earn money, fear of no income kept me humble and productive at my career work even when it was uninspiring or I worked with difficult people. Fear of illness keeps me fit and active, fear of loneliness makes me a more understanding friend and family member. Please understand that I don't feel this as fear -- I feel it as motivation. As I turn to what I desire, I turn away from what I fear.
I'm not Lady Gaga. I live a small life. I don't have any artistic passions, only artistic pursuits. My passion -- if I have one -- is to be decent and kind in my little corner of the world. I'm not afraid to do that, only imperfect at execution. Most of us will live small lives. If we don't find true passion at work or at home, it doesn't make our life worth less than another's.
I'm not Lady Gaga. I live a small life. I don't have any artistic passions, only artistic pursuits. My passion -- if I have one -- is to be decent and kind in my little corner of the world. I'm not afraid to do that, only imperfect at execution. Most of us will live small lives. If we don't find true passion at work or at home, it doesn't make our life worth less than another's.
457
Cynthia M. Suprenant...You are part of my "Celebration of An Average Man".
1
That is not a small life. Just an unpublicized one.
I, for one, think you are living the conscious life. That is far more important.
I, for one, think you are living the conscious life. That is far more important.
My sentiments except for the fear part. I've done these things, I would hope, out of love and service.
Music was once about passion. Now it is about techno dance rhythms and weird burlesque acts. Aretha Franklin has passion. Lady Gaga has publicists.
5
Sorry but you are mistaken, Gaga has talent, she can sing. Not just pop tunes this fine Lady could do Broadway if she chooses to do so, she can do standards and yes dance music but SHE can sing, and she doesn't require autotuning to accomplish that either.
"People with passion are just less willing to be ruled by the tyranny of public opinion." I couldn't help but think of Bernie Sanders when I read that. He has consistently been delivering his message for decades, no matter what others think. So yeah, a politician can be passionate, if he or she will allow it.
10
You revealed more insights in this short essay than the efforts of a convention of psychiatrists. Thank you.
I am not a fan of the Lady's style of music, but I admire the young woman very much. She is still very young and was given all the rope in the world with which to hang herself and she avoided not only disaster, but has instead thrived and grown as an artist and a person. Her musical talent (singing, piano) is prodigious and she is proving herself to be a humble (imagine that!) committed and deep person. She is the best example, IMO, of the legions of pop stars of what is possible and how to conduct yourself once you command the room. Good for her!
13
In other columns Brooks admonishes us for not being loyal to institutions and the rules/norms they impose on civic life...
3
It's surprising that Brooks is writing about an article about Gaga, an unorthodox, very un-conservative personality in the music world that oftentimes throw conservative consumers of entertainment off center. The exposition about passion however, is largely accurate and very important, especially for those who are innately creative and restless in what they do and what they aim to achieve. It is perhaps also no less important for entrepreneurs, who have to believe in what they are doing despite the odds. The only problem is how much modern capitalistic societies allow for that. With the need to diminish the foundations of social life by privatization in healthcare, education, and social services, risk taking can no longer be a luxury that many can afford. Especially the disadvantaged but potentially bright, smart and adroit individuals, they cannot afford to take such risks if they are born to a family that do not have such chances.
2
After being on a small Beatles binge lately, I have to point out that there's a straight line from John Lennon to Lady Gaga, and those who walk that line leave the world's culture better.
3
When "passion" is about personal publicity and power leading to money then the definition has slipped. The fact that creativity today is almost unfindable today in our country speaks of something dramatically wrong.
We live in a world of cheap hype and one has to overlook that quality that this singer has so exploited and promoted to call it creativity or passion. That it is the new new route to "respectability" says where we're at and it is not brilliant. To put gaga in the same class as Loren or Hancock says much about our arts and education.
Sorry to be negative, but tearing up is not enough.
We live in a world of cheap hype and one has to overlook that quality that this singer has so exploited and promoted to call it creativity or passion. That it is the new new route to "respectability" says where we're at and it is not brilliant. To put gaga in the same class as Loren or Hancock says much about our arts and education.
Sorry to be negative, but tearing up is not enough.
5
This is indeed something "To Cry about". Because today, it's about the Money, & nothing else.
I can attest to this Personally, as I have had all the "Creative Afflictions". And as someone who has labored in those pits for over 30 years (along with keeping a 'real job",for the Pension), it is indeed about the Money. I just received yet another tiny Check from a far flung region. So I guess I am still validated as an "artist" & can Legally claim such a title ... Ha !
As I sit in my "Lonely Room" creating yet another CD very few will hear (The Gigs vanished years ago for thousands like me out there) - I do it because of the Passion Mr. Brooks speaks of. And because I will always Love it.
So it is always troubling to see someone like this "Celebrated" as a "Original Artist"
I can attest to this Personally, as I have had all the "Creative Afflictions". And as someone who has labored in those pits for over 30 years (along with keeping a 'real job",for the Pension), it is indeed about the Money. I just received yet another tiny Check from a far flung region. So I guess I am still validated as an "artist" & can Legally claim such a title ... Ha !
As I sit in my "Lonely Room" creating yet another CD very few will hear (The Gigs vanished years ago for thousands like me out there) - I do it because of the Passion Mr. Brooks speaks of. And because I will always Love it.
So it is always troubling to see someone like this "Celebrated" as a "Original Artist"
I would add to the list activists and organizers who dare to throw themselves into their cause, be it reversing climate change, ending global poverty, championing peacebuilding, ensuring justice for all, and transforming education and life in poor communities, and dare to do so with love rather than anger. That is a breed of passionate people that are especially needed at this time.
7
Nice piece David, inspiring and thoughtful.
I agree that that way we deal with fear to a large part determines our development as individuals.
I agree that that way we deal with fear to a large part determines our development as individuals.
2
"We are the only animals that are naturally unfinished ? "
Anyone who who is owned by a cat knows better.
Mr. Brooks should spend more time at a different kind of keyboard to express some passion, which this does not.
Anyone who who is owned by a cat knows better.
Mr. Brooks should spend more time at a different kind of keyboard to express some passion, which this does not.
1
David,
Congratulations.
This is one of the most insightful, clearly written, and, accurate analyses you have ever written.
Thank you.
Congratulations.
This is one of the most insightful, clearly written, and, accurate analyses you have ever written.
Thank you.
10
David's friend's question is one worth wrestling with. If I weren't afraid I would probably be Bernie Sanders.
17
It’s a quarter to five AM, I can’t sleep and what do I choose to consider? Lady Gaga and David Brooks. Is that a Kodak moment, or what?
“We are the only animals that are naturally unfinished.” Now, that’s a keeper. I have to say that as self-evident as it is it remains a beautiful turn of phrase worthy of a pretty serious mind. It’s been awhile since David offered us one of his “confections” (I stole the idea from a characterization of the novels Gore Vidal wrote Burr to afford being able to write), and this was one of David’s better ones. It’s good to see him unlimber one, since his prose has been so transparently political of late. Once in a while we really owe it to ourselves to put aside the antics of The Donald and Bernie and seriously consider plumbing the depths of our navels.
“A life of passion happens when an emotional nature meets a consuming vocation”. An insight that touches wisdom. But one that immediately sets up the conditions for comparison that make real passion so manifestly rare. How many of us, even those who can fake a good emotional nature find a consuming vocation? Perhaps indeed Lady Gaga is distinguished not primarily for her music but for her passion. Perhaps the sum of her art IS her passion.
Finally, the truly passionate always must be rare if David’s requirement of putting it all out there is central to the quality. So few of us risk everything to reach for the mountain top when we know failure could condemn us forever to the lowest valleys.
“We are the only animals that are naturally unfinished.” Now, that’s a keeper. I have to say that as self-evident as it is it remains a beautiful turn of phrase worthy of a pretty serious mind. It’s been awhile since David offered us one of his “confections” (I stole the idea from a characterization of the novels Gore Vidal wrote Burr to afford being able to write), and this was one of David’s better ones. It’s good to see him unlimber one, since his prose has been so transparently political of late. Once in a while we really owe it to ourselves to put aside the antics of The Donald and Bernie and seriously consider plumbing the depths of our navels.
“A life of passion happens when an emotional nature meets a consuming vocation”. An insight that touches wisdom. But one that immediately sets up the conditions for comparison that make real passion so manifestly rare. How many of us, even those who can fake a good emotional nature find a consuming vocation? Perhaps indeed Lady Gaga is distinguished not primarily for her music but for her passion. Perhaps the sum of her art IS her passion.
Finally, the truly passionate always must be rare if David’s requirement of putting it all out there is central to the quality. So few of us risk everything to reach for the mountain top when we know failure could condemn us forever to the lowest valleys.
11
MS. GAGA CONFUSES DECADENCE FOR PASSION . . .
...and she may become cognizant of her error when she becomes older ... and she may just l become an item in Trivial Pursuit ... as she will no longer be considered to be relevant and some other teen or 20something becomes hot ... as she fades and loses just her youth and erotically bizarre pose.
Yes, one should follow one's bliss ... but one should select areas which can be carried through maturity.
Lady Gaga as Madonna are great at promoting themselves via marketing techniques.
One can think that my thoughts are not current ... but, compare Ms. Gaga to Renee Fleming, Mozart, Picasso, film directors Ingmar Bergman and Victorio de Sica ... all of whom followed their passion and created lasting art which will be with us for centuries,
Lady Gaga as she ages may eventually become a great singer and artist ... but, I believe that at present ... her bliss is now aligned far too much with American commercial materialism.
...and she may become cognizant of her error when she becomes older ... and she may just l become an item in Trivial Pursuit ... as she will no longer be considered to be relevant and some other teen or 20something becomes hot ... as she fades and loses just her youth and erotically bizarre pose.
Yes, one should follow one's bliss ... but one should select areas which can be carried through maturity.
Lady Gaga as Madonna are great at promoting themselves via marketing techniques.
One can think that my thoughts are not current ... but, compare Ms. Gaga to Renee Fleming, Mozart, Picasso, film directors Ingmar Bergman and Victorio de Sica ... all of whom followed their passion and created lasting art which will be with us for centuries,
Lady Gaga as she ages may eventually become a great singer and artist ... but, I believe that at present ... her bliss is now aligned far too much with American commercial materialism.
14
Mozart, Picasso, and Bergman were masters of self-promotion. They, especially Picasso, were also supremely narcissistic and cruel to those near them and those that opined against them.
Like you I though Lady Gaga was just another flesh-baring shock monger until I heard her talk. She is intelligent and compassionate.
You may not like her, but it will not be up to you to decide whether she winds up in history's dust bin.
Like you I though Lady Gaga was just another flesh-baring shock monger until I heard her talk. She is intelligent and compassionate.
You may not like her, but it will not be up to you to decide whether she winds up in history's dust bin.
3
Comparing Ms. Fleming to Ms. Gaga is apples and oranges, have you listened to any of her music? I don't think you have. Gaga is who she is and doesn't care what other people think about her. She has talent. Listen to her music and you'll heart it shine.
1
Mozart wrote the Queen of the Night aria before he was 34 (and much more, before).
Picasso had his blue period when he was 28.
Gaga is 30
Self promotion or not: I think we're done here.
But, seriously, Brooks, are you becoming a teeny bopper? Do you want to meet Gaga? Keep it up.
Picasso had his blue period when he was 28.
Gaga is 30
Self promotion or not: I think we're done here.
But, seriously, Brooks, are you becoming a teeny bopper? Do you want to meet Gaga? Keep it up.
A bit reductive David. Persuasive, as far as it goes, but ignoring that obsession which undergirds passion can take many forms. Really heartening portrait, though, of Lady Gaga.
1
Pop psychology from Mr. Brooks: undefined terms, misty
ruminations, and simplistic assumptions.
ruminations, and simplistic assumptions.
15
We have Donald Trump, the Benghazi hearing and the 2016 election all going on at the same time. The U.S. is a veritable laugh riot of misguided passion bound-to-end-up-achieving-nothing. How can anyone living in this country wake up in the morning and not feel great about it?
3
I don't agree at all. Some people have talent that meshes with their core values and grow up in circumstances that allow them to make a decent living at what they love. Most of us have no choice but to work at jobs that pay well enough but don't mesh with our "passions". The first group are lucky and have it relatively easy because their work causes no inner conflict. The rest of us pursue our passions in our spare time. I ended up as a government lawyer because I was good at it and because I could provide for my kids in a way that they more likely could pursue their passions, which they in fact are doing. Behind many Gagas are passionate parents who were ok with delaying the pursuit of passion for a generation.
30
Lady Gaga was born rich.
They she wore some weird clothes and got richer.
She regurgitates nicely, but there's nothing new there, not hardship and no eloquence.
With all due respect to "Baby I was born this way," and its implications for the gay community, the song is tripe.
How can you reconcile living a life of passion with "baby I was born this way [and am going to stay this way]"
Meanwhile, from Thomas Mann (abbreviated):
“A man lives not only his personal life but also the life of his epoch and his
contemporaries. He may regard the general foundations of his existence as settled and be far from assuming a critical attitude towards them; yet it is quite conceivable that he may none the less be vaguely conscious of the deficiencies of his epoch. All sorts of aims, hopes, hover before his eys, and out of these he derives the impulse to achievement (passion?). Now, if the life about him seems, however outwardly stimulating, to be at bottom empty of such food for his aspirations then, in such a case, a certain laming of the personality is bound to occur, the more inevitably the more upright the character in question. In an age that affords no satisfying answer to the eternal question of 'Why?' 'To what end?' a man who is capable of achievement over and above the expected modicum must be equipped either with a moral remoteness and single-mindedness which is rare indeed and of heroic mould, or else with an exceptionally robust vitality.”
They she wore some weird clothes and got richer.
She regurgitates nicely, but there's nothing new there, not hardship and no eloquence.
With all due respect to "Baby I was born this way," and its implications for the gay community, the song is tripe.
How can you reconcile living a life of passion with "baby I was born this way [and am going to stay this way]"
Meanwhile, from Thomas Mann (abbreviated):
“A man lives not only his personal life but also the life of his epoch and his
contemporaries. He may regard the general foundations of his existence as settled and be far from assuming a critical attitude towards them; yet it is quite conceivable that he may none the less be vaguely conscious of the deficiencies of his epoch. All sorts of aims, hopes, hover before his eys, and out of these he derives the impulse to achievement (passion?). Now, if the life about him seems, however outwardly stimulating, to be at bottom empty of such food for his aspirations then, in such a case, a certain laming of the personality is bound to occur, the more inevitably the more upright the character in question. In an age that affords no satisfying answer to the eternal question of 'Why?' 'To what end?' a man who is capable of achievement over and above the expected modicum must be equipped either with a moral remoteness and single-mindedness which is rare indeed and of heroic mould, or else with an exceptionally robust vitality.”
24
"People with passion are less willing to be ruled by the tyranny of public opinion."
"They opt out of things that are repetitive,routine and deadening."
I admire Lady Gaga for pursuing her passion so fearlessly and her success is no less deserved because of her affluent upbringing. There are also individuals who will manage to overcome extreme disadvantage and live their passions fully. However, with the swelling ranks of the poor, students lumbered with crushing debt, unaffordable health care, wages which condemn parents and later their children to jobs and lives that are indeed "repetitive, routine and deadening" just to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, David Brooks might spare a thought for those who are born with passions that will be extinguished, not by the " tyranny of public opinion", but by " tyranny of income inequality."
"They opt out of things that are repetitive,routine and deadening."
I admire Lady Gaga for pursuing her passion so fearlessly and her success is no less deserved because of her affluent upbringing. There are also individuals who will manage to overcome extreme disadvantage and live their passions fully. However, with the swelling ranks of the poor, students lumbered with crushing debt, unaffordable health care, wages which condemn parents and later their children to jobs and lives that are indeed "repetitive, routine and deadening" just to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, David Brooks might spare a thought for those who are born with passions that will be extinguished, not by the " tyranny of public opinion", but by " tyranny of income inequality."
77
Life is a 'construct', passion fuels its ability to come to life. So, where are all the Gaga's out there?
"A life of passion happens when an emotional nature meets a consuming vocation."
A "consuming vocation" sounds nice, but "getting by" is the reality for most Americans. I think the self flourishes when there is a strong connection to one's community, and when one has a sense that one can't fall off the brink at any moment (due to healthcare costs, for example). I also don't think the US excels in either of these areas.
A "consuming vocation" sounds nice, but "getting by" is the reality for most Americans. I think the self flourishes when there is a strong connection to one's community, and when one has a sense that one can't fall off the brink at any moment (due to healthcare costs, for example). I also don't think the US excels in either of these areas.
12
well, a couple bizilion doallars doesn't hurt...
Can you say TRUMP?
Can you say TRUMP?
1
All if this is very well said indeed. However, the way inequality is increasing, and growing poverty, grueling work hours, and the ever harsher struggle to just stay afloat in this country, continues, it's getting harder and harder for many of us to "find our passion" - as pursuing passion is becoming an exercise for only those with time and resources to spend on it.
As always, Mr. Brooks, you leave me and so many others puzzled by the lack of alignment in your messaging. You have spent years schilling for the most regressive policies and impulses of the Far Right. These policies largely celebrate the toughening of life for the American worker, the reducing of educational opportunities, especially in the Liberal Arts, and the reduction of many of the basics as well as the many intangibles that make for a quality, contemplative life. We once celebrated such a life as a worthy American ideal, but not any more. What we mostly deal with now is the erosion of the Middle Class and the growth of a much larger and more permanent underclass.
Poor, underrepresented, under-appreciated people, worried for their future, and locked out of any meaningful dialog with their national leaders (consider how poorly Congress represents the People) don't have time or energy to pursue their passions, if they can even remember what they once were. Maybe it's time that you stepped back and really considered: you cannot serve both sides of an argument.
Maybe, it's time to choose sides for real.
As always, Mr. Brooks, you leave me and so many others puzzled by the lack of alignment in your messaging. You have spent years schilling for the most regressive policies and impulses of the Far Right. These policies largely celebrate the toughening of life for the American worker, the reducing of educational opportunities, especially in the Liberal Arts, and the reduction of many of the basics as well as the many intangibles that make for a quality, contemplative life. We once celebrated such a life as a worthy American ideal, but not any more. What we mostly deal with now is the erosion of the Middle Class and the growth of a much larger and more permanent underclass.
Poor, underrepresented, under-appreciated people, worried for their future, and locked out of any meaningful dialog with their national leaders (consider how poorly Congress represents the People) don't have time or energy to pursue their passions, if they can even remember what they once were. Maybe it's time that you stepped back and really considered: you cannot serve both sides of an argument.
Maybe, it's time to choose sides for real.
145
If I wasn't afraid, I'd likely be a burden on the public purse, rather than being self-sufficient.
20
Gaga is one of the celebs who pays homage to her fans - her ' little monsters ' in that interplay which is often not highlighted as the stairway of fame is ascended; she's never claimed to be a maker or creator or portrayed herself as being dropped fully-formed into our (ungrateful) midst from on high.
When you think about it, it's quite odd to consider her humility and ordinariness in comparison to the ultimate arrogance that is daily splayed across our society by the media from those who tell us they bless us by being creators/makers - and they even argue with the Pope when he calls them out on their transparent aggrandizing and bullying.
It's quite odd how we won't tolerate bullying and selfishness in our own kids on the play-ground, nor from their play-mates, but have no problem buying into mumbo-jumbo about animal spirit free market gods that must always be un-chained so extraction can occur more efficiently.
When you think about it, it's quite odd to consider her humility and ordinariness in comparison to the ultimate arrogance that is daily splayed across our society by the media from those who tell us they bless us by being creators/makers - and they even argue with the Pope when he calls them out on their transparent aggrandizing and bullying.
It's quite odd how we won't tolerate bullying and selfishness in our own kids on the play-ground, nor from their play-mates, but have no problem buying into mumbo-jumbo about animal spirit free market gods that must always be un-chained so extraction can occur more efficiently.
96
What about politics and the life of passion? Can politicians match the passion of a Lady Gaga, and do we want them to? Of our current crop of politicians, which ones are passionate? For each of them, what would they be and what would they do if they weren't afraid?
What about opinion writing and the life of passion? What would writers be and do if they did not fear being ostracized by their former readers? This fear could make writers avoid writing about their former party, which they helped to form, and how that party now impels them to write about nonpolitical topics.
What about opinion writing and the life of passion? What would writers be and do if they did not fear being ostracized by their former readers? This fear could make writers avoid writing about their former party, which they helped to form, and how that party now impels them to write about nonpolitical topics.
133
Very interesting comment. There's a lot in there.
Lady Gaga thrives on communication with her audience. As a human being, she relies on us for response and affirmation. Our independence is an illusion. In America, we fancy ourselves rugged individualists, navigating in freedom away from repetitve and deadening activities. But we are caught in the cogs of the machinations of large corporations, manufacturing consent and driving the narratives of consumption. We have come to rely on the Lady Gagas among us through which to live vicariously, instead of realizing our own possibilities. She is ultimately a commercial figure selling her wares. We forget to see her as the real flesh and blood person she is. We don't know her vulnerabilities. We abstract her into other. We do this to each other, because we have lost our empathy for our fellow man. We forget to love and have empathy. We think we are singular, and do not see our good in others. We think we are rugged individualists. Yet, our strength is through empathy, developing human rights, and civil society. We are mired in wars and avarice. They always make money for the most selfish among us, that are willing to sacrifice other's well being and call it spreading democracy. That is tyranny of manufactured consent, the ultimate commercialism. This is not rugged individualism leading an amplified life. Love is the real work of art.
51
Lady Gaga is quite aware that her fans live vicariously through her, and she feels this imposes on her a responsibility for their spiritual welfare and growth, a responsibility she takes very seriously. She is a commercial success who tries by her art to bring commercial success into question and go beyond it.
Near as I can figure, music died in the late 1970s. Or if it didn’t die it slipped into a coma, its heart kept beating by drum machines, and words and melody replaced by three-note grunts. But every now and then a glimmer of what it used to be shines through, and Lady Gaga is one of those. You know she’s got the goods when Tony Bennett wants to sing with her.
But Brooks’ column isn’t about music. It’s another parable about the one-tenth of the one-percent, the people who rise to the top of the artistic heap or the political heap or the economic heap. They live with passion, fearlessness and courage. Their unique combinations of talents and luck make them life’s lottery winners. Like Lady Gaga, they were born that way.
So I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do with this information. The fact that they’re rare make them bad role models. We can’t emulate people who by definition are one in a million. If most of us weren’t at the bottom there wouldn’t be a top for the few to occupy.
What would we do if we weren’t afraid? Frankly, fear is what gets most of us through life. We fear economic insecurity, so we work in uninspiring jobs. We fear being unable to retire, or to afford health care. Some fear violence on a daily basis. Some fear that our government has lost its mind.
There are occasional glimmers of hope. But art imitates life, and we are resigned to the fact that for every Gaga there are three Kardashians.
But Brooks’ column isn’t about music. It’s another parable about the one-tenth of the one-percent, the people who rise to the top of the artistic heap or the political heap or the economic heap. They live with passion, fearlessness and courage. Their unique combinations of talents and luck make them life’s lottery winners. Like Lady Gaga, they were born that way.
So I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do with this information. The fact that they’re rare make them bad role models. We can’t emulate people who by definition are one in a million. If most of us weren’t at the bottom there wouldn’t be a top for the few to occupy.
What would we do if we weren’t afraid? Frankly, fear is what gets most of us through life. We fear economic insecurity, so we work in uninspiring jobs. We fear being unable to retire, or to afford health care. Some fear violence on a daily basis. Some fear that our government has lost its mind.
There are occasional glimmers of hope. But art imitates life, and we are resigned to the fact that for every Gaga there are three Kardashians.
540
I could not disagree with you more strongly, Gemli. Lady Gaga sings with Tony Bennett because her career spectacularly imploded. Her album Artpop was a disastrous and embarrassing failure, due to its being utterly self-indulgent gibberish, and this led to her split with longtime manager Troy Carter after she disgracefully tried to blame him for the catastrophe. She hooked up with Bennett as a desperate way of resuscitating her career. Maybe if Lady Gaga had a little less arrogance and a little more justifiable fear, she would not have behaved like the infamous "Emperor" with his "new clothes" and would have been able to make another album to rival "Born this Way."
I was a D.J. at my college in the 70s, and I can attest to the fact that music died not in that decade but in the 60s.
The value in very rare exemplary people is that they provide models to which the mass of the less incandescent can aspire; and in the aspiration, even on a small scale, a little incandescence may rub off. Not a bad thing to have happen; and not a bad thing to have pointed out.
The value in very rare exemplary people is that they provide models to which the mass of the less incandescent can aspire; and in the aspiration, even on a small scale, a little incandescence may rub off. Not a bad thing to have happen; and not a bad thing to have pointed out.
2
Great nail on the head comment. Another Brooksian sermon. Unfortunately I fear your math is off - aren't there closer to five or six Dashers?
6