Dr. Arthur Brooks | Complicated vs. Complex
Arthur Brooks was 34, older than everyone else in his PhD program, and his dissertation defense went badly. He knew it. The room included two Nobel laureates in economics and James Q. Wilson, arguably the most consequential social scientist of the twentieth century. Wilson came up afterward and said there was something special here, and if he could ever help, to let him know. Brooks had no idea how to cash that check.
He'd dropped out of college at 19 — kicked out, he says, splitting hairs — to play French horn professionally. He toured with Charlie Byrd, moved to Barcelona at 25 mostly to chase a woman who spoke no English, joined the orchestra there as a pretext, and married her. He finished his bachelor's by correspondence for ten thousand dollars without meeting a single classmate. Years later, teaching at Georgia State and attempting a first book, he got an email from Wilson asking to read it. Wilson wrote the foreword. Later, Wilson called again and said Brooks should run the American Enterprise Institute — a man who had never managed anyone or raised a dollar.
In this conversation with David Begnaud, Brooks talks about what makes a marriage, a faith, or a human being complex rather than complicated — one you live with rather than solve. About his father, who died at 66, and the years Brooks assumed he'd have to get to know his parents as adults and never got. About moving his entire adult family to one town in Virginia so he doesn't make that mistake twice. And about a homeless man in New York he asked for a favor.
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Chapters ☀️
ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question.
David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning.
Host: David Begnaud
Guest: Arthur Brooks
Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse
Associate Producer: Griffin Hamilton
Booker: Sully Bloch
Director of Photography: Foster Parks
Director of Social: Mariah Maull
Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative)
Theme Music: Slipstream
Post-Production: Longwave Digital
CONNECT WITH US:
The Person Who Believed In Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast
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Arthur Brooks was 34, older than everyone else in his PhD program, and his dissertation defense went badly. He knew it. The room included two Nobel laureates in economics and James Q. Wilson, arguably the most consequential social scientist of the twentieth century. Wilson came up afterward and said there was something special here, and if he could ever help, to let him know. Brooks had no idea how to cash that check.
He'd dropped out of college at 19 — kicked out, he says, splitting hairs — to play French horn professionally. He toured with Charlie Byrd, moved to Barcelona at 25 mostly to chase a woman who spoke no English, joined the orchestra there as a pretext, and married her. He finished his bachelor's by correspondence for ten thousand dollars without meeting a single classmate. Years later, teaching at Georgia State and attempting a first book, he got an email from Wilson asking to read it. Wilson wrote the foreword. Later, Wilson called again and said Brooks should run the American Enterprise Institute — a man who had never managed anyone or raised a dollar.
In this conversation with David Begnaud, Brooks talks about what makes a marriage, a faith, or a human being complex rather than complicated — one you live with rather than solve. About his father, who died at 66, and the years Brooks assumed he'd have to get to know his parents as adults and never got. About moving his entire adult family to one town in Virginia so he doesn't make that mistake twice. And about a homeless man in New York he asked for a favor.
Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com
Chapters ☀️
ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question.
David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning.
Host: David Begnaud
Guest: Arthur Brooks
Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse
Associate Producer: Griffin Hamilton
Booker: Sully Bloch
Director of Photography: Foster Parks
Director of Social: Mariah Maull
Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative)
Theme Music: Slipstream
Post-Production: Longwave Digital
CONNECT WITH US:
The Person Who Believed In Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast
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