The Second Mountain by David Brooks
“We are formed by relationship, we are nourished by relationship, and we long for relationship. Life is not a solitary journey”
3 Main Messages:
We all need to find work that fulfils us, gives us joy and serves a communal purpose.
Connection is key - through marriage and community building
Happiness is temporary and feeling, while joyful people “glow with an inner light”
There is a different approach to community in the West and in the East. In Singapore, where I now live, there is a visible togetherness which is the thread through families and neighbourhoods. Houses containing multiple generations are commonplace; housing blocks centre around well maintained and frequently used communal areas; even eating is a social event, with many locals preferring to eat at shared plastic tables in Hawker Centres, instead of eating alone at home.
David Brooks believes that this kind of community is the life blood of living a happy life. He writes that “a healthy community is a thick system of relationships” and he believes that we go through two main phases in life. The first is acquisition, where we build ego and define self; the second of which is contribution, where we shed ego, lose self, and start to care more about community.
The book is separated into 5 main sections. The first section introduces the concept of the two mountains, explaining how we often spend the first half of our life investing in ourselves, and the second half investing in others. Brooks refers to ‘the valley’ as the time when we realise that the lives we are living and the goals we are striving towards are not what we actually need. Alongside many other books of this ilk, he recommends that we focus on vocation, marriage, philosophy and faith, and community. These 4 areas make up the 4 remaining chapters of the book.
In the section on vocation, Brooks references the Japanese belief in Ikigai, which teaches about the passion and purpose which give value and joy to life - usually meaningful work. As a distinction between a job and work, he writes “A job is a way of making a living, but work is a particular way of being needed, of fulfilling the responsibility that life has placed before you.”
While referring to Fox vs Hedgehog styles of leadership and Orchid vs Dandelion types of flourishing, he asks us to think back to our childhood and remember what excited and engaged us before the adult need to earn money and climb the corporate ladder took over. Like many others, he was ambitious, driven and materialistic in the first half of his career as a journalist and so is advocating for us all to be more philanthropic in our second half (the second mountain).
This is interesting to me, having spent nearly 30 years working in Primary Schools as a teacher and then a leader, and having many friends who work in Education, Medicine, Government and the Charity sector. In a way, we have been doing this ALL of our lives. So if we started with a life of purpose and a focus on the welfare of others, what does the ‘second mountain’ hold for us? More of the same? In a way, I hope so!
On marriage, Brooks writes that “People in long, happy marriages have won the lottery in life.” While this section of the book is filled with interesting observations and suggestions (such as “the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference”) it feels a little binary and blinkered, delightfully old-fashioned but a bit stifled. I admit that, while reading, I began to feel a little cynical. Sadly, this turned into an umbrage once I reached the section on Philosophy and Faith, which was 50 pages of Brook’s personal religious journey with more than a hint of enthusiastic evangelising. My confession is that I gave up here and put the book down for a few days.
Having read the glowing reviews, and having enjoyed Brook’s books before, I eventually relented and resolved to read the final section on Community and am deeply grateful that I did. Brooks tells beautiful stories of communities who thrive and writes about the evidence and science that human connection is good for the body and for the soul. He writes that people need to be engaged: head, hands, heart and soul, and I couldn’t agree more.
So, it turns out that this book IS about two mountains for me: starting with great learning and ideas, dipping into a sermon valley and then climbing again to interesting educational heights. Is it worth the read? I’d say yes - Brooks brings together the ideas of great thought leaders and writes in a personable and easily accessible manner. Our philosophies don’t perfectly align, but sometimes it is a curiosity and interest in these differences that draws us closer together.
