The Road to Character

Brooks sets out his philosophy and approach in this opening section, explaining his conceptual dichotomy of “résumé virtues” versus “eulogy virtues.” While the world around us is predominantly concerned with and praises the former, we should be predominantly concerned with cultivating the latter. He discusses how a book written in 1965, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik’s Lonely Man of Faith, put forth the duality of human nature, of human selves, in the form of what Soloveitchik called “Adam I” and “Adam II.” Adam I, career-oriented and ambitious, aligns with the expression and pursuit of résumé virtues, whereas Adam II aligns with the expression and pursuit of eulogy virtues: “To nurture your Adam I career, it makes sense to cultivate your strengths. To nurture your Adam II moral core, it is necessary to confront your weaknesses” (xii). He lays out the structure of his book, explaining that each of the 10 chapters will examine a life, however flawed and full of struggle, that exemplifies Adam II—individuals who will be remembered for their eulogy virtues over their résumé ones.