Research + News

The Streamlined Life: David Brooks on Incoming Freshmen

Brooks_New-articleInlineThe New York Times columnist David Brooks writes about recent statistical data concerning first year students. In his column, “The Streamlined Life,” Brooks suggests:

“Human nature hasn’t changed much. The surveys still reveal generations driven by curiosity, a desire to have a good family, a good community and good values. But people clearly feel besieged. There is the perception that life is harder. Certainly their parents think it is harder. The result is that you get a group hardened for battle, more focused on the hard utilitarian things and less focused on spiritual or philosophic things; feeling emotionally vulnerable, but also filled with résumé assertiveness. The inner world wanes; professional intensity waxes.”

Read the full article here.