In case you missed it, David Brooks is pimping promoting his latest book in the New York Times today by asking "What Is Your Purpose?" To wit:
Every reflective person sooner or later faces certain questions: What is the purpose of my life? How do I find a moral compass so I can tell right from wrong? What should I do day by day to feel fulfillment and deep joy?
As late as 50 years ago, Americans could consult lofty authority figures to help them answer these questions.
You can read the whole thing at the link above, but rather than reciting more of the piece, let me leave with you a response I submitted, which may or may not make it in before the Times closes the comments section.
Sheep without shepherds - that seems to be the gist of Mr. Brooks complaint. The appeal for authority figures is a "tell" - Mr. Brooks appears to be longing for a world where everyone knew their place, followed orders, and carried out the roles assigned to them by society without dissent.
He claims there are no authority figures today to bring order to a troubled society, but there is a rather egregious omission in his plaint. He fails to note the existence of a dedicated media machine to promote conservative ideology 24/7, just running over with authority figures who are always ready to tell us what every thing means, who is right, who is wrong, and what we should do.
He fails to note how this apparatus, funded largely by corporate interests, oligarchs, and the like, has deliberately engaged in the politics of division and active sedition against the very idea of democratically elected government as a means to order and progress in society. Instead, he seems to be longing for some father-figure leader to settle things once and for all.
There's this thing about sheep and shepherds: the sheep get sheared on a regular basis, while the shepherd enjoys a steady diet of mutton and lamb.
I do not think we need to speculate about the purpose of Mr. Brooks - it's rather like that of the sheepdog to the shepherd. Herd the sheep where the shepherd wants them to go.