David Brooks’s March 27 essay beautifully illuminates the winding, often painful path to self-fulfillment — sparked by enchantment, sustained by discipline. His portrait of vocation and craftsmanship as sources of meaning resonated deeply with me.
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My wife, however, had a different reaction. She found the piece troublingly narrow — it featured only male figures and implicitly privileged those with the freedom to explore their passions without caregiving burdens or structural barriers.
Her critique reminded me of Maslow’s hierarchy: self-actualization sits at the top, but only after more basic needs — safety, belonging, stability — are met. Brooks’s message rings true, but it also presumes that access to resources and autonomy are available to all.
Our shared takeaway is that the pursuit of meaning is noble and universal, but we must also recognize who gets to walk that path. True self-actualization doesn’t stop with personal fulfillment—it expands to help others rise, too.
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