Monday conference keynote speaker David Brooks admitted that his message may have sounded more like Oprah than what people expected from the self-described conservative New York Times columnist and PBS News Hour commentator.  He spoke of the need for more love—the kind that lasts—in our jobs and communities. “Our society has become over politicized and under moralized,” he said. Brooks identified the underlying issue as a growing isolation in a society where more people live alone and no longer affiliate with “middle circle” organizations like the PTA, the Elks, and religious institutions.

Brooks created a balance between self-deprecating humor reflecting on his upbringing as a Jewish boy who performed in a Catholic school choir and an over-privileged white male living the good life in the Washington suburbs. He came to recognize that one of the main ills of our society is that we have “lost our intimacy.” One of his clarifying moments involved attending an every-Thursday dinner with a couple who opens their home to young people who have no families to speak of.  “We adults give these kids what they need most--an audience with whom they can share their gifts.” He said no “program” can change lives; only relationships have the power to do that.

In a speech full of lessons in creating a richer moral life on both a personal and professional level, Brooks covered what he sees as the root of the current polarization in the United States. He described an “epidemic of loneliness,” a “crisis of trust,” and the idea that so many people are falling through the cracks. One way for local government leaders to help overcome some of these massive issues in society is to “create platforms where intimacy can happen…I’ve never met so many lonely young people and very old people who are lonely. Is there a way to bring these two groups together?”

Brooks ended his speech by talking about the power of love that lasts and why it is so desperately needed today when so many people feel that globalization and meritocracy beat them down instead of lift them up. Brooks said that working in public life means being called to use your talents to help others and while that can be humbling, it also provides the chance to look outside oneself and ask “What is life asking of me?” He suggests that bringing the language of intimacy out into the public square, though it may be uncomfortable, can begin to heal society.

If you missed this keynote or any of the other ICMA Annual Conference keynotes, check out the Virtual Conference.