America Has a Moral Problem, Not a Political One — with David Brooks

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

Vox Media Podcast Network

Entrepreneurship, Business, Careers

4.4 • 5.3K Ratings

🗓️ 23 April 2026

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

David Brooks, a writer now at The Atlantic and a bestselling author, joins Scott to unpack what he sees as a deeper crisis in America — not political, but moral. They discuss the rise of resentment, why so many people feel a lack of purpose, and how institutions have failed to shape character and meaning. They also explore how social media and AI are reshaping identity, why young people feel increasingly unmoored, and what it takes to build a life with purpose. Also, friendly reminder that we're live on Substack. Subscribe at profgmedia.com to get ad-free versions of all our podcasts, the full archive of Scott’s newsletters, and exclusive content including deep dives, livestream conversations, and subscriber Q&As. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Support for today's show comes from Dell. Dell PCs with Intel Inside are built for the moments you plan and the ones you don't.
0:08.0	There for those all-night study sessions, the moments you're working from a cafe and realize every outlet is taken.
0:14.0	At times you're deep in your flow and can't be interrupted by an auto update.
0:18.0	That's why we build tech that adapts to you,
0:21.2	built with a long-lasting battery
0:22.6	so you're not scrambling for an outlet,
0:24.3	and built in intelligence
0:25.2	that makes updates around your schedule,
0:27.2	not in the middle of it.
0:28.5	Find technology built for the way you work
0:30.4	at dell.co.
0:31.6	Dot UK forward slash Dell PCs.
0:34.7	Built for you.
0:39.6	Recommendations can be great. Maybe someone recommended this podcast, and here you are. But home
0:45.0	projects are a little different. If the podcast isn't your thing, you might lose a few minutes
0:50.2	from your day, but if you hire your cousin's neighbor to mount your TV, you might end up
0:54.8	with a lopsided screen and wall damage. I know a guy isn't a good strategy for your home. That's
1:01.0	why Thumbtack works so well. It matches you with top-rated local pros with photos, reviews, and
1:07.8	credentials all in one convenient place.
1:15.9	For your next home project, try Thumbtack. Hire the Right Pro today.
1:21.6	Support for this show comes from Odu.
1:28.3	Running a business is hard enough, so why make it harder with a dozen different apps that don't talk to each other?
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vox Media Podcast Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Vox Media Podcast Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.