Before Arthur Brooks became a Harvard professor, bestselling author, and one of the world's most influential voices on happiness and human behavior, he was a 34 year old PhD student standing in front of a room full of Nobel Prize winners, delivering what he calls a catastrophic dissertation defense. Then James Q. Wilson, the most distinguished social scientist of the 20th century, walked up and said the words that changed everything: You know, you got something special here. If I can ever help you, just let me know. In this deeply personal and unguarded conversation, the renowned social scientist sits down with David Begnaud to share the story of the man who believed in him when no one else did. There's also a raw reflection on faith, struggle, and the complex problem of God. Arthur talks about the priest who rejected him, why he believes therapy isn't about solving problems but living with complexity, and why your marriage is not a problem to solve. He shares the one regret he carries every day, why he still asks if his father would be proud of him, and how losing his parents too soon led him to move his entire family to one place so he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. He opens up about the meaning crisis destroying young people today, why happiness is love and love is a choice, and why the greatest act of selfishness is refusing someone's generosity. Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: https://www.thedogoodcrew.com Chapters ☀️ Chapters 00:00:00 Intro: The Man Who Changed Everything 00:01:14 The Catastrophic Dissertation Defense That Led to Destiny 00:01:46 From French Horn Player to Social Scientist 00:06:31 The Email That Opened a Door: Will You Let Me Help You? 00:08:56 The Calling You Can't Articulate: Right Brain vs Left Brain 00:10:58 Faith, Struggle, and the Complex Problem of God 00:15:03 Complex vs Complicated: Why Your Marriage Isn't a Problem to Solve 00:18:19 The Power of Being Present: You Can Only Love Right Now 00:20:55 Growing Up Brooks: The Mathematician and the Artist 00:23:29 Why I Quit Music: When You Don't Love the Craft, Only the Dream 00:25:48 Every Day I Ask: Would My Dad Be Proud of Me? 00:28:12 Moving the Whole Family to One Place: Learning from Loss 00:30:03 The Meaning Crisis: Why Young People Are Suffering 00:31:55 How to Find Your Calling: Earning Your Success and Being Needed 00:33:05 The I Self vs The Me Self: Why Looking Inward Makes You Miserable 00:33:41 The Funk and How to Get Out: Forcing Yourself to Serve 00:36:27 Why We Connect Through Struggle, Not Success 00:37:58 James Q. Wilson's Legacy: Community Policing and Broken Windows 00:39:36 Did You Ever Ask Him Why He Believed in You? 00:46:26 The One Takeaway: Happiness Is Love, and Love Is a Choice ABOUT THIS PODCAST: The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question. David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning. Host: David Begnaud Guest: Arthur Brooks Executive Producers: Ellen Rocamora, Olivier Delfosse Associate Producer: Griffin Hamilton Booker: Sully Bloch Director of Photography: Foster Parks Director of Social: Mariah Maull Live Production Technician: Joseph Gabay & Will Whitley (Statik Creative) Theme Music: Slipstream Post-Production: Longwave Digital CONNECT WITH US: The Person Who Believed In Me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast
