I’ve come to think that flourishing consists of putting yourself in situations in which you lose self-consciousness and become fused with other people, experiences, or tasks. It happens sometimes when you are lost in a hard challenge, or when an artist or a craftsman becomes one with the brush or the tool. It happens sometimes while you’re playing sports, or listening to music or lost in a story, or to some people when they feel enveloped by God’s love. And it happens most when we connect with other people. I’ve come to think that happiness isn’t really produced by conscious accomplishments. Happiness is a measure of how thickly the unconscious parts of our minds are intertwined with other people and with activities. Happiness is determined by how much information and affection flows through us covertly every day and year.

W. Brooks (1901–1999) American farmer and businessman
Bubba Brooks (David Kenneth Brooks Jr. David Brooks may refer to:
David Brooks (actor) (1917–1999) American actor and stage director and producer
David Brooks (author) (born 1953) Australian author of short stories and co-editor for Southerly
David Brooks (inventor) inventor who patented an innovative insulator for telegraph lines in 1867 while working for the Central Pacific Railroad
David Brooks (journalist) (born 1961) commentator for The New York Times and other publications
David Brooks (murderer) (born 1955) teenaged accomplice of serial killer Dean Corll
David Brooks (politician) (1756–1838) United States representative in the Fifth United States Congress
David Brooks (rugby league) (born 1962) Australian rugby league footballer
David Brooks (rugby union) (1924–2002) British rugby union footballer
David Allen Brooks (born 1947) American film and television actor
David H.