Scott Galloway in Santa Barbara: Notes on Being a Man
On September 25, UCSB Arts & Lectures brought Scott Galloway to Santa Barbara’s Arlington Theatre for “Notes on Being a Man,” an evening conversation with Talk Easy host Sam Fragoso about masculinity, loneliness and purpose in modern America. (UCSB Campus Calendar)
The conversation could hardly have been more timely.
Galloway addressed the growing challenges facing boys and men and asked what a healthier vision of manhood might look like in a society where traditional ideas about masculinity are changing. Rather than defining manhood simply through money, status or toughness, he emphasized qualities such as resilience, risk-taking, kindness and responsibility. (Arlington Theatre)
A central concern was loneliness. Young men can increasingly find themselves disconnected from meaningful friendships, family relationships and community. That isolation can leave them searching for identity and purpose in places that may not provide healthy answers.
Galloway’s message was ultimately about purpose—the importance of having something meaningful to work toward and people for whom we are responsible. He connected those ideas to the realities of work, family, friendship and the choices that shape a person’s life. (UCSB Campus Calendar)
For parents, educators and especially teenagers and young men, the conversation offered an important opportunity to think about what it means to grow into adulthood today.
Being a man, in Galloway’s framing, is not simply about being powerful or successful. It is about developing the resilience to take risks, the courage to accept responsibility, the kindness to care about others and the purpose to build a meaningful life.
At a time when young people are receiving conflicting messages about identity and masculinity, that is a conversation worth continuing.
Last 2 Photos by David Bazemore
UCSB Arts & Lectures presented the event as part of its 2026–27 season. For information about Arts & Lectures programs, the organization can be reached at (805) 893-3535.