Tim Ferriss: How to Learn Better & Create Your Best Future | Huberman Lab Podcast

Published June 2023 on YouTube

Tim Ferriss: How to Learn Better & Create Your Best Future | Huberman Lab Podcast

1. Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss, a successful author, podcaster, and investor, shares his formula for success with Andrew Huberman. He emphasizes the importance of asking specific questions and taking action steps to achieve success. Tim also discusses his approach to prioritizing and organizing one's life journey.+

2. Sponsors: Maui Nui, LMNT, Levels

Andrew discusses the importance of consuming high-quality protein with low-calorie intake. He recommends Maui NUI Venison, which has a high nutrient to calorie ratio and is delicious. Listeners can get 20% off their first order by visiting Mauinewivenison.com and using the code "huberman."+

3. 4-Hour Body & Development Mindset

Neuroscience Insights:Andrew Huberman discusses the insights he gained from studying the work of neurobiologist Ramoni Cahal and how looking back at what you were doing 10-15 years ago can translate to what people are doing now in various arenas.+

Diversifying Identity:Tim Ferriss discusses how he diversified his identity by writing "The 4-Hour Body" and how it was a deliberate move from a career optionality standpoint. He also talks about how he enjoys stress testing the most prevalent beliefs and dogmatic assumptions in a given field.+

Wearable Innovations:Tim Ferriss discusses the early stages of wearables and the quantified self movement, including the use of continuous glucose monitors by high performers and the potential for their use by healthy individuals. He also explores the scientific investigation of old and orphaned things, such as anabolics sourced from older literature in the world of doping.+

4. Origins of Good Ideas

Innovative Insights:Tim Ferriss discusses his process of interviewing experts in different fields to gain insights into what the nerds are doing, what rich people are doing, and where people are cobbling together awkward solutions. He also delves into the realm of science fiction and speculation to explore the risks of publishing one's genome.+

Future Insights:Tim discusses the possibility of reconstructing someone's face based on their genetic data and the need for safeguards to protect personal data. He also talks about the potential use of bioweapons and the importance of studying extreme cases in order to learn more about the future.+

5. Writing & Structured Thinking

Genius Analysis:Andrew and Tim discuss the importance of analyzing new, old, and orphaned theories in research. They highlight the genius in revisiting old theories and exploring orphaned theories that were once assumed to be wrong.+

Self-Experimentation:Tim Ferriss talks about his hypergraphia and how he records almost everything in writing. He emphasizes the importance of replication and how it helped him in his book, "The Four Hour Body". He also discusses how his book was written in a way that allows readers to choose their own adventure and pick chapters of interest based on their needs.+

Writing and Training:Tim Ferriss shares his approach to writing, including his use of the program Scrivener and his promiscuous gathering of data. He also discusses his training routine, which included a climbing gym and kettlebells.+

6. Writing, Night Owls

Late Night Writing:Tim and Andrew discuss the benefits of writing during the late hours of the night and the challenges of balancing it with a social life. Tim shares his personal experience with this schedule and how it has helped him produce his best work. They also touch upon the importance of sleep and how it has been emphasized in Matt Walker's book, "Why We Sleep".+

Nocturnal Creativity:Andrew and Tim discuss the correlation between creativity and being nocturnal. They mention successful podcasters and content creators who work best at night and the importance of removing distractions to focus on creating.+

7. Sponsor: AG1

Andrew discusses the importance of gut health and how Athletic Greens provides optimal probiotics, adaptogens, vitamins, and minerals to meet foundational nutritional needs. Listeners can try Athletic Greens for free with five travel packs and a year's supply of vitamin D, three K two by visiting athleticgreens.com/huberman.+

8. Investigating Outliers

Investigating Outliers:Tim and Andrew discuss the importance of investigating outliers and case studies in research, using heuristics to find interesting examples, and the limitations of relying on consensus in fields like nutrition. They also touch on the significance of ANEC data and how much we can learn from individual case studies.+

Internet Arguments:Tim Ferriss and Andrew Huberman discuss the futility of arguing on the internet and the importance of time management. They also touch on the potential negative effects of smartphones on reproductive health and the benefits of mitigating risk by turning off your phone's airplane mode.+

9. Reading Scientific Studies

Tim Ferriss and Andrew Huberman discuss the importance of being scientifically literate when engaging in self-experimentation. They recommend reading books like "Bad Science" and "How to Lie with Statistics" to identify the strengths and weaknesses of studies. They also acknowledge that some interventions may never be explored in randomized control trials due to financial incentives and career planning of researchers.+

10. Supplement Fails

Supplement Fails:Andrew and Tim discuss their experiences with supplements, including spectacular failures and cautionary tales. They share insights on the risks and benefits of experimental supplementation.+

Health Hacks:Tim and Andrew discuss various health hacks including deliberate cold exposure, contrast therapy, and whole body hyperthermia for mood regulation and injury recovery. They also touch on the slow carb diet as a way to maintain weight and health.+

11. Slow Carb Diet & Adherence

Slow Carb Diet:Tim explains the simple rules of the slow carb diet which is intended for people who have failed other diets. The diet allows you to recompose your body, improve muscle mass, and decrease body fat percentage. The rules are easy to follow and it works for a lot of people who've had trouble with dieting in the past.+

Cheat Day:Tim Ferriss shares his slow carb diet plan which involves avoiding fruit and fructose during the week and having a cheat day once a week where anything goes. This allows for indulgence without feeling like you've failed and provides a release valve for cravings.+

Cheat Day Fasting:Andrew and Tim discuss the benefits of the slow carb diet and cheat days. Andrew shares his personal experience with fasting the day after cheat day and asks if it's detrimental to the plan. Tim suggests that sticking to the diet template for a few weeks and measuring results is important, but ultimately, if fasting works for you, then it works.+

Cheat Day Strategies:Tim Ferriss shares his strategies for cheat days while following a cyclical Ketogenic diet, including doing a glycogen depletion workout beforehand and gradually regulating cheat days over time. He also discusses the importance of not calorie counting and self-limiting with high fiber and protein intake.+

Effective Slow Carb:Tim and Andrew discuss the effectiveness of the Slow Carb Diet and its high adherence rate, making it a good default diet for people looking to lose weight. Tim emphasizes the importance of adherence rates when evaluating diets and is interested in doing a follow-up study on the long-term success of the diet.+

12. Morning Protein Intake; Fasting

Protein in the Morning:Andrew and Tim discuss the benefits of adding protein to your morning routine, specifically within 30 minutes of waking up, as part of the slow carb diet. They explain how this can improve performance, increase muscle, and help with weight loss.+

Nutrition and Mental Health:Andrew and Tim discuss the impact of nutrition on mental health, including the benefits of time-restricted feeding and the potential for extended fasts to improve mental health. They highlight the work of Chris Palmer and the importance of diet protocols in treating mental health.+

13. Sponsor: InsideTracker

Andrew discusses the importance of getting regular blood work done and how Inside Tracker can help individuals better understand their body and reach their health goals through personalized nutrition plans based on blood and DNA analysis.+

14. Power of Networking

Power of Places:Andrew and Tim discuss the power of places and how they can influence one's process and creativity. They also talk about the importance of curating gatherings with like-minded individuals to spark brainstorming and valuable insights.+

Moving for Growth:Tim Ferriss shares his recommendation for people in full growth mode to consider moving to an area of high density for a period of time. He suggests that putting oneself in an active pinball machine where they may interact serendipitously with many different people from many different worlds can be valuable.+

Building Your Network:Tim Ferriss shares his experience on how to build your network by volunteering at events. He emphasizes the importance of being proactive and going above and beyond what is expected of you. By doing so, you can get noticed and eventually build relationships with high performers in your industry.+

Building a World-Class Network:Tim Ferriss shares tips on how to build a world-class network in record time, including focusing on uncrowded channels like in-person events and approaching panelists at conferences. He also emphasizes the importance of being easy to work with, especially in the beginning stages of building a career.+

Building Your Network:Tim Ferriss shares his approach to building deeper relationships at events by being genuine and focusing on connecting with people he can vibe with, rather than trying to collect business cards. He emphasizes the importance of developing a few deeper relationships through longer conversations, which can lead to valuable connections and opportunities.+

15. Building Relationships

Developing Relationships:Andrew and Tim discuss the importance of developing relationships for career advancement. They emphasize the value of seeking out interesting and uncrowded spaces and approaching relationships from a standpoint of learning and skill development rather than just trying to befriend high-profile individuals.+

Finding Intrinsic Motivation:Tim and Andrew discuss the importance of intrinsic motivation and how many people are motivated by external validation rather than personal success. They question whether people would still pursue certain goals if they could never talk about them publicly.+

Motivations and Questions:Tim and Andrew discuss the importance of being aware of your motivations and asking good questions to identify what you want to do. They share Seth Godin's question of "What would you do if you knew you were going to fail?" and Andrew's litmus test for identifying the experiment or podcast he wants to work on the most.+

The Power of Questions:Tim Ferriss and Andrew Huberman discuss the value of asking good questions for self-inquiry and how it can transform us. They also touch on the importance of simplifying one's life by removing extraneous pieces.+

16. Psychedelic Potential

Psychedelic Exploration:Andrew and Tim discuss the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and their ability to help relieve depression and trauma. Tim shares his mindset around psychedelics and the tremendous efforts he has put in to promote the movement of these compounds from illegal to legal in the therapeutic setting, ultimately benefiting millions of people.Show transcript +

Neuroscience and Psychedelics:Tim shares his background in neuroscience and his first experience with mushrooms, highlighting breakthroughs in neuroscience research during his time at Princeton and the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics. Andrew acknowledges Tim's contributions to the field and the importance of great institutions in shaping the future of science.+

Psychedelic Experiences:Tim shares his personal experience with psychedelics and how it sparked his interest in researching their effects on the brain. Andrew shares his stance on the use of psychedelics, particularly in young developing brains. The conversation delves into the challenges and ethical considerations of animal research in this field.+

Psychedelic Afterglow:Tim shares his experiences with psychedelics and how they helped him manage his depressive episodes. He discusses the lasting afterglow effect and raises questions about its cause. However, he also shares a scary experience that led him to stop using psychedelics altogether.+

17. Psychedelics and Mental Health Funding

Psychedelics, TM, and Stress:Tim discusses his journey with depression and how he researched psychedelics as a potential intervention. He also shares his experience with Transcendental Meditation (TM) as a way to manage stress during a period of acute stress.+

Psychedelic Experiences:Tim Ferriss shares his personal experience with using psychedelics to improve his mental health. He discusses the benefits and risks of these experiences, and how he approached them with caution and proper protections. He also talks about the importance of taking notes and learning from these experiences.+

Funding Early Science:Tim Ferriss discusses his passion for funding early stage science, likening it to investing in startups. He shares his experience funding Adam Ghazali's lab at UCSF and his decision to crowdfund for a Hopkins pilot study looking at Psilocybin for treatment resistant depression.+

Crowdfunding Research:Tim discusses his experience with crowdfunding research for treatment-resistant depression using psilocybin and how it exceeded his expectations with little negative blowback. He also mentions the need for solutions for those suffering and how current treatments often mask symptoms rather than addressing root causes.+

Funding Mental Health:Tim shares his game plan to remove stigma for funding purposes, open up federal funding, and focus on access and reduction of cost and insurance reimbursement for mental health therapeutics, including psychedelics. Andrew expresses his interest in contributing to the efforts to raise funding for psychedelic studies and other philanthropic work.+

18. Funding and Psychedelic Progress

Saisei Foundation:Tim Ferriss talks about the Saisei Foundation, a foundation he started that focuses on funding fellowships for research and development. He explains the meaning behind the name and how he tries to prototype new ideas. He also shares a personal experience of implanting a CGM device and the challenges he faced.+

Insights on Funding and Investigative Journalism:Tim and Andrew discuss Tim's experiences with funding scientific research and investigative journalism, including his use of personal devices for research and his foundation's funding of a psychedelic journalism fellowship. They emphasize the importance of actionable insights and competent journalism in shaping national and international discourse.+

Psychedelic Progress:Tim and Andrew discuss the progress being made in the field of psychedelics, including the development of curricula for medical programs and the legalization of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for trauma treatment within the next 12-24 months. They emphasize the importance of supporting these efforts and breaking down the goals into manageable pieces.+

19. Novel Treatments

Andrew and Tim discuss the potential of TMS, psychedelics, and metabolic psychiatry as novel treatments for depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health conditions. They explore the possibility of combining TMS with psychedelics to enhance neuroplasticity and the use of metabolic interventions for chaotic conditions like schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder.+

20. Meditation and Psychedelics

Meditation and Psychedelics:Andrew and Tim discuss the history and current state of meditation and psychedelics. They explore the benefits of meditation and different forms of practice, including concentration and guided meditation. Tim recommends the Waking Up app by Sam Harris for those looking to develop their mindfulness skills.+

Nature's Benefits:Tim Ferriss discusses the benefits of spending time in nature as a form of meditation. He shares his experience of extended fasts in nature and how it helps him regulate his system and activate his parasympathetic. Ferriss also talks about the importance of awe and how it requires breathing room for a genuine transcendent experience.+

21. Reentering Life

Reentering Life:Andrew asks Tim how he handles the transition back into daily life after being off the grid. Tim explains that he sets up systems beforehand to make the reentry smoother and takes a few days to slowly integrate back into his routine.+

Optimizing Well-being:Tim Ferriss shares his approach to optimizing well-being by deliberately de-optimizing certain areas of his life. He discusses his nature retreats and how he avoids being compulsively productive by de-optimizing selectively.+

Finding Peace:Tim and Andrew discuss the importance of taking a break from the generative drive and finding peace within oneself. They explore the benefits of reading poetry and spending time in nature to achieve this state.+

22. Mentors

Mentors Matter:Tim Ferriss and Andrew Huberman discuss the importance of mentors in life and how they can be found in both traditional and non-traditional ways. They emphasize the impact of the people we surround ourselves with and how they shape who we become.+

Mentors and Learning:Tim discusses the importance of having mentors and learning from anyone, regardless of their profession. He also talks about the value of focusing on just-in-time information and the benefits of working with coaches and therapists.+

23. Mindful Productivity

Mind Allocation:Andrew and Tim discuss the importance of balancing inward and outward focus in our daily lives and how to manage attention allocation across the year and week. They explore the benefits of meditative practices and learning from nature.+

Planning for Productivity:Tim and Andrew discuss the importance of scheduling important tasks and avoiding cognitive switching. They emphasize the need to prioritize important tasks and allocate time accordingly, and warn against the dangers of social media and other distractions.+

Social Media Pitfalls:Tim Ferriss and Andrew Huberman discuss the dangers of social media and the importance of self-control when using it. Tim shares his experience with Instagram and why he only uses it for dating purposes. They also talk about the negative effects of constantly escaping boredom and the need to cultivate the ability to be still and calm.+

24. Cockpunch

Creative Fundraising:Tim shares his experience with a creative project called cockpunch, which was intended to experiment with fiction writing and fundraising for early-stage science. He talks about the different approaches he took to fundraising and how it gave him the opportunity to reconnect with his friends and develop new skills and knowledge.+

Finding Creative Energy:Tim Ferriss and Andrew Huberman discuss the importance of finding creative outlets to prevent burnout and maintain energy. Tim shares his experience creating a project with an absurd name that raised almost $2 million for charity and allowed him to exercise new creative muscles. The takeaway is to do things that give you energy.+

Attention and Energy:Tim Ferriss and Andrew Huberman discuss the importance of attentional management and how it is limited by energy. They also talk about Tim's successful fiction project called cockpunch and how relationships and skills transcend any financial failures.+

Cockpunch Chronicles:Tim Ferriss shares the story behind his emergent long fiction project, the Cockpunch Chronicles. He explains how the idea started as a farce but evolved into an elaborate project that takes inputs from the audience. The story is set in a fantasy world where anthropomorphized roosters compete in the Great Games, a combat competition.+

Cultivating Positive Energy:Andrew and Tim discuss the importance of cultivating positive energy and the generative drive in life for mental health. They also touch on the idea of giving oneself permission to explore new possibilities and challenge the impossible. The conversation ends with suggestions for contributing to foundations doing good work in the field of psychedelics.+

Cockpunch Therapy:Tim and Andrew discuss the benefits of incorporating improv and less control into your life, using Tim's "cockpunch" project as an example of emergent planning. They suggest that trying new things and addressing weaknesses can be incredibly therapeutic.+

25. Overcoming Mental Health Struggles

Overcoming Suicidal Thoughts:Tim Ferriss shares his personal experience with suicidal thoughts and how he overcame them. He emphasizes the importance of seeking help and shares practical advice for those struggling with suicidal ideation.+

Mental Health Struggles:Tim shares his personal struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, and how a chance encounter with a fan who had lost his brother to suicide led him to consider discussing mental health challenges publicly.+

Overcoming Depression:Tim shares his experience with depression and suicidal thoughts, and how he was able to overcome them. He emphasizes the importance of understanding that depression is not a choice, and provides resources for those who may be struggling with similar issues.+

Tim's Vulnerability:Tim opens up about his experience with sexual abuse as a child and discusses his decision to record a podcast about it. Despite his fear of negative feedback, he ultimately releases the podcast and finds it to be one of the most important ones he's ever made. The episode encourages others to share their stories and seek help.+

26. Making Meaning from Suffering

Revealing Trauma:Andrew and Tim discuss the impact of revealing trauma and the importance of being brave enough to share it with the world. They acknowledge the positive impact it can have and thank each other for being pioneers in this category.+

Transmuting Pain:Tim shares his experience with suicidal thoughts and how he learned to transmute pain into something meaningful. He talks about the importance of finding resources and how being a subject matter expert can provide credibility when helping others.+

27. Role Identity, Future

Role Identity:Tim Ferriss discusses his current and future roles with Andrew Huberman. He identifies as an experimentalist and teacher, and shares his desire to teach 9th grade students to help them make positive life choices.+

Learning Myths:Tim Ferriss discusses his passion for teaching and debunking myths in language learning. He emphasizes the importance of experimentation and exploration in his learning process.+

Artistic Exploration:Tim Ferriss discusses his interest in exploring more artistry, particularly in the visual sense, and his desire to experiment with meditation. He also mentions parenthood as one of the biggest adventures.+

28. Parenthood, Animals & Training

Parenting and Animal Training:Tim and Andrew discuss the similarities between parenting and animal training, emphasizing the importance of positive reinforcement and cultivating a good nervous system. They also touch on the difference between wanting to have kids versus wanting to be a good parent.+

Dog Training Tips:Tim and Andrew discuss the importance of using high-value treats when training dogs. They also recommend resources for successful dog training, including the book "Don't Shoot the Dog" and an interview with dog agility champion Susan Garrett.+

29. Podcasting, Experimentation

Andrew and Tim discuss the roles they see themselves in and the ones they want to expand into, as well as how they inspire and are inspired by others in their respective fields. Tim emphasizes the importance of experimentation and improvement, while Andrew praises Tim's impact on the podcasting genre and his generosity as a giver.+

30. Support and Supplements

Andrew Huberman discusses ways to support the podcast, including subscribing and leaving a review, and mentions the benefits of supplements for enhancing sleep, hormone support, and focus. He also shares a partnership with Momentous Supplements and encourages listeners to check them out.+