Morgan Spurlock: Inside the Mind of a Human Guinea Pig (#150)

Loved this one! Storytelling, passions, tech, how to make people open up to you and trust you – great stories, great advice and fun to listen! Thank you Tim! QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What important issues are you most passionate about? People giving in to mediocrity. There is greatness in every single human being. So few use it. So few ever learn what their potential is. Most are just killing themselves from inside a little bit daily. Why is it true for the majority of people?

I loved the story telling and opening up its awesome. I will be using some of the tips to create my story too.

Tim; your podcast is the only podcast I listen to. Every episode including this one confirms I´ve made a good choice on what to feed my mind on my commute. QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What important issues are you most passionate about? – There is so much hype and focus on improving and changing ourselves and the world, often mediated by some liberal start-up or new techno-fix. However, so little attention and voice has been granted to the practice of contemplating life as something that is allready perfect, and that our tinkering and improving is as much the problem as the solution. So Tim, since you are interested in outliers; where are the interviews with people who by their totally autonomous standards live perfectly content lives that are totally off the radar, but equally outstanding; the hermits, the scientists that are world-leading in something nobody cares about, the social workers, the farmer, the carpenter, the fisherman, the midwife, the shepard, the mountain guide. Where are these voices, and the world need their values.

I am most passionate about 1. Helping people let go of the negative voice in their head to allow them to achieve their end goals. 2. Helping homeless teenagers. I do both professionally on a 1:1 basis, but have plans to help on a larger scale as possible in the near future.

Oh man…hope you guys talked about the making of the Comic Con doc in this one. Can't wait to listen.

Man I love getting credit for things, even if I just shared the link.

Tim, I love your blog and have been recommending the Four Hour Work Week for years. I would love to discuss a question with you. Your four hour philosophy of leveraging your time and working smart is fantastic, but how far can you take that? If you look at Elon Musk as the other end of the spectrum. He works enormous amounts of hours and is almost entirely focused on work, but has reached the high water mark of success. What is the relationship between time and success? Can you have 1/3rd of Elon Musk's success on a 40 hour work week or even 30 ( recognizing that he is also really talented and supremely focused)? Thanks Dave

Did anyone figure out which translation of that book it was yet?

Great episode Tim! For anyone interested here's a direct link to the medical tourism episode of Inside Man featuring Bumrungrad Hospital (a little hard to find because it's titled Club Med): https://www.netflix.com/watch/80045191

Listening to all your great podcasts, there are a lot of notes I would like to take but because I am in my vehicle, running, or basically can't use my hands at the time, do you recommend a note taking app that I can use while listening to a podcast at the same time? Thanks for you time!

First the meh: It was a little disconcerting to hear you guys bring up Alex Gibney's "Going Clear." I'm a long-time Scientologist (and listener/reader) and have even worked for two upper Scientology management organizations in New York and Clearwater, FL. I cannot tell you how incorrectly the media misconstrues information about Scientology – just like everything else mind you. It's actually unbelievable. In fact, if something is highly criticized in the media, I like to see what they're doing right. See: Theranos getting bashed by The Wall Street Journal for example. I absolutely love the documentary format but have realized it's incredibly open to abuse, like many art forms. I believe that the same principles from "Bad Science" should be considered with the documentary world. There are tons of inconsistencies with "Going Clear" which can be explored here: http://www.freedommag.org/going-clear/ – Believe me… I've heard it all in my eight years as a staff member on the public lines. Please check something out for yourself before throwing it under the bus. Just a look at the group's humanitarian work is eye opening. Although you probably wouldn't know that because that's not what we're fed by Bullshit, Inc. (Took that one from Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art") 😉 Now the praise: Long time listener/reader. THANKS Tim for the incredible content. Morgan was great and his Supersize Me is one of the best docs I've ever seen – considering I've never touched Fast Food since seeing it. I think he does incredible work as storyteller and hope he continues!

Important issues I am most passionate about: Global Warming, Participation in Politics, Personal Health (Body & Mind)

Issues that I am most passionate about: Global Warming, Participation in Politics, the role of the citizen, and Personal Health (Body & Mind).

Super Size Me was very entertaining… and a fraud. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/sep/07/healthandwellbeing.health

I am most passionate about the visual and performing arts and find it more and more difficult to instill that passion to people who don't already feel that way.

Tim, do we have the translation for The Bhagavad-Gita Morgan recommends yet? Great episode, laughed more than usual.

Which translation of the Bhagavad Gita did he send you?

Love this episode so much! Currently listening while at the gym getting weird looks from the 'beef cake ironmen' as I laugh out load about ''Mane and Tail' Too funny!! Thank you!!

Long time T.F. fan, the 4HWW got my attention back in 2008 and I've been plugged in to what you've been up to ever since. As a extreme sports and adventure/exploration junkie, I'd like to suggest a podcast interview. This guy is a Red Bull sponsored athlete, has some very specific and well thought out ideas on endurance sport nutrition, and is one extreme yet humble dude. Will Gadd. Thanks Tim!

A brief discussion about Bhagavadh Geetha: http://historyofphilosophy.net/bhagavad-gita

Why does print — in regard to book publishing — persist in a digital age, you asked Morgan rhetorically, somewhat perplexed. Simple. Print is digital disconnect. Read a magazine or book and it's total immersion. Email doesn't ding. Alerts don't slide in, annoyingly. You can't click over to Facebook. Reading print is like meditation. Great interview with Morgan. Enjoying the series very much.

Tim, What was the name of the book Morgan recommended? I couldn't get the name after listening several times and looking through your notes of the podcast

I find it sad that a fraudster (or another? I have not looked into Walter O'Brian) gets featured. How many studies have to be made to debunk a 11 kilo gain in 30 days – without the aid of anabolics, that is?

Tim, If you like documentaries you should watch "56 Up"

Hi Tim ! I really like your blog, actually I found it a half year ago. Found it very useful, and working on mine to be very good too. Sorry that it may sound a little off topic. The little problem I questioning myself over and over again is – I'm actually russian, but of course it's good to make it worldwide – you know how many more people sit over there. I can't finally decide – should I write all my posts in "rus// eng" mode like eng text after rus text on one page. Or should it be completely different versions. I'm even laughing when I imagine your article in english and right after in spanish. But mine are not that long. What would work better? thnx Tim, and bloggers for your attention, if someone wants to ask me something you can do it.

I'm absolutely stoked about Morgan getting into Virtual Reality game. I think the storytelling feature is the most exciting part in VR as it bring so much freedom and emotional connection to the plate. If anyone is willing to talk more about VR, find me on twitter.

Hi Tim, This is just a quick thank you message. Over the last few months (possibly even longer…), I’ve been getting my podcast ready for launch. And you know what? Today is the day- it is finally launched, and doing well so far. One thing I always try to maintain is a good level of gratitude. And I like to show that gratitude. So I’d like to say thank you to you, because I know that without the countless hours listening to the The Tim Ferriss Show, writing down all of the golden nuggets you’ve taken your time to literally give to me for free, I wouldn’t have gotten this far. So, thanks again. You are my yoda. Or Obi Wan. I haven’t decided whether I’ll live as a Jedi or Sith yet. Hayden Lee Travel Stories Podcast [Moderator: links removed]

No point in signing up to your site Tim the so called free reading blanks out !

Timmy, I've been listening to your podcast with great interest for several months now. I'm about to sprinkle in some criticism so don't be offended, please. Most of the episodes are way too lengthy but I do get a lot out of many of them and appreciate your efforts. The commercials are brutal as well, to be candid. I fast forward through all of them. My recommendation would definitely be to condense or edit most of your interviews if you really wanna improve on your format. I'd say Rick Rubin might have been my favorite so far, with Chris Sacca right up there. Notwithstanding, this time you really sh$t the bed Timbo. This guest was sooooo dull and just not funny despite his best efforts at humor. Supersize was interesting I guess but really nothing good since from this guy. Honestly, you seemed rather disinterested in him yourself. In sum, keep bringing in the successful entrepreneurs and finance gurus, comedians, etc. but this episode really felt like than an extended promo piece for Sherlock's boring documentary or whatever the fuck he's working on.

in my opine one of the best interviews . Inspiring, funny, informative thanks for the great work Mr Ferris

what was Morgan's suggested book, I tried listening over but really couldn't make out and it's not in the notes? the one you said came up frequently but never sat down to read similar with 道德經. cheers. luv the work.

Hi Tim, great episode. More on medical tourism in Thailand – there are several hospitals and companies marketing this. While Bumrungrad is very famous with middle Eastern and Japanese clients, BNH https://www.bnhhospital.com/ caters also to Europeans and American. Absolutely stunning experience going to the doctor or dentist.

Wow! The story about being a quarter million in debt was the most inspiring thing I have heard this month! I have often put my cash and my whole business on the line for what I believe in and it has felt like everyone thought I was crazy. Stories like this help the crazy ones! 🙂

hey tim, i was really surprised that you would be interviewing Morgan given his Super Size Me movie. He seems like a interesting person and I like his whole story about being scrappy to get his films made. at some point I came across Tom Naughton's movie called Fat Head and found that to be much better perspective on the whole issue. given all your friends taking and making stuff that tastes like rocket fuel, I'm kinda stumped…

I had hoped to get the interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita that Morgan read! I, too, have had this book come up in my life many times, and many times put it off. Every time I heard it, I knew it was something I had to read. ALAS- it is time!

Loved this ! Def one of my top ten favs in your podcast. What version/ translation of the Bhagawad Gita did Morgan recommend?

Very funny " about the gym as laugh load ' beef cake Ironman ' also looks strange when I thank you currently listening !! !!

" It's a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist, and you have to earn that. And you know. If you drive past a car accident – you have to stop. Because you know. You're the only one that can actually help." "If you know it, then you have to do it. And if you don't know it, well , then you better go find out " Tom Cruise on Scientology

To all the strange people saying Super Size Me and thus, Mr Spurlock, are a fraud. Lets address this shall we 1. 'Studies' have been done to disprove it, have they? Well, Mr Spurlocks exercise was a study as well, and as a real life self experiment has way more validity than some clinical fabricated study. So, unless you can replicate all of the conditions of Mr Spurlocks study – in other words clone him and re do it exactly the same – then you cant say 'my study beats your study' 2. I don't believe it was a fraud. But I don't care if it was. Even if it was a complete fraud, I would welcome it. Why? People are so crazy, they forget who we are talking about here. MCDONALDS. They have NO redeeming features whatsoever. No justification to exist. They are a destructive cancer that…umm..cause cancer. They are drug dealers, pawning out toxic addictive crap all over the world, that destroy lives. deforestation and developing world exploitation and…you can look up all the ways. And no one is doing anything to counter act them. Now, when people try and educate others, like handing out flyers outside a McDonalds to try and help people, McDonalds have a tantrum and take those two people to court for the longest running court case in Englands history (McLibel is the name of the case) 10 years of their life gone. So, SuperSize Me – bring it on! Mr Spurlock is a hero for what he has done. The countless number of people he has saved, he deserves a medal. Getting it out to a wide audience like that – amazing. (The only thing I regret is that he admitted that he still enjoyed the occasional mcdonalds hamburger. I thought that detracted from his objective and cred a little bit. Don't say you keep eating it!!!!) as an aside, did it ever occur to you that any 'debunking' studies were funded by McDonalds as their PR department went into damage control the only way they knew how? As they had no options left? 3. The person in the comments here that said you can't gain 11 kilos without anabolics. Well one – maybe mcdonalds has anabolics.I'm only half joking. Secondly if the liver totally shuts down it can't metabolise. Given all the highly toxic High Fructose Corn Syrup in that 'food' it is no surprise. So, that 11 kilos could be purely unexcreted matter, water retention, metabolic byproducts etc. Plus – as we know from Four Hour Body – weighing body weight is generally highly ineffective, it is hard to get reliable body weight data. We don't know what criteria Mr Spurlock was really using. Stool samples would have been more illustrative of the physical degeneration but not necessary as the film spoke loudly enough 4 . Another aside. I know people that eat mcdonalds and say they felt psychotic afterward. I am not surprised. Again I blame High Fructose Corn Syrup for this. Aside from that the fact that it can't be uptaked by the cells, it has to pass through the liver – Really seriously toxic chemicals are used to manufacture it – look it up – you'll be amazed – easy to find information about it I would put big money on the bet that most police shootings of innocent civilians in north america ( where that happens all that time) had happened after the cop had eaten mcdonalds promoting unwarranted and irrational acts of aggression and unreasonable or unwarranted force all the crazy spikes in blood sugar, the liver totally freaking out etc – not conducive to the qualities for calm, healthy, community supportive policing thats for sure!! (the reason its the only country in the world i never want to go to – i''m not worried about crime it's the police , making it the most dangerous country yes. This is a popular belief worldwide by the way – every time theres another police shooting tourism falls even further. I reckon you can partially blame McDonalds for this )

Hey Tim, On March 8th I made a comment recommending you have Morgan Spurlock on your podcast. Not sure if I had anything to do with this but thanks, this was an awesome interview. Thanks for listening to your fans. I will continue to be a follower of your great work! Best, A Long-time Listener

Tim, would you mind sharing the translation of the Bhagavad Gita that Morgan recommended? thx

Anyone know that translation of the Bhagavadgita that was referenced in this podcast?

Love most of the podcasts but I'm now more convinced than ever the Morgan Spurlock is a fraud. Yeh, I finally watched Inside Man on guns and I wanted to ask if the founding fathers envisioned typewriters and the internet for the first amendment as he kept repeating the "90% of Americans or gun owners want the extensive background check". — I leave you with this quote from Mark Twain In Ferriss' 4 hour work week " “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to the opposite (pause and reflect)”. https://twitter.com/tferriss/status/569999146700148736 – Spurlock didn't do his homework on the subject.

What was the version of Bhagavad-Gita that Morgan mentioned?

RIP to an American original.

Two thumbs up!

Hahaha… thanks! Surprisingly hard to find the full coverage of the complete study, or perhaps I need more help with Google.

This is an excellent blog comment. Thanks Angela.

I didn't even get the name 🙁

nice you can be so balanced in your approach – despite your huge objections you can still make a final point about how grateful you are to Tim and Morgan and how influential they are for you that is often not easy for people to do I'd like to remind everyone of Tim's friend Kevin Kelly (interviewed twice on this blog) and his excellent, really really excellent blog about the great documentaries he has seen. It's very accessible, just a list of films in categories and a short paragraph explaining why it's so good. he only refers to documentaries that are cheap and easily available, and are GOOD. It's called True Films. So, your second point regarding the documentary form. To be fair there are many approaches to this form. A more successful and reliable documentary is balanced like a thesis. it has an angle but offers material contrary to that angle to offer an attempt at impartiality and to let the viewer make up their own mind. Somewhat at least . It's hard to persue your argument and yet be detached enough to offer evidence against it for the sheer sake of balance – of course one is attached and bound up in the object of their pursuit. eg in Mr Spurlocks case, the peril of subsisting on junk food. an interesting example of this brilliant and brave documentary film maker Laura Poitras, she actually set out to portray one thing and ended up siding with another, in her making of film The Oath. (this is to my understanding anyway) It's easy for a doco maker to just fabricate/manipuate/omit in order to justify their argument and classy film making it is not. I recall some objections to Morgan Spurlock about this practice in one of his anti-US Gov in Afghanistan film. I never saw it so I don't know. Did he really vomit out the car window after his first super size meal early on in Supersize Me. We don't know. (i am not attempting to discredit nor subtract from Mr Spurlocks great work BTW) Your first point RE bad press. Tom Cruise has a huge responsibility for this as 1. He is the single most high profile Scientologist and 2. Gave an interview about his experience with Scientology, that managed be the highest calibre unintentional comedy interview anyone had ever seen, and most inadvertent accidental assassination (of both self and the topic in question), that Scientology has been smeared forever. It's worth noting Scientology have done everything they can to prevent said interview being seen. If readers haven't seen it – they must! Immediately! It's a Roger Ebert four star classic 😉 one can also put aside the very long list of objections people have with Scientology, and single out the one fact, they seek to absolutely ruin and destroy anyone that makes even the most mildest accusation about them. They are single mindedly notorious for this behaviour. It's hard to take seriously a large powerful corporation without a sense of humour, and without the ability to receive criticism. Those two things are known as virtues and you cannot be successful without them. a sense of humour, particularly about oneself, and gladly receiving constructive criticism. ( We may care to note, our trusted guide and author of this website, has both 😉

very good.you are smart man!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita 🙂

Lol i bet those ''beef cake ironman'' have more iq points , every bitch thinking for herself she's so great without any proof lmao.

Tweet from Morgan: Sorry for me not getting this out sooner – its The Living Gita, by Sri Swami Satchidananda. https://twitter.com/MorganSpurlock/status/727603405020143616

Hi Tim I (Gerardo Murillo) meet you at [Moderator: removed] yesterday while you were walking your dog. I want to recommend you to meet/interview Richard Kunin http://www.kuninhealth.com/index.php?page=dr-richard-kunin, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kunin, before he past way, he is around 83. You can google about him. I will love to meet you again to have a 10 exchange of ideas. Pura vida

I'm glad if it was enjoyable and helpful Ian 🙂

Me neither.