The Random Show — Lessons from Tim’s Sabbatical, Alzheimer’s Breakthroughs, Kevin Tries a Medium, Fitness Tools and Protocols, Book Recommendations, and More (#766)

Hi Tim, I'm a long time listener, but this is the first time I've felt compelled to comment. I have thoughts on the approach you are taking to finding a mate and starting a family. Just as background, I am a 61 year old mother of two young adults and have been happily married to my husband for almost 35 years. Based on the many comments about starting a family I've heard you make over the years, this seems like something you are anxious and excited to do. My question is: why do you feel you need to find a mate to do this? Here are my thoughts on why you should do this alone (to start, anyway) and soon. First, you're not exactly young anymore. By the time you find someone to date, get to know, bond with and have a child, several more years will have gone by. Do you really want, and is it fair to a child, to be in your late forties or early fifties? Second, based on the many of your podcasts I've listened to and the way you trained Molly when you got her, I'm going to bet you have a lot of thoughts and plans on how to raise a child. Are you going to be open to someone else's ideas on how to do things? Not to mention in-laws/grandparents. I can tell you that of all the rough times in my marriage, finding common ground on how to handle different parenting situations were among the most difficult and stressful to both me personally and on my marriage. Finally, but most important, you seem like the type of person who is going to do everything in their power to consciously raise a child. Raising a child is the most time consuming thing you will ever do. Not just physical time, emotional as well. It occupies almost every second of your life. Even though if might only be in the background while you are doing something else, thoughts and worry for your child's welfare are always there. Whatever relationship you've established with your mate will generally take a bit of a backseat to the little person needing your attention…in ways too many to count. Imagine how you felt when Molly was a puppy. Now multiply it by 10 and make it 24/7 for at least a few years. Anyway, I've taken many helpful ideas from your books and podcasts. For what it's worth, this is a change of perception I thought might be useful to you. Best wishes, Jodie

Glad you enjoyed your well deserved sabbatical 👍 Very interesting to hear what that’s like. Your marriage and family aspirations are encouraging, you have a lot to share and impart as a Dad. Have you considered joining a church ? Seriously, there are lots of young women in a religious environment that share your priority to find a life partner to have children. 🙏

I don't watch videos of the podcast very often. Do you always do the Random Show without pants?

In this episode you mentioned doing more interviews with people, for which your show would introduce them to the world. Basically people that took the second spot in many of your super combo episodes, or at least the several I listened to so far. Some of my favorite interviews you have done. And where you also sounded really excited, were people that were broadly doing environmental conservation work. The few that come to mind are Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Craig Foster (I know he was a ‘new book’ but still), Boyd Varty, and Sue Flood. Also maybe Mike Phillips. These are the topics I am more interested anyway, but you really do seem to bring excellent energy to those topics!

Hey Tim – below are two quotes I recently pondered… “We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.” – Henry Betson “We are but one of innumerable organisms crawling along the skin of a living rock, wrapped in a film of air, whirling through the vacuum of space at unfathomable speed. The universe is indifferent to us, moving inexorably toward a state of maximum entropy in which living planets like ours – in which life of any kind – will be impossible. Earth is a beautiful rebellion and precious miracle: a garden in the void.” – Ferris Jabr

Dear Tim. Welcome back from your sabbatical and it was great to hear the conversation. You have often said that the chapter that people pay the least attention to is "filling the void" from the 4HWW. Also that the 4 Hour Chef is a book on learning disguised as a cooking. Linking those two thoughts together who has followed your work from the beginning … I do hope you one day start releasing more information on the things you have actually learned (whether 6 month projects or two week experiments). The breadth of skills you have studied (Judo, Tango, BJJ, Spanish, Japanese, Cooking, Archery, Locking, Skiing…) and the fact that you are a compulsive note-taker and have access to the best teachers in the world means that you probably have deep insights into becoming world class in probably 50+ human endeavours. I would deeply love to hear more about this (when someone trains 8 hours a day at tango what does one actually do?) I appreciate you have released some of this information before (like your notes from studying poker for the "Tim Ferriss experiment") but I think there would be a massive audience (myself for one) who would love to learn not just the skills of 'meta-learning' but actually your notes from the skills themselves. Anyway – I only mention this as you talked quite candidly in this podcast about re-focussing on some new areas, re-structuring the format of the podcast, completing your book and some new blog posts. Hope you (or one of your team members) reads this. Has been truly fascinating and inspirational following your work. Good luck with all future endeavours. As you have said – "Pura Vida"

If you haven't, you should look into Joe Hippensteel's program for your back issues. He works with Navy SEALs, athletes, and people with injuries (some pretty severe). I'd avoid his book, but the seminars and online videos are valuable. I'd imagine his one-on-one sessions are, too.

Awesome episode! Glad to have you back, Tim. I'm in the middle of Blood Meridian, myself. Absolutely brutal violence but some of the best prose I've ever read bar none.

Hey Brother, I hope that your sabbatical has left you refreshed and recharged. I am pretty new to the Tim Ferriss cult. I have only recently picked up the 4-Hour Workweek. Just like this episode of the podcast, it is so jam packed with resources and wisdom. I am going to have to watch, read, listen to it over and over and over! I am here for it! We think so very much a like that I believe we could sit and have an 8 hour conversation like this and not get tired. Whelp, I guess I better get started prepping my cold call script email for a chance to meet my new role model. 😉 (Comfort challenge – chapter 9) Cheers!

Tim, thanks to your generous recommendations, I just set the tone for an awesome, laughter-filled weekend by watching the Seinfeld commencement speech immediately followed by the Bobby Fingers Mel Gibson video. Humor is ESSENTIAL! Thank you, Tim, I appreciate you.

Congrats on ten years of the podcast! I enjoy listening to an episode every once in a while, and this week has been such a time. What strategy have you developed as you are searching for a partner to start a family with? And are you leaving room for someone you haven’t specifically imagined? I ask because as I was listening to the Kevin convo and you were describing things you’re looking for, she sounds very much like a finished product. But one you’re trying to enmesh into your own life and I’m curious how you’re going about it. It seems kind of like merging two high speed performance cars on roads to different cities to me. Since you’ve spent a lot of time with experts in their field and focus on doing things optimally, I figure you must have a particular process you’ve come up with. I’m recently out of the Air Force after ten years as an Intelligence Officer and have had no luck myself. I’ve mostly blamed it on my job and location (previously dictated by said job), combined with not being a particularly talented flirt. Shockingly, women in uniform don’t seem to benefit romantically the same way men do. Now I’m 34 and about to be going back to school with 20-year-olds. But, my professional life is the most open it’s ever been to focusing on a relationship. You know, since it’s currently non-existent 😀 Give me some hope, Tim! If you can’t do it with all your resources, then I'm afraid it really is all down to chance. 

Tim: Reach out to me so I can introduce you to your future wife.

Is it possible for you or Kevin to share the details of the medium? Thank you

Memetic contagion sounds like a phenomenon of the adjacent possible, an idea explored via the writing of @stevenbjohnson.  Similar themes in his book ‘where good ideas come from’ I really enjoyed the Infernal Machine, which illuminates the invention and early use of dynamite in parallel with the rise (and fall) of anarchism as a viable political philosophy. Johnson has an incredible knack for historical storytelling. I think he would be a great podcast guest. I’d also love to hear more about how he uses NotebookLM for book writing and general day to day work.  edit – also, Bobby fingers definitely doesn't get enough love. One of my favorites from this last year that I found through 5 bullet friday. Someone on reddit was nice enough to transcribe the poem from the MJ video: "Then you stare into the wet metal. This soup of light that screamed from the guts of a star as it shed its skin eons ago, and yet in the life of our universe, only a few grains of sand have fallen into the glass below. Our mother is an infant, still, we take the purest of things from inside her and leave her with such burdens because we break the things we love. And monsters sharpen their claws in the void, where youth was confused with beauty."

Enjoyed the episode, upbeat conversation. The medium is a mind reader. After talking to a couple of this type, it is strange and shocking, however they tell us what we already know. Some people can actually see the future, which will is really something. I met one, she told me things even five years out, and they all more or less came to be. After "your father will be hospitalized in two weeks" did happen, I recognized that life is fixed, Einstein also said this. We think we are making decisions, while going down a track like a train. Good luck and God Bless.

Tim, It would be great if you could share your workout routine you are using in preparation for your upcoming Elk hunt. I would also be curious to learn what gear you will be using. I'm in my late 40's and looking to go on my first hunt in the next couple years. Anything you care to share on this topic would be appreciated.

First, you’re not exactly young anymore. By the time you find someone to date, get to know, bond with and have a child, several more years will have gone by. Do you really want, and is it fair to a child, to be in your late forties or early fifties?

Hi Tim’s team this is Emmanuel, Jean-Pierre Weill’s manager. Thank you for posting about The Well of Being. It means so much to us to get the book out there. We currently aren’t selling on Amazon (they have been so hard to deal with), which I think is where most people are going to find the book. Online it’s being sold for extortionate prices. If it’s possible, could you put a link somewhere directly to my dad’s website www.thewellofbeing.co where people can just buy the book directly from us.

Hi Tim, my input for your search for future podcast guests/content: I think you are missing out on something that did present itself for you in this podcast. As you said yourself, you could either talk to guests that everyone knows, or find guests who are the best at what they do, but hardly anyone knows them. What about the medium that Kevin talked about? She obviously has great talents. And in a field you know not much about – or reversely could learn a lot. "We do not have an explanation for it." What if the simplest explanation is just that there is something we could call "ghosts"/souls of deceased people and some people are able to communicate with them? I have the feeling you build a distance to such topics because you do not want to upset your main audience that is, in general, probably more on the materialistic side of things, which would be sad for someone who is always on the search for truth and beneficial, but hidden, knowledge. I could be wrong though. I would love you to explore more fringe topics. There are many people who are serious experts on their field. I think the time is ripe.

Hi Tim, welcome back and thanks for this fun and interesting episode. You mentioned, you are thinking about a new set of interviewees/approach for your podcast, a thought came to mind: What if Tim Ferris could give us the insights of leaders, who drive forward large companies, that are shaping our future, but are not visible in the everyday life of people. How are they approaching and implementing cultural change in their companies, how are they dealing with "new" technologies such as AI in a really practical sense and preparing for the future? For example the energy market with its intersection to oil & gas, epc, engineering and their transition towards green. These companies are often longstanding, very traditional companies with the respective structures to run these large companies. To get a large-scale hydrogen or ammonia or other plant up and running, a few thousand people are required from start to finish, nobody can do this alone. It is a big hefty team effort. What drives leaders in this area, what is their take on success, have leaders in this area ever read Paul Grahams "Manager vs. Maker Schedule" essay, how open are they or their companies for change to really implement better/future ready systems – partially what we have learned from you. How do they ensure enough people, with the skillset required, want to work in their companies taking on these team challenges, such as large-scale projects that can stretch over up to 10 years. FYI This years' "GasTech Event" is in Houston, from 17. – 20. Sept., could be a place to start research or get inspiration. Thanks & Best Wishes, Christina PS: if anybody is still looking for a fun board game for coming autumn and winter, check out "TAC". It is a German game, but they also have English play cards now. (not an affiliate or anything, just somebody who had a lot of fun evenings with friend and this game 🙂

This was fun. I think you might appreciate this short clip called "Doing Nothing Meticulously" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAwnxiu1J8U

I definitely feel the slippery slope of accepting the authors of the next biggest book. I just started a podcast and got bombarded with people who want to be interviewed. But if I take everyone that wants to promote their book, I'm just going to end up interviewing the same people as everyone else. I think I prefer being a nobody for the time being while really establishing my unique voice. Thanks for that reminder… Also thanks for the Bobby Fingers rec. That Michael Jackson number will keep a smile on my face for evenings to come lol. Brilliant.

Really enjoyed this random show, as usual. I found especially interesting the section you highlighted in the recap episode, because it seems like you came right up to the edge of an important showdown between two competing methods or schools of meditation: simply put, the sit-still-and-focus-on-nothing Zen approach, vs. the more kinetic, action-as-focal-point style, which shows up in some Taoist practices and thought, but also seems to be a thread running through many traditions. From Thich Nhat Hanh's walking meditation, to Alan Watts' thoughts on doing the dishes, to the practices of yoga asana and tai chi, which are really meditations in motion, and many more – you've got a wide array of allies and templates for the active approach to mindfulness. I realize the two methods aren't mutually exclusive, and almost certainly complement each other. Still, I'd love to hear Ferriss and Rose really go mano el mano on the issue: do-nothing Zen vs. meditation-in-motion. Maybe a rematch, next random show?

Jodie, Thank you so much for your comment. I agree with you on every point and have wanted to comment many times after listening to any podcast post Tim opening up about his latest breakup. Tim would be a wonderful father and even though a non-traditional route may mean that his child might not have the "normal" mother and father paradigm, there is no doubt the child would be loved beyond measure. I am also fairly certain that if Tim chose to be a single parent, he would find a way to have a female presence in the child's life via friends and relatives. Not that I know what Tim's net worth is, but I just have to believe that he might have the resources to provide his child with a very blessed life with a wide variety of experiences. I don't think there is one person Tim has ever mentioned being friends with who isn't of the highest caliber. It would be such a great loss if Tim let the fate of becoming a father depend on him finding the woman who meets his needs and he, hers. I myself am a divorced, happy, 40-year-old woman who has left the dating scene behind. Maybe not forever, but I have truly never been more content and fulfilled with friends and family that trying to date in the current dating ecosystem, well I wouldn't wish it on my least favorite coworker. 🙂 Again thanks for your comment. Cheers to you and cheers to Tim becoming a father multiple times over in whatever way he can.

Jodie – when I was in my late twenties I planned to have a kid on my own if I didn't find a partner by the age of 30. Then I spent a short time as a foster parent, and though it certainly isn't the same thing, it made me realize that I didn't want to have a child all by myself if I could help it. I'm in my mid-thirties now and feel the same, though I am open to the possibility of changing my mind and adopting later if I remain single. Obviously anybody can die whenever, but we are privileged to live in a time with access to so much information and resources for longevity. I don't think there has ever been a better time to have kids later in life.

I would also like the information about the Medium mentioned in this podcast

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