The Tim Ferriss Show: Favorite Books, Supplements, Simple Technologies, and More

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In this episode, Tim answers the following reader questions:

How do you find great like-minded people when moving to a new city?

• Check out Tim’s blog post – How to Build a World Class Network in Record Time
• Look for organizations to volunteer with. Most people are lazy when volunteering, so it’s very easy to stand out by putting forth some extra effort.
• Go to conferences, engage with moderators

Which is Tim most proud of – his books, his podcast, or his blog?

• His blog post: Some Practical Thoughts on Suicide
• It’s easy to talk about the highlights, it’s much harder to talk about the lowlights

How do you recognize and change a personal irrational rational? How do you tell if you’re just being crazy?

• Tim likes to call friends and ask for their opinions
• Ask friends, after giving them a certain argument, to pick it apart
• Check out Steel Manning – this involves creating the strongest version of your opponents counter-argument, and then defending against that
• Books that might help you avoid cognitive biases- Think Twice: Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition, Seeing Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger, Poor Charlie’s Almanack

What processes do you use to break a bad habit?

• Use stickK
• The how is important, but the why is more important 
• Start with a small version of a behavioral change. For example, if you want to start flossing but are having trouble developing the habit, start by flossing just one tooth.

What are Some simple chef secrets to change food from good to great?

• Use acid in food to increase flavor – unsweetened lemon juice, lemon zest (use a microplane), vinegar, sometimes salt
• Use caramelized onions
• Underutilized herbs and spices – ginger, cumin, turmeric
• Try cooking via the sous vide method using the Joule

What’s Tim’s next book?

• Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World

What specific self-talk, or exercises, keep Tim from sinking back into depression?

• For reference, check out Tim’s TED talk about fear-setting, which he says helps him tremendously
• Too many inputs, or balls to juggle, can lead to overwhelming feelings. Practice asking yourself “What would this look like if it were easy?”
• Exercise – get into your body to get out of your brain
• Spend time with close friends
• Practice asking “So what?” – for example, this works well in response to a fear, or perhaps something “bad” that happens

Top 3-5 books read this year?

• Poor Charlie’s Almanac
• Seeking Wisdom
• Principles 
• The Profit

Why is worldly success apparently so important to you as it’s a primary focus of your podcast?

• Tim’s audience is primarily entrepreneur’s, CEOs, etc.
• Most of his audience is well educated, with a decent household income and Tim views his content as helping them in some way
• Check out the book Man’s Search for Meaning

What recent apps or technologies have made your life easier?

• Momentum Chrome extension
• E.gg timer
• WeWork
• Miele Dishwasher
• Ascent Protein

If your podcast only allowed one question, what would it be?

• “Please tell me about a darker period in your life, and what you learned from it”

What advice would you give a 24 year old male struggling to control his sex drive?

• Get rid of wifi
• Get blood work done to see if your testosterone is too high
• Maybe instead ask yourself, “How can I control poor impulse control?”
• Look at Stoicism and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
  • Check out the book – The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Stoic Philosophy as Rational and Cognitive Psychotherapy
  • Also The Tao of Seneca
• Check out the NOB NOM experiment 

If you were only able to take 5 supplements for longevity and well being, what would they be?

• Berberine for longevity and reducing glucose response after meals
• Resveratrol for life extension purposes, can cause joint pain
• Metformin and Rapamycin
• Implement some form of fasting – Check out Tim’s episode with Dr. Dom D’Agostino
• Lithium for reduction of symptoms of depression – see this New York Times article
• Apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon in the morning and before bed, for immunity