Q&A with Tim — New Religions, AI Companions, Longevity Levers, Resurrecting “Forgotten” Languages, Stress-Testing Cherished Beliefs, Tactics for Writer’s Block, Low-Back Pain, and Much More (#704)

Illustration via 99designs



Hello, boys and girls, ladies and germs. This is Tim Ferriss. Welcome to another episode of  The Tim Ferriss Show , where it is usually my job to sit down with world-class performers of all different types to tease out the habits, routines, favorite books, and so on that you can apply and test in your own life. 



This time, we have a slightly different format. I’m the guest, and you asked the questions. 



I recently sat down with subscribers to my email newsletter for a fun and live Q&A on YouTube.



To join these exclusive Q&A sessions in the future, it’s simple. Just sign up at  tim.blog/friday . 



Every Friday, you will receive my free  5-Bullet Friday   newsletter—a short email of five bullet points. It’s one of the most popular newsletters in the world.



Each newsletter describes the five coolest things I’ve found or explored that week, often including books, gadgets, tech workarounds, tricks from experts, strange experiments, and weird stuff from all over the world. My subscribers have seen many, many things at the edges before they’ve gone mainstream. 



In this episode, I answer questions on resurrecting “forgotten” languages, dog training, writer’s block, reducing alcohol intake, AI companions, training the “good enough” muscle, low-back pain, the importance of weight training and muscle mass, travel recommendations for Japan, managing fear of death and the descent to death, breaking negative self-talk, and much, much more. 



Please enjoy! 



Listen to the episode on  Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify ,  Overcast ,  Podcast Addict ,  Pocket Casts ,  Castbox ,  Google Podcasts ,  Amazon Music ,  or on your favorite podcast platform . You can watch the Q&A on YouTube here .



Brought to you by  Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover  sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating;  Cometeer  delicious hyper-fresh, flash-frozen coffee; and  AG1  all-in-one nutritional supplement.



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#704: Q&A with Tim — New Religions, AI Companions, Longevity Levers, Resurrecting “Forgotten” Languages, Stress-Testing Cherished Beliefs, Tactics for Writer’s Block, Low-Back Pain, and Much More













This episode is brought to you by  Cometeer !   Cometeer  is  hyper-fresh, expertly brewed, flash-frozen coffee that produces an incredibly delicious cup.  Cometeer  lets you prepare your coffee with no mess, no machines, no burning, and no bitterness. Cometeer sources high-quality beans from the country’s top roasters. The coffee is brewed using proprietary technology to pull out more flavor compounds and antioxidants. It’s then flash-frozen at minus 321 degrees Fahrenheit to lock in that incredible flavor and freshness of the specialty brew. Simply add hot water and you’ve got a game-changing cup of coffee. It’s easily customizable in seconds for iced coffees, lattes, espresso martinis, and more.



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Want to hear my last Q&A? Listen to the episode here , in which I answered questions about newsletters I read every day, how to launch a successful nonprofit, outcompeting in a saturated market, notable contributions during my days as a tech company advisor, cosmic insignificance therapy, metaverse musings, recent spiritual shifts, required reading for someone in need of self-love, and much more .


#628: Q&A with Tim — Revisiting 15+ Years of PR and Marketing Lessons, Time Dilation for Deep Relaxation, The Art of Setting Ultra-High Prices, The Low-Information Diet, Studying Animal Communication, My 3-Day Fasting Protocol, Tools for Handling Adversity, Selling to the Affluent, My Current Coffee and Alcohol Rules, Risk Mitigation, and Much More



What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments .



SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…







SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE




What Is Your Carbon Footprint? | The Nature Conservancy



Put Oil Back Underground | Charm Industrial



An Anti-GHG 501c3 | Terraset



So You Want to Be a Neuroscientist? | Harvard Brain Science Initiative



How to Become a Marine Biologist | Conservation Careers



How to Become a Comic Book Artist | The Art Career Project



Derek Sivers — The Joys of an Un-Optimized Life, Finding Paths Less Traveled, Creating Tech Independence (and Risks of the Cloud), Taking Giant Leaps, and Picking the Right “Game of Life” | The Tim Ferriss Show #668



The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon



Occam’s Protocol



4-Hour Body: Occam’s Protocol and the Minimum Effective Dose | Social Media University, Global (SMUG)



The Slow-Carb Diet One-Pager | Tim Ferriss



Masterpieces of Fantasy Art by Dian Hanson | Amazon



Fan Ho’s Street Photography: What Hong Kong Looked Like 60 Years Ago | Public Delivery



The Conscious Leadership Group



The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Warner Klemp | Amazon



Don’t Let Perfection Be the Enemy of Productivity | Harvard Business Review



“I Think That Saying ‘Good Enough’ is a Superpower.” -Derek Sivers | Tim Ferriss, Twitter



Logitech BRIO Ultra HD Webcam | Amazon



MacBook Pro | Apple



Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB Cardioid Dynamic Microphone | Amazon



Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss | Amazon



Fasting vs. Slow-Carb Diet, Top $150 Purchases, Balancing Productivity and Relaxation, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #213



Imposter Syndrome: Why You May Feel Like a Fraud | Verywell Mind



Aizuchi | Wikipedia



Definition of Backcountry Skiing, Slackcountry, Sidecountry, and Off Piste | The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog



10 Reasons to Finally Give Backcountry Skiing a Try | goEast



Skis | DPS Skis



How I Built a #1-Ranked Podcast With 60M+ Downloads | Tim Ferriss



1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly | The Technium



Creative or Cool Excuses to Not Drink | r/TheGirlSurvivalGuide



Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap (Baby, Unscented) | Amazon



Check Your Sunscreens! More Recalls Due to Benzene | The Legal Examiner



Nordic Naturals ProOmega 650 EPA/450 DHA | Amazon



Easy Strength: How to Get a Lot Stronger Than Your Competition-And Dominate in Your Sport by Dan John | Amazon



The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics by Dennis O’Neil | Amazon



Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg | Amazon



Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear | Amazon



How to Read the Good Books | The New Yorker



The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon



12 Rules for Learning Foreign Languages in Record Time — The Only Post You’ll Ever Need | Tim Ferriss



Die Hard | Prime Video



One Piece Wiki | Fandom



Don’t Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training by Karen Pryor | Amazon



Dog Tips and Training | Tim Ferriss



The Most Important Skill to Teach Your Dog | Tim Ferriss



How to Keep Your Dog Occupied | Tim Ferriss



Dog Breakfast Tips with Molly | Tim Ferriss



Dog Tricks: Command, Safety, and Vanity | Tim Ferriss



Susan Garrett — Master Dog (and Human) Trainer | The Tim Ferriss Show #200



How to Lose 100 Pounds on The Slow-Carb Diet — Real Pics and Stories | Tim Ferriss



The Healthiest Red Meat on the Planet | Maui Nui Venison



Nutrient Density Study | Van Vliet Lab



Jake Muise — The Relentless Pursuit of Innovation, Quality, and Meaning | The Tim Ferriss Show #678



Mark Zuckerberg: First Interview in the Metaverse | Lex Fridman Podcast #398



The AI Companion Who Cares | Replika



An ‘Epidemic’ of Loneliness Threatens Health of Americans, Surgeon General Says | Smithsonian Magazine



Dr. Vivek Murthy — Former Surgeon General on Combating COVID-19, Loneliness, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #417



Charted: The Rapid Decline of Global Birth Rates | Visual Capitalist



The Sunk Cost Fallacy | The Decision Lab



What the Luddites Really Fought Against | Smithsonian Magazine



The Turing Test | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy



Google’s AI Passed the Turing Test — And Showed How It’s Broken | The Washington Post



Inokashira-koen Park and Ghibli Museum | Truly Tokyo



Stores | Lawson



Spirited Away (English Language) | Prime Video



Bar Gen Yamamoto | Instagram



We Visit a Hidden Bar in Niseko | Steven & Diep



Bar Gyu+ | Instagram



Nikko Toshogu Shrine Autumn Grand Festival | Nikko Official Guide



Samurai Archery: Yabusame in Nikko (Japanese Horseback Archery) | Ronin Dave



QuestBridge



Support a Classroom. Build a Future. | DonorsChoose



Free Online Courses, Lessons, & Practice | Khan Academy



Accelerating Kids’ Education | Mentava



Arthur C. Brooks — How to Be Happy, Reverse Bucket Lists, The Four False Idols, Muscular Philosophies, Practical Inoculation Against the Darkness, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #692



Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace | Amazon



Adding Weight Lifting to Workouts May Boost Longevity | Harvard Health



Peter Attia: Strength Training for Health Is a Key to Longevity | Shortform Books



Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia | Amazon



A Guide to the Biggest Thing Missing From Your Fitness Routine: Zone 2 Training | The Art of Manliness



Coach Chris Sommer — The Secrets of Gymnastic Strength Training | The Tim Ferriss Show #158



Coach Chris Sommer — The Secrets of Gymnastic Strength Training, Part Two: Home Equipment, Weighted Stretches, and Muscle-Ups | The Tim Ferriss Show #180



How to Design a Life — Debbie Millman | The Tim Ferriss Show #214



My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse (Includes Extensive Resource List) | The Tim Ferriss Show #464



Intermittent Fasting: What Is It, and How Does It Work? | Johns Hopkins Medicine



The Five-Minute Journal | Amazon



How 30 Grams of Protein at Breakfast Can Help You Lose Weight | Healthline



Some Practical Thoughts on Suicide | Tim Ferriss



What is Stoicism? | Daily Stoic



Stoicism Resources and Recommendations | Tim Ferriss



The Harvard Classics: Plato, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius | Amazon



History of Memento Mori | Daily Stoic



Psychedelics May Lessen Fear of Death and Dying, Similar to Feelings Reported by Those Who’ve Had Near Death Experiences | Johns Hopkins Medicine



Transcendental Meditation



Logically, After You Die Will Be Like Before You Were Born | Fact or Myth?



What If We Treated Death Like Birth? | Modern Loss



Dr. Shirley Sahrmann — A Legendary PT Does a Deep Dive on Tim’s Low-Back Issues, Teaches How to Unlearn Painful Patterns, Talks About Movement as Medicine (or Poison), and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #685



Fisher Traction | Amazon



Vyper 3 High-Intensity Vibrating Foam Roller | Amazon



Herman Miller Classic Aeron Chair | Amazon



Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by John Sarno | Amazon



Mind Over Back Pain: A Radically New Approach to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Back Pain by John Sarno | Amazon



The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain by John Sarno |Amazon



Pilates: What It Is and Health Benefits | Cleveland Clinic



A Prophet (Un prophète) | Prime Video



On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft by Stephen King | Amazon



A Fictional World Built for These Chaotic Times | The Legend of CØCKPUNCH



Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott | Amazon



The Tao of Seneca: Letters from a Stoic Master (aka The Moral Letters to Lucilius) | Tim Ferriss



The Science of Gratitude & How to Build a Gratitude Practice | Huberman Lab Podcast #47



Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) | Cleveland Clinic



The Work | Byron Katie



Kia Kaha | Wikipedia




SHOW NOTES




[07:10] How I’m reducing my carbon footprint.



[08:37] Parallel reality career choices.



[09:11] Life optimization (and deoptimization).



[11:40] Fan Ho: An impressive personality.



[12:15] The value of personal coaching.



[14:41] Working on the “good enough” muscle.



[16:10] My current video/audio tech specs.



[16:58] The impact studying overseas has had on my success.



[17:54] Is a part three with Todd McFarlane imminent?



[18:05] If it were written or revised today, what would I add to The 4-Hour Body ?



[18:44] Cultivating the rustic country vibe of my living space.



[20:04] Have I ever experienced imposter syndrome while interviewing a guest?



[22:50] Why is there a washing machine in my kitchen?



[23:02] This winter’s skiing plans.



[23:33] If I started podcasting today, what would I do differently?



[25:33] Cutting back on booze.



[26:46] Skin care.



[29:44] Social activities that deliver maximum happiness.



[31:30] Yet-uninterviewed guests I’d like to have on.



[32:05] Foiling the friction of fabricating fiction.



[35:43] Gleaning meaning from holy scriptures.



[36:26] As a polyglot, how do I maintain fluency in languages I’ve learned?



[41:05] Training puppies, dolphins, chickens, and kids: The power of positive reinforcement.



[45:24] Batch cooking and the slow-carb diet.



[46:57] Digital emotional surrogacy’s impact on the loneliness epidemic.



[50:43] When reliance on the digital diminishes human deftness.



[52:22] Travel recommendations for Japan.



[55:28] The future of education: Talent sourcing and accelerated learning.



[57:08] The future of religion(s).



[1:00:05] The importance of weight training for longevity.



[1:03:48] Improving interview skills and asking the right questions.



[1:08:54] How I kickstart my metabolic machinery in the morning.



[1:11:56] Managing fear of death with Stoicism and transcendent experiences.



[1:15:20] Managing back pain: Exercises, techniques, and tools.



[1:19:47] A pronouncement for Pilates poo-pooers.



[1:20:32] Relationship advice may be dispensed at a later date.



[1:21:26] Rewatching favorite movies.



[1:21:53] Books that were better after a reread.



[1:22:51] Breaking negative self-talk: Gratitude practice and dialectical behavioral therapy.



[1:23:44] Parting thoughts.




PEOPLE MENTIONED




Dian Hanson



Molly Ferriss



Fan Ho



Jim Dethmer



Dustin Moskovitz



Todd McFarlane



Moby



Arnold Schwarzenegger



Jamie Foxx



Ed Catmull



Joe Rogan



Chris Hardwick



Marc Maron



Ryan Reynolds



Dan John



Pavel Tsatsouline



Dennis O’Neil



BJ Fogg



James Clear



Karen Pryor



Mark Zuckerberg



Lex Fridman



Taylor Swift



Hayao Miyazaki



Gen Yamamoto



Hisashi Watanabe and Ioanna Morelli



Arthur C. Brooks



Peter Attia



Debbie Millman



Plato



Epictetus



Marcus Aurelius



Seneca the Younger



Naval Ravikant



Shirley Sahrmann



Stephen King



Anne Lamott



Byron Katie

The post Q&A with Tim — New Religions, AI Companions, Longevity Levers, Resurrecting “Forgotten” Languages, Stress-Testing Cherished Beliefs, Tactics for Writer’s Block, Low-Back Pain, and Much More (#704) appeared first on The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss .