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Jul 2024
2h 32m

#753: Derek Sivers and Kevin Kelly

Tim Ferriss: Bestselling Author, Human Guinea Pig
About this episode

This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode "Derek Sivers on Developing Confidence, Finding Happiness, and Saying No to Millions" and "Interview of Kevin Kelly, Co-Founder of WIRED, Polymath, Most Interesting Man In The World?"

Please enjoy!

Sponsors:

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Timestamps:

[05:47] Notes about this supercombo format.

[06:50] Enter Derek Sivers.

[07:20] From pig show busker to circus ringleader.

[10:42] Derek's framework for developing confidence.

[13:05] "The standard pace is for chumps."

[18:51] Relaxing for the same result.

[24:01] The origins of "HELL YEAH! or no."

[26:25] "Busy" implies a life out of control.

[28:03] What inspired the automation of CD Baby?

[33:22] Derek's billboard.

[34:32] Good advice at any age: "Don't be a donkey."

[40:24] Enter Kevin Kelly.

[41:02] Kevin's biggest regret.

[43:13] Finding contentment in minimalism and "voluntary simplicity" without starving to death.

[50:33] Kevin's epiphany when he embraced writing as a late bloomer.

[56:40] Why Kevin promised himself he would never resort to teaching English while traveling abroad.

[59:07] Finding purpose through resilience and the creator's dilemma.

[1:06:50] Why the appeal of being a billionaire is overrated.

[1:11:05] Middle-aged optimization.

[1:15:28] Realizations following a "six months until death" challenge.

[1:20:08] Kevin's Kickstarter-funded project linking angels and robots.

[1:22:41] Why a self-proclaimed ex-hippie waited until his 50th birthday to try LSD for the first time.

[1:28:43] Why a population implosion is probable in the next 100 years.

[1:36:05] The greatest gift you can give to your child.

[1:38:21] The criteria for Amish technology assimilation.

[1:45:03] What technology-free sabbaticals can do for you.

[1:48:53] Long Now Foundation's vision of a better civilization.

[1:53:33] The graphic novel teaching young people how to become indispensable.

[1:54:52] An antidote to misguided "follow your passion" advice.

[1:56:44] Kevin's favorite fiction book.

[1:59:15] The resource Kevin compiled for documentary lovers.

[2:02:47] A name Kevin considers synonymous with "success" (and why success is overrated).

[2:05:46] What Kevin would change about himself.

[2:07:59] Daily rituals.

[2:10:44] How Kevin accumulated enough books to fill a two-story library.

[2:15:19] How Adam Savage from MythBusters transformed Kevin's method of organization.

[2:17:14] The project everyone should undertake at least once in life.

[2:19:30] Does discovery equal invention?

[2:20:12] Kevin's advice to his younger self.

[2:23:16] Parting thoughts.

*

For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry SeinfeldHugh JackmanDr. Jane GoodallLeBron JamesKevin HartDoris Kearns GoodwinJamie FoxxMatthew McConaugheyEsther PerelElizabeth GilbertTerry CrewsSiaYuval Noah HarariMalcolm GladwellMadeleine AlbrightCheryl StrayedJim CollinsMary Karr, Maria PopovaSam HarrisMichael PhelpsBob IgerEdward NortonArnold SchwarzeneggerNeil StraussKen BurnsMaria SharapovaMarc AndreessenNeil GaimanNeil de Grasse TysonJocko WillinkDaniel EkKelly SlaterDr. Peter AttiaSeth GodinHoward MarksDr. Brené BrownEric SchmidtMichael LewisJoe GebbiaMichael PollanDr. Jordan PetersonVince VaughnBrian KoppelmanRamit SethiDax ShepardTony RobbinsJim DethmerDan HarrisRay DalioNaval RavikantVitalik ButerinElizabeth LesserAmanda PalmerKatie HaunSir Richard BransonChuck PalahniukArianna HuffingtonReid HoffmanBill BurrWhitney CummingsRick RubinDr. Vivek MurthyDarren AronofskyMargaret AtwoodMark ZuckerbergPeter ThielDr. Gabor MatéAnne LamottSarah SilvermanDr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.

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