A Note from James:
We kept recording because the conversation wasn’t done. Part 1 was about writing and honesty. Part 2? It’s about consequences—what happens when people believe their own hype, when we confuse being loud with being right, and when storytelling gets weaponized. Ryan Holiday has written about ego, stillness, and obstacles. But this part of the conversation gets at something deeper: what happens when power and narrative collide. And how do we live with integrity when the tools we use to create can just as easily be used to manipulate?
Episode Description:
In Part 2 of their conversation, James Altucher and Ryan Holiday explore the darker side of influence—how public figures lose their grounding, how movements become cults, and how audience validation can steer creators away from their original purpose.
They discuss RFK Jr., Jordan Peterson, and Tucker Carlson—not as political figures, but as case studies in how public personas evolve under the pressure of attention. Along the way, they wrestle with their own roles as communicators: when to speak, when to hold back, and what it really means to be useful in a world full of noise.
What You’ll Learn:
Timestamped Chapters:
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