by

Tim Ferriss

The Random Show – New Favorite Books, Memory Training, and Bets On VR (#171)

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The Random Show

This is not going to be a long-form interview where I dissect and deconstruct a world-class performer…at least not in the usual fashion. Instead, this is a special edition of The Random Show.

I am joined by Kevin Rose (@KevinRose), serial entrepreneur, world-class investor, and all around wild and crazy guy. We discuss a wide range of topics, including new favorite books, memory training, meditation tactics, multiple wives, and bets for or against virtual reality.

If you only have 5 minutes, here’s an untold story about a body experiment I wish I didn’t do.

Enjoy!

#171: The Random Show – New Favorite Books, Memory Training, and Bets On VR

Want to hear another episode of The Random Show? — Listen to this earlier conversation with Kevin Rose. In this episode, we discuss saunas and cold treatment, dating apps, and fitness apps (stream below or right-click here to download):

#146: The Random Show, Ice Cold Edition

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Check out wealthfront.com/tim, take their risk assessment quiz, which only takes 2-5 minutes, and they’ll show you — for free — exactly the portfolio they’d put you in. If you want to just take their advice and do it yourself, you can. Well worth a few minutes to explore: wealthfront.com/tim.

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: 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

  • Connect with Kevin Rose:

Twitter | The Journal

Show Notes

  • The origin story of #timtimtalktalk. [06:26]
  • Hard-hitting questions: turnabout is fair play. [07:33]
  • We talk TM (transcendental meditation). [08:39]
  • How mantras are used in meditation. [12:13]
  • At a four-day training course, Kevin was disappointed by TM on day one — but a believer by day two. [14:34]
  • The benefits of learning meditation with others vs. just doing it yourself. [15:55]
  • The post-meditation daze and going too deep. (“That’s what she said.”) [18:00]
  • The progress we make from meditation may be realized by others before we notice it ourselves. [19:09]
  • Experimenting with our own mantras. [21:01]
  • I enjoy having a few superstitions. [21:41]
  • Other forms of meditation and where to learn more about them. [22:47]
  • Meditation — like slacklining or snowboarding — can be frustrating for beginners. [24:23]
  • Meditation is a foundational skill of Stoicism. [26:02]
  • Why I reversed my early snobbery toward fiction books and poetry; I share some of my recent discoveries. [26:45]
  • I’m donating money and selling t-shirts to support university research into psilocybin for treating conditions such as depression, end-of-life anxiety in cancer patients, etc. [35:21]
  • Why psilocybin research is so expensive in comparison to Kevin’s experience with mushrooms in college. [41:43]
  • We talk about memory champions, techniques used for memorization — like the memory palace — and favorite books related to memory improvement. [48:26]
  • Black Mirror is a great series if you can get past the first episode. [1:00:14]
  • One illegal substance that has changed me for the better — and why. [1:01:35]
  • “If you are depressed, you are living in the past.

    If you are anxious, you are living in the future.

    If you are at peace, you are living in the present.” –Lao Tzu [1:02:48]

  • The first person who comes to mind when Kevin hears the word “successful.” [1:05:56]
  • The Philip Rosedale “mantra based on counting” method of meditation isn’t for everybody. [1:10:48]
  • If I could change any law not related to mind-altering substances, what would it be? [1:11:51]
  • Books Kevin has gifted most to other people. [1:16:49]
  • Purchase of $100 or less that had a positive impact on Kevin’s life. [1:18:28]
  • A body experiment I wish I hadn’t done. [1:20:24]
  • What advice would Kevin give to his 25-year-old self? [1:26:31]
  • Bad advice Kevin hears frequently being dispensed to new startup founders. [1:30:06]
  • Biggest misconception people have about me. [1:38:00]
  • #timtimdatedate [1:39:25]
  • Parting thoughts on virtual reality, hype cycles, augmented reality, betting against neuroscientists, the disappointment of Google Glass, and Japanese whisky. [1:46:40]

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