#1283 - Russell Brand

Joe Rogan (0:03)

Boom, and we're live. Russell, why is it then when people start getting like super spiritual, they start dressing like you?

You dress like a guru.

Russell Brand (0:11)

We circulate a memo. So it's now time to stop wearing socks, stop shaving, and make eye contact for a bit too long.

Joe Rogan (0:20)

Oh, uncomfortable eye contact.

Russell Brand (0:21)

Give a bit starey.

Joe Rogan (0:23)

How long are you going to go with the beard? I mean, that's like, you're full on like, you're a yogi now.

Russell Brand (0:28)

I mean, it's gone beyond Jesus and into Moses and lesser prophets, Old Testament.

Joe Rogan (0:33)

Or Navy Seal. You're in that range too. Like, you could be some wild man.

Russell Brand (0:37)

That's a mistake that wouldn't... Like if there was an assault course in front of us, the potential for moving a Navy Seal would start to break down. I once went on an assault course with some US Marines in that place near San Diego. I can't remember the name of that base.

And climbing up that rope using your leg muscles, it was not good value.

Joe Rogan (0:57)

You didn't enjoy it?

Russell Brand (0:59)

I like the camaraderie. And I really like... As I've written about and talked about quite a lot, when I'm around in very male environments, I kind of really like it. I really get off on it. But I have to watch myself not getting too excitable.

It's even in this environment, as a matter of fact, I have to keep myself a little bit chilled out.

Joe Rogan (1:19)

What do you mean? What does it do to you?

Russell Brand (1:21)

Well, I guess what it is, is in my early life, I grew up mostly around my mum, and I don't have brothers and sisters and stuff like that. So, my male role modelling occurred later in life, and I think it probably relates to this spiritual thing. I think it meant that I was very open to sort of spiritual experience, meditative experience. I didn't have a lot of grounding physical experiences or bodily experiences really, till adolescence and sexuality. That's the first time I really sort of got into the body. Didn't do sports as a kid.

Didn't have like men going, this is what we do, this is how we shave, this is how you treat people. I didn't really get that kind of education.

So now, still, if I'm around like soldiers, UFC fighters, you know I do BJJ, primarily as a result of these confrontations, well, let's not call them confrontations, encounters, conversations, that's a much nicer term. So there's a bit of me that's, I get excited about the analysis of it. It's not homoerotic, because that doesn't happen to be the way that I roll out.

Joe Rogan (2:18)

You just enjoy a little too much.

Russell Brand (2:20)

There's something about it.

Joe Rogan (2:23)

What's bad about it? What's bad about getting fired up?

Russell Brand (2:28)

Nothing for me, except, like, you know, look, as you know, my model for life is a sort of a 12-step model about watching my impulses. My impulses have got me in a lot of trouble. My impulse is to take drugs. My impulse is to sleep around.

My impulse is to even eat food. I've got a sort of a tendency to get obsessive. But, you know, you would probably argue that if you direct that energy correctly, it can be kind of positive, I suppose.

Joe Rogan (2:54)

It can, but I agree with you that it can get out of control. And I have similar impulses. I have similar problems.

And I've just used discipline and hard work, especially working out to try to mitigate it.

Russell Brand (3:05)

Well, that's what I pick up from you, is that your early encounters with martial arts have meant that you've understood from a young age, it seems to me, physical discipline. And I think that's a very important thing. And I'm only learning that, like, now, because I've had, like, you know, drugs, then fame, then chaos, and I've only just emerged from, like, the sort of the fog of that madness.

Joe Rogan (3:30)

I love how you've emerged, though, because it's very unique. You've uniquely emerged authentically. Like, this is who you really are. Like, you're not putting on an act. You've found yourself, which is like what everybody wants to do. They want to find themselves. I mean, it never feels like a completed task, right? Everyone's a work in progress forever.

Russell Brand (3:49)

That's right.

Joe Rogan (3:50)

But you are you. Like, you are very comfortably you, and you've found what makes you you.