Navigating Conflict, Finding Purpose & Maintaining Drive | Dr. Lex Fridman

**Andrew Huberman** (0:00)
welcome to the Huberman Lab podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life.
I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. Today, my guest is Dr. Lex Fridman. Dr. Lex Fridman is an expert in electrical and computer engineering, artificial intelligence and robotics. He is also the host of the Lex Fridman podcast, which initially started as a podcast focus on technology and science of various kinds, including computer science and physics, but rapidly evolved to include guests and other topics as a matter of focus, including sport. For instance, Dr. Lex Fridman is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and he's had numerous guests on who come from the fields of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, both from the coaching side and from the competitor side. He also has shown an active interest in topics such as chess and essentially anything that involves intense activation and engagement of the mind and or body. In fact, the Lex Fridman Podcast has evolved to take on very difficult topics such as mental health. He's had various psychiatrists and other guests on that relate to mental health and mental illness, as well as guests focused on geopolitics and some of the more controversial issues that face our times. He's had comedians, he's had scientists, he's had friends, he's had enemies on his podcast. Lex has a phenomenal, I would say, a one in an eight billion ability to find these people, make them comfortable and in that comfort, both try to understand them and to confront them and to push them so that we all learn. All of which is to say that Lex Friedman is no longer just an accomplished scientist. He certainly is that, but he has also become one of the more preeminent thought leaders on the planet. And if there's anything that really captures the essence of Lex Friedman, it's his love of learning, his desire to share with us the human experience and to broaden that experience so that we all may benefit. In many ways, our discussion during today's episode captures the many facets of Lex Friedman, although no conversation, of course, could capture them all. We sit down to the conversation just days after Lex returned from Ukraine, where he deliberately placed himself into the tension of that environment in order to understand the geopolitics of the region and to understand exactly what was happening at the level of the ground and the people there. You may notice that he carries quite a lot of both emotion and knowledge and understanding. And yet in a very classic Lex Friedman way, you'll notice that he's able to zoom out of his own experience around any number of different topics and view them through a variety of lenses so that, first of all, everyone feel included, but most of all, so that everyone learns something new. That is to gain new perspective. Our discussion also ventures into the waters of social media and how that landscape is changing the way that science and technology are communicated. We also get into the topics of motivation, drive and purpose, both finding it and executing on that drive and purpose. I should mention that this is episode 100 of the Huberman Lab podcast. And I would be remiss if I did not tell you that there would be no Huberman Lab podcast were it not for Lex Friedman. I was a fan of the Lex Friedman podcast long before I was ever invited on to the podcast as a guest. And after our first recording, Lex was the one that suggested that I start a podcast. He only gave me two pieces of advice. The first piece of advice was start a podcast. And the second piece of advice was that I not just make it me blabbing into the microphone and staring at the camera. So I can safely say that I at least followed half of his advice and that I am ever grateful for Lex, both as a friend, a colleague in science, and now fellow podcaster for making the suggestion that we start this podcast. I already mentioned a few of the topics covered on today's podcast, but I can assure you that there is far more to the person that many of us know as Lex Friedman. If you are somebody interested in artificial intelligence, engineering or robotics, today's discussion is most certainly for you. And if you are not, but you are somebody who is interested in world politics, and more importantly, the human experience, both the individual and the collective human experience, Lex shares what can only be described as incredible insights into what he views as the human experience and what is optimal in order to derive from our time on this planet. Before we begin, I'd like to emphasize that this podcast is separate from my teaching and research roles at Stanford. It is however, part of my desire and effort to bring zero cost to consumer information about science and science related tools to the general public. In keeping with that theme, I'd like to thank the sponsors of today's podcast. Our first sponsor is Element. Element is an electrolyte drink with everything you need and nothing you don't. That means plenty of salt, magnesium and potassium, the so-called electrolytes and no sugar. Now, salt, magnesium and potassium are critical to the function of all the cells in your body, in particular to the function of your nerve cells, also called neurons. In fact, in order for your neurons to function properly, all three electrolytes need to be present in the proper ratios. And we now know that even slight reductions in electrolyte concentrations or dehydration of the body can lead to deficits in cognitive and physical performance. LMNT contains a science-backed electrolyte ratio of 1000 milligrams, that's one gram of sodium, 200 milligrams of potassium and 60 milligrams of magnesium. I typically drink LMNT first thing in the morning when I wake up in order to hydrate my body and make sure I have enough electrolytes. And while I do any kind of physical training and after physical training as well, especially if I've been sweating a lot, if you'd like to try element, you can go to drink element. That's lmnt.com/huberman to claim a free element sample pack with your purchase. Again, that's drink element lmnt.com/huberman.