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I’ve been listening to @joerogan since 2013.

Hearing his story via his recent interview with @jordanbpeterson was eye opening.

Here’s what I took from it...

THREAD...
Joe seemingly lives between two opposing personality traits.

He’s both INSANELY open minded (curious) and RIDICULOUSLY close minded (stubborn) at the same time.

He’s a juxtaposition of a man.

I think this is what makes him interesting.

Let me explain...
TAEKWONDO:

On the way home from a Red Sox Game, he decided to go up the stairs and check out a Taekwondo school.

He was mesmerised by a guy kicking a bag and turned up the next day for training.

He didn’t miss a training session for 7 YEARS unless he was injured.
He was so curious that he wanted to learn how he could become as good as the guy kicking the bag.

He was so stubborn that he dedicated his whole life to it for 7 years.
Joe was so obsessed that he missed out on parties as a teenager to train.

His girlfriend at the time tried to sleep with him at the gym he taught at.

He turned her offer down out of respect to the gym! 😂

Talk about stubbornness.
STAND UP COMEDY:

Joe Rogan’s friend suggested he should try standup.

His curiosity led him to an open mic night.

His stubbornness kept him at it for years upon years with laser focus.
Whilst everyone was out pursuing a steady career in their 20’s, Joe was stubborn enough to ignore that pressure and pursue his natural curiosity.

He worked dead end jobs to support his passion.

He was obsessed with the art of standup.
He said that he didn’t get “okay” at standup until he was 2-3 years in.

Could you imagine bombing every night for 2-3 years making $0 whilst your peer group are pursuing steady careers?

He stubbornly pursued his curiosity regardless.
UFC COMMENTARY:

Joe was a huge MMA fan since it’s inception.

He became friends with @danawhite and used to tell him about unknown fighters in Japan he should sign that nobody has heard of.

Dana White offered him a commentary position.
After Dana’s persuasion, Joe took it despite NOT being paid for the first 10-20 shows.

How many famous people would have an ego that healthy to take a job in the public eye for free like that?

Joe didn’t care.

He loved MMA.

He followed his curiosity.
PODCASTING:

His friends used to tell him that he should trim his episodes down because “nobody has time to listen to it all”.

He didn’t care.

He was doing the podcast out of his curiosity for the conversation.

He stubbornly ignored their advice.
@joerogan lives and breathes so many of @naval’s nuggets without being aware of it.

He stubbornly followed his curiosity before any of the subjects was popular or trendy.
If he would’ve waited for the UFC to become popular before pursuing martial arts, he would’ve been too late.

If he would’ve waited for Netflix before pursuing stand up comedy, he would’ve been too late.
He plays like life a single player game too.

He ignores what other people say unless it makes logical sense and resonates with him internally.

He said the people who used to mock him for starting a podcast are now the ones asking him how to start one.
He was also an artist.

He did it for the sake of doing it.

He wasn’t anticipating Netflix, UFC or podcasting blowing him up in the future.

The journey would’ve been too long for an end goal in mind.

He pursued them for their own sakes.

Allowing him to improve every day.
Joe lived an antifragile life.

If he blew up and became successful, he won.

If he never blew up and was a nobody, he won.

He was pursuing it for its own sake.
TAKEAWAY POINTS FROM THE INTERVIEW:

1. Be the most open minded AND close minded person you know

2. Life is a single player game

3. Pursue art - You will outwork everyone and if you never become a success, you enjoyed the process.
Final note:

Most people’s curiosity comes from external sources (what’s hot in the press) and stubbornness come from others people (what society says what you shouldn’t do)

Joe’s curiosity and stubbornness comes from internal sources - what he thinks is true.
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