668 Derek Sivers — The Joys of an Un-Optimized Life, Finding Paths Less Traveled, Creating Tech Independence (and Risks of the Cloud), Taking Giant Leaps, and Picking the Right “Game of Life”
This is a OPEN AI summary of the Tim Ferriss Podcast #668- visit www.TinyTim.blog for more AI summaries, or www.Tim.blog for the official Tim Ferriss Podcasts.
In this conversation, Tim Ferriss and Derek Sivers discuss Sivers' minimalist lifestyle. Sivers explains that he only owns three glasses and one pair of pants, and that this is all he needs. Ferriss notes that Sivers is the embodiment of minimalism, and that his lifestyle is in line with the philosophy espoused in The Paradox of Choice. Sivers describes how he took up scuba diving in Iceland, and how it taught him about empathy and identity. He explains that the experience of diving in the cold ocean was very different from the calm experience of diving in a swimming pool, and that it made him realize that he needed to be prepared for anything in life. Sivers describes a situation where he was diving and came across a German girl who was having a panic attack. He helped her to the surface and calmed her down. He later realized that he had experienced a panic attack himself the night before. This person reflects on a time when they had a panic attack and how it made them realize that people are often categorized unfairly. They learned that even positive things like being a millionaire can be involuntary and that everyone has the potential to be anything. Derek Sivers believes that it is important to be careful with labels and not to allow them to define you.
Derek Sivers and Tim Ferriss discuss the importance of choosing an industry or market that you are passionate about, in order to be fulfilled emotionally. They also talk about how choosing the right customers to serve is just as important as making money. Derek Sivers talks about his idea for 100-year hosting of legacy personal websites. He explains that he would do this even if it didn't pay, because he cares deeply about it and likes people who have personal websites. Tim Ferriss then goes on to discuss tech independence and escaping the cloud. According to Derek Sivers, becoming "tech independent" is a better solution than relying on the cloud. Doing things yourself gives you better security, privacy, freedom, flexibility, and control. Derek Sivers and Tim Ferriss discuss the importance of learning to drive manual transmission, as it is a good life skill to have.
In this excerpt, Tim Ferriss and Derek Sivers discuss the best way to learn something new. Sivers argues that it is often best to just "do it" and trust the source, while Ferriss counters that people should take the time to understand what they are doing. In the end, they both agree that trying something new is the best way to learn.
In this conversation, Derek Sivers and Tim Ferriss discuss the idea of creating a service to help people liberate themselves from the cloud. Sivers is passionate about this because he feels that people should be self-reliant and not dependent on others. Ferriss agrees, and adds that it is also important to be informed about how you are storing sensitive information.
In this conversation, Tim Ferriss and Derek Sivers discuss the pros and cons of moving email off of Gmail and onto a third-party provider. Sivers argues that the baby step is to get your own domain name and switch your email to that, and that once you have a server, everything else is easier. Ferriss asks Sivers what he would choose if he had to choose between having his email off of the cloud or his calendar and contacts, and Sivers says he would choose calendar and contacts because he feels happier having them on his own server.
In this conversation, Derek Sivers and Tim Ferriss discuss the idea of "satisficing" versus "maximizing." Satisficers are those who may not make the absolute best possible choice, but they feel much better about the choices they make. On the other hand, maximizers are those who try to make the best possible choice, but studies show that they feel worse about the choice they make. Ferriss has taken this lesson to heart and has shaped his life around it. He believes that we should focus our finite energy on improving the things that matter most to us, rather than trying to optimize everything.
Derek Sivers believes that beliefs are not true and that they are placebos. He also believes that personal empowerment comes from hacking yourself - choosing beliefs that help you be who you want to be in the moment, even if they're not true. Sam Harris' TED talk on The Moral Landscape discusses how one can choose their own morals. Tim Ferriss uses utilitarianism as a way to help him make decisions in his life.
Derek Sivers and Tim Ferriss discuss how they make decisions about philanthropy and other altruistic pursuits. Sivers says that he generally goes with his gut feeling about what is right or wrong, while Ferriss takes a more rational approach. They both agree that ultimately they want to help make the world a better place. Derek Sivers and Tim Ferriss discuss the problems with subscribing to -isms, or ideologies. Sivers argues that people often buy into these systems without considering whether they actually agree with all aspects of them. This can lead to "decision fatigue," where people become overwhelmed by the choices they have to make. Ferriss agrees, and adds that -isms also simplify reality, which can be harmful. In this conversation, Tim Ferriss and Derek Sivers discuss the importance of skepticism and thinking for oneself. They argue that it is important to be open to good ideas from all sources, and to avoid adopting ideologies blindly. Derek Sivers and Tim Ferriss discuss happiness and how much of it is out of our control. Sivers shares that Sonja Lyubomirsky's studies have shown that 50 percent of our happiness is DNA and out of our control, and the other 50 percent is in our control. Ferriss notes that Sivers is a "closet stoic" and the two discuss Stoicism. Derek Sivers and Tim Ferriss discuss the book "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living" by Dale Carnegie. Sivers explains that he has been thinking in a stoic way since he was a teenager, but only recently read an actual book on Stoicism. Ferriss points out that it is important to have the self-awareness to try different philosophies on for size, rather than blindly adopting one as THE TRUTH. Derek Sivers has been practicing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for decades, long before he knew it had a name. He finds it helpful to constantly doubt and question his own beliefs, in order to push back against confirmation bias.
CBT is a useful tool for changing one's beliefs in order to change their behavior. You can do this by "stacking up evidence" of the new belief - for example, by talking to friends about it and finding examples of it in the world. Once you have enough evidence, you can take action on the new belief, even if you don't yet fully believe it.
Derek Sivers and Tim Ferriss discuss the idea of "playing games." Sivers explains that he has made some strange choices in his life because he was playing a certain game (trying to be successful and famous) and he won. Now, he says, he is trying to choose a new game to play. They also discuss the games they like to play, and how getting good at games can help you in other areas of life.
In a conversation, Tim Ferriss and Derek Sivers discuss the addictive nature of the game Stardew Valley and the book How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis. They argue that the game is addicting because it is rewarding, even after the player has achieved everything they set out to do. They discuss the concept of success, and how fame fits into that. Sivers explains that he has never considered success as something that would be seen through someone else's eyes, and that it is something that is hyperpersonal.
In this excerpt, Tim Ferriss and Derek Sivers discuss the pros and cons of living a life with "too much freedom." Sivers describes how, after selling his company, he spent years researching different places to live, without ever actually visiting them. He eventually realized that this approach was not working for him and that he needed to simplify his life. He adopted a "satisficing" lifestyle, choosing the "good enough" option instead of spending hours researching and agonizing over every possible choice. This helped him simplify his life and make better decisions overall.
In this conversation, Tim Ferriss and Derek Sivers discuss the question "What advice would you give your younger self?" Ferriss argues that the real question is "What advice would you give someone who wants to be where you are, but is not where you are?" Sivers agrees, and adds that the answer would be different for someone in his position, due to his history of depression and near suicide. They also mention Antarctica and Matt Mullenweg.
Derek Sivers is a self-proclaimed "minimalist" who believes that people should focus on having fewer material possessions. He also believes that people should focus on having fewer friends. Sivers feels that his favorite thing is hearing from strangers and that his website, sive.rs, is a good way for people to introduce themselves.
668) https://tim.blog/2023/04/21/derek-sivers/
