Video summary
In this candid conversation, comedian Rick Glassman and his guest explore themes of intimacy, boundaries, and social dynamics through a unique lens centered on sensory sensitivity and comfort. Glassman opens by describing himself as "cozy," preferring clothes he can sleep in rather than elevating an outfit for appearance's sake alone; instead, he views clothing as something that should elevate the body while maintaining personal ease. He draws a direct parallel between wearing condoms during sex—which makes him hyper-aware of physical sensations—and interacting with people who do not feel safe or where boundaries are unclear. For Glassman, intimacy requires feeling secure enough to drop defenses and be fully present; without that safety, interactions become performative rather than genuine connections. The discussion extends these concepts into friendships and social settings, particularly regarding the difficulty others have in setting their own limits versus Glassman's tendency to over-monitor his impact on them due to heightened sensitivity. He recounts a story about borrowing items from an old friend who never said no despite taking many things, illustrating how people often struggle to voice discomfort or set boundaries until it is too late. This dynamic creates what he describes as "discordant" interactions where one person plays by the rules of engagement while another steps outside them unintentionally. Glassman emphasizes that recognizing these mismatches and asking clarifying questions—such as checking in on someone's feelings rather than assuming procedural correctness—is essential for maintaining healthy relationships, even if it feels awkward or exposes a lack of social intuition. The dialogue shifts to broader societal observations about gender dynamics, safety perceptions, and the value derived from interactions. Glassman reflects on how women often navigate spaces with heightened caution compared to men, using an analogy involving holding back from approaching someone until feeling sufficiently safe—a sentiment he applies metaphorically to his own hesitation in asking for professional opportunities or dates without prior rapport building. He critiques superficial networking tactics that prioritize image over genuine connection and advocates for slowing down the dating process to allow emotional data collection before physical intimacy occurs. This approach, he argues, signals respect and ensures both parties are genuinely interested rather than merely following social scripts driven by biological imperatives like scarcity or convenience. Throughout the interview, Glassman shares personal anecdotes that reveal his growth from a socially oblivious child who believed everyone loved him to an adult grappling with self-awareness about how much space he occupies in others' lives. He discusses overcoming fears of rejection during first kisses and learning to accept feedback without crumbling under guilt when someone expresses hurt feelings. His journey involves shifting from prioritizing what others think to balancing empathy with honest communication, ensuring that interactions include rather than exclude the other person. Even his professional life reflects this philosophy; he designs his podcast studio in a living room setting specifically to foster disarming comfort and natural conversation, rejecting sterile environments that force performers into artificial modes of engagement. Ultimately, Glassman frames authenticity as the cornerstone of meaningful connection, whether it involves asking direct questions about feelings or admitting when one is bored with a topic rather than pretending interest. He highlights the importance of "vagally authoritative" regulation in group settings—where calmness can de-escalate tension—and encourages listeners to prioritize inclusion over ego-driven dominance in conversations. By stripping away pretenses like formal attire, rehearsed lines, and rigid protocols, he creates space for vulnerability that allows real human interaction to flourish. The episode concludes with recommendations for his podcast episodes featuring guests who exemplify this balance of humor and depth, inviting audiences to join a community built on mutual respect, shared comfort, and the courage to be one's true self without fear of judgment or rejection.
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I'm cosplaying with you. What do we
think? How do you how do you rank my
>> I would wear it.
>> Nailed it.
>> And I was flattered because we don't
really know each other, but you said
like, "Are you going to wear a nice
jumper?" And I'm like, "That's kind of
my thing."
>> Yeah, of course it is. You seem like a
very cozy guy. If I could describe you
in a single word based on five minutes
of interaction, watching some stuff on
the internet,
>> it would be cozy.
>> I like to wear things that I could sleep
in. But I also know that sometimes if
you show up someplace wearing something
that sometimes you wear something
someplace and people feel offended based
on what you're wearing and it's like I
okay um so let me just find some really
cool clothes that I could trick you into
thinking is oh look it I could wear this
to the big dance
>> but also I could go home and sleep in
it.
>> No no I I optimize for comfort as well.
Mine leans a little bit too sportswy,
which there's not really much that you
can do to kind of elevate sport. If you
go down for a dinner or whatever and
you're in a like a Lululemon [ __ ]
t-shirt or something, you're a little
bit you're strugg
>> when you wear sports clothes. You're not
wearing something to elevate the
clothes. You're wearing clothes to
elevate the body. And you have a body
for it. I've been saying it for weeks,
but you have a body that shows the
veins.
>> So,
>> well, this I could get away with this. I
feel like uh it's like a cup of cocoa
like both hands holding it with both
hands. It's very important.
>> Another way I think of that is like if
this were a romcom in the early 2000s
and you would be a beautiful woman and
you would you would be wearing that but
you would be it would be like this.
>> Yeah. And I would think you were ugly as
[ __ ] until you took I'd have my glasses
down here ugly. The hairs up in a bun
and I'd like pull them like this and go
>> Yeah. Then you get a Can I say boner?
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Yeah. Then you get a boner then you get
a boner. Uh-huh. I heard you talk about
um like random erectile dysfunction and
the subsequent
fallout this the the negotiation.
>> Where did you hear me talk about this?
>> You were freestyle someone who was like
on your show.
>> Yeah. With Costa Contra.
>> Yeah. and uh you were trying to explain
to four sirly black men um who I didn't
think would be that forgiving of a
conversation around like rapid erectile
reed rapid erectile dysfunction.
>> Uh but they seem to be they were like
yeah man
>> been there.
>> Yeah or whatever.
>> Well they they didn't say they were they
had been there. They said they hadn't
and I don't believe them but they were
accepting of it. One of them grew up
watching the Simpsons. I'm not joking.
We talked about it. He was the one that
you resonated with the most.
>> I was like, "This guy goes soft." Oh,
>> we get into a relationship with me at
some point in future. It'll be good.
>> The conversation was based around and I
don't want to get I mean, we can, but
this is how we're opening it, but based
on comfort. Um, I'm very sensitive to
smells and textures and sounds and like
it's not it's not just a look thing.
It's really like the best I could
explain it is like people that wear
contacts, even if it's not hurting you,
you know they're there. It's hard to be
present if you're feeling things.
>> Mh. And um
uh when you make love or even have sex
in with a condom, it's like I'm having
sex with contacts. So I'm just aware I'm
aware they're there. You know what I'm
saying? I'm blinking a lot. And uh
that's why I've I've learned and I think
this is a good practice indirectly to
never
>> uh have phys be like that physically
intimate with somebody who you don't
feel safe explaining to them, hey, I'm
not present with you right now.
>> You know what I mean? Um I maybe we
could make out for a little bit or we
could why don't we go get tested so we
don't have to wear these. And I feel
that way in friendships as well as a
metaphor.
>> What's the equivalent in a friendship?
>> Um
I like to bust balls. Uh, I like when
people fight, like I like playful banter
and and reparte. Um, I don't pick up
very well on when other people don't
like it. And what I have found is, and I
don't think this is exclusive to
relationships with me, I just think when
people anything, but I'll say play for
this example, it's a lot easier to just
go with the flow and just drain your
battery a little bit than it is to say,
"Hey, I I think you're joking. I'm not
sure. I don't like playing this way." M
>> um could you explain your intention or
even if I know your intention I don't
know something about it when you comment
on this or that um
as much as I don't take it as my
responsibility to like make sure other
people feel safe like they could set
their own boundaries I also recognize
that some people don't feel comfortable
setting their boundaries at least not
yet. So I guess in that analogy of like
having sex with somebody before you guys
feel safe saying who you are and what
what makes you feel good. Um so in bits
like I get stoned. I love weed and when
I am high I'm in bit mode and I'm
hilarious. Uh or extremely annoying and
I don't know. So I'll go into groups of
people and be like hey like uh are we
doing bits? Could I? cuz if not, I'll
get out of here because people won't say
and they'll roll your they'll roll their
eyes and then like later you find out
you were annoying people. So, I just
think it's important to uh
yeah, I guess in friendships be able to
have friendships where you don't have to
wear a condom.
You know what I mean?
>> What a wonderful way to summarize it. I
know exactly what you mean. I would have
guessed given what I know about you. Um,
somewhat obsessive,
uh, the with the OCD, with the paying
attention, with the vigilance stuff,
with the I'm sort of aware of my
surroundings, what I feel, what I hear.
>> You just really rained me there.
>> Yeah, I know. Yeah. Um,
>> more water.
>> I would have guessed that that would
have uh graduated or evolved into some
sort of codependency. If you're not
okay, I'm not okay. If I say something
that makes you upset, like I'm
permanently not doing the bits. I'm
scared of doing the bits because if the
bit makes you, oh, did they respond
slightly badly to that one? I might have
hurt their feelings. I would have
imagined that that blast radius of some
stuff that you pay attention to would
have expanded out into
I'm in a group and I'm steaming in.
Maybe not if you're high. I guess like
you've probably walled that off
somewhat, your ability to pay attention.
But yeah, I would have thought that you
would have been uh you would have had
that trait too that you would have been
over over concerned.
>> I understand the trait you're talking
about. I just don't understand where the
>> why uh why.
Well, if you are hyper sensitive to the
clothes that you're wearing, the
sensations [clears throat] there, it's
obvious that your sensitivity is maybe a
little higher than other people's might
be.
>> Oh, I understand. Yes. So, so not this
is not a a trait that I'm I'm proud of.
It's a trait that I'm aware of and I
I've been working on, but the
sensitivity is is about my comfort and
I'm very sensitive. Not I'm not like I'm
in tune with the universe.
>> Um it's more about self. Um and like if
I'm like it was for a long time. It
still is. Um, what I'm about to explain
still exists in my mind emotionally, but
logically I know it's not the case and I
could parent myself with it. But for a
very long time, I wasn't aware of this,
which is whatever I was thinking or
feeling, I didn't assume necessarily
it's right or wrong. I just assumed this
is what you're thinking and feeling. I
knew what you were thinking and I was
wrong. I didn't think I knew what you
were thinking. Like I knew it. Um, oh,
everybody's uncomfortable. I better do
some type of a joke, you know, or
everybody is this. Um, and what I
realized is I have no idea what other
people are thinking. I have no idea how
they're feeling. And I still don't
believe that a lot of people are even
very in touch with what they're thinking
or feeling. So, the idea of me being
like, "Oh, maybe I'm doing something to
this person." The only way I'll feel
that way is if I like right now I feel,
"Oh, I'm talking too much.
>> It is what it is. Feel free to
interrupt. These are podcasts." But
like, so now I'm thinking, "Oh, maybe I
should be quiet." I'm not thinking that
you think I'm anything. I'm just like,
yeah, I don't I don't know. I just
That's why I don't like wearing condoms.
I want to be with people who just say,
"Rick, be quiet." You know, "Rick, I'm I
don't like this anymore." Or, "Rick, do
more."
>> Oh, that's interesting. So, you you look
forward to boundaries being set in that
way. You're a proboundary person on the
other side.
>> Yeah.
>> How are you with your own boundaries?
>> Great.
>> Okay, that's great.
>> Earlier, we were Dean wanted to move my
keys in my hat.
>> Are you me? Um, what's that?
>> Because of you or because of me. Is it
moving for that reason or for the other?
>> Yes. If it if it was for me, it would be
like I'm okay. If it's not, it's like,
okay. But I still don't want them out of
sight. That's why I put them over here.
Um, I also I've always been that way.
And it wasn't until I was an adult that
I realized that not everybody likes to
say that. A lot. Some people will just,
hey, could I have this? There's a friend
that I have I grew up with and I saw him
again this summer and I talked to him
about it. I used to sleep at his house a
lot and he had all this cool stuff like
these little toys. Nothing like
expensive that I can imagine. Just like
random little things. No, this is a cool
bottle. Can I have this? I would ask if
I could have it. And he always said yes.
And I I I didn't even I never really
thought about it. There was probably 10
different things I took from his house.
And I saw him this past summer and I
remembered that like, dude, I used to
take stuff from your house all the time.
He goes, "Yeah, it was okay." Like I
like he didn't want me to take his stuff
[laughter]
>> and he gave me like these toys and stuff
and I was like, "Oh my god, I feel so
bad.
Why wouldn't you tell me no?" He goes,
"Well, I don't know. You wanted it and I
didn't really want to." I was like, "Oh,
what an ugly thing." You know,
>> people don't like to call out the game
that much. It feels like um I think
about it like playing a game of ping
pong or tennis or whatever and the
ball's going backward and forward
between me and you and me and you and me
and you and then someone just goes and
hits it sideways and you're like no it
it's supposed to go this way like you're
supposed to continue to play the game
within the confines and the rules of the
game and sometimes going
is this thing happening because of a you
preference or because you're trying to
look after me or why don't you it feels
like it feels a little sort Discordant,
right? It's sort of one key out on the
chord of
>> discordant.
>> Discordant,
>> not on a chord.
>> Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, you're like,
"Oh, oh, that wasn't quite in the flow
of the game that we were playing because
you've stepped out of it and then
pointed at the game itself."
>> Well, I would argue that the game that
we were playing was this and this and
the moment you hit it this way, that
isn't the game that we're playing. So,
I'm not breaking the game. I'm just
trying to better understand what game
we're playing.
>> Right. And
>> but that makes people uncomfortable as
you have identified.
>> I I I Okay.
>> Mhm.
>> But then I guess we'll just play a
different game.
>> I like the uh assessment of sort of why
are we doing this thing and what is the
reason that this particular interactions
go? How are you feeling right now?
>> Like that's a [ __ ] wonderful
question. Like how are you feeling?
>> Yeah. You know,
>> not how are you doing? Like how are you
feeling? Um, I I would like to uh take
that and raise you a telling somebody
how you're feeling.
Hey, um I'm I'm comfortable. It's just a
little cold. Could we how are you? Like
I think also
cuz I ask people I ask people I mean I
feel this way with dates. I talked about
this in my act now, so I don't want to
like do too much about it, but like for
the longest time, I wouldn't I have so
many fears of going in for a first kiss.
And they're not even that they're not
going to want to kiss me back or that
they won't kiss me. My big fear is what
if I go in to kiss somebody and they
kiss me back because it's easier. pity.
Not even pity, just not wanting to be un
maybe, but like I I think more
realistically it's cuz I guess maybe I
don't see myself as somebody people
pity, but like it was easier just to go
like this
like just I'll kiss him. It's not that
big.
>> What is the motivation that you fear?
What would be the ultimate? What's at
the core of that?
>> It's it's the same thing of people when
people say, "Uh, how you doing? Good
things. How are you?
>> Are are you interested?" And are you
good? It's fine. It's just it's just a
call and response. procedural kiss.
>> Yeah. It's like, oh, you know, we went
on a couple of dates. I'll, you know,
what? It's easier to kiss somebody and
then just say, have a good night for
some people than it is to be like, whoa,
whoa, whoa. I don't want to
>> set a boundary, say how I feel.
>> I take things at I used to take things
at face value until I realized that I I
can't and now I don't know when I can.
So, I'm just skeptical all the time. And
like so the only way I feel that I get
enough information is to ask so many
questions. Um uh when we kissed it
wasn't a long kiss. Um I kind of wanted
to kiss you more but I don't know if you
wanted to make out. I'm not asking you
to make out with me right now. But like
if later on if we kiss a little fine
like is it okay if we make out you know
and some people might be like what the
[ __ ] are you saying to me? You know, and
some people were raised by the Simpsons.
>> And when you are able to ask a lot of
questions and that they like that.
>> Yeah.
>> Then they ask questions. Oh my god.
Thank you for I was dating a girl who I
hate spoilers. I hate spoiler. If I know
I'm going to see something, I don't even
want to see the trailer. And sometimes
people give spoilers and they don't
realize what they're spoiling. I'm not
I'm not saying anything. I'm just saying
at the end I was a little confused.
Well, now I know you know the drreel
doesn't stop spinning. Like what's Don't
tell me anything. So, we're watching a
show that she had already seen the first
couple episodes, and she says something
that I don't think she realizes now. I
know something. This is what I do. Okay,
I know he's a bad guy now. I The stakes
weren't that high, but I'm still like,
you know, if you're watching a sporting
[ __ ] you know, something happens, you
get upset like, are you okay? No, it's
fine. I just They missed the big bucket
or whatever the hell. I reacted quite
passionately.
>> She
>> How many dates him is this?
>> I mean, we've been dating for over a
year. I mean, she knows who I am.
>> Okay. Right. Right.
Um,
no, it wasn't this, it was this. And she
was like, she was acting in a way for my
benefit, in a way to be like, "Oh, no,
no, you actually don't know that that's
what it is because here's some red
herrings." And I don't need fish. And I
mean that literally and metaphorically.
So, I'm like, "No, no, no. You're acting
right now. I know that because and I'm
just like I to me it's like we're
playing. I'm not happy that you scored a
bucket on me, but it's still like I this
is connection for me. I still like like
No, no, no. Because I noticed this.
All right, whatever. We sit down and
maybe a minute goes by and and I just I
don't know what changed. I just know the
I don't re consciously recognize why it
changed. I just know notice the energy
changed. And I asked if you're like,
"What happened?" And she said that I
hurt her feelings. And I immediately
started like literally crying. I don't
just mean I felt bad. I mean tears were
coming down my face. At the moment I
didn't recognize it. I soon thereafter
did. But like and I I'm so sorry and I
apologized. Um
when I realized the reason I was crying
wasn't specifically cuz I hurt her
feelings as much as I had no idea that I
hurt her feelings.
>> Um
I had no idea like I'm an adult. I'm
dating this person. I had no idea I hurt
her feelings.
which just made me feel bad about myself
and like just like sometimes things like
that happen and I go back and think
about how [ __ ] clueless I was as a
kid and like I have a bit that I say on
stage now where uh I didn't have friends
growing up but I didn't know that until
I turned 30. I just thought everybody
was busy all the time. Like no, people
just made excuses and stuff. And like
also the point, the reason I bring that
up is because if I didn't say to her,
hey, what just happened? She might not
have said you hurt my feelings. So in
the midst of things, if somebody says,
hey, I don't like this, I would be like,
thank you for telling me.
>> Yeah.
>> But if you don't tell me that, I'm going
to keep punching, you know? I'm going to
keep like doing what I think we're
supposed to be doing. So I like when
people ask questions. is I like when
people tell me how they feel. I
sometimes have given myself the
responsibility to like ask numerous
times how somebody feels like what you
said, but I'm still not convinced I'm
going to get the answer.
>> It feels like you're excavating a little
bit to try and find the boundaries of
what is and is not acceptable behavior.
>> Acceptable what for the other person.
>> Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Is this okay?
Was that okay? Is that going to be okay?
And is this because in retrospect you
realized that there were
>> an infinite number of situations that
you had sort of plowed through believing
one world and the rest of the world
seeing a totally different one.
>> Yeah. I came into some self-awareness
about 8 years ago and I learned things
about myself and I learned how much I'm
missing stuff. Um for a couple of years
thereafter I was very much that kind of
like what you suggested I might be.
That's why I was curious why you said
that. Is this okay? Am I should I not am
I am I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You know, I'm
like using my turning signal when it's a
right turn only. Like I'm just always
making sure. I'm just joking. You know,
I would say stuff like that. And like
what I realized was before I was
clueless about how everyone was feeling
and I thought I was I thought every cuz
I I grew up um with uh very supportive
parents and I believed them. I don't
know if they were right, but I'm I'm the
funniest. I'm the most charming.
Everyone loves me. And this wasn't the
case at all. And I was so much happier
thinking everybody loved me than when I
realized I'm just I'm bothering people.
Um but now, you know, I graduated into
knowing that I bother people. So, how do
I control that? And what I learned is I
I still couldn't I still did all of the
things I thought I was supposed to do in
checking in and I didn't feel anything
different other than uh low uh lower
selfworth.
That's not me saying that. who cares
what other people think. I very much
care what other people think. The
difference is um uh to care and to
consider it without necessarily
prioritizing it if you disagree. So like
if I come if I hurt your feelings, I
can't disagree with that. That's
something I want to know so I could do
better. Um if you say, hey, you know,
don't put the hat and the keys there. if
I wanted them there for whatever reason,
it's a hat that I'm promoting something
or whatever, I would consider what you
were saying. I disagree with you and I'd
have a I'd challenge it and I would go
back and forth and ultimately we figure
out what we do. Um, so I've kind of
hurdle that hump of like I'm annoying
everybody and more come out the other
end of I'm probably going to annoy
people and just not I mean there's only
so much that is in my control. Um, but
my friends in my circle, uh, I don't
think it's a coincidence that they're
all people who are able to, "You're
being loud." You know, they could tell
me I'm being loud. And then I could be
like, "Oh, sorry." Yeah.
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That's a very quick uh
alchemization of that lesson. I've
learned that people don't necessarily
see me or the world the way that I see
them or the world. And again, you can
try to change yourself in one way, like
I'll make sure that everybody else is
okay before I continue to do this thing.
Or you can do the other one, which is
I'm just going to become comfortable
with being corrected by people and try
and sort of proactively seek as much
correction as possible by instigating it
and also by picking friends who don't
even need me to instigate it. They're
like, "Hey, Rick, shut the [ __ ] up,
dude. Like, let's just chill out or
whatever." They they're your um guidance
system.
>> They're also it's those it's not just me
picking them. It's the people that are
okay with me. So, they're also picking
me, you know,
>> because anybody that wasn't okay with
that wouldn't be able to
>> I'm too much for them or not enough.
>> Yeah. I found that that valuing the
information of you're being too loud or
this or whatever as information, not as
as as criticism really is a great cheat
to kind of like surpass the ego of like
if someone says I'm being too loud, I
don't like, oh, I must be too loud. I'm
a loud person. No, I'm not. You know,
and then it's like you're debating
yourself. But when somebody says you're
being loud, what they're saying is for
for their ears, this is an uncomfortable
volume. I can't dispute that. That has
nothing to do with me. The only thing
that has to do with me is what I choose
to do with that information. I very very
much seek that. Um, not just the
information, but to surround myself with
people who are generous enough to offer
it. the I think a simple analogy I've
said this on my podcast before but is
like
when somebody says you have a booger in
your nose you're like oh I want to be
around this person I might not be happy
that there's been a booger in my nose
but I'll be happier than looking at it
later and seeing that it's been there
the whole time you know
>> I like this this question of um
selfdeception are we aware of why we do
the things that we do and then we want
to understand somebody else because
maybe we want to connect with them or we
want to be better person ourselves like
you broke up with me can you tell Tell
me why before you leave on your way but
when before you get the black bag. Can
you tell me why you broke up with me?
Like what was the
>> I would prefer if you let me know why
before you decided to break up with me.
>> That would be preferable. But you know
we this is that's not the scene. The
scene is that they've got the black bags
out.
>> I'm just arguing that this person
probably won't be able to tell me why
>> because they they would have I would
have known by now.
>> Maybe. But perhaps they had they didn't
feel like they had the permission to do
it. Perhaps they were scared. It was a
them thing, not a you thing. How about
that?
Okay, deal. Question for you. I got a
little out of like I I I wasn't present
with you for like 30 seconds. I heard
you, but like when I moved like this, I
was aware. Are we able to How's our
focus? Are we Is this annoying if I'm
doing here and here?
>> How'd you know?
>> Okay,
>> you're all right.
>> Nice. I love talking about this kind of
stuff. I love talking about this kind of
stuff with somebody who uh one we don't
know each other so you but like when
it's like somebody that you might be
work like you know you're going to be
seeing this person a lot
>> and you're going to be dating them
working with them or whatever and like
hey let's could we just talk about how
we're wired for just like
hours. You know what I'm saying? And
then we could forget about it because
then when something comes up it'll be
like oh this is what I was talking about
before. Thank you for letting me know or
would you mind just almost like
marinating in potential shortorthhand
that could come out later?
>> Um I think it would be really cool to
like have a a one page that you continue
to doctor you add to it you take away of
all your faults. Not your faults things
that you're admitting necessarily or
faults that are like here's things that
I'm ashamed of but I don't want to be. I
mean faults that benefit the other
person to know. You know like I
sometimes don't make space for other
people cuz I interrupt a lot. Um, it
doesn't mean I'm not interested in you,
but you might sometimes have to check me
and say, "Hey, Rick, I wasn't done yet."
You know, certain things like that, I
think, like as a name tag, I think,
would be just a really cool way of
meeting people.
>> Here's here's a one-page uh
introduction. This is, yeah, this is
your induction day. It's your induction
day to our friendship or relationship,
uh, please make sure you really need to
check out, uh, section four, the bottom.
That is kind of crucial. Sometimes
people skip over that one, and if they
do, it usually ends up being an an issue
down the line.
>> Um, no, I I think that's great. Yeah, I
uh I take criticism [snorts] about
anything personally. Like I get
defensive if it feels like I'm being
attacked, even when I'm not being
attacked. Uh I um go quiet if there's an
argument going on. That doesn't mean
that I don't want to talk about it. It's
just that my response sometimes takes
longer to happen or I'm sometimes real
fast with my responses and that doesn't
mean that I know what I'm talking about.
Sometimes I just want to talk to fill
the space so that I don't feel
>> great. I'm feeling emotional.
>> Yep. I mean, you know, like somebody
says it and then when that thing
happens, you're like, "Oh, that's that
thing."
>> And that's hopefully what happens as you
get to know somebody. You don't just get
to know
>> the pleasures, you get to know the
obstacles. Um, well, we fall in love
with that, I think. Fall in love with
what part? We fall in love with both,
but what we don't fall in love with are
all of the ways that people are like
everybody else. We fall we fall in love
with people's uniquenesses. Uh, and that
goes on both sides. It's a perfect
example. My friend George's mom, she
hates fighting. Does not like physical
fighting at all. Doesn't like UFC.
Doesn't like watching her kids her boys
fight when they were kids. And she was
in the car with George's younger brother
driving through the UK. And she saw two
teenage boys sort of squaring up to each
other by the side of like a pavement
walking home from school or something.
This is in the middle of traffic. Stops
the car in the middle of traffic. Gets
out of the car, runs across the road
over traffic to the pavement to be like,
"No fighting. No, she was like [ __ ]
Killian Murphy and Pey Blind is no
[ __ ] fighting. No [ __ ] fighting.
And she's in the middle and
her his brother was on the phone to him
at the time going, "Mom has just got out
the we're in the middle of traffic. She
stopped the car. There's cars behind us.
They're beeping. She's in the middle of
this fight between these two teenagers
telling them to stop." It's like
at her funeral, people are not going to
say that she was the sort of person who
turned up on time or like, you know,
made an acceptable plan. They're going
to say she was the sort of woman that
stopped the car in the middle of traffic
to stop a fight between two strangers
that she didn't know. Like that's where
we fall in love with people.
>> Also would have been a good clip.
>> Would have been a good clip. But I think
we fall in love non remember NFTs when
everyone was like into NFTs nonf
fungeible humans is the same. It's okay
what's nonfgeible about this person.
>> Oh well that's what I fall in love with
because by design if you can find it
anywhere like why this person and not
the next one or the next one or the next
one. This isn't an argument for like be
as weird and unique performatively as
possible, but embrace the bits of you
that have little
tumors sticking out of them like the
spiky bits and the the like little
divots and stuff that out of this smooth
shape because if you try and smooth all
of those things off, I think you make
yourself into a shape that like
everybody else can perceive. Yeah, I I
agree. I also think that uh on on the on
the other end of that is some things
let's not be too proud and think that we
shouldn't shave them down.
>> You know like I think there's a there's
an art I think there's excuse me I think
there's a craft to the the line
recognizing
and making efficient the line between
self-love and the want for
self-improvement. And they're not
mutually exclusive but this idea of hey
this is me take it or leave it. Um yeah,
some once once you've broken it down to
its core and this is what it is, there's
only, you know, like there's only I'm
always going to have neurosis, but like
so I make people uh when I go into my
home, I take off my clothes and I change
into my indoor clothes. Old clothes,
including
>> anything that's been outside and touch
something. So, if I go walk my dog in my
indoor clothes, if I don't lean up
against something or sit on a chair,
they're still indoor clothes. But even
if I just sat in my car,
>> depends how wet it is, I'm okay with
rain.
>> Okay.
>> Um, it's it's it's touching something
that I don't know what touched it
before. And it's not about germs. It's
not that logical. It's just, oh, this is
outdoor now. Like, so like I've had uh
so that's it's it's a pain in the ass,
but it's it's my choice. [laughter] But
then when people come over my place,
>> forget to bring a change of clothes.
>> Yeah. I'm making my thing your burden
and I'll always have until I don't. But
right now, this is an issue. How could I
Well, [ __ ] it. This is who I am that
don't come over versus how could I help
this other person not have to cater to
me? So, there are different ways of
doing this. The way that I found is the
most efficient is I just got blankets
all over the place for you to sit on.
It's obnoxious. [laughter]
>> That's a house condom. Yeah, it's a it's
a house it's a house condom. Yeah, it's
a house condom. I would prefer to get to
know you well enough to where you could
take your clothes off and put on
something else, but I'm like an old
black woman, but instead of plastic
things, it's just blankets and I'm
constantly washing.
>> Mhm.
>> So, I uh I'm dating somebody and they're
accepting of this. They come over and
they're like, "Hey, I I took a shower
and I just changed into brand new
clothes." And I'm like, "I recognize
this. I'm appreciative. More than that,
I'm I'm so sorry that you felt you had
to do this, but I don't think you
understand. You put those clothes on and
you sat in your car where you've also
sat after you were at the gym in those
clothes. Hey, those are outdoor clothes.
Let's let's just sit on some blankets.
So, like how I am this thing. I accept
this of myself. I don't love it. I I'm
working on it, but I have accepted this
is what it is. If I were to accept what
this is and just lean into that
entirely, you'd be wearing a [ __ ]
hazmat suit every time you came into my
house, which then makes it worse and
worse and worse. So by me letting people
into my home in their outdoor clothes
and they sit on the blanket that's it's
a then sometimes they sit on like
somebody on my podcast I have blankets
for everybody.
>> Somebody will sit off the blanket for a
second. It used to be ah you know like I
need a new couch you know now it's like
I don't even react that way. Now I don't
like it but it's hey could you do me a
favor? Could you and they go oh I'm so
sorry. Like it's all good and now I'm
not losing my mind. That's why it's
important to tell them before about the
things because if that thing comes up
and you have to do the explaining and
the enforcement at the same time, oh
[ __ ] what? I wasn't even aware of
this. This feels like a lot. I've been
pulled over by the police to enforce a
law I didn't know existed.
>> I actually learned that I have to tell
them before not because of that, but
because they I do a lot of I'm a silly
boy. So they just think I'm making a
joke. So it's not that they're
>> No, no, no. This one This is a real one.
>> How do you know? Sounds like the thing I
said just before that wasn't.
>> But this one's real.
>> This one's real. Yeah, it's the boy who
cried wolf, but for comedians.
>> Yeah, it's the boy who cried couch.
>> Yeah, [laughter] boy who cried blanket.
>> Yeah.
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[panting]
Thank you. Um, yeah, you've got this
great line. The self- loveve movement is
beautiful and necessary, but not at the
expense of growth. And I think that that
um
>> there's a research guy over here.
>> Well, look, I
it's on a clip. It was on a clip. It
wasn't a deep dive.
I think it's interesting that in my
world where I come from the insecure
overachiever hustle grind set kind of
background.
>> Insecure overachiever. Does that mean
you are overachieving because you're
insecure of where you're at?
>> Yes. Yeah.
>> Well, congrats.
>> Thank you. Yeah. Yeah.
>> Now, now we're recording at Disneyland.
>> Yeah. You can build you can build big
[ __ ] as somebody that just desperately
wants to be liked by people. Um, but
that that side of the balance board
requires more of the self-love stuff.
It's like, "Hey, [snorts] dude, [ __ ]
let me give you this idea. It's called
productivity uh productivity debt. So,
every morning you wake up believing that
you're already overdrawn with your day's
production. And only if you absolutely
flawlessly nail your entire day's work."
>> What does overdrawn mean like you have
too much to do? uh that there is some
sort of cosmic karmic debt that you need
to repay in terms of output productively
and only if you do lots and lots of work
that day will you claw yourself back up
to at best
>> zero right
>> not one or 10 or 100 but you start at
minus some number and whatever that
number is is the exact number of as much
work as you can do today flawlessly and
if you take too much time off you
realize I finished the day on minus two
>> like or - 5 or - 10 or whatever. Um,
that's kind of the side of the world I
think that drawn to some of the stuff
that uh I have talked about in the past,
although that's morphing somewhat and
has morphed over maybe the last sort of
two years. Uh, but we spent a lot of
time talking about life hacks and and
and self-improvement and training and so
on and so forth. And that's great and I
loved it, right? Personal growth has
been [ __ ] wonderful for me. Um, but
you can sort of go too far on that. You
know those um balance board things? It's
like a skateboard deck and there's sort
of a cylinder below it and you can
imagine that you're standing on it and
you're always sort of doing this.
>> A teeter totter.
>> Is that what that's called?
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. Teeter totter. Thank you.
>> Skate. That's Yeah.
>> British.
>> That's what you're talking about. Right.
You're sitting on and then you
like if we were on one right now, I
would go like this.
>> Oh, no, no, no. That would be a seesaw.
So, imagine a skateboard deck and
imagine just a a like a
>> What's the difference between a teeter
totter and a seesaw? I think it's the
same thing. It's just the person
>> a joke.
>> Oh,
>> no. It sounded like one.
>> Damn it.
>> So, so I don't know what you're saying.
>> Skateboard deck. Yeah. Imagine
skateboard decks like this. Okay.
>> And there's a cylinder that's running
underneath it and you were to stand on
the skateboard deck. So, you would be
doing this to balance.
>> Okay.
>> Do you have this visual in your mind?
>> I think.
>> Okay.
At no point are you actually balanced,
right? Or you could pick any on a
balance bean. At no point I know what
you're talking about. You're always
going to be making micro adjustments
even when you're like, "Oh, I'm like
really stable."
>> I know this isn't necessary because I
get it, but I what I'm picturing is when
I because uh when you twist your ankle
and you do rehab, you're on a board with
a ball at the bottom and you're just
constantly like if it's too left, you
got to go right and you got to do this.
Yes.
>> Okay. All right. Let's go.
>> At no point is your foot completely
flat. Even when it's really flat, it's
still just making little micro
adjustments here and there. And I kind
of get the sense that this self-love and
growth tension thing that we're talking
about, well, you know, accept you are
don't whip yourself so much that you're
permanently miserable or always in a
sense of lack or never feel good enough.
>> But also don't be so accepting of
yourself that you make your pathology
somebody else's burden,
>> that you are never
galvanized sufficiently to actually go
and [ __ ] do something with your
right. Okay.
On one end you have a victim and on the
other end you have like an unrelenting
tyrant of the self.
>> And uh I think that the tension between
those two is interesting. And where do
you come from? Which culture do you come
from? And
>> where are you on the balance board right
now?
>> I think about that often before I go on
stage. Um uh uh I'm I'm assuming you
know, but I'm a stand-up comedian. So,
when I go on uh stage to do comedy and
um
I I uh I don't know if nervous is the
best word, but it's it's it's an it's
it's it's the best it's the best way I
could think of to explain the feeling.
It's a feeling of nervousness, but it's
it's almost like um
the the space between what am I going to
do and I've been doing this many times
and I always feel this way. I know it'll
be fine, right? And um my mom says to me
sometimes before a show, at least she
used to. Now she's she said be funny.
Just like a thing to say. And I would
always I say and now she I say I I'll
try. I mean maybe. But the only thing
that's in my control is to be present.
And it sounds corny, but I really say
that to myself because if I go in with
the responsibility of being funny, what
if I'm not? And I very well might not
be. And if that's what I need to be,
then I might fail. Not that there's a
problem with failing, but I don't want
to set myself up for this idea of I
might be failing when I'm just trying to
get in a mindset. If I'm present, I I
believe that that's the best opportunity
I have to be funny. So, if I'm not going
to be funny today, chances are it's cuz
I wasn't present. And if I was present
and not funny, then I wasn't going to be
funny anyway.
>> Wow. So, you found the thing which is
further upstream of the outcome that
you're actually looking for. Yes. And
you're optimizing for that thing. And
one of the reasons I'm thinking of that
is one of the reasons that that one of
the ways that helps me do that is
well you know it's easy to say to be
present um uh as a like affirmations
this idea of looking in the mirror and
saying I'm good enough I'm smart enough
and gosh darn it people love me whatever
like if I don't believe that then the
guy then he's not going to believe it.
So what can I believe and what I can
believe is this idea of this like
acceptance versus getting yourself
better.
>> I know I can be better. I want to be
better and I want to try and be better,
but I'm about to go on stage in one
minute. This is the best I could be
right now. So, this isn't about being
better. This is about fully accepting
this is my
>> this is my best. I have and then
tomorrow I could be like, well, I wasn't
prepared. I remember I a buddy of mine
uh David Sullivan who also is an actor
and he coaches me as an when I for for
things as an actor and I remember years
ago he was helping me for this audition
and I was just like I didn't learn my
lines because I'll just learn them with
him. Um and that's fine sometimes but
like the amount of time we had and then
we did the audition and I'm just like I
just didn't know like I just
>> I'm I'm not present cuz I'm thinking
about my lines and it's not that big of
a deal. It wasn't that deep of a thing.
It was just it clocked for me cuz he
goes he goes uh how does that feel? And
like I was like yeah I understand like
he's they're parenting me. He goes just
no don't don't put yourself in a
situation to feel that way next time.
Now I've been in situations where I
didn't prepare enough for an audition or
whatever. I'm not saying that like it's
changed my life but it offered that
perspective of if there's something that
you could do about it do about it. Do it
that way next time. But don't sit in
shame and like maybe I I [ __ ] I
shouldn't. This is what where we are
right now. do this and recognize if you
don't like that feeling, try and change
it next time. If you don't mind it, then
you won't. So, when I go on stage and
I'm thinking like, what am I going to
do? It's like the best I could possibly
be, which might not be great, is to just
remove that thing because then, you
know, I'm sitting here and you're
talking. I'm like, am I in focus?
Whether I'm in focus or not, is it my
responsibility? Maybe doesn't matter
that much either way, but until I
address it,
>> you know. So, um, yeah, I think that
self-acceptance is a beautiful thing to
do for today and then tomorrow look at
who you were and do you like that?
>> It's been um it's been a a very very
intentional
journey for me over the past eight years
>> of like learning
>> is this okay?
It's this is it okay that I'm coming and
this this is a not a real I'm I'm making
something up right now the answer um at
least not consciously but is it okay
that I'm coming in here and talking too
much talking about feelings not doing
bits is it uh should I have worn my
sunglasses because I I think I have a
sty on my eye that's showing like all of
these things like I don't want to care
about anything I don't want to care
about anything but then that's too far
the other way.
>> So like constantly doing this and going
like and ultimately and this is a maybe
a corny thing and and it's a snapple
bottle, but like
I love who I am. I love who I am so
much. I might be wrong. I also think I'm
so funny. I do. I'm on stage sometimes
and I think I'm so funny. I also know I
might be wrong. I don't want to not feel
that way, but I I don't want to feel
like no, I'm not that funny, but I also
don't want to think that you all think
this because then there's nothing to
nothing to grow from, you know? So, this
constant thing of like, I love who I am.
Am I being received accurately? And if
so, you don't love me, that's okay. If
you're not receiving me accurately, is
there a better way I could have set this
up? Is there a one page that I need to
give you? What do I need to let you know
to give me the best opportunity for us
to enjoy each other?
>> And it's exhausting. And that's where
it's like at a certain point, did you
watch The Simpsons? You know, at a
certain point, it's like your frequency
isn't better or worse than mine, but it
might be different. And if we're like
this, then I'm going to have to meet you
here or you're going to have to meet me
here. But if it's close enough, you
know, so at a that's where I'm at in my
life now of like recognizing
if this person's close to my frequency,
I think I maybe need to make some
adjustments. If they're not close to my
frequency,
>> what do we do?
>> Yeah, I don't need to learn your amazing
vocabulary for a language that I don't
even speak,
>> you know? So, like, teach me things if
we're speaking the same language. And if
we're not speaking the same language and
we're working together or you're the
sister of somebody I'm in a relationship
like then you have to do that thing
where you dress a certain way and you
you squint and you lean forward and you
like oh that's so you know that's nice
and you you give a firm handshake and
it's just it's not consciously
manipulative but I do think it's like
I also talk about on stage this idea of
like when people say how you doing I
used to really struggle with it. I would
be like what do you want from me? You
know like I don't want to tell you I
don't want to talk about that. I don't
we're just walking our dogs. But I've
learned it's a call and response. And
when someone says, "How you doing?"
They're not asking how you are
necessarily. They're just letting you
know that they see you for a minute and
then you say, "Good things. How are
you?"
In therapy, I was like, it was a it was
a I call it a challenge. Maybe it was
homework. They're like, "Just start
saying good things. How are you?" Even
if you feel it's lying, just see how
maybe you get used to it. You know, it's
like people sitting on a blanket instead
of changing their clothes.
>> [snorts]
>> So, I do it and sometimes
someone will say, "How you doing?" And I
go, "Good, thanks. How are you?" And
they go, "Good. How are you?" And
[laughter] I'm like I'm like, "You
started it." You know, this is this is
[ __ ] crazy. I'm right. This is crazy.
>> Have you ever seen someone do uh has it
ever happened to you where someone said,
"Oh, happy birthday." And you go, "Yeah,
yeah, you too."
>> That's actually a Brian Rean joke.
>> Is it?
>> Do you know who that is?
>> No.
>> Yeah. When someone says something, you
go, "You too." and you're like, "Oh,
yeah." Um, yeah. That's just that innate
feeling of like, "I better give them
what they gave me."
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You do know that
you're kind of the inversion of most
people's selfwork, right? That you
having to learn not to say what the
thing is. It's like, well, to be honest,
like I woke up with a star in my eye and
I've got this conversation to do later
on today.
>> What's the opposite that
>> Good thanks. How are you? like you it's
from what you're saying to me it sounds
like your set point is I don't do small
talk I struggling intensely with small
talk and the social mores and the
typical dance that most people do in the
elevator or with the dog is one that I
am having to consciously teach myself to
do
>> to understand that these are the
mannerisms of just like normal human
shallow communication so most people
have to do the opposite they have to
drain that stuff. Well, a kid does that.
That's it's like it's like a child.
>> Like a child, you say please,
>> you know, you have to condition. Yeah.
Well, then we're not going to, you know,
we're not going to go to the strip club
or whatever, you know, like you have to
teach kids to do stuff. And there's pros
and cons to that. A lot of people say,
"I love kids cuz they'll just tell tell
you the truth." Um, I don't believe that
telling the truth is an excuse to be
unkind. Uh there's definitely tact to
that, but like
not telling the truth because you're
afraid of how somebody might receive
you, I think is a very selfish act. I
think that when people say things like,
well, you know, some people will
diagnose themselves as a people pleaser
and they've allowed themselves to
believe because of the term that what
they're doing is pleasing the other
person. But what I think that they're
doing is that's what you do.
>> No, no, no. that I was what you're going
to say is they're pleasing themselves
and protecting themselves.
>> Yeah. I I I want to make sure that that
this person doesn't see me in a bad way
as opposed to allowing them to see me as
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Such a great definition. I think that's
really wonderful. I think you're right.
I think that people a a large portion of
the motivation of people pleasing is not
to it is to make sure that the other
person is okay, but it doesn't end
there. It's making sure that they're
okay with you. To make sure that they're
okay so that you can be okay. And and I
think a great a great test of that would
be, hey, I don't want to tell him that
he has a booger in his nose. That's not
my job. Maybe the person who does his
his makeup will. And when the makeup
person tells you, I'm not thinking like,
oh no, I'm sorry. I'm thinking I'm glad
they said it. So, it's not the
information that you're receiving that's
going to not please you. It's I'm the
one who's delivering it. And again,
there's tac to this. Sometimes I don't
owe everybody my truth. I don't need to
tell you everything. I have found
through
originally a lack of awareness and then
through making jokes that, oh, there are
ways of maybe delivering things to where
it's more palatable. I don't know how
you're going to receive this
information. I don't want to make my
choice based on how you're going to
receive it. I want to make my choice
based on do I think this is valuable
information for this person and the only
guiding star I have for that is would I
want to know that
>> if I would want to know that but there
goes again where I also want to hey I
want to leave my hat here like I want to
set boundaries
>> also you're not representative of
everybody else would you want to know
that yes but if you are as nonfgeible as
it might seem you're you can't use your
theory of mine to be well I would want
it therefore they and it's like yeah but
you're not them and they're not you
>> I I At a certain point with us being
imperfect humans, there are just ways of
calibrating yourself to like you could
only police so many things. And that's
where the acceptance is. I am going to
annoy people. I'm going to bother
people. I'm not saying [ __ ] them. Who
cares? I'm saying I'm trying not to, but
I'm only going to put so much attribute
points into me recognizing when you're
annoyed. Especially when I go up to the
conversation and I say, "I'm a little
high. I'm doing bits. If you don't want
to do bits, I'm out of here.
>> What you doing is the disclaimer bit.
That's why the disclaimer bits or the
what the one sheet I think that that's a
really really lovely way to frame it
that um you do have an obligation to be
like as nice as you can be, but like no
nicer than like you're able to be. Like
you're not supposed to turn yourself
into a pretzel desperately trying to be
able to uh like make this other person
feel at peace.
>> Yeah. By default. And then there's uh
they just got they just went got out of
a relationship. They're sad. Their their
parent is sick. You know,
>> okay, I'm gonna have to tune this up. I
need to invest a little bit more
>> constantly. Yeah.
>> Yeah. And you're calibrating in that
way. Um one thing that makes me think
about the the dog walking scenario, I
lived in New York for a month this
summer and I [ __ ] I thought it was so
brilliant. I've never been there before.
And um there was a like classic New York
dog park on the Upper East Side, like
East 83rd Street. And uh it's when
you're talking about the dog walking
thing, it just makes me think about
that. It's like fall. You're sort of
walking and there's a strip of hundred
yards. It's not big. It's New York. It's
100 yard bit where someone might have a
conversation for 90 seconds in that. Um,
one thing that you do have as part of
this sort of mutually aware I know that
you know that we have the time that it
can't be the thing.
>> I already know what you're saying. Um,
you need to know that if you open up the
[ __ ] chasm of well, you know,
recently actually my sister or like you
you say a thing and they so what's going
on with you? If you give that, it's
like, "Oh, well, no, let me tell." And
you go, "I didn't want to lie and just
say, "Good, how are you?" But also, I do
not have the time to invest to be able
to tumble down this [ __ ] rabbit hole,
this Alice in Wonderland cathedral of
[ __ ] down here in order to have the
conversation that would be truthful. So
sometimes I think the
>> the social mores are there almost in the
same way as like that is or waving
somebody across a junction. It's it's
even less information than you think it
is.
>> What is that with a less information?
>> How are you doing? I'm good. How are
you? Right. Fine, thanks. Like that is
it's almost the same as flashing
somebody across with your lights in a
car.
>> When people say, "How you doing?" and I
don't want to talk about it. Um uh uh uh
I say, "Hi back."
And sometimes if it's not is in passing,
how you doing? I'm in a little bit of a
mood. I don't want to get into it, but
I'm okay. like just letting him know
that's that's where I've like discovered
where I could feel like I'm satisfying
your rules while not um compromising
mine. And by rules, I just mean way of
life, you know. Um but yeah, that's
that's the thing. That's that's the
that's the kissing on a on a first date.
Is it like are you good? Thanks. How are
you? Or are you just not [clears throat]
wanting to get into it?
>> Going in for a first kiss is constantly
a scary thing. my my my reaction to that
type of type of fear isn't the same as
it used to be. But that still there's
that moment of like do you want to be
doing this?
>> You know,
and I feel that way, you know, I
recognize it right now. Like I'm not
worried by this, but you and I have made
a commitment to talk for 60 to 120
minutes. And whether or not you think
this is going well, you're going to
continue.
>> So, is he continuing because he feels
like it's not a worry. It's just an
awareness of it. So like it is what it
is and that's what being a professional
is.
>> What's the uh the emotion from that?
>> By knowing that I'll never know the
answer to it.
>> Well, if you ask you would
>> I I don't whatever you tell me because I
don't know you yet and we're still
[ __ ] with condoms. I don't know if
you'll be telling me the truth. Are you
are you wanting to as the host of this
show manage my expectations and feelings
to get what you believe is the best out
of me or
>> are not demoralizing you by saying this
is a car crash or this is great
>> or even assuming that that's demoral
some people might want that
>> yeah from the call again like oh he told
me a little bit he's like yeah actually
we do need to can we shift you to the
left a little bit or can we move the
[ __ ] hat out or whatever oh he told
me something that's and I suppose this
is a a a stress test it's a a little um
truth test of, oh, is this person
prepared to tell me something that might
in the wrong hands be something that
makes somebody upset? Two two
interesting ideas on that. Um, the same
friend whose mom uh stops fighting
fights in the middle of the street
>> who makes a whatever flown.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It makes a acceptable
flown. Uh he asked me at his 30th
birthday last year. He said, um, who's
your best friend in the world? I was
like bit of a weird question after age
like 12. M uh and he said, "Okay, let me
reframe it for you. Who can you sit with
in silence without the need to fill it?
And who can you speak to with the least
amount of filter?" I was like, "Ooh,
>> that's cool." Like both ends of
communication, both silence and talking.
Which of those feel uh the most
unencumbered, like the most
frictionless, and just sit in [ __ ]
silence next to each other on a train,
not even reading or using our phones or
whatever, and not feel
>> that's that's that's a direct analogy to
the not having sex with somebody until
you feel safe enough to be able to tell
them, I have performance anxiety. You
know, I mean, that's a that's a more
insecure example of it. But yeah, it's
what you're saying is who is your best
friend is a hard thing to answer, but
who do you feel safest with isn't. And
that's I mean I know I've said this as
jokes but that's really and I don't mean
this directly literally but like people
who grew up watching the Simpsons. It's
not just watching long ad read for the
>> but really really I I I I really there's
two things. There's two like tests. You
don't need to pass either of them but
it's valuable information. It's not just
people that watch the Simpsons. It's
people that chose to they like this type
of humor. people that think farting is
funny and people who watch The Simpsons
I think are genuinely
nice, innocent people.
>> Okay.
>> Um, when people don't think farting is
funny,
there maybe is some trauma. I know that
there there are I have [laughter] I have
some some female friends that have uh uh
issues with the way that their mom
receives them and they better they need
to be beautiful. They need to be they
need to be a certain thing that the
mother believes is what makes a woman.
Bummer. Pun not intended. However,
when you think it's just gross or
whatever, and yeah, of course it's
gross. I'm not saying, "Do you think
farting is something that you want me to
be doing on your face all the time?" I'm
asking if you think it's funny. And if
you don't think it's funny,
I know that we're not compatible. I know
it. I know it.
>> You're saying that the tip of the spear
of your
>> Yes.
social ven diagram crossing over is
Simpsons and funny farting.
>> You know what? To be a little bit more
fair, you don't have to think farting is
funny. I want you I've never I've never
been in and this wasn't a conscious
choice. I've never been in a
relationship with somebody who didn't
laugh at farts. I don't think that's a
coincidence. But it's not that you don't
think farting is funny as much as if you
think farting is gross. Like if we're
sitting around and I have to go to the
bathroom to fart, I'll get 40,000 steps
a day. You know what? Do you want
>> you a big farter?
Who isn't?
>> Well, I guess it depends what your
baseline for big farting is.
>> Exactly. And whatever your baseline is,
come on over. Just change your clothes
and sit on a blanket.
>> Okay. Yeah.
>> Whatever you fart, if you fart 10 times,
>> how do you feel about how do you feel
about farting? Because that's kind of
turned inside clothes into outside. It's
actually turned inside clothes into in
inner you inside clothes.
>> Yeah.
>> How's that feel on the couch? Yeah.
Farting on if you fart on my couch.
>> Um
how'd that feel?
You know, it feels good to fart.
>> It does. But how does how do you and
your couch?
>> We're fine. We're f It's farting.
>> Hang on. I I I do feel like we need to
>> cuz farting isn't outdoor clothes. Those
are indoor clothes,
>> right? But they are now contaminated
with the inside of me. They're not. Your
pants aren't off.
>> If you pulled off your pants and farted,
I would say, "Would you fart on the
blanket?"
>> Right. Okay. So, there's a
>> It's coughing in a mask.
>> I I consider underpants and pants and
94.
>> Your pants are like fart condoms.
>> I've been saying it for weeks.
>> Pants are fart condoms.
>> Yeah. It's my merch, actually.
>> Imagine it. Just pants are Come on.
That's [ __ ] crazy.
>> That [ __ ] Oz Pearlman, the mentalist.
I knew I was going to go here. Um, I I
think you need to reassess this. I don't
want to contribute to your blanket
anxiety.
>> Contribute, but go on.
>> British. Um, just farted. [laughter]
>> Why are you laughing?
>> Um, I I think you
really need to check yourself on this. I
think that there is a there are far more
microscopic poo particles.
>> Oh, I know. getting through pants and
jeans onto the blanket and into the
couch.
>> I I have thought about this.
>> It's not zero.
>> No, it's not. It's inevitable.
>> Yeah,
>> they're farting.
>> You were worried about the sweat from
the gym clothes.
>> It's like I said, it's not that logical.
It's not about the sweat.
>> But I just I I want you to try and be
consistent.
>> Okay. May I? Because you're playfully
challenging me and I'm all for it.
Before you go into my bathroom, I am
going to tell you before you flush,
please close the toilet seat.
>> Ooh. Because you don't want it to be
atomized to the What if it's only pee?
>> Close. Please just It's not that big of
an ask.
>> You could be You could just fix this
with a Japanese toilet.
>> Uh I try not to um to have I just
I don't have a Japanese toilet.
>> Okay. Well, maybe that would be, you
know, just to consider for future. Uh,
also I was gonna make a joke, but I'm
realizing I don't even know what a
Japanese toilet is.
>> Is that one of those heated things? It's
automated. It's got the built-in bum
spread.
>> Oh, yeah. They're amazing with the bedet
and stuff. Yeah, I I want to get one.
But
>> And that would fix this problem.
>> No. Wouldn't
>> I' I've pissed and [ __ ] in them. I've
come
>> They don't close.
>> Yeah, they don't close. They close. Some
of them close, but you you you you do
your thing. You flush. Maybe it's
closing as there's flushing. You're
worried that there's
>> It's like Indiana Jones sneaking under
the door as it comes down. Well, he
grabs his hat, but instead he's flicked
poop particles out.
>> Okay.
>> Which also is another piece. [laughter]
>> Um, so I'm a I'm a I want to control the
poop particles and the pea particles in
certain places.
>> I'm controlling it in the room which has
the most sterile, most amount of soft
furnishings.
>> Here's here's my logic. If you have to
fart, you're going to fart. You're just
going to try and hide it from me.
>> What if it's gratuitous? What if you
can, you know, that they're forcing them
out?
>> It's probably going to be funnier.
>> So, you can offset.
>> I know that you're going to fart. It's
not a matter of fart, don't fart. It's
just do it. Let's see it.
>> Let's see it.
>> See it on on my podcast. Yes.
>> You see it.
>> We do a lot of animation. Like my
podcast is one that you have to You
don't have I I watch it. There's
>> I I like the Street Fighter selection
thing. I enjoyed when you were doing
that.
>> Oh, thank you. I didn't mean you in
particular. I just meant like I want it
to be digested with the visuals because
we do a lot of stuff including
animations. People when people go like
this even I add a little fart and a
little [ __ ] that comes out and it stays
there for a second. Like
>> I'm a little boy. I think it's really
fun and funny. Um yeah, it doesn't you
know and it's not that logical. Like I
have a dog. I got a dog for a few
reasons. two of that that I'll explain
that are relevant is one I thought it
would help with my OCD because my
exgirlfriend I was obsessed with her dog
and when she would bring it over for
whatever reason the rules didn't apply
to him like I was okay with
>> outdoor dog indoor dog
>> we would wipe his paws before he comes
in but but you wouldn't wipe his his
butt his belly he would lay on the
ground like
>> he's on the stuff it's okay because the
alternative is him not on the bed with
us
>> or having to bathe him every time he's
come in
>> ain't going to Y
>> yeah. So I realized, wow, this is this
is, you know, immersion therapy in a
way.
>> Yep.
>> Another reason I got a dog is because
especially cuz I I work so much on my
podcast and I do a lot of editing and I
would go if I don't have shows, I would
go 3 days without leaving my house and I
didn't get out of the house. I'm like
this was an excuse to get out of the
house.
>> Yep.
>> I'm out of the house a lot more now. Um
I used to once you go outside those
outdoor clothes, but then I'm like I'm I
go I walk I just won't sit down. I've
allowed myself to go outside, maybe even
in the rain, and come back in. So, like,
I'm getting better by challenging
myself, and the dog let me do that. Um,
farting
is, you know, the dog could be on the
blanket. A fart is fine if you're
wearing, you know, a condom,
>> right? Okay. So, farts are the the dog
of the indoor outdoor world.
>> Also, if it's funny enough, you know
what I'm saying? like I I feel this
there there's a hack to shame and that's
finding a bit in it, right? Like I'm
embarrassed about this thing, but if I
could say something funny about it, I
don't know. Is that because now I feel
valuable and I use it as a tool? Is it
because I now am being seen in a way
that isn't the way that I thought I
would be seen? Um is it just the
connection I have with somebody who
could relate to it? Whatever it is, if
you can make a bit out of something,
>> it's easier, right? And I feel this way.
I mean, of course, then there's like,
"Oh, you're joking all the time." I'm
not saying make everything a joke. What
I'm saying is if there's an
uncomfortable conversation, there is
there is craft involved into either
saying things like setting expectations
properly. Hey, there's something that's
been on my mind. It's not that deep, but
it's something that bothers me. We don't
have to talk about it now, but do you
have five minutes of space? I could let
you know something that I've been
feeling a little embarrassed about. It
lets the other person make a choice to
do that. Sure. And that's a great tool.
Another one is that's not as exhausting
and asking so much of the other person,
especially if it doesn't really involve
them, is hey, I have a sty in my eye and
I brought sunglasses and I might want to
do this.
>> Mhm.
>> And is this, you know what? Could we
just do glasses? Can we do sunglasses
for a little?
>> Of course.
>> Cool. And now the bit is we're wearing
sunglasses. But that made it easier for
me to admit to you
>> something that might have been hard to
say. Now that wasn't hard to say, but
like
farting. A buddy of mine, um, shout out
to Andy Kosell, once said, "But holes
have the best comedic timing." And I
think that's so funny and true. You ever
hear a fart and you think like, "I
didn't think that was a good time for
that." And if so, it's the best time for
that.
>> Oh, I was going to say we're not
compatible, but yes.
>> Uh, I see.
>> If you don't think that that fart was
funny,
you might be a redneck.
>> Do you have that over there?
>> No.
>> Okay.
>> No, we have What do we have in the UK?
We have Chavs, don't we?
>> You might be a Chad.
>> Chav. Chav.
>> I don't know Chav. I know Chad.
>> Chav. So, um, the only equivalent we
have of kind of Hick. So, imagine, uh,
Gypsy without the caravan.
>> You're not supposed to say Gypsy or
Hick, just so you know.
>> You just did.
>> I did it.
>> Redneck. Is hick allowed?
>> I mean, you'll see the comments.
>> Well, look, I'm I'm like somebody who
hasn't had whatever reckoning around
culture and it's just
>> I'm fine. I'm I'm insulated because of
the British accent. Hopefully until I
get cancelled.
>> Uh I was on Tucker Carlson this week. I
like that [ __ ] I survived that.
That's okay.
>> Has it come out yet?
>> Yep.
>> Monday. It was the day that like all
hell broke loose and the entire internet
decided to point the sites at Tucker
Candice and Nick Fuentes all at the same
time. And I was like I I I I just had a
conversation about like what I think men
should be doing maybe and how they how
they they're struggling a bit in school
and work and stuff and there was this
huge crossfire and I like had to do
this. There were all these [ __ ]
bullets flying over the top of my head.
>> Is that a concern for you or is it just
something you noticed?
>> It's just something I noticed. I mean I
was on set all day. I had two wonderful
Monday was [ __ ] brilliant. I had
Trevor Wallace in I think is great and
it's the first time I got to meet him.
was so much fun and we went for like two
and a bit hours and then I had hubman
for like three and a half hour and we
got to chat before and chat after like
>> that's great
>> I'm [ __ ] sweet and you come out and
you go oh
I'll deal with that later like whatever
the [ __ ]
uh but no it's fine um I wanted to tell
you a story about John Bellon do you
know who that is
>> the name sounds familiar but no
>> musician recording artist producer
behind Justin Bieber and Rihanna like Ed
Sheeran gazillion plays like billions
and billions and billions of plays I had
him on the show in New
He told me this story about his son. It
made me think when you were talking like
this is why kids are great because kids
don't have the filter. And I think uh
some of the things that I'm like hearing
and feeling from our conversation today
is is this uh balance between um growth
and self-acceptance between being true
to yourself and uh helping somebody like
being kind like being nice to somebody
which doesn't always mean necessarily
telling them what they want to hear.
kids kind of sit interestingly like
skewed off to one side where they do
very much tell the truth but can also
like and the innocence allows them to
get away with more which is interesting
because I wonder whether if we all of us
spoke more like kids we would be
>> I think there's something about it's
it's a projection of the innocence and
the intention I I have misophonia and
when people are chewing it it sounds
sounds it drives me [ __ ] eating
>> when a dog is doing it for some reason
not only am I okay with it I love it and
I I don't know
>> don't you you like licking buttholes as
well.
>> Uh, he was licking his penis and the
sound of it. That was a Christian Bell
episode. I did you see? [snorts] He was
licking his penis and there's something
about that sound where it's just so cute
to me.
>> Yeah.
>> When a human licks his penis, I just,
you know, why am I watching this?
>> Why Why is Marilyn Manson in my bedroom?
>> Isn't that funny? I've talked about that
recently, too. That fake rumor that
everyone thought he took out a rib so he
could blow himself.
>> Everybody around the [ __ ] world knew
that.
>> I haven't thought about that for a
decade. I'm so glad that we're on this
we're tapped into the astral realm this
>> and that was pre-COVID.
>> That was pre-COVID. Yeah. Imagine how
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to save your testicles. Um, so John does
this show. He does two stadium shows in
Long Island. uh he doesn't tour for five
or six years, comes back, writes this
album, and uh has dedicated his life to
his family now, whilst also still doing
the producer thing, but he's not being
front-facing. And people come over to
his house so that he has his limited
time away from his family and his kids,
whilst also like living his dream and
doing his thing as possible. So, he's
curated his life around his family. He
decides to do two stadium shows. I think
it's on backto-back nights. He only
rehearses for three days so that he
spends as little time away from his kids
as possible. like his new album is
Father Figure. So, it's all about being
a good dad and he had this amazing dad's
>> on Prime now. [laughter]
>> And um he uh does the show and he's done
it's like 15 minutes drive from his
house and he's brought his uh kids there
and his son's there maybe like five
something like that and um he's got a
little play pen at the back with his
toys and he's thinking to himself I've
you know I haven't toured for ages. I
haven't put the shows and I've dedicated
so much time. Like my family's going to
be there. My friends are going to be
there. I'm like all this stuff. It's
super excited. He finishes up the show
after having done this and he goes to go
and see his son and he says, "So, what
do you think of the show?" He went, "I
didn't like it."
Why? Well, well, [panting and sighs]
you sang the first song
and then you just kept singing.
You just kept on singing more and more
songs and I thought, "When's dad going
to be done so he'll come play with me?"
You're like,
that's someone just saying what they
[ __ ] want.
>> But also, they the kid thinks that the
show is bad because he didn't get his
dad playing with him. He was giving the
wrong critique.
He wasn't critiquing the show. He was
critiquing that he was doing a show. I
don't like this kid. [laughter]
I don't like this kid. Now, Huberman I
saw at the airport recently and he saw
my dog and he was playing with my dog a
bit.
>> Oh, you have emotional support
credentials for your dog?
>> Um, I don't want That's none of your
business. But I have my dog.
>> I want to know how you are you smuggling
it.
>> I I'm doing it all the right ways.
>> Okay. This sounds like an area for
investigation.
>> So, um I have the dog and Huberman uh is
likes dogs and he's playing and my dog
is it's he's insane. It's insane. He's
perfect. Yep.
>> And he's right. Blah blah blah blah. And
I had this feeling of like not that I'm
somebody who he needs to know who I am,
but I did think like if you knew who I
was, you would probably want to do my
podcast.
And I was and I didn't say anything to
him to say.
>> You didn't pitch him.
>> No.
>> Didn't use the dog as like a thirst
trap.
>> No. To try and
>> He came over to me.
>> Uhhuh.
>> But I didn't I didn't ask him to come on
my podcast. The same reason why I
wouldn't ask a woman who I just met for
the first time at the gym to go on a
date. It's not right.
How do you think about tacted? You're in
the city and the world, the industry of
networking, business stuff. I'm all for
asking. I I mean, I think we have the
same agent. I mean, I could just ask my
agent to forward an email then say,
"Hey, we met at the airport." Like, I
maybe I'll do that. I haven't. I Is that
what you're asking? Like, I'm all for
asking people for things.
>> Yeah. just again [clears throat] uh
we've talked about kind of the emotional
dynamic of this like within the
emotional world but there's also the
professional world and I think about
that
>> a little I it's an uncomfortable feeling
I feel cuz I I do I book myself and I do
so I feel like there's producer Rick and
then there's like comedian Rick and
producer Rick feels like it's high
school and I'm following up with people
that I don't want to not that I don't
want to but I I'm don't want to bother
you so like asking Huberman to be on my
cast at the airport when he's liking my
dog. It would be like me going in for a
first kiss before I have enough data.
It's like what if he's what if he says
yes and he just feels like I don't know
and like do you do you want to be here?
like
this idea I I
men, you know, women women are scared a
lot. Like women go through life in a
different way traditionally than men of
just like like the analogy I think of is
like I went into a coffee shop and there
was this big dog and he wasn't even
showing his teeth. It was just like a
this dog could do some damage and the
person that was holding the leash was
talking to somebody else and not really
paying attention and to get in I had to
go around this dog. I wasn't necessarily
afraid of the dog, but I was looking at
the dog the entire time. And I really
thought to myself, I think this is how
women feel around men. And I say this
because like, wait, hold on. Huber men,
I'm trying to think of the analogy. I'm
now forgetting what I'm saying and I
don't want to cuz I feel like I want to
talk about this.
Why am I saying that women are afraid?
Anyway, I just think we need to do
better.
And I think that musician needs to tell
his son like you know [gasps]
>> shape up you know
>> I think he was saying uh asking too much
the fear of uh following up producer
Rick comedian Rick.
>> Yes.
Yes.
>> Let's move on.
>> You know what? We're going to move on
because I learned you can just inter but
I loved it. I loved what I was thinking.
You would have [ __ ] freaked if you
heard it.
>> I hate when that happens. How do you
respond to caffeine?
I stopped drinking coffee two years ago,
okay? Because it gets me sometimes too
high, but that's not why I stopped. It
was because it uh one out of 20 I would
get anxious.
>> And I started taking this. I'm sure this
is fantastic. I've heard nothing but the
best from Newtonic.
>> Oh wow. It has athenine as well.
>> Twice as much as a sleep supplement. So
might be Anyway, I Let's not roll the
dice on one in 20 on [ __ ]
>> But I I take a drink called Magic Mind.
Do you know about that?
>> I do. The little green shot has got
caffeine in Yeah. So, it's a per for
whatever reason it's the right amount
for me.
>> Uh, what made you ask about caffeine?
>> Just I was like, "Oh, maybe you need a
little just a little tickle.
>> A little more, a little less."
>> I don't Have you had any?
>> I took one before this.
>> Ah, that might be it. Well, I don't
know. It's It's weird when you lose your
train of thought like that because you
go the solution is either too much or
too little caffeine. And I don't know
which one it I think I just got into my
body just the empathy I have for how
difficult it is for women in this world
to have to not only show up as
themselves, but to have 20% of their
brain making sure that they they they
can stay alive. Meanwhile, guys are just
walking around getting their [ __ ] sucked
and drinking caffeine like it's a you
know on a Thursday.
>> Well, it depends who you are, I suppose.
Uh yeah, I think there is a there is
definitely an asymmetry. It's
interesting that um
>> so I didn't want to approach Huberman
like a woman. Well, that might have
worked. I've been a fan of his uh uh I
don't want to call it a fan. I've been I
mean yes, but I've been listening
before not even listening like reading
his stuff. My my ex who who lives in
London. I spent a lot of time in London.
Love being in London. Uh she turned me
on to Huberman I think in 2019 and there
was like so many things that are now
just like I I just used to go out in the
sunlight in the mornings. Like I know
that's like a big trope at this point,
but like because of that there were so
many things um uh uh learning about
histamines and uh uh and night shades
and there are so many thing and I'm just
like this is a guy that has now gotten
really successful for for having an
audience appreciate his his knowledge.
So I'm like I really like this guy. You
know what I'm saying? So it's like
seeing a a girl that you really like
where it's like I don't want to just I
don't know. Oh, I I feel like it's not
appropriate here. I'm not saying I'm
right.
>> There's a nice amount there's a nice
amount of reverence there. You're like,
"Oh, I'm going to treat this one
properly." I mean, you know, there's And
for the girls out there, uh
>> I would wager fewer relationships start
if you have sex on the first date than
if you have sex on the fourth date or
the 10th date or something like that.
that um
>> giving it up too quickly and sort of
being too fast too soon uh is indicative
of how much you care about the
relationship overall.
>> Do you think that's a direct
like that's a literal uh statistic?
>> I would be cuz I agree but
sometimes no like I I just get the sense
that there's a few dynamics at play
here. Uh first one
>> biological
>> we tend to value things that are
difficult to get more.
>> Uh secondly the time from meeting to
getting physically intimate with
somebody is usually
>> if you wait longer what it suggests is
that is not all that you're here for.
>> Uh just those two you don't even need to
go deeper than that. Like that's enough
to carry this dynamic through I think to
it would probably appear in data.
>> Yeah. My last three relationships
were uh
>> helped them on the first date.
>> No. Uh well, yeah, but there's there is
um uh
there's more information which is we it
was long distance and we were facetiming
for months.
>> Okay.
>> So, Okay. So, the first time we smelt
each other and actually we're in the
same room,
>> but you've spoken for 50 hours at this
point. And I've learned that I like like
I even if it's lo like we're in town,
I'm not scared to go on a date. But
let's say you and I don't know if we
want to podcast with each other. We
could find out by doing a podcast or we
could FaceTime for a little bit and see
if like we're you know if you think
farting is funny
>> and if we go get tested. That is that is
one of the interesting things about um
having conversations with people
especially because you don't if you bin
the episode especially something like
this where you know we've got the
[ __ ] cars and the the team and all
the rest of it.
>> Uh it's a big tends to be a big deal if
you're like oh [ __ ] that was so bad. Um
but there is no practicing in private.
There's no oh we'll go through the moves
yesterday for podcasting. Yeah I think
there is there's a reason that you
wanted to have me on the podcast. It's
not that you you still agree with that
reason or that you don't, but like you
got information. That's what's different
about
>> that's research. But you you you're
right. You are right.
>> But you can't do I mean especially with
somebody
>> person based on their Instagram, how's
this dynamic between us going to go?
>> It's all data collection. I I really
believe that dating for the first x
period of dates is less about um uh uh
showing a person who you are and them
showing who you are and more about which
I don't ages
into who you actually are. But you can't
show up as you actually are on a first
date because they're going to be like,
"Oh, he farts on a first date. What is
he gonna do on the second date? I'm
gonna fart again.
>> How much how much deeper does this
descent? No, no, no. This is as deep as
it goes. Yes. Unfortunately for you.
>> So, so
FaceTiming
I think and it's not specific to
FaceTime. It could be like if you know
we're not making a commitment to each
other and you're on, you know, you're
with a group of other people and like
you're getting to see a little dynamic
without feeling the pressure of needing
to wear a certain outfit and ask how
many brothers and sisters you have and
like get to know the person. I think
facetiming because you could also always
just hang up.
>> Safety thing is a big deal on that. If
you're talking about oh
>> some part of this is I mean I know for a
fact girls will say to their friends
this is where we're going this is the
time. This is the place like you've got
my location. If I don't text you by this
time then maybe give me a ring or
whatever because that that safety piece
is is a big part. Uh, I imagine that
there is a way to be made to feel unsafe
over FaceTime, but it significantly more
safe, right?
>> Yeah. I mean, it's also when you say
safety, it's not just physical safety.
There's also just like your own, you
know, your social battery and your sense
of comfort and and like depending on the
person, if you're not enjoying it, do
you just, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah. Or do you say things like I've
learned so much about how to communicate
with people by editing my podcast and
when I watch myself I used to when I
would get bored in a conversation not
that the other person's boring not that
I was meaning to judge them but I would
just be honest saying hey I'm a little
bored with this and like can we talk
about something different some people it
seemed like they received it well some
people maybe like oh and that became the
topic of conversation then we would talk
about communication whatever
>> but I would watch myself and as I'm
watching from the audience I would see
I'm not bored what but this person is
talking about on on the monitor but I
was bored in the room.
>> Do you think going on there?
>> I think what was going on there was I
wasn't interested or I missed something
and I was wondering if I was in focus or
not and I I I just like I'm not
connected right and I mistook not being
connected to by meaning I'm not
interested. So instead of saying I'm not
interested in this topic any like I
would watch myself and be like
frustrated not just about how
>> I could have enjoyed this in person.
>> Yes. Well, no maybe but not specifically
that it was I was frustrated one that I
showed up as somebody who shut somebody
down. Not meaning to but I did but also
like I want to hear what they said and
now we never got to it. Like me as the
audience wanted to hear more about that.
So in moments where I feel that way now
I don't think to myself this is boring.
I think to if it is we could take it out
later. I think to myself I'm not
connected. How could I get connected to
this person? Um, could you say that
differently? I don't know what you just
said. Would you say that again? I wasn't
listening. Whatever it is, but like,
yeah, I don't know. Sometimes sometimes
being bored doesn't mean that they're
boring. However, if they are, I got to
get out of there as quick as I can. You
know what I'm saying? Like, this is this
is going to sound uh uh how it how it
may. Um, if somebody doesn't make me
laugh or teach me something or feed me
or make me come, and I don't mean me, I
mean a human being, I believe. Then what
value are they offering me? Now, I'm not
to say if if you make me come and that's
all you do, that this is a this is a
healthy relationship. But I mean this
quite literally. If you don't feed
somebody, give them, you know, if you're
not their boss and they pay you, if if
there isn't some value that you're
offering me,
am I just supposed to be a good guy and
just be like, "No, it's okay. He's a
nice guy. I want to listen."
>> What do you say about uh a friend of
yours who's in a hospital bed and needs
looking after?
>> I don't understand the connection.
>> That they're unable to really offer you
anything. I don't mean every interaction
has to be valuable to me that I mean I
would argue that that by being able to
show up for somebody in a selfish way
makes you feel valuable. Um you know
it's this idea of like when you give to
charity are you doing it because it
makes you feel good or because you're
helping them. Absolutely both. I'm glad
it makes me feel good or they wouldn't
get this help. So I don't mean
everything I need to be constantly
entertained or you know constantly
validated by something. I just mean in a
relationship as a whole, like do you
have any friends that you were friends
with as a kid and they're kind of
grandfathered in and like you love this
person and you hang out with this
person, but whenever you're with them,
it's just you're this is boring. I'm
still friends with this person because I
love this person now and I care about
this person.
>> I'm not excited to be around them and
I'm not I'm not
>> it's just a little boring. So like, but
when you're just meeting somebody and
after three dates or three friendships,
I don't know, man. I just like he
doesn't get my jokes. I don't He doesn't
make me laugh. Um that that's okay if
he's interesting. Your podcast um isn't
the funniest podcast I've ever seen and
it's one of the few that I watch and I
love your clips. I mean you whoever
picks your clips, you know what you guys
are doing, but like I'm interested in
what you have to say. Um am I learning?
Probably. Is it just oh even if it's
something I disagree with and it
challenges my mind? It's like I don't
know. It's something it's worth
listening to me. So, this idea of going
out with people or being friends with
people that like are boring and and I'm
not saying that you're a boring person,
I'm saying that I'm bored by you. You
know, our frequency. Yeah. Our frequenc
and I the opposite is I probably annoy
the [ __ ] out of you and you're not
wrong, but why are we just, well,
they're nice and why don't you give it a
try?
I So, dating is that way, too. So, I
think that when you have a FaceTime with
somebody, not that, believe me, I do not
need to have a FaceTime. I backwards
learned that like, oh, that that was
interesting. I by the time I was on my
third FaceTime with this person, which
is potentially only 45 minutes of
conversations total, which is less than
one date. I got I'm so excited to meet
you. And if I wasn't, I don't want to
waste waste my time.
>> Life's too short for boring friendships
in that way.
>> Yeah. And boring. I I don't I I I'm I'm
skeptical cuz I've said this once before
and I saw a comment that wasn't what I
meant and I believed that they received
it this way which was like well some
people are boring like not everybody is
a comedian or friends with comedians. I
don't mean like you got the best
punchlines. I just mean like are you
talking about things that are
interesting to me?
>> Well, here's one way to do it. In fact,
let me give you this little essay which
is pretty cool. So, uh Jenny Jerome, who
was
>> Mr. and Mrs. Drums kid, Winston
Churchill's mother. Uh, she once dined
with both Prime Minister Benjamin Draeli
and his rival William Gladstone and
consecutive nights. When asked about her
impressions of the two men, she said,
"When I left the dining room after
sitting next to Gladstone, I thought he
was the cleverest man in England. But
when I sat next to Draeli, I left
feeling like I was the cleverest woman.
>> Some people are interesting. Some people
make people feel interesting." It's a
difference between being interesting and
interested. And this idea I came up with
of reverse charisma. Like most people
think that they want their stories to be
energizing, their aura to be electric or
whatever.
>> But what you actually want and what I
find myself being around more than even
that someone who comes in and ish like
[ __ ] jazz hands is
>> wow like I really feel [ __ ] seen
here. And maybe this is part of the
connection. Maybe it's the frequency
thing that you're talking about. But if
somebody
>> Why do you see se be feel seen when
somebody comes in doing jazz hands?
>> No, no, no, no. I don't. My point is
somebody No. Somebody that comes in and
has this very electric aura. It maybe
is, as you said, uh less boring, out
there, lots of stories, all the rest of
it, like whirlwind of
>> doesn't leave you feeling seen.
>> But that's fine. And I like being around
those people. But that the skill set to
be able to be that sort of a person to
have that kind of charisma for one of a
better word I think is uh typically
quite high. And maybe that was what uh
triggered the person who left that
comment saying well some people are just
boring. Maybe they thought that they are
that kind of person. I'm a little bit
lower energy. I'm a little bit more
thoughtful. I'm a bit more shy. I'm a
bit more whatever.
>> Thoughtful isn't boring.
>> Okay. But if you don't say much, right?
Let's say you just don't get the words
out that quickly or you don't think that
quickly when it comes to like telling
whatever. Um, if somebody feels that, if
somebody feels like they might be boring
and they're worried that they are, I
mean, one thing is to go and have some
life experiences and become a little bit
more confident with your communication,
all the rest of it. And that's great and
you should do that, too. But a much
quicker route to making people feel
comfortable around you and to connecting
with people is to just get really good
at asking questions. And that the bar
for that, I think, is significantly
lower. So, if you ask the question like,
"How did that make you feel
>> or why?" or "What did you mean by that?"
like as somebody is telling a story, if
they're even like remotely compelled by
what they're talking about, that is them
away for ages. Now, you as a question
asker now have to deal with whether or
not that person's interesting to you.
And again, this is the compatibility.
But if you're someone who thinks like,
ah, [ __ ] like, I wish I was more like
socially competent or I wish that people
I seem to like people, but I struggle to
contribute to the conversation in a way
and I'm worried that I don't have much
to talk. That right there, that
awareness of what they maybe think is a
shortcoming is your
is your superpower. So if somebody
doesn't know what to say, so they just
don't say anything, maybe that is
boring. And I use a boring as a
blanketed statement. I know it's
blanket, but
but if you Hey guys, I'm uh you're all
so charismatic and I feel like I have no
idea what to say. I am so invested now.
I'm in like what do you mean? I didn't
even realize this. What are you feeling?
I don't know. You [clears throat] guys
are doing jokes and I feel like I'm not
saying anything. Oh [ __ ] Should we all
be quiet? You know, like should we put
on our sunglasses? We could find a game
together.
>> It's interesting that you've got So what
you keep doing the the strategy that you
keep going for is calling out the game.
So have you ever read um Escaping
Flatland? It's a book from like 1850 or
so. Sounds niche as [ __ ] but you you
might
>> Yeah, the the book from 1850,
>> but it's it's super famous. It's it's a
um a book about a two-dimensional world
>> and you know so many things. I guess
it's your job now.
>> I've just spoken to thousand people and
I'm like the end of a thousand person
human centipede. So like what I've got
left is nutritionally very non-dense,
but there was lots of it.
>> Um
>> great, great analogy.
>> Um so
>> it's actually my shirt. [laughter]
>> Sorry I messed up the momentum. Go on
the end. This book is about a
two-dimensional world, Flatland. Uh, and
a threedimensional sphere comes down to
Flatland.
>> And this sphere is a circle
>> and the circle is able to make itself
grow and shrink inside of Flatland. And
the citizens are amazed. What they don't
understand is that this sphere is moving
itself through a dimension that they
can't see.
>> It's not getting bigger or smaller. It's
getting closer and closer.
>> Exactly. Exactly. what you're doing, at
least what it sounds like to me your
preference in terms of conversation
style is or what you would like to see
more from some people and your advice is
again like we said with the game of
tennis is to almost say well why are we
using the racket why can't we use our
feet or does the net need to be there at
all or can we leave the stadium like or
can we hit the why don't we hit the ball
straight up as opposed to across the net
to each other
>> you're moving on a dimension that is not
within the confines of the game I think
what I'm comparing with myself is I tend
to try and
um achieve the same thing that you do
but within the confines of the game. I
think I have less bravery socially for
calling out that sort of stuff than you
do. So what I would do and this is from
a decade and a half of running
nightclubs, standing on the front door
of nightclubs. Like
>> there is a particular sort of game that
needs to be done. You need to do it
really, really, really quick. So I need
to keep it within this but like this
person's like too drunk. So, I need to
come up with a way to play the game, but
also get them to realize they're not
[ __ ] coming in or to uh get them
downstairs before the door staff see so
that we can get their £5 off them even
though they are too drunk to come in or
whatever it is that we're doing. Right.
As a part of that, what I like and what
I find fun as a game is to see whether
or not I can get the movement of the
conversation for the shy person to feel
more included or for the uh extroverted
person to shut the [ __ ] up or for the
funny person to be more funny or
whatever.
within the rules of the game. And I
think that that's the challenge. Maybe
because of a insufficient social bravery
to break the rule of the game and go and
become the sphere sort of growing and
shrinking or just I don't know,
preference or whatever. But I I'm
thinking like, huh, how much do I do
what Rick's saying he does here? How
much do I like punk the game or call out
the game? Like how much do I say what's
going on versus try and get the outcome
that he's trying to get but within the
confines of the game? And I think
typically I do I do the latter. I want
to talk about this for for a while.
>> Okay.
>> Okay. Dig in.
>> First of all, when you It seems like
when you
>> Sorry, can I have another water, guys?
>> Same, please. Yeah.
>> Uh it seems like when you are talking
about calling out the game versus doing
it within the game
>> as if those are two separate worlds. I
don't want to have to go over here.
That's not what we're doing.
>> I don't see us talking about which way
we hit the thing is going over here. If
you've never played pickle ball before,
>> um, and you've played tennis, we could
just do it. And then, you know, you you
you you don't you step in the kitchen or
whatever. I don't know the rules well
enough. And and I could be like, "Oh,
you stepped in the kitchen." And then
you'd be like, "Oh,
>> you know, so you're out or whatever the
thing is, and then eventually, you know,
you'll figure it out." Or you could be
like, "Hold on a second. So, let me
really quickly explain to you. This is
what we're doing." D
>> you might have questions. Maybe you
don't. So, I agree. The difference is
that socially the rules are unwritten.
Uh, in pickle ball, the rules are very
explicit.
>> Where are the the pickle ball rules
written?
>> There's got to be a document somewhere.
>> Have you Have you ever played pickle
ball?
>> Yes.
>> Have you read the document?
>> No.
>> They're unwritten. Then
>> that's true. But they're written
somewhere.
>> They're not. Yes. Yes. Somewhere they're
written. I'm not But who who's reading
them out of all the people? I actually
need to interject into your interjection
here, which is I have a friend who lives
in Austin, Texas, who did precisely that
and did read them and broke the game of
pickle ball so badly that they had to
litigate his new move out of the sport
of pickle ball.
>> It's like adding the three-point line.
>> He is Indian.
>> I know.
>> Which says a lot. [laughter]
>> This unwritten rules I I I have been I
have a a document of a lot of things I
would want to do. more there. There's
some some some of them are chapters,
some of them are examples. Um, thank you
very much. Um, Dean, are we okay with it
down there?
>> That's Dean.
>> Oh, hey Dean. [laughter]
Um,
I want to write a book because there are
so many things that I never knew are
like you're supposed to do. Good things.
How are you? For example, and I want to
do a book called um uh unwritten rules
written. And just this idea of like, oh,
here's, you know, here's why when you go
show up to somebody's house, it's nice
to bring flowers or bottle of wine, even
if you know they don't want it. And not
that you have to do this, but here's
what some expectations are that if you
don't do them, at least make that be
your choice.
>> This is your prep document, but for
being a human rather than dating you
>> for being their human,
>> you know, because being a human is is,
you know, how much is it based off of my
intuition of what I want, what I like
versus what you're telling me I'm
supposed to do. Can we discuss a list of
things I have that are some of the most
difficult to do whilst looking
dignified?
>> Yes. And after that, I want one of us to
remember to go back to talk about the
game thing.
>> Game thing. Um, picking up a moving ping
pong ball.
>> Very difficult to do with dignity. Like
if I throw a ping-pong ball over there
and I'm like, Rick, would you grab that
for me please? And you're like, you sort
of tumble after it.
>> You're not an athlete.
>> Starting a stopped bicycle.
>> I get it. turning around ever.
>> Eating a little bag of cereal with your
hands.
>> Yes. Yes. Uh
trying to consume soup that's too hot.
On the opposite end, um eating from an
ice cream cone that's melting
>> and you got to move real quick and get
around the sides. Yeah. Yeah. You're
like Bonnie Blue. Um,
you're out working how working out how
to sleep inside of a blanket in a room
that is uh too hot while you're too cold
or while that is too cold while you're
too hot. You're like, "Okay, do I go
arms under and just poke my head out
like a little mummy or do I take my arms
out and then pull it back down?"
>> Huh. That's making me think of being in
a bedroom, uh, making love to somebody
and then going into the bathroom while
they're still in bed. If you have a
small ass.
>> If you have a small ass.
>> Yes, I have a small ass. So, whenever I
walk to a bathroom, I either have to
moonwalk back so they see my big
rockhard [ __ ] or I have to say, "I have
a little ass. Don't look at me."
>> Why is it still hard?
>> Well, it was hard, but still it's it's I
guess it's not hard.
>> Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
>> Which is also, by the way, I used to be
very embarrassing
to be seen naked. get me. It's a
vulnerable thing. But if I'm going to be
intimate with somebody and they see me
soft, that's fine. It's going to happen.
You I if a woman ever sees my penis soft
before hard, I am humiliated.
>> It's okay to have gone from like grower
to shower, but not from like the soft to
hard. It's like, okay, if as long as
you've seen the Statue of Liberty,
>> it's almost as if it's almost as if I
think that she thinks when she sees my
penis soft, she thinks, "Is that his
penis when it's hard?"
>> Right. Okay.
>> So So,
>> have you ever called that out? Just so
you know, darling, this is soft right
now. It does get harder than this.
>> You told a um I don't remember what it
was, but it was a love note from a
husband to his wife, and the the reveal
at the end is she is no longer with us.
Beautiful. I've I've watched that a
couple of times. Uh, and it makes me cry
>> when I do.
>> Yep.
>> He calls her darling. And to hear you
say darling in that voice, in this
context, when that way of darling is
associated with this, it's really is
what it's like when Pavlovian response.
Okay. Um, sidling into a booth at a
sports bar and you have to be the one
that's right at the very end.
>> That's the one that I connect. Out of
all the ones that you said, that's the
one that I I connect with the most.
Closing a car door whilst holding two
bags of luggage.
>> No, that's the [ __ ] coolest. You use
your knee or something.
>> You got to do that like
>> No, that's cool stuff. You don't have to
do that. And why are you putting the
luggage so high up? Keep it down here
and give it a little nudge.
>> Okay. All right. Fair enough.
>> You don't have to go like this.
>> Yeah. Well, you do. You're like a It's
like romcom and you've just got back
from the date and you're like, ah. And
you're like,
>> "Drinking from a straw during a fight."
>> [ __ ] Dude, drinking from a straw is
so good. trying to catch a straw that's
like you've got cup over here watching
something or talking to somebody and you
miss it and you go
>> see I think that's just fun comedy
acting I think even just going for a
straw my instinct even when I'm by
myself is
[laughter]
like a horse you look like a horse when
it does that thing where it goes like
you seen that
>> um
>> yes you have punk in the game again
>> why don't we just move on
>> okay tell me about the rules of the game
>> nay it's over
>> nay Hey. [gasps] So, do you have more
though? Cuz I
>> What else have I got that's in that?
Yeah, you can go.
>> The idea of uh and if you have any, call
them out. But the idea of of of the
rules to the game uh and setting them
setting them up, I think that that is
that is literally getting on the same
page with somebody.
>> So, we could get on the same page by
just kind of maneuvering and seeing if
we could figure it out. But what's the
in the pro list of pros and cons? What's
the con of you saying, "Wait, hold on a
second. I'm confused with this." Or,
"Hold on a second. Seems like you and I
are on the same page. We have to you
have to serve it to the opposite end of
the court." Like, what what's what's the
con for not wanting to do that? Mhm.
>> The con for not wanting to Well, I the
con for doing it is easier to make the
case of um just that you have to
>> That's what I meant. That's how I meant
it. Yeah.
>> Break the flow of the conversation in
order to be able to talk about the
conversation. And typically for some
people that feels a little bit
uncomfortable.
>> Yeah. Which you're cannibalizing the
momentum.
>> Yeah. Of course. We're back and forth.
We're back and forth. Am I doing the
thing? And it's like, "Hey, no, stop."
And I think my point around where are
the rules of the conversation sport
written and the fact that they aren't. I
think what I'm the reason that I feel
more comfortable and I feel like most
people would feel more comfortable
talking about the rules of pickle ball
than they would the rules of the
conversation in whatever form you think
that that exists is
legitimacy because someone somewhere
knows there's a [ __ ] ancient scroll
that's got the pickle ball rules written
on it. Uh
>> well, there's an ancient scroll that
says you're supposed to say good things,
how are you?
>> But is there? No, I don't think there
is. Not in the same way because it's
unconstrained. Uh here's another one.
Let me give you this one which I love as
an as an example.
>> Your capacity at pickle ball is not
judged as being close to your sense of
self.
>> Mhm. I'm not saying and for a
professional pickle ball player or
somebody who is a a insecure
overachiever, maybe you do feel like
your performance in pickle ball at the
local pickle ball league determines your
self worth. But most people would say if
you made some error in the game of
pickle ball by stepping into the
kitchen, that doesn't mean that you are
bad or that you are lesser.
>> Yeah. And I think what a bummer that if
you make an error and you say, "Oh, he
was an Indian guy by the way." And
you're like, "Oh, maybe I shouldn't have
said that." Oh, that you're a bad pickle
ball player.
>> Okay. [snorts] Like
>> he's a great pickle ball. number two in
the world.
>> No, I'm I'm I'm being sincere. I'm
saying that like
>> if you do something bad in pickle ball,
it's not going to affect your self
worth. Traditionally, you're saying
where if you you know get in a booth and
you have to go to the other end or a
girl sees your flat little [ __ ] ass,
I'm less than. What a bummer.
>> Well, that's true. Uh, my point is when
we're talking about conversation,
>> sorry, me even me addressing it stops
the momentum
>> a little, but it's funny.
>> It wasn't that funny.
>> All right. Well, I mean, you did it.
>> Yeah, but
which side of this debate do you want?
Do you want to defend yourself or not?
>> Oh, I didn't even realize that's what I
was doing.
>> No,
>> I I'm like I'm interested in this and
and like I didn't realize that's what I
was doing. I'm like just noticing like
oh, like the momentum shift. Okay, this
is what he was talking about and I'm
just trying to form an opinion on that
just then.
>> Mhm.
>> But now I'm feeling like I'm stepping on
what you're saying and you called me out
in something that I'm I'm a little
confused with.
>> I was just trying to cuz you said
bummer. It's funny. You said bummer
presumably because you thought it was
funny. And I'm like well you said it
presumably because you thought it was. I
said it's funny. You said no it's not.
I'm like which one?
>> You can either say it and believe it or
say that it wasn't funny but you don't
get to do both. I mean, I guess where
are these rules written somewhere?
[sighs]
>> Do you want to talk about it?
>> [ __ ] you. [gasps]
>> Okay. In my mind, the bummer is a
throwaway. You familiar with this term
over where you're from?
>> Tag. Little tag.
>> There's a difference, and we don't need
to get into it. Cool.
>> Throwaway is um if you hear it, enjoy it
or don't. If you don't hear it, it
doesn't it doesn't it's there's no
exposition in it. It doesn't matter.
It's just something it's like, "Oh,
yeah, nice car."
>> So, it was my fault.
>> Oh, man. and you are an overachiever.
So, what I'm saying is when I
>> Allow me to make your bummer my fault.
Your flat ass is now funny that you say
that your bummer is my fault. Um, let me
[ __ ] finish this thing. Um, in
conversation, your uh ability to
converse, to um make the other person
feel socially comfortable, to be
accepted by the group. Um, you're
playing within the confines of the game
in a way that is associated with your
sense of selfworth. an a good example of
this to compare the two. When I first
started doing the show, I wanted to um
become a better speaker. So, I got a
diction coach and an improv. I started
doing improv and I did some other bits
and pieces. Some of my friends said to
me, "Well, now that you're doing speech
training, what about your accent? What
about, you know, what if they degrade
your northern accent, North British
accent?" And I was like, "Well, you
know, I'm not going to be able to
completely get rid of it." and that's
not even my goal. I just want to become
better at speaking. But I noticed that
they wouldn't have said the same thing
if I was a pianist and I said that I was
going to go and get a teacher to teach
me to be better at the piano. No one
would have said, "Well, what about your
beautiful natural way of playing the
piano?" And he go, "Well, there are
objectively better and worse ways to
play the piano, and by working with a
teacher, I can become better. There are
objectively better and worse ways to get
words to come out of your mouth. You can
be more precise. You can use your
consonants to allow things to clip and
to sound more effective. Okay. Why is it
that someone sees the way that you speak
as close to your sense of self, but the
way that you play the piano as not close
to your sense of self in that if you
were to work on it and improve it
diligently
uh and deliberately
that's good in one scenario and slightly
odd and almost like you're warping
yourself and changing yourself. And to
just do one more loop back to the pickup
artist thing. I think that was one of
the reasons that women have an ick
around finding out that men have sort of
done dating training
>> because well, who are you really if this
is you curated and cultivated and
improved because you learn dating or
something? Well, how how where where's
you where are you in there? And there
are some things that are close to our
sense of self and some things that
aren't. Pickle ball, I would say, except
for a very select few of professionals,
is not close to your sense of self, but
conversation is. So, when you call out
the rules of the game,
>> we're pickle talking about the game.
We're not talking about the person.
>> That's true. But I think that the person
and the game when it comes to conversing
is merged much more closely than it is
in many other pursuits. I believe you. I
just don't feel it that way.
>> I also don't even connect with what
you're saying about speech coaching and
piano. I think that I play the piano and
I think there's literally a term of
phrasing when you play and the way that
you phrase and the way that you move
between chords is your accent is your
uniqueness signature. Yeah. If you were
if you were playing uh sheet music uh
and you you play to the rhythm and you
play the notes that they're doing, but
there's a reason that this person sounds
different than this person. Similar to
acting where you know some some script I
uh I did a commercial with Jim Parsons.
Do you know who Jim Parsons is? He's one
of the guys from Big Bang Theory and we
talked a lot because at the time I was
on a I was on a multicam and he's on a
multicam. Um multicam is a TV show.
There's like um single cams and
multicam. Multicam is one that's a play
but there's a camera. So there's no
fourth wall. There's a live audience
usually. Um
>> and
>> traditionally plays you don't improvise
too much because there's so much
choreography with the blocking of the
camera switching and everything, right?
um on his show, on Jim's show that uh uh
which is Chuck Lori where he's known for
not only are you not allowed to
improvise, you need to pause when
there's a comma. It's very exact, right?
>> Y
>> if you're going to be a great multicam
actor for this type of uh boss, hit your
mark, know your words, know your pauses,
but then, well, what about what I bring
to it? What about my phrasing? You're
going to have your phrasing built into
it, or you'll be a robot. Right. And I
feel that way with a piano as well as
much as dictation. I mean, whether it's
your accent or it's your charisma of
like putting things aside and adding
your own little twist, whatever it might
be,
it's it's as a comedian, it's called
find I mean, most artists, it's like
finding your voice. What's your voice?
Do you know who Sebastian Maniscalo is?
>> Yes.
>> He's one of my favorite comics. I tr
when I tell people about him, I I can't
I tell his joke. I can't I'm not able to
do his joke. I know all the words.
>> Interesting. Despite being a comedian
and also knowing the joke
>> and and and appreciating it like this is
it's not like I'm saying something
that's not funny to me trying to make
it. This is funny. I know all the words
and I do this professionally. I cannot
do his thing. I cannot do it. It won't
work.
>> That's funny.
>> It's his phrasing.
>> It's his faces. It's his even if I do
the same timing. Yeah.
>> Um anyway,
I'm realizing that like this the the the
past like 40 minutes has been a little
bit of us um I can imagine uh me uh like
contradicting the conversation of what
you're saying. Like I even said when I
said about the piano, I saw you like
this. Um I just want to acknowledge
pardon me for saying the rules of the
game. I'm having such a good time and I
love conversations like this. I also
could imagine it's going all over the
place.
I'm I'm having a ton of fun as well
because it allows the
>> it's not meandering, but it's allowing
you to go where is interesting, which is
cool.
>> I also think like when I watch your your
your stuff, I like I have I have these
thoughts. I like I don't talk to you,
but the thing's like, "Oh, [ __ ] Yeah,
that's incred. I don't know what does he
and I'm like I'm just I'm I'm just now
consciously recognizing, oh, I'm
watching I'm watching this."
>> Yeah. You just happen to be an active
participant. No, I so I I to kind of
bring it into land or to put a bow on
the the the conversation thing. Um
the reason that I liked the inverse
charisma idea which is getting people to
believe that they're interesting.
>> Yeah. By being good at asking questions
is that um assuming that probably some
significant cohort of people that that
is pretty useful to are maybe a bit shy
or a little bit more introverted or not
super confident. I think that you can go
from uh shy and introverted to being
good at asking questions to maybe being
interesting at telling stories. I think
that the black belt level of this is
doing what you're doing and saying, "Why
don't we call out the game itself?" I
think the amount of bravery that's
needed typically in a social situation
to be like, "I'm feeling a bit bored at
the moment. Anybody else feeling a bit
bored? Why can't we why don't we talk
about something else or whatever,
especially one-on-one with somebody?" Uh
that requires a leaprog of
uh bravery that I think most people
would struggle to get to.
>> You're doing reverse charisma right now.
>> How so?
>> By telling me what I'm doing is black
belt.
>> Uh
>> and making me feel like I'm good at
something.
>> However, I think what other people do is
the harder thing. I'm not doing the hard
thing because why not? I think not
acknowledging the thing is where I'm
uncomfortable.
And if I wanted to challenge myself and
I have done this uh I have a story maybe
I'll even tell you about this if there's
time and you're interested but this just
happened and I had to call a friend that
was like a sponsor for I was going on a
date with this girl and she kept pushing
the time back which and I
>> the same day
>> tell the story.
>> Uh okay. Um
so there's this woman that um we've
never met but we follow we followed each
other on social media for years. um uh
at any given time if we're both single
there's maybe some mild flirtation and
there's not. So like we don't know
anything other than our projections of
what they post, right?
I go uh to a city um being vague on
purpose. Um I go to a city and she I'm
doing shows there and she wants to come
to the show. Now um I'm only doing two
shows and some cities tickets sell well,
some not so much. These were sold out
and I happened to have uh saved a guest
list of tickets and I have two tickets
saved for her and I don't know what show
she wants to go to. So I saved two for
both friends wanted to come people that
sold whatever. It's not that big of a
deal. Like I I could give these tickets
away. If I don't I don't. Whatever. Um
so she was coming to the first show but
I still saved the second show because
who knows what happens. Um the day
before the first show uh she didn't tell
me. I checked in saying, "Hey, um do you
uh you know, here's the place if you if
you come blah blah blah. I'm so sorry. I
have to I'm out of town. I'm working
blah blah blah blah, but um I want to
come to the other show." And then the
day before that show, she messaged me.
She goes, "Hey, is it possible I get two
tickets so I could bring a friend?" I
said, "I already have two tickets for
you."
My friend who comes with me who's who
who opens the show, he has some friends
in town. He asks if they could have is
there any way we get tickets? I don't I
only have these two tickets and I'm I'm
giving them to somebody else. Not that
big of a deal, but whatever. I got a
text after the show that 15 minutes
after I went on, "Hey, sorry I can't
make it." It happens. It does. It would
have been nice if you told me before the
show I could have given these tickets
away. It's just It's not necessarily a
red flag, but it is something that I I
was disappointed and it happens.
I really want to see you though. Um blah
blah blah blah. So, we plan this day.
I'm doing these things this day. I'm
free at this time. I tell her that. she
tells me where she lives, blah blah
blah. My assumption, and I'm aware it
was my assumption. My assumption was I
said, "I'm I'm I'm I'm done at this
time. I'm free at 5." That since she
didn't say, "I can't do five. We were
going to meet at 5." Um when I finish my
thing at 4 something, I message to like
make some plans. She goes, "Hey, I'm da
da da da. I'm going to take a shower.
Let's meet at 7:30. Let's meet at 7:00."
So, in my head, I'm like, "Yeah, I made
the assumption at 5. Great. There's
shows in town that I could do. A friend
invited me to dinner that I can't go to
because I'm I'm going on this date with
this girl." Um 704 comes because oh she
said she was going to pick a place
because I didn't know. I I said I I
understand it's it's very masculine for
a person to pick a place. I found these
things. If you like them, let's do them.
If not, I would love a little bit of
help here. Where should we go? Uh 7:04.
And I'm saying it's 7:04 because on my
head I'm like I'm waiting for her to
message me. But I also don't want to
gamify this. I'm I I didn't get the
information. She's not a great texter.
At least not yet. Um, I don't at 7:04
where Hey, where you know did you figure
out a place yet? At 7:30 she said, "I'm
so sorry. I'm running a little bit
behind. Can we make it 8:30?" I'm now
thinking to myself, we said 5 to 7 to
8:30, but we have to take the five off
the table. That was my assumption. But
why don't we split the difference the
tickets that I couldn't give away. It's
just I'm like, what are we doing here?
So, I'm already now feeling once we move
it to 8:30, I'm feeling like
my ego doesn't even want to meet this
person anymore. Um,
it is what it is. At at 8:30,
um, at 8:30, not before 8:30, at 8:30,
she said, "Hey, I'm sorry I'm running
late. Uh, can we want to make at 9:00 if
you don't want to meet?" Now, if it's
too late, I understand, but I still
really want to meet you. Which
>> you don't want to meet? It wasn't that I
I could look it up. It was basically
what I received. It was her feeling bad
that she pushed it back. Um while also
not not conceding that she didn't make
this a priority. Not this being me, this
being her commitments. Um and if it's
too late, I understand giving me an out,
but letting me know I still really want
to see you.
I'm now like I [snorts] could have gone
to dinner. I mean, if we made at 9:30, I
could have, you know. Um, and I wrote
I'm not thinking like, okay, if she
comes comes, and by the way, the plan
where we were going to meet was now, um,
she said, I I'll come, she's going to
come to my hotel. This literally, it's
an awesome hotel with a fun lounge
downstairs. There's no in my mind
assumption or or there's nothing hookup
about this. It's just she's now going to
come to me for a convenience, I guess.
And I'm thinking to myself, there's no
way I'm going to be able to say nice to
meet you and not call out the game. This
is [ __ ] not. And she the tickets and
the this.
>> So I I wrote a letter, a letter, I mean
a text, but a letter. Um I actually kind
of want to read it and maybe this is
embarrass. I didn't send it.
>> Okay. Can I pull it up?
>> Snug it. Yeah. Yeah.
So, I wrote something that I knew I was
writing this for me, but after I wrote
it, I'm like, should I send this? And I
sent it to a friend who I'm glad told me
no. Because his his logic was, and I
agree with this, you would always say
this later. If you end up meeting this
person and you feel safe and and it's
brought up, you have this you you you're
in touch with with your feelings. But
before you ever meet a person, so what
if I if I didn't give you the setup and
and I was just and someone be like,
"Hey, Rick's a bit much. What do you
mean? Let me show you this text he sent
a girl that he never met." You'd be
like, "Dude, you're [ __ ] out of your
mind." So, I want to add the context and
I'm aware of that, but this is how I
articulated it to myself and I wanted to
send it to her. Uh, I don't know how
embarrassed I'm going to be yet because
I don't remember this yet.
I didn't send it as a caveat.
I wanted to share something before we
meet because if I didn't, I think I'd
end up cancelling or showing up in a way
that doesn't feel genuine. I've been
feeling frustrated. We were planning to
meet at 5, then move to 7:00 and then to
8:30.
I turned down a stand-up show and
another podcast so we could get
together, which I was happy to do, but
it left me feeling like my time wasn't
really being considered.
Same with yesterday. I didn't send this.
I held my last two tickets for you, and
when you let me know you weren't coming,
the show had already started. I totally
understand that plans changed, but the
timing left me feeling overlooked. I
know you've had a busy week traveling. I
get that things have been a lot. I'm not
saying this to guilt you, only I'd
rather tell you where I'm at than show
up hiding. If meeting up doesn't feel
right after hearing that, I'll
understand.
By the way,
at 9 at at uh 9:30 it at 9 it moved to
10:00 and she apologized that her friend
is going through something and she lost
track of time which she didn't lose
track of time because you told me. Um
and uh she's I'm running together. I'm
getting it together. Um I said, "Hey, at
this point I'm at my hotel. Uh if you
want to come, I'd love to see you. If
not, it is what it is." you know, I'm
I'm now I'm not doing anything anyway.
So,
um she tells me at uh at 10:20 something
that um that uh uh I'm I'm in the car
and then she said, "Well, technically
I'm waiting for the car is now still
okay." I said, "Yeah, come." Uh she
said, "Uh uh her Uber is maybe 10
minutes away." 30 minutes goes by and I
said, "Are you coming?" And she said,
"Yes, sorry, five minutes."
I thought she meant she's in the Uber,
it's 5 minutes away. After 20 minutes, I
realized, oh, best case scenario, she
meant the car is five minutes away. I
messaged uh when she said I messaged her
back, my it was a bit passive
aggressive. It was my only way of
feeling like I'm being honest. I said,
oh, I didn't realize you were crawling
here. And then she ended up getting
there at 11 something drunk.
Drunk. Which, by the way, I am so
unattracted to people who are drinking.
It's the grossest. I'm not saying it
doesn't serve a purpose. I'm saying I
can't I don't want to be around it.
>> It's not hot.
>> A drink is different than, you know, I
could tell you're drunk because your
lips aren't the way they're supposed to
be. You know, it's just like And I'm
like, now I'm [ __ ] forced to do this
podcast with her for 90 minutes. By the
way, Daniel Craig was there. Okay,
that's cool.
>> Very. And I go, that's James Bond. And
this is his own thing, but she goes,
"Who?" And she's looking right there.
I'm like, "Be [ __ ] cool." And she
goes, "That's not him." And I was just
like, "All right." Mike, you know what?
You went through the 90 minutes?
>> Yeah, I was there with her for 90
minutes.
>> Why did you not just pull the rip cord?
>> Can I tell you the truth?
>> Yes.
>> She's unbelievably beautiful.
And I'm not proud of this. And I'm She's
She She is
She's so beautiful, even drunk.
There's a difference between being
attracted to somebody and thinking that
they're attractive, right? I was
actually happy that I wasn't attracted
to her in that moment. I'm like, "Oh,
I'm glad that that this is not okay with
me." Meaning that, but I wasn't enough
to where I was like, "Hey, we got to you
got to get out of here."
>> Also, the conversation wasn't the worst.
And she's the meanest. It was It was um
if it were a podcast, it would I I
wouldn't have posted it and I don't
think I've ever done that. You know what
I mean? But I was like, "She's so
beautiful." And this is
>> You just get to look at this thing for
90 minutes.
>> It's it's it's less it's more it's more
um childish than that. It's like
I'm try I'm I'm articulating this to
myself as well. Like it's somebody that
I'm that got grandfathered in. I've
we've like I've I this person that oh
I've been wanting to meet not I don't
know if I'm going to like them or not.
And there's there wasn't any type of
like a like this crazy draw to them. I
was like this is really and then I was
excited all all week to meet this person
and then I do and there she's so pretty.
There's something it was just I'm in
this cool city. I'm in this cool hotel.
It's this beautiful girl. It's just it's
really fun to flirt. It's really fun to
flirt. I like flirting.
>> 11:30 p.m. after it's been pushed. But I
I I don't know if I would have I commend
you for uh first off not sending that.
Secondly, I think the way that it's
written in terms of like this I just
want to state to you this is how I'm
feeling and this is why and I think it's
you know it's pretty balanced. Uh I
commend you for going through the
90-minute thing. I think my
bitterness radar my my pissed offness I
wouldn't have been able to reach
equinimity and then drunk I would have
just been like I I may have buried the
lead within five minutes of meeting I
told her all of this.
>> Uh
>> I forgot to say that. Did that relieve
>> that? The I think the only reason why we
were able to have the 90 minutes. Yeah.
Okay.
>> She came in and she said how embarrassed
she is and how sorry she is. And I said
I wrote a I I said I wrote a text to a
friend that I never sent to you and now
that you bring this up, I kind of want
to tell you some things.
>> I didn't read it to her, but she and I
told her
>> yes I I hear you. I I if I had I not
said that or had I said that and she
received it
>> Yeah.
>> unkindly.
>> I think even with that dude I think the
drunk thing would have just I would have
been like am I is this this a practical
joke? This has to be a practical job.
>> I thought I I thought I thought not even
the drunk I thought the way it kept
being pushed back I thought it was are
we going to see how long he's going to
be willing to do this thing.
>> Are you with your group of friend
girlfriends going I'm [ __ ] stringing
this guy along.
>> I'm feeling a bit self-conscious right
now about admitting something that was
true but not the only thing about cuz
she's so beautiful. I mean she is and
that's that was true but that wasn't
that wasn't what drove me to wanting to
have the date. I mean, if I wasn't
attracted to her, I wouldn't want to
have it. It was when she showed up,
there is a novelty to this thing where
it was just like, that's what I meant
about more childish, like this idea of
like this high school thing of like, oh,
this pretty person wants to hang out
with me. Like, I I could pretend that
didn't exist, but it does,
>> you know? I feel that way. I feel that
way all the time with my podcast when
people come over and like when Sebastian
came over, there's no way he's coming
over and doing this if I don't have a
podcast. So like, but I'm still aware of
like this is [ __ ] crazy. It's a
little bit like uh being a porn star and
getting to have sex. Like they I mean
they might want to do this, but they
wouldn't be doing this if we weren't at
work. Like they're doing it because all
of the cameras are here. Yeah.
>> So, but I get the similacrim of like
we're friend for like 90 minutes or two
hours. We're friends
>> and I get to I get to ask you questions
that I've wanted to ask you and I feel
like
>> and you have to answer them kind of.
>> You get Yeah. I mean or otherwise like
you know I'll ask it different.
>> Yeah. But yeah, there is this feeling
like I I I both love who I am and feel
like why wouldn't you want to be friends
with me? I also have this thing like I
told you, I didn't really have friends
as a kid and I didn't even recognize it.
I didn't feel unincluded, but I was. And
I didn't meaning I didn't recognize what
being included means until I started
playing basketball. And like these
people are forced to be my friends, but
they also we have the same goals.
>> Pornst star, podcast guest, basketball
team.
>> So that still exists for me. It still
exists for me where like I become
friends. Do you know who Lisa Gilroy is?
No. I think she's one of the funniest
people in the world. She's been on my
podcast a bunch now. She's an improviser
and an actress and she's unbelievably
funny. She comes over and when she comes
over and I've said this to her like it
feels like I'm so glad we're friends.
Like you want to be friends with me,
right? The way we play with each other
>> there's this feeling of like when people
want to be friends with me and I know it
where it's not like oh finally somebody
likes me. It's not it's it doesn't
remove a negative that exists. It's just
this thing of like [ __ ] I have like
it's having friends is crazy. Having
friends is like you want to play and
being around a person that you're
physically attracted to is another
thing. It's like this is [ __ ] aw
[ __ ] looking at you. It feels so good
to look you want to kiss me. You want to
kiss me. It's just I'm not like why
would you want to kiss me? I am so glad
that you want you want to like
when I was in school when friends would
go sometimes friends would go over to
other friends and everyone knows that
because they had a p a a a note that the
that the moms both moms or parents send
or guardians and the school agrees to
that you're going on their bus so like
when so like you know this kid's going
on this kid's bus so you know after
school they're going to go and be
friends with each other and I was always
like [ __ ] that's crazy all day. You
know, he's coming on your bus. I still
have that feeling. And it it isn't
exclusive to attractive people, but it
is it does feel it's all very high
school,
>> like the the the varsity team or the
pretty people, the funny people,
>> cool people, rich people, interesting
people.
>> Oh, interesting. I never thought about
rich people, but I can see how that's a
thing.
>> Yeah. Well, I anybody that has anything
that other people want,
>> that's that's the value thing. if
somebody can make me laugh or like if
you're awesome basketball player.
>> But that's the uh how would you say like
more shallow transactional version of
that is well maybe they can invest in my
company or maybe maybe they know
somebody that I can hire for this role
that I need.
>> Oh more I was thinking even that was
shallow. Yeah. I think that I think but
isn't that how I think that if if your
motives are undefined to the other
person then that's a bit like but like
[clears throat] if you were say hey I'm
a huge fan of yours and I I want you to
love what I do because I think you might
you' be a great partner for me and if it
offers value to you I would love to work
with you.
>> Yeah that's true. It's it's you the
defining intention. Yeah. The assumption
there is that one person needs to
coersse or cajol or convince the other
person like and they wouldn't do if they
had all of the information, right? Yes.
Like I want you to invest in my company,
but you probably don't want to, but I'm
going to fugazi you into thinking and
I've got special kind of access and I'm
going to do something in this situation
that allows me to get that.
>> Yeah. I went to uh uh school for
marketing and theater and in one of my
sales classes uh I learned that I've
also grew up my parents are in retail
and I've been in retail a lot um but uh
when you try and sell somebody something
um you're acting for yourself but if
you're trying to offer somebody a value
so like instead of saying hey I need to
sell these phones but instead I'm trying
to overcome an obstacle that you have
that this phone would help overcome. So
like finding out somebody else's needs.
If you are if this wouldn't benefit you,
then I don't even want to sell this to
you because it's a waste of both of our
time and it's manipulative. But if the
other person has So like don't sell the
product, sell the sell the obstacle that
the other person has. Yep.
>> And that's like what you're saying of
like
>> you know you have a lot of money and
what's $100,000 to you? Just let me have
it.
>> Yep. And then another version of that
that is that it feels very like
Hollywood is this idea of like I'm only
like talking to you and being friends
with you because maybe you might want to
and then you see somebody else, you
know, like having conversation with
somebody and then they see somebody
else. I'll I I'll say right away I I'm
not saying that you want to go and talk
to somebody else, but if you do like we
could end this conversation. I I I'm not
I when people when I'm talking to
somebody on their phone, I don't think
that they shouldn't be on their phone,
but I'm I'm gonna wait.
>> When when I'm with somebody and they go
to the bathroom, when we're watching
something, I'm going to press pause.
It's all the same [ __ ] But when I see
somebody doing that, there's no way I'm
not with you anymore.
>> I'm not with you. So, just say, "Hey,
listen. I know this might be rude, but
there's a [ __ ] Dwayne Wade is over
there and is a huge fan and I want to
see if I can like kind of get a picture.
Come with me or I'll come back and have
this conversation. I just got to go see
Dwayne Wade." You know, the thought
isn't super the superficial thought is
human. It's the way that you hide it or
or from yourself and or the other
person. And that's where the practice of
calling out the game,
>> I think, is just it's not brave. What's
brave is to not look at Dwayne Wade and
just pretend that I'm here with you when
I'm not. You know what I mean?
>> I didn't think that's brave. I think
that's cowardly.
>> It's harder. I guess instead of saying
brave, I'll say it's harder
>> in Yeah, it is. It is in in some ways
you're suppressing something, but it's
uh emotionally maybe easier. Certain
emotions like if your uh shame and your
codependency
uh and your social awkwardness is
stronger than your need to get a photo
with this guy that you like, your um
like desire, passion, whatever,
curiosity. Um you're like, I'm going to
lock in. I'm going to keep looking and
this is going to be okay. and uh don't
look at him again.
>> And then and then and then but you also
you find your differences to say, "Hey,
listen. I don't want to be rude. I just
saw Dwayne is there and I wasn't
listening for a second. I'm back with
you." But how [ __ ] cool is that? Like
saying just acknowledging acknowledging
>> otherwise I'm here.
>> Doing it in a classy way. I think the
delivery of this
is the devil's in the details of how you
actually do this thing because you can
do it in a really clunky way, right? And
I imagine somebody who
>> What's a clunky way if it's honest?
>> Clunky way. Well, still honest, but
what's clunky?
>> Uh, well, there are better and worse
ways. Like the one that you just did
there, which is like I just seen this
guy and he's like he's so [ __ ] cool
and like isn't that sick? Like should we
go over? I I want to go over. Do you
want to come with me? Like
>> a part of it the inclusion, the sense
that you're involving them. Uh, it's the
sort of doing it as a little
undercurrent thing. It's like, oh, this
is us. This is our little secret thing
and like you're in on it as opposed to
>> That's such a funny way. You're right.
That's that's a funny way of looking at
it. By doing it like this, it's almost
as if I'm telling you what I'm thinking,
but I'm also including you. Yes.
>> In my thought, part of it. You're not
excluding.
>> That's such a interesting way of looking
at it of like
>> Yeah. You're including somebody.
Yeah. I I think sometimes
maybe I I'm saying something that I feel
is valuable information, the rules to a
game, but I'm doing it for me and not
necessarily including the other person.
And maybe that's like what you're saying
of like, oh, it messes up the momentum
or changes things because
anyway, it's just an interesting
perspective that I hadn't hadn't thought
of before.
>> I think so.
>> Yeah,
>> I think that's awesome.
Yeah. Well, how wonderful to
[snorts]
make somebody feel included in this
thing,
>> obviously. But like, yeah, I don't think
I think that's a I think that's a a tool
that I could sharpen of like is this
including somebody?
This happens when things feel serious to
me. And um I [snorts] don't want to
Yeah, whatever. Um
I don't have more to say on that. And I
just think it's a it's a I love the way
that you articulated the thing that I
was already doing, but here's maybe why
this works
>> versus hey, I'm doing this now.
>> Like
me not messaging that. How do I know
when to tell the person the thing I'm
feeling? Sometimes you you tell this
person that's kind of, you know, I do
think if I messaged that to her before
we ever met, it [snorts] wouldn't
benefit either of us because because um
it it could benefit either of us, but
there's a there's a better chance of
doing it in person,
>> eye to eye, where they could they could
hear my tone instead of assume it. Like,
wait a second. But I like I felt like a
liar by not sending it. I'm not okay
with this. I'm not okay with moving it
to 9 or 9:30 or 10.
>> I could be if she knew how I felt, but
like
swallow it now. And I do think like and
I didn't know why even though I agree
with I do think by telling her that I'm
not including her in how I'm feeling.
I'm telling her how I'm feeling. And I
do think there's a significant
difference whether it's literally saying
you could come with me to Dwayne Wade or
like saying hey I want to tell you even
just the whispering. It's like it's Hey,
I want this is just for you.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
That's lovely. Uh I love there's
sometimes something something you just
realize or something somebody says and
it's like oh you could put I could put
that in my bag now where it's just like
when in doubt ask is this including this
person?
>> Mhm.
>> So yeah. Thanks. That was great
>> dude. That's awesome. Rick, let's bring
it home, bro. I I've uh I've really been
looking forwards to meeting you. Uh I've
been I actually had a question for you.
Uh which was
why Well, I guess you explained it
earlier on that you feel you learn
something and sometimes it's interesting
even if it's not quite in your
wheelhouse. Uh I was surprised that you
were a fan of the show. I didn't think
that it was slapbang in the the middle
of the the bullseye of what you would be
into. Uh but then actually I I mean I
I've had a lot of conversations with
people that on the surface I think would
have been like oh obviously these like
these two people make sense and today's
been like so much [ __ ] fun. I found
it very very cozy actually to be honest
and like very intimate
>> sweaters. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
>> Um I don't know you asked me but I have
an answer for um watching your stuff.
one um as a and I don't mean this term
derogatory but as a performer like you
are a performer. I'm not saying you're
it's disingenuous but I mean like as
somebody who is in front of cameras
literally looking straight to the camera
and saying stuff you're aware of you're
doing this with a purpose for people to
consume it, right? Um
there are some performers that I feel
like
I believe you and some I don't. And not
believing somebody isn't a bad thing.
Like I know Robert Downey Jr. isn't Iron
Man, but I could still buy into it. You
know what I mean? Like that's a he's
doing a certain type of performance. So
on one thing, I believe you. I believe
that you want to be saying what you're
saying. And also by design of what your
show is, it seems like you're like
you're documenting your growth. Whether
it's literally how many subscribers you
have or how many people [ __ ] before it
got into your mouth, you were just like
you're learning and that's like part of
the context of this. So, I just connect
with that because it's like
maybe you have something that will
benefit me, you know, like like the
perspective of inclusion, which maybe
somebody has said to me before and it
just didn't clock at the right time. Um,
and then you have guests on that um that
are like that have points of view. So
like the combination of a point of view
that I might share and might not share
opposite somebody who I believe that
since I'm not in the room to call
somebody out or to ask a curiosity I
believe that the person is there is
going to do it the best that person can
and um I just think it's an attractive
show. It is I mean there liter visually
it is too but like yeah it's it's it's
it's stuff that helps that doesn't feel
like I'm watching a self-help. Not that
there's anything wrong with watching
self-help, but it's just people talking
about, you know what, I've noticed and
like you did notice it. You know what I
mean? Like, oh, here's something you
actually noticed.
>> Let me listen. I think you have a great
show, dude.
>> Thank you.
>> Yeah,
>> that's really kind. I really [ __ ]
love yours as well. I think that the uh
way that it makes me feel most
importantly, it's not what I take away.
It's like the way that it makes me feel.
And like I don't know why this the word
of the day is cozy. Maybe it is like
jumper vibes. and the the the the um
bio, the little little description that
you've got of it and the
>> I don't even remember that. I wrote that
like when I first started.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like I uh I think I'm
a boy or I'm a silly boy or something
like that's in there. And um yeah, the
little illustration that comes across
like he's a little cute. He's like p
poking out behind the Yeah. To me it's
like oh [ __ ]
>> Like [snorts] it feels like I can just
uh it's like Sunday afternoon [ __ ] for
me and that's like very very nice. I I I
by design having a studio would benefit
for a lot of different logistical
reasons, but by design I want to do it
in my living room. I also when people
come over and they want to have their
publicist like people who I don't know
who I am and I would love to have them
on, I say no and uh nobody else could be
in the room and it's just you're in my
living room and I want to feel like
you're in my living room. And I do think
there's a coziness to it that maybe
that's a coincidence that you said it,
maybe not, but that is like a tone of
this show where maybe I'll be funny,
maybe I won't, but as long as we could
both be comfortable and like show up as
we are now,
>> then like I don't have to worry about
was this good or not. That's definitely
something that's been a challenge with
doing these uh what we call the cinema
shoots, which is what this is that uh
trying to make it feel
>> like unencumbered, natural, like [ __ ]
you know, there's all of these cameras
and all of this stuff and lighting and
it looks fantastic,
>> but okay, how do we like get to the
[ __ ] connection bit and how do we get
out of not necessarily performance mode?
Because you used the word professional
earlier on, which I thought was really
good. It's like um uh turning up when
you're nervous or or energized or
whatever the closest approximation was.
It's like that's being a professional.
That's being a professional. I turn up
and I do my job even if I [ __ ] I'm too
tired or I didn't learn my lines or I
you know this new bit's going to [ __ ]
eat [ __ ] or whatever it is. Like I'm a
professional so I'm going to turn up and
do that. But what you're trying to do
with a conversation like this is get to
that moment where it's like ah like
we've circled around this [ __ ] drain.
figured out any tricks that you could
articulate
[gasps]
>> a little bit the right amount of
foreplay before you get in, which was
what we did like no more than 10
minutes.
>> Dude, that's so funny that you say that
because I by design don't want like cuz
I meet people outside and walk them in.
And I say
>> you sometimes start filming outside.
>> No, no, no. I say uh I I say this is
producer Rick. I I don't want to be
rude. I don't even want to meet you yet.
>> I want to meet them on camera. And
interesting that you're saying don't
>> over.
>> So why what what have you found and I
know we're wrapping it up, but tell me
what have you found by foreplay before
camera that benefits us.
>> You It's the same thing with uh going
for dinner with the guest the night
before. I'll go with I would love to go
to dinner with you
>> afterward. I'd love to go to dinner with
you after we record.
>> Right.
>> Not going to dinner with you before. I'm
not going to dinner with you the night
before.
>> Yeah.
>> All of the same all of the best [ __ ]
that we want to talk about. I I know
this thing about you and I watch this
thing and I've got the jumper. Like I
don't
>> But that's the foreplay before.
>> That's But so my point is um dinner is
[ __ ] way too much.
>> So you do a little
>> but like uh uh you come in and we say
hey and we do this even you start to
creep out into 15 minutes and there's
unless you're in a group and that helps
cuz other people can do their thing. But
all of the [ __ ] that you want to talk
about, you don't have that much to talk
about and it's always and it's like
below the surface. It's always just like
trying to peek up like just below the
surface and then the second that you get
to talk it starts bursting through and
you're like, "No, fuck." Like the
camera's not on. Like shut the [ __ ] up.
Uh so uh limit the uh foreplay stuff
before I think is is real good. Um a
very at least in my experience uh
because the the style of my show like a
very quick like snappy first question
although today we just started talking
but if it is a little bit more hubony
like
>> it's about you the show's about you it's
not about me sometimes it's about me
when it's solo episode. Yeah but it is
the show is entirely like inverse
charisma 100%. It's like I want you to
look as good as possible on the show
even if it's somebody that I'm going to
try and push. I'm like, I want you to
have the longest amount of rope and with
it you can start doing like [ __ ]
skipping tricks or you can hang yourself
with it. But I'm going to like give it
to you as much as possible. Here's the
[ __ ] trampoline or the pedestal and
from up there like proalitize about
whatever you want and you're going to
look silly. You're going to look great,
but I'm going to try and make you look
I'm going to try and get the best
version of whatever your argument is.
your Bernie Sanders on the show in New
York last week. [ __ ] we were supposed
to have Kamala Harris today. Uh that
didn't come off but I was also on
Tucker's show and I'm like I guess I was
a guest but you know I've had whatever
Ben Shapiro like no matter who it is I'm
like okay I really want to [ __ ] get
to what you mean. Like I really want to
work out what you mean and I'm not going
to I'm not good at being canankerous and
like sort of backbiting flames flaming.
I know what can't take, but for the
people at home that don't,
>> disagreeable, like purposefully like
brusk and like spiky, like I'm not good
at that. Um, anyway, so
quick first question. It's like, hey,
away you go. This is about you. I'm
going to get the [ __ ] out the way. Like,
nice easy lowball first question. Uh,
Huberman like um asking him about he's
doing lots of stuff about cortisol. So,
I think the first question was like most
people think that cortisol is a bad
thing. Is that true? It's like
>> absolutely not.
>> There you go. Uh those that helps. Um
deepening the connection is sometimes
difficult because you you can't force it
as you've identified today. You can't
force connection. You're like am I here
with this person? One thing I have
noticed and I learned this term
yesterday which I think you might
[ __ ] love. Joe Hudson taught me uh
veagal authority.
So what he's referring to in any
interaction or in any room, one person's
nervous system is dictating everybody
else's. So, uh, somebody is in a
conversation group or one-on-one and
they get all excited.
>> Mhm.
>> And do you get excited, too? Do does
your nervous system
>> Well, by design, aren't you saying that
it would that you would? You're saying
that somebody's nervous system is
affecting other people's?
>> They are, but there's veagal authority,
which is whose nervous system is
dictating the
>> Oh, it's the alpha of the of the
>> I did think about that. He's doing it in
a much more embodied way, but yeah, kind
of. It's like who's who is the alpha
from a a vagal perspective. Uh somebody
gets all excited, do you stay calm and
do they come back down?
>> Somebody gets all excited and do you go
and meet them?
>> That's a co-regulation, right?
>> It is, but it seems to be at least in um
Joe's language it was one person tends
to own that more. And now what I didn't
ask him and I should have done what I
love is when you're you have uh
sufficiently
low or sufficiently high humility or low
ego where you can go okay this is your
turn to have the veagal authority.
>> Uh so there was moment where we got
silly and there's a moment where you get
to be excited but then uh sometimes you
don't have that you're not on the same
frequency quite so much and you're a
little bit more here and then you need
to be at least I found a bit more
blunt.
>> Yeah, you said you said, "Let me get
back to the thing."
>> A bit more blunt with your veagal
authority. But even not doing it
verbally, even just being like I've done
it in episodes where I've I've been able
to tell that somebody's nervous and
instead of me sort of matching that
speed of being really quickick tick tick
tick tick tick tick. I've been like
taken a purposeful like um 3se secondond
break. They've finished talking or
they've asked me a question. And I'm
like, h I would think if somebody was
nervous and the person opposite them
stopped talking and just went h that
would make him like more nervous.
>> If they ask a question, if it's a
statement, that's a bad idea. If it's a
question, it's good. So if they say,
>> so you're taking in their question
>> and I'm goingh [sighs]
reverse risk or whatever you called it.
>> Reverse. Yeah. Yeah. You know what's
inside? I've never been asked that
question before. It's almost like you're
giving that right. Exactly. Like you're
an unbelievable question.
>> Allow me to allow me to give what you've
just said so much respect that I'm
genuinely going to consider it. And also
take a [ __ ] second to chill your
nervous system out, dude. Cuz like
you're a little bit up here and we can
>> Yeah. You know, that's that sounds
better than what I would do is probably
You seem nervous. Is there anything you
could do? Yes. So, this is you breaking
the rules of the game or calling them
out and me trying to play within them.
I'm like, how? And
>> one could work when the other doesn't
and vice versa.
>> I think so. Brick Leman, ladies and
gentlemen, dude, you're awesome. I
appreciate the [ __ ] out of you.
>> Thanks, man. This is cool. Thanks for
having me. What a big podcast that you
included me on with all your fun like
star guests.
>> Yeah. Where should people go? They want
to check out everything that you're
doing. Are you on tour? Are you doing
tour?
>> Uh, I I'm I'm Yes. And um uh I have to
set up all the new dates. my my I only
have a few more cities left. I'm in
Vegas, Cleveland, and Phoenix. Uh
punchup.live/Rickglassman.
You can sign up for my email list. The
only time I email you is if I'm coming
within 50 miles of your city. I'm
setting up my tour for uh next year now.
>> And uh my podcast is called Take Your
Shoes Off. If there's anything that I
tell people that I'm the most proud of
to watch, it's uh
>> it's that.
>> What episode should people start with?
Um, well, I don't know if this is the
best starting episode, but my favorite
episodes of recent are, um, I guess a
good starting episode maybe be David
Cornerweat, who plays Superman. Uh,
that's fun because it has a lot of the
silliness, but it's also very connected
in what we talk about. Um, but right
now, my I've had Paul Rod on twice. Paul
Rod 1.0 and 2.0 are probably my favorite
because I I didn't know him before the
podcast and it ended up becoming
something that I almost didn't post. Uh
cuz um in the second Paul Rudd one,
something happened and I asked him and
he let me post it. Um but yeah, it's
wild. It's weird. Um but that's probably
what I would recommend people watching.
I think that doing it in the living room
is definitely creating a sense of uh
disarming in that way that allows people
to sort of drop in and that connection.
>> And it's called Take Your Shoes Off. Um,
and almost everybody who I've never met,
um, even if they're not a comedian, they
take their shoes off with or they come
in and they give me a little bit of a
jab. I've noticed this recently. I'm
like, "Oh, this isn't like, "Oh, you
want me to take your shoes off here?"
Like, "What are you afraid I'm going to
get mud all over the place?" Whatever it
is. Nothing mean. They acknowledge that
I had to take their shoes, they have to
take their shoes off and it's my fault,
you know, and they like call me. And I
also I was thinking about this recently
where like oh they're comfortable right
away because I'm saying I'm I'm showing
a weakness of mine and asking for their
help. Will you take your sho I used to
make people wash their hands when they
come in like before I got a dog. I mean
there was no unprotected sex, right?
>> But anyway lingering. I'm having fun on
the [ __ ] couch and
>> but yeah, people come in. They have to
take their shoes off. They see that I am
cuz I make a lot of jokes and like I
could be a bit aggressive, but they see
me right away as saying, "Hey, I need
your help with something. I have OCD.
Will you sit on this thing and take your
shoes off?" And they feel like, "Oh,
okay. I can maybe now show him my
things." Which was an accident that I
think like the a lot of times when
people have OCD, they'll let you me know
right away at the beginning of an
episode and they'll tell me their things
because they saw mine.
>> Does that make sense?
>> That's awesome. That's awesome.
>> All right, I'm lingering. I'm having
fun. The caffeine's still in. Thanks for
having me.
>> Appreciate you. Thank you very much for
tuning in. Uh, farting in bed and on
your house. All over your house.
Fighting all over your house. Um, what a
revelation. Another revelation. Jimmy
Carr. British revelation. Go watch him.