This man is not only incredibly talented at understanding people and seeing their underlying patterns, but also in articulating his views whilst leaving room for the person to explore themselves. I am truly in awe of his work and I can only hope to be this competent a communicator one day.
*Intro & Announcements:* 00:46 *Interview with Ali Abdaal:* 2:22 - *Ali's Introduction & Background:* 02:54 - *Feel Good Productivity Book Summary:* 04:10 - *Toxic Fuel & Enjoying Work:* 04:49 - *Relationship with Negative Reviews:* 06:20 - *Imposter Syndrome & Ego Protection:* 14:44 - *The Value of Work & Identity as a "Random Guy":* 21:33 - *Instagram Bio & The Ego as Clothing:* 44:41 - *Social Status, Fame, and Family:* 53:45 - *Balancing Career with Family Life:* 58:32 *Post-Interview Discussion:* - *Efficiency & Self-Awareness in Ali's Responses:* 1:07:50 - *Success Doesn't Equal Confidence:* 1:09:46 - *The Illusion of Insecurity & Shaping Reality Through Beliefs:* 1:13:04 - *Overcoming Insecurity Through Acceptance:* 1:17:15 - *Control Comes from Action, Not Luck:* 1:19:20 - *Stress and Anxiety Come From Perceived Lack of Control:* 1:20:19 - *Leaning into Discomfort & Difficulty:* 1:26:04 - *Internal vs. External Happiness:* 1:36:22 - *Societal Conditioning & The Pursuit of Happiness:* 1:37:16 - *Acting Without Reason & The Value of Play:* 1:48:52 *Community Challenge & Hackathon Highlights:* - *Make It May Results:* 1:40:15 - *Emotional Link App Showcase:* 1:41:48 - *Creative Jam - "A Love Letter to Third Spaces":* 1:44:47 *Outro & Announcements:* 1:52:39
The more interviews I watch, the more I realize how helpful it is to distance yourself from your perception of yourself, leaving your ego aside in cases where it isn't helpful. A lot harder said than that, but it seems so beneficial.
I wanted to joke about it being JoJo reference, but Notorious B.I.G. is actually very cool in bardcore. Have you heard Big Popa in bardcore? I vibed to it for weeks.
@adnuserg I've never heard of bardcore until right now. I listened to it, and now I can't get the image of Geralt slo-mo walking through a town with Bardcore Big Poppa playing in the background out of my head lol 🎶
Super interesting how this conversation was shorter but not necessarily less thorough. A lot of wisdom condensed there. I really had to pause and think for a bit like every couple minutes and take notes. Thank you both for sharing your work!
I love this collab so much, just 2 professionals challenging eachothers perspectives and giving eachother new insights. And seeing Ali rethinking and evaluate his thinking patterns
I'm around the halfway mark and all I can say is that it's interesting to see how this session unraveled in a way that's similar to my experience in HG coaching is (when I'm not emotionally activated). Like the way you can't pinpoint exactly why it bothers you and your coach helps you unpack where your insecurity is coming from. That feeling when Ali physically felt relief with the epiphany that he is just a random guy" is so freeing. As someone who has had those moments during my sessions it makes me feel relief and feel seen c:
I love watching Ali, and have thought a lot about what must be going on in his psyche to cause him to be the ways he is, both in his strengths and the flaws he shares with us. This is amazing to see him talking in depth.
Been struggling myself lately with imposter syndrom and identity barriers to my own productivity. This is the collab I didn't know I needed. So relatable! ❤️
Honestly this stream and Not overthinking podcast is the most fascinating aspect of Ali Abdaal I know. Not the yt channel, not his achievements, not productivity. Him, Ali Abdaal i find fascinating. His mind, his way of thinking, his insecurities and worldview. Very particular brain.
Agreed. He has always struck me as someone who really thinks a lot and deep about everything around him and the choices he makes. This is very apparent in the "meta" videos he has made throughout the years about his on life and career
@@whateverimake9350 I haven't watched him actively in a while but I remember some self reflection themed videos from the time he thought about quitting medicine and it was really a breath of fresh air for him to be very personal about his insecurities and thoughts about it to a wide audience. He's also not afraid to try new things and momentarily make a fool of himself which I admire. He started to learn freestyle rappin out of nowhere some years ago and posted his attempts at it from the very beginning. His productivity content is also probably the best on youtube imo.
I’m really interested in what Dr K thinks about all of this productivity, self growth content on TH-cam. Like Ali, and being on Iced Coffee Hour with those people who talk about financial success and achievement, and others. I remember on the iced coffee hour podcast, he mentioned again that your happiness doesn’t come from achievement but so much of these peoples content is achievement oriented and how to teach us to achieve more and more and more. What’s the balance between this “self growth” & external achievement content for viewers that’s so popular and pushing us to do so much, and still finding peace and stability outside of that and within ourselves? Are these conflicting?
I think they are and they aren't. Don't take my word for it, but there's a difference between "getting into something because you want success" and "enjoying the actions and discipline of something and achieving success because of that." In the second case, the success is a side effect but is not the goal- enjoying the craft is the goal. As such, they will not be crushed by failure or left adrift by success.
Dr. K and Ali Abdaal. Really interesting conversation. He seems to be wrestling with his ego, imposter syndrome, describing himself as "some random guy making YT videos", lingering insecurities and trying to detach success from authentic identity.
43:02 I just broke down in tears at work. I came up in a, I guess you might say "toxic" sales environment where they pump you full of positive affirmations and use manipulative techniques to press you harder and almost build up a fragile foundation with a false floor that for short stints can hold you. but, the positive affirmations burn SO much fuel. but, this neutral affirmation got me thinking, I had to pause the video and self reflect for a few minutes and that polarity of self shifted so much from this segment. thank you as always for every hit you do
for the longest time my mantra to produce was the old Yoda quote "do or do not, there is no try". and while I still think it has a strong place in moments, I think I've come up with a neutral affirmation that when I said it outloud felt that thing inside just sing because it was so right for me. "I'm just going to try". for everyone's expectation or belief of who I am or the responsibilities I should undertake or social standard they hold for themselves.... I'm just going to try. for everything that scares me to start doing, that first step.... I'm just going to try.... I'll take some time to meditate on this and breathe it in. but truly a genuine thank you for making the path even a little bit clearer
@@Day-vg1bh there are a ton of tedious jobs that involve menial physical tasks (like being a janitor) or sitting at a computer doing data entry or something where listening to a podcast while you work is possible. Some security guards and customer support or phone hotline type workers, receptionists, may be just waiting around during their job half the time for a customer/ for a phone call but until then they have more freedom to pass the time how they please. There are a lot of jobs where it isn't possible too.
OMG I've been following Ali for easy 5 years now. I completed school and grad through this and absolutely love how much his own philosophy around productivity has evolved into a more holistic approach. Plus it's rare for us South asians folks to talk about mental health. I'm so excited for this one ❤️
My honest observation, which I mean in a constructive way, is this: the conversation felt somewhat superficial because Ali didn't seem willing to delve deeper. Despite finding some solace in being a random guy online, it appears he’s conflicted about fully embracing this anonymity. It's as if he has a fearful-avoidant relationship with his online persona: he desires freedom from it yet it's deeply tied to his identity, so he hesitates to let go. There was a moment when Dr. K seemed to give up. They had agreed that Ali was just another guy on the internet, yet Ali shifted the focus to the dangers his future fame could pose to his family. It's as if he imagines becoming so famous and significant that his life might be at risk, almost like he were a president or someone equally high-profile. It’s like his mind is constantly searching for ways to become more than just an ordinary guy. On the other hand it's possible he's dealing with some sort of PTSD from a past stalking experience. Ali strikes me as someone who would resist ego dissolution at all costs, and it seemed Dr. K realized he wasn’t making progress. But then again, I might be completely wrong, I am just a random woman online 😁
As a random person online, I agree with your thoughts here. The way I understand it is that, practically typing, the insecurities that would drive someone to a point of such a high level of fame and wealth (and yet perceive it in a way that it will only get bigger) would be highly unlikely to change during one conversation, or even quite a few. There was one point in particular that stood out to me when Dr K effectively said that, if necessary, he, and someone who is not ego attached to their fame, could go from millions of subscribers to 0 in an instant if required. Ali agreed and says something to the effect of ‘yeah, theoretically’. However, from what I could understand Dr K meant it in a very literal and practical sense. To me this showed that, currently, even if there were massive stakes such as the lives of his children on the line, he would still find it difficult to separate from his ego/following. Based on this reaction, it appears to me that Ali has a very powerful and controlling ego. I think this conversation was a great start and introduced Ali to some interesting perspectives that he has never thought or encountered before. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here. If I had to guess I’ll say he will take the ‘I’m just a guy’ mentality, it will shield his ego as when something negative comes up he will mentally or unconsciously say ‘I’m just a guy’ and will continue doing his same old productivity thing but I could be wildly surprised. Maybe we get an Ali Version 2 (Ego Death) soon?
Yeah I agree, it was a pretty shallow conversation and I didn't get that much out of it tbh. But that's okay. I more enjoyed Dr K's debrief after the conversation.
I agree, my sense is that ego and status haunts him. I might be projecting, or I might be accurately detecting that he has a similar disposition and way of talking about this kind of stuff to me. For me, everything comes ultimately from insecurity, but I know status seeking is somehow wrong and/or hollow, so I want to believe that I'm not completely motivated by it ("want to help people" etc). I think Ali's ability to quickly grok and then articulate back the egoless framing just reflects his intelligence, and I worry that it won't have any meaningful impact because emotion doesn't easily give way to rationality. I would love to hear more about how to help people (tbh, like me) who understand and agree with much of the insight, but can't live it out
I somewhat disagree. I think like many people he is conflicted with current states of being and conceptions of how he would like to be in the future, but I think this is perfectly normal and likely something we each deal with everyday. I was glad he seemed open to consider different perspectives Dr K offered and didn’t try to resist certain thoughts, but rather gave each of them consideration.
This interview makes me admire Ali as a person. Answering personal questions, being vulnerable in front of millions of people is rather tough and uncomfortable for a public figure but he was a sport throughout. I don't know how many people would have the ability to be so easy and honest. Kudos 🙌. Also Dr.K is amazing!
I was pondering why I'm having such a stable sense of self-love regardless of my circumstances that constantly keep telling me how I'm not fitting here or there or supposedly disappointing and a burden. While listening to you, Dr.K, towards the later part of the video, I realised my self-worth is not just alright due to ego-death experiences and co. . One other major component I spotted today: I'm good at spotting the sources behind ppl's reactions. Prior to my awareness of my now (re-)diagnosed ADHD I had ppl react negatively in the context of me, all the time already. But I could always see right through. "My boss is saying they are mad about my mistake, but they aren't. They are actually scared of how that could lead to financial losses which they cannot afford. I can sense financial fears speaking through them. It's not about me and my mistake. It would be a no-issue without financial pressures on their end" "This family member is not mad about me failing to remember this task. They are mad about experiencing lack of reliability alongside me in a situation, where they're out of energy to deal with anything "on top". If this was a day during their holiday, it would be a no-issue and there would be surprise, apology on m end and me or us together addressing the practical problem" I could always sense the displacement of external and personal internal struggles of ppl in their reaction. I could always observe how they differed depending on NOT my change in behaviour, but change in their day-to-day circumstances. Because I never changed. I always had this brain with ever same advantages and disadvantages. All this time, I've stayed me. But who will react how to my same failures, will speak a great ton on matters that have little to do with the actual practical challenge at hand.
As someone with fibro and chronic PTSD dr k has helped me help myself so much. This interview was super insightful and I was engaged the hole time while doing a 5 k in 32:15
Im a doctor and i found Ali's justification for leaving medicine a disappointment. He said "the average doctor saves only seven lives over the course of their career...whereas I can help millions with my TH-cam videos" this just isnt remotely true...he mostly produces productivity porn and if doctors didnt save lives i gues we should just stop giving antibiotics for pneumonia and cellulitis and see how people fair with sepsis (also improving quality if life of patients including dying ones is very important)
I think he was just giving any sort of reason for leaving medicine other than serving his best interest which is a very successful career online. And I mean no wonder why, doctors in the uk are severely underpaid for their work. It's a no brainer to leave medicine than continue in it
Just because he doesn't feel like he's making an impact as a doctor doesn't mean doctors don't have an impact. If you are making an impact where you are and you feel good about it then good!
His ego tells a story to himself, about himself, to justify his life choices. It's not an attack on doctors, it's a shield against an uncomfortable internal truth: That he's sacrificed a meaningful life for that of a repetitive TH-camr. This video itself revealed how flimsy he finds his identity to be. So don't let a random guy on the internet rile you up 😉
26:26 love this part about addressing insecurities can be the worst thing you can do 45:22 what a great line about the ego worth revisiting 48:00 I got to work on how to do this and 59:11 too
i think the one problem with the "just a random guy" mentality is, it might allow you to sidestep accountability for the way in which you wield your power and privilege. i get hat Ali has good intentions, but there is still a moral reckoning to be had when you command so much attention and capital in a world that is so unjust. it's not really the case that "i'm just saying stuff and people might find it hepful," there are external reasons (algorithms, politics etc) that people see your content more easily than others. i think this position demands some rigorous reflection on your power, what you can and can't and should and shouldn't do with it, if there is any way to make that power more accessible to others rather than just feeding it back into your own projects... it would be cool if there was a 2nd convo about that type of stuff.
I think the ‘it helps people and they can choose to watch or read it’ is such a cop out from creating content that could dig deep, touch on powerful stuff, and actually change important social perspectives (whereas dr k tried to help people more directly, bring awareness about mental health etc).
Your point about potentially avoiding responsibility is absolutely spot on. He isnt just a guy. He has a massive platform and should use it to bring about positive change. I feel like dr k might have accidentally enabled the avoidance of responsibility but it’s hard to know. Maybe I’m completely wrong
From my understanding, the “just a random guy” bit is so he can detach himself from his ego. So when he reads hateful comments online, it won’t bother him and he’ll feel a sense of acceptance and not have imposter syndrome. They’ve clearly stated that Ali will still do the best he can be and hope others find it useful. What more could we ask for? Doesn’t matter how detailed or amazing I can think it is. It might not help another person say bc they lack understanding of the words used in his book. Where it would be easy for me to understand but too hard for another or vice versa. You literally cannot please everybody all at once and that’s a fact.
@@alyssazaira0406 Yep absolutely agree there alyssa. Having distance from the ego particularly when receiving criticism is important to avoid destruction/hurt of the ego (although sometimes this is what leads to tremendous growth and realisations that the ego isn't even a real thing in the first place simply our emotional reactions to things. I agree - you can't please everyone, and that's for sure I tried and it lead to severe burnout bahahaha). It is important to realise that whilst distancing himself from the ego was a point Dr K tried to convey, he also was interested in understanding what alis actual priorities were at the end of the day. From what I could understand, it seemed ali was very attached to his popularity to the point where he didn't understand that dr k was being literal when dr k said he would stop tomorrow if there were any forms of threats on his children or loved ones (ali said 'yeah theoretically' and this is what I am basing my tea leave perspective off). Thank you for helping me better realise why dr k was suggesting that and its potential positives. All the best!
Why can’t you be Switzerland and let people make their own choices and decisions. Why does everyone who gains a following have to push some agenda? Your version of positive change could be someone else’s negative change. And usually it is.
I'm usually not a big fan of streams or long form lives, but what I've noticed is that I fully watched all the recent ones amd truly enjoyed each one of them. Thanks for being awesome you're my hero ❤
45:02 reminds me of the scene in the movie parasite where jesica is rehearsing her fake identity lines before entering the rich people's house as a art therapist (or whatever else it is called).
Ali, about the comment received at Google: Daniel Kahneman is one example of a person who received a Nobel prize and also wrote a book ("Thinking fast and slow") whose content ended up being largely disproved (even by Daniel Kahneman himself). In fact, Pete Judo recommends that people don't read this book because unlearning the disproved content can be difficult.
The intro music was awesome today... It sounded like something out of a VG OST. I always listen to things at 1.75 x speed but it sounded awesome! I recommend it.
I am just a guy who does / has but fundamentally I am just a guy/person/suchness. -> frees you from these expectations. All the other extra stuff like being an academic, an expert, .... are from the outside. These are clothes that you wear when you play the game of life, this is what people are looking for under the current conditions. Play the game how it's meant to be played! All your life is, is moments strung together! Any particular moment in your life you don't have an identity but just an experience of yourself. The identity is an abstraction that gets stitched together.
The way Ali opens up about his deep emotions on a TH-cam video which would be viewed my many is really commendable. I would never be able to do that on a interview podcast. And Dr.K is really good at understanding and at the same time asking hard questions to make him answer about his deep emotions. Thanks both of you take time for doing this
I really want Dr. k and Alex Harmozi to talk because they came to very similar philosophy of how to live life through completely different paths. However, I have no idea how that would happen.
Let's be real and accept the fact that only in the HG community I get to be myself and feel good about myself listening to Dr. K's words. The moment I shut my TH-cam and carry on with life, it's the same shit~
I was so confused. I saw the title, but the guest looks exactly like Dr Mike. I thought this was a follow up video or something. Heard this dudes voice and was shooketh 💀
Yeah many many many thanks for everything : D Now I have watched every live on TH-cam : D Wishing each and everyone a most magnificent moment as well as most health, peace, love and happiness : D One Love! Always forward, never ever backward!! ☀️☀️☀️ 💚💛❤️ 🙏🏿🙏🙏🏼
I love these interviews, but this was probably one of the least engaging to me. Very surface level and quite boring unfortunately. After about an hour on imposter syndrome, it really felt like a talk show guest who is here to plug a book.
How about using your insecurities as motivation for positive change? For instance, someone who has been fat-shamed throughout their life might use that insecurity to drive their fitness journey, ultimately gaining confidence and improving both their physical and mental health. Even though they acknowledge that they haven’t fixed the insecurity in itself
You’re welcome to hold the retreat at my family’s cabin in Minnesota…unfortunately it only sleeps about six. We could probably get more with sleeping bags on the floor…there’s only one bathroom. I can make a bunch of sandwiches and pasta salad. It’s probably a bad plan. There’s a lake, though.
Why won't health insurance cover the cost of electrically stimulating the Tempero parietal junction?! Wouldn't having an out of body experience bring bliss ALL the time?! How expensive is electrically stimulating that?!
He's a "productivity" youtuber trying to sell the keyboard as a productivity product when no effort was put into adding any productivity features to the keyboard.
yes, you should check out his video sbiut new business failed, well whatever his video was called, but it was essentially a post-mortem about they keyboard good video.
I felt like he was not interested at all in the conversation, just keeping up appearances, and then when it was time for his book plug he finally lit up. I gotta say I think he was just there for the plug.
I agree - it’s no wonder that he seemed irked at being called some “random guy”. He probably wasn’t expecting to be called that while promoting his book lol
He’s a businessman doing business. That’s very apparently his one actual interest there. And Alok is purposefully naive, making a conscious choice to see almost exclusively the good in people. It takes A LOT for him to actually seriously criticise anyone on a personal level. If anything, the only person I’ve ever seen Alok criticising out loud was his own fucking wife. And even in her case, he just made bitter remarks about her actions, not ever actually delving into adjectives or anything of the sorts. Point being, these two might not be the best combination, honestly. It’s almost like he was taking advantage of Alok’s kindness for business. Being frank? I don’t mind that on a moral level, actually. Money is money and anything is fine as long as no one is getting physically hurt. But, at the end of the day, it just doesn’t make for the most genuine content.
Oh, oh this is a very well-known pattern. You have one famous TH-camr inviting yet another influencer out of the blue and after 10 minutes of yapping they start to subtly promote their brand new book. Rinse, repeat.
Dear Dr K - In your interview with Dr Mike, you mentioned a mantra that you were given as a monk that helped you immensely to clarify your life sight - are you able to share that mantra with us?
Apparently it's a deeply personal thing. I don't remember if it was Dr. K that said this but I recall something like "even if I told you what it was it wouldn't make sense to anyone but me" in reference to a mantra given by a guru. I've also heard some conflicting things about the legitimacy of theae mantras as well. There's very little modern documentation on these practices so a person would have to spend a lot of time reading old texts and speaking to legitimate practitioners to have a good understanding of it.
Random people write books all the time, when JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter, who was she? Nobody knew her, she didn't have any experience writing children's book, she was just a random woman writing a book. There was no credibility there, no "proof" that she needed to write a book. She had an idea, wrote a book and took off.
A question tho. Why didn't Dr.K move towards negativity on oncology? When is it enough and when to identify discomfort? 1:49:09 Isn't that a privileged statement?
I hear a lot of comments about Ali being a scammer, and it's kind of sad. The guy litterally spent an hour talking about imposter syndrome and negative comments and fear of being 'too famous'. All of these things scream of someone who feels like he doesn't deserve what he has. You don't sell a book very well by telling people on a livestream that your book doesn't feel legit. If this is a scam, this is a terrible strategy coming from the worlds most followed productivity influencer. He seemed a little nervous to interrupt Dr. K when Alok began to elucidate on the mechanisms of ego. I think Ali was being respectful and was letting the man cook. Sadly, this led to a lot of "yeps" and "that's great" from Ali as he didn't really know how to respond. He's used to talking about cold, hard logic, and efficiency, not emotions. While I'm sad that more topics weren't explored, I think what was covered here was authentic and genuine. I am reminded why doctors are considered to be high on the sociopathy scale lol. Not every person that Dr. K interviews is gonna be extremely empathetic and verbose. Dr. K and even someone like Dr. Mike are far from your average doctors
The problem is Ali doesn't package himself as a random dude but rather a productivity expert. Now he feels guilty about trying to establish credibility about his channel and book, and that's something he should feel guilty about. Karma is real and not even Dr.K can save you unless you stop. Great interview anyway. I honestly disagree that the insecurity of Ali is undesirable. In fact the video made me realize what I need to do is to stick to my jam and never make my conscience need worry about whether the message I send is ethical.
This man is not only incredibly talented at understanding people and seeing their underlying patterns, but also in articulating his views whilst leaving room for the person to explore themselves. I am truly in awe of his work and I can only hope to be this competent a communicator one day.
real shit…
Absolutely
It's not talent, it's dedication and hard work, he literally says it, but it is also his personal attributes that play at role
He's good at what he does, but don't put him on a pedestal too much
@@charliecrome207 npc
*Intro & Announcements:* 00:46
*Interview with Ali Abdaal:* 2:22
- *Ali's Introduction & Background:* 02:54
- *Feel Good Productivity Book Summary:* 04:10
- *Toxic Fuel & Enjoying Work:* 04:49
- *Relationship with Negative Reviews:* 06:20
- *Imposter Syndrome & Ego Protection:* 14:44
- *The Value of Work & Identity as a "Random Guy":* 21:33
- *Instagram Bio & The Ego as Clothing:* 44:41
- *Social Status, Fame, and Family:* 53:45
- *Balancing Career with Family Life:* 58:32
*Post-Interview Discussion:*
- *Efficiency & Self-Awareness in Ali's Responses:* 1:07:50
- *Success Doesn't Equal Confidence:* 1:09:46
- *The Illusion of Insecurity & Shaping Reality Through Beliefs:* 1:13:04
- *Overcoming Insecurity Through Acceptance:* 1:17:15
- *Control Comes from Action, Not Luck:* 1:19:20
- *Stress and Anxiety Come From Perceived Lack of Control:* 1:20:19
- *Leaning into Discomfort & Difficulty:* 1:26:04
- *Internal vs. External Happiness:* 1:36:22
- *Societal Conditioning & The Pursuit of Happiness:* 1:37:16
- *Acting Without Reason & The Value of Play:* 1:48:52
*Community Challenge & Hackathon Highlights:*
- *Make It May Results:* 1:40:15
- *Emotional Link App Showcase:* 1:41:48
- *Creative Jam - "A Love Letter to Third Spaces":* 1:44:47
*Outro & Announcements:* 1:52:39
Helpful 🤝🏻
You make the world be a better place. Thanks! 😅
Can we expect the time stamps? 🙄
These are so helpful 👍
You a champ.
The more interviews I watch, the more I realize how helpful it is to distance yourself from your perception of yourself, leaving your ego aside in cases where it isn't helpful. A lot harder said than that, but it seems so beneficial.
1:39:47 Facts.
"Mo money, mo problems. Less money, even more problems."
- The Notorious D.R.K. -
I wanted to joke about it being JoJo reference, but Notorious B.I.G. is actually very cool in bardcore. Have you heard Big Popa in bardcore? I vibed to it for weeks.
@adnuserg I've never heard of bardcore until right now. I listened to it, and now I can't get the image of Geralt slo-mo walking through a town with Bardcore Big Poppa playing in the background out of my head lol 🎶
I thought you were the dude that gave time stamps for the key points in the video, and was so confused after clicking the stamp 😂
@cordestian9296 😂🤣 but I mean, this is kinda key tho hahaha.
Super interesting how this conversation was shorter but not necessarily less thorough. A lot of wisdom condensed there. I really had to pause and think for a bit like every couple minutes and take notes. Thank you both for sharing your work!
What are the chances😂😂😂, I just finished “feel good productivity” and just started reading “how to raise a healthy gamer”! Sick!!
I love this collab so much, just 2 professionals challenging eachothers perspectives and giving eachother new insights. And seeing Ali rethinking and evaluate his thinking patterns
I'm around the halfway mark and all I can say is that it's interesting to see how this session unraveled in a way that's similar to my experience in HG coaching is (when I'm not emotionally activated). Like the way you can't pinpoint exactly why it bothers you and your coach helps you unpack where your insecurity is coming from. That feeling when Ali physically felt relief with the epiphany that he is just a random guy" is so freeing. As someone who has had those moments during my sessions it makes me feel relief and feel seen c:
I love watching Ali, and have thought a lot about what must be going on in his psyche to cause him to be the ways he is, both in his strengths and the flaws he shares with us. This is amazing to see him talking in depth.
Been struggling myself lately with imposter syndrom and identity barriers to my own productivity. This is the collab I didn't know I needed. So relatable! ❤️
Honestly this stream and Not overthinking podcast is the most fascinating aspect of Ali Abdaal I know. Not the yt channel, not his achievements, not productivity.
Him, Ali Abdaal i find fascinating. His mind, his way of thinking, his insecurities and worldview. Very particular brain.
Agreed. He has always struck me as someone who really thinks a lot and deep about everything around him and the choices he makes. This is very apparent in the "meta" videos he has made throughout the years about his on life and career
@@Miksu__ hm interesting. Any particular videos in mind?
@@whateverimake9350 I haven't watched him actively in a while but I remember some self reflection themed videos from the time he thought about quitting medicine and it was really a breath of fresh air for him to be very personal about his insecurities and thoughts about it to a wide audience. He's also not afraid to try new things and momentarily make a fool of himself which I admire. He started to learn freestyle rappin out of nowhere some years ago and posted his attempts at it from the very beginning. His productivity content is also probably the best on youtube imo.
I’m really interested in what Dr K thinks about all of this productivity, self growth content on TH-cam. Like Ali, and being on Iced Coffee Hour with those people who talk about financial success and achievement, and others. I remember on the iced coffee hour podcast, he mentioned again that your happiness doesn’t come from achievement but so much of these peoples content is achievement oriented and how to teach us to achieve more and more and more. What’s the balance between this “self growth” & external achievement content for viewers that’s so popular and pushing us to do so much, and still finding peace and stability outside of that and within ourselves? Are these conflicting?
I think they are and they aren't. Don't take my word for it, but there's a difference between "getting into something because you want success" and "enjoying the actions and discipline of something and achieving success because of that." In the second case, the success is a side effect but is not the goal- enjoying the craft is the goal. As such, they will not be crushed by failure or left adrift by success.
They're conflicting
Dr. K and Ali Abdaal. Really interesting conversation. He seems to be wrestling with his ego, imposter syndrome, describing himself as "some random guy making YT videos", lingering insecurities and trying to detach success from authentic identity.
43:02 I just broke down in tears at work. I came up in a, I guess you might say "toxic" sales environment where they pump you full of positive affirmations and use manipulative techniques to press you harder and almost build up a fragile foundation with a false floor that for short stints can hold you. but, the positive affirmations burn SO much fuel. but, this neutral affirmation got me thinking, I had to pause the video and self reflect for a few minutes and that polarity of self shifted so much from this segment. thank you as always for every hit you do
for the longest time my mantra to produce was the old Yoda quote "do or do not, there is no try". and while I still think it has a strong place in moments, I think I've come up with a neutral affirmation that when I said it outloud felt that thing inside just sing because it was so right for me. "I'm just going to try". for everyone's expectation or belief of who I am or the responsibilities I should undertake or social standard they hold for themselves.... I'm just going to try. for everything that scares me to start doing, that first step.... I'm just going to try.... I'll take some time to meditate on this and breathe it in. but truly a genuine thank you for making the path even a little bit clearer
What do you do that you can watch TH-cam videos at work?
@@Day-vg1bh you just put an ear bud in and push play.... not super complicated
@@Day-vg1bh there are a ton of tedious jobs that involve menial physical tasks (like being a janitor) or sitting at a computer doing data entry or something where listening to a podcast while you work is possible. Some security guards and customer support or phone hotline type workers, receptionists, may be just waiting around during their job half the time for a customer/ for a phone call but until then they have more freedom to pass the time how they please. There are a lot of jobs where it isn't possible too.
OMG I've been following Ali for easy 5 years now. I completed school and grad through this and absolutely love how much his own philosophy around productivity has evolved into a more holistic approach. Plus it's rare for us South asians folks to talk about mental health. I'm so excited for this one ❤️
Watching this makes me so happyyyyy. Watching Dr K doing analysis is like watching Sherlock holmes doing deduction. Love it
This is such a good point about why it's so compelling lol!!
My honest observation, which I mean in a constructive way, is this: the conversation felt somewhat superficial because Ali didn't seem willing to delve deeper. Despite finding some solace in being a random guy online, it appears he’s conflicted about fully embracing this anonymity. It's as if he has a fearful-avoidant relationship with his online persona: he desires freedom from it yet it's deeply tied to his identity, so he hesitates to let go.
There was a moment when Dr. K seemed to give up. They had agreed that Ali was just another guy on the internet, yet Ali shifted the focus to the dangers his future fame could pose to his family. It's as if he imagines becoming so famous and significant that his life might be at risk, almost like he were a president or someone equally high-profile. It’s like his mind is constantly searching for ways to become more than just an ordinary guy. On the other hand it's possible he's dealing with some sort of PTSD from a past stalking experience.
Ali strikes me as someone who would resist ego dissolution at all costs, and it seemed Dr. K realized he wasn’t making progress. But then again, I might be completely wrong, I am just a random woman online 😁
As a random person online, I agree with your thoughts here. The way I understand it is that, practically typing, the insecurities that would drive someone to a point of such a high level of fame and wealth (and yet perceive it in a way that it will only get bigger) would be highly unlikely to change during one conversation, or even quite a few.
There was one point in particular that stood out to me when Dr K effectively said that, if necessary, he, and someone who is not ego attached to their fame, could go from millions of subscribers to 0 in an instant if required. Ali agreed and says something to the effect of ‘yeah, theoretically’. However, from what I could understand Dr K meant it in a very literal and practical sense.
To me this showed that, currently, even if there were massive stakes such as the lives of his children on the line, he would still find it difficult to separate from his ego/following. Based on this reaction, it appears to me that Ali has a very powerful and controlling ego.
I think this conversation was a great start and introduced Ali to some interesting perspectives that he has never thought or encountered before. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here. If I had to guess I’ll say he will take the ‘I’m just a guy’ mentality, it will shield his ego as when something negative comes up he will mentally or unconsciously say ‘I’m just a guy’ and will continue doing his same old productivity thing but I could be wildly surprised. Maybe we get an Ali Version 2 (Ego Death) soon?
Yeah I agree, it was a pretty shallow conversation and I didn't get that much out of it tbh. But that's okay. I more enjoyed Dr K's debrief after the conversation.
I agree, my sense is that ego and status haunts him. I might be projecting, or I might be accurately detecting that he has a similar disposition and way of talking about this kind of stuff to me. For me, everything comes ultimately from insecurity, but I know status seeking is somehow wrong and/or hollow, so I want to believe that I'm not completely motivated by it ("want to help people" etc).
I think Ali's ability to quickly grok and then articulate back the egoless framing just reflects his intelligence, and I worry that it won't have any meaningful impact because emotion doesn't easily give way to rationality. I would love to hear more about how to help people (tbh, like me) who understand and agree with much of the insight, but can't live it out
I agree, I think that's the reason the stream is only an hour long. At the same time, Dr K is protecting Ali
I somewhat disagree. I think like many people he is conflicted with current states of being and conceptions of how he would like to be in the future, but I think this is perfectly normal and likely something we each deal with everyday. I was glad he seemed open to consider different perspectives Dr K offered and didn’t try to resist certain thoughts, but rather gave each of them consideration.
This was soooo great! Thanks Ali for being honest, a lot of what you said resonates, and thanks Dr K as always!
This interview makes me admire Ali as a person. Answering personal questions, being vulnerable in front of millions of people is rather tough and uncomfortable for a public figure but he was a sport throughout. I don't know how many people would have the ability to be so easy and honest. Kudos 🙌.
Also Dr.K is amazing!
I was pondering why I'm having such a stable sense of self-love regardless of my circumstances that constantly keep telling me how I'm not fitting here or there or supposedly disappointing and a burden.
While listening to you, Dr.K, towards the later part of the video, I realised my self-worth is not just alright due to ego-death experiences and co. . One other major component I spotted today:
I'm good at spotting the sources behind ppl's reactions.
Prior to my awareness of my now (re-)diagnosed ADHD I had ppl react negatively in the context of me, all the time already. But I could always see right through.
"My boss is saying they are mad about my mistake, but they aren't. They are actually scared of how that could lead to financial losses which they cannot afford. I can sense financial fears speaking through them. It's not about me and my mistake. It would be a no-issue without financial pressures on their end"
"This family member is not mad about me failing to remember this task. They are mad about experiencing lack of reliability alongside me in a situation, where they're out of energy to deal with anything "on top". If this was a day during their holiday, it would be a no-issue and there would be surprise, apology on m end and me or us together addressing the practical problem"
I could always sense the displacement of external and personal internal struggles of ppl in their reaction. I could always observe how they differed depending on NOT my change in behaviour, but change in their day-to-day circumstances. Because I never changed. I always had this brain with ever same advantages and disadvantages. All this time, I've stayed me. But who will react how to my same failures, will speak a great ton on matters that have little to do with the actual practical challenge at hand.
As someone with fibro and chronic PTSD dr k has helped me help myself so much. This interview was super insightful and I was engaged the hole time while doing a 5 k in 32:15
Dr K has made May Mental Health Month even here in Melbourne
Dr K is obscenely generous with his time, energy and knowledge.
Im a doctor and i found Ali's justification for leaving medicine a disappointment. He said "the average doctor saves only seven lives over the course of their career...whereas I can help millions with my TH-cam videos" this just isnt remotely true...he mostly produces productivity porn and if doctors didnt save lives i gues we should just stop giving antibiotics for pneumonia and cellulitis and see how people fair with sepsis (also improving quality if life of patients including dying ones is very important)
I think he was just giving any sort of reason for leaving medicine other than serving his best interest which is a very successful career online. And I mean no wonder why, doctors in the uk are severely underpaid for their work. It's a no brainer to leave medicine than continue in it
Friend, he wanted money and didn’t have a particularly good way of saying that to the public without losing face.
Don’t mind it too much.
agreed, no one should be minimizing the work of medical professionals. long term treatment, also care that *prevents* issues saves countless lives
Just because he doesn't feel like he's making an impact as a doctor doesn't mean doctors don't have an impact. If you are making an impact where you are and you feel good about it then good!
His ego tells a story to himself, about himself, to justify his life choices.
It's not an attack on doctors, it's a shield against an uncomfortable internal truth:
That he's sacrificed a meaningful life for that of a repetitive TH-camr.
This video itself revealed how flimsy he finds his identity to be.
So don't let a random guy on the internet rile you up 😉
26:26 love this part about addressing insecurities can be the worst thing you can do
45:22 what a great line about the ego worth revisiting
48:00 I got to work on how to do this and 59:11 too
i think the one problem with the "just a random guy" mentality is, it might allow you to sidestep accountability for the way in which you wield your power and privilege. i get hat Ali has good intentions, but there is still a moral reckoning to be had when you command so much attention and capital in a world that is so unjust. it's not really the case that "i'm just saying stuff and people might find it hepful," there are external reasons (algorithms, politics etc) that people see your content more easily than others. i think this position demands some rigorous reflection on your power, what you can and can't and should and shouldn't do with it, if there is any way to make that power more accessible to others rather than just feeding it back into your own projects... it would be cool if there was a 2nd convo about that type of stuff.
I think the ‘it helps people and they can choose to watch or read it’ is such a cop out from creating content that could dig deep, touch on powerful stuff, and actually change important social perspectives (whereas dr k tried to help people more directly, bring awareness about mental health etc).
Your point about potentially avoiding responsibility is absolutely spot on.
He isnt just a guy. He has a massive platform and should use it to bring about positive change. I feel like dr k might have accidentally enabled the avoidance of responsibility but it’s hard to know. Maybe I’m completely wrong
From my understanding, the “just a random guy” bit is so he can detach himself from his ego. So when he reads hateful comments online, it won’t bother him and he’ll feel a sense of acceptance and not have imposter syndrome. They’ve clearly stated that Ali will still do the best he can be and hope others find it useful. What more could we ask for? Doesn’t matter how detailed or amazing I can think it is. It might not help another person say bc they lack understanding of the words used in his book. Where it would be easy for me to understand but too hard for another or vice versa. You literally cannot please everybody all at once and that’s a fact.
@@alyssazaira0406 Yep absolutely agree there alyssa. Having distance from the ego particularly when receiving criticism is important to avoid destruction/hurt of the ego (although sometimes this is what leads to tremendous growth and realisations that the ego isn't even a real thing in the first place simply our emotional reactions to things. I agree - you can't please everyone, and that's for sure I tried and it lead to severe burnout bahahaha). It is important to realise that whilst distancing himself from the ego was a point Dr K tried to convey, he also was interested in understanding what alis actual priorities were at the end of the day. From what I could understand, it seemed ali was very attached to his popularity to the point where he didn't understand that dr k was being literal when dr k said he would stop tomorrow if there were any forms of threats on his children or loved ones (ali said 'yeah theoretically' and this is what I am basing my tea leave perspective off). Thank you for helping me better realise why dr k was suggesting that and its potential positives. All the best!
Why can’t you be Switzerland and let people make their own choices and decisions. Why does everyone who gains a following have to push some agenda? Your version of positive change could be someone else’s negative change. And usually it is.
I'm usually not a big fan of streams or long form lives, but what I've noticed is that I fully watched all the recent ones amd truly enjoyed each one of them. Thanks for being awesome you're my hero ❤
Dr. K’s just out here interviewing a random dude on the internet.
45:02 reminds me of the scene in the movie parasite where jesica is rehearsing her fake identity lines before entering the rich people's house as a art therapist (or whatever else it is called).
Okay this may be out of context but ali abdal's smile is just so adorable
The fact that I can get this insight for free on the internet makes me so grateful for Dr. K I hope he knows how valuable he is.
He was trying to seem like a caring future parent, and thought that would be the best question to ask to come across as such. Around 1:00:00.
Ali, about the comment received at Google: Daniel Kahneman is one example of a person who received a Nobel prize and also wrote a book ("Thinking fast and slow") whose content ended up being largely disproved (even by Daniel Kahneman himself). In fact, Pete Judo recommends that people don't read this book because unlearning the disproved content can be difficult.
Can you please do a video on ego? How to deal with it and understand ourselves?
The intro music was awesome today... It sounded like something out of a VG OST. I always listen to things at 1.75 x speed but it sounded awesome! I recommend it.
It makes me feel like I'm starting up a game of AoE 2
I am just a guy who does / has but fundamentally I am just a guy/person/suchness. -> frees you from these expectations. All the other extra stuff like being an academic, an expert, .... are from the outside. These are clothes that you wear when you play the game of life, this is what people are looking for under the current conditions.
Play the game how it's meant to be played!
All your life is, is moments strung together! Any particular moment in your life you don't have an identity but just an experience of yourself. The identity is an abstraction that gets stitched together.
Interview went absolutely nowhere tho
The way Ali opens up about his deep emotions on a TH-cam video which would be viewed my many is really commendable. I would never be able to do that on a interview podcast.
And Dr.K is really good at understanding and at the same time asking hard questions to make him answer about his deep emotions.
Thanks both of you take time for doing this
The intro meditation makes me want to select Dr. K as a secret MK Remix fighter. Maybe someone here can do it!
That story about the bodybuilder helping out the less experienced person was really nice.
dr k should make a guide on getting speech skill to lvl 100
Wow, his psychiatry face is so intense 😂 you can see him focus listening while furiously thinking and formulating questions and responses. Love it
I really want Dr. k and Alex Harmozi to talk because they came to very similar philosophy of how to live life through completely different paths. However, I have no idea how that would happen.
Video starts at 0:47
Let's be real and accept the fact that only in the HG community I get to be myself and feel good about myself listening to Dr. K's words. The moment I shut my TH-cam and carry on with life, it's the same shit~
Thank you for making mental health so accessible. Life changing
My next Therapist will be on the caliber of Dr. K. I appreciate his straightforward exchange.
I really want to see Dr. K's notes as he's interviewing the guests!
I was so confused. I saw the title, but the guest looks exactly like Dr Mike. I thought this was a follow up video or something. Heard this dudes voice and was shooketh 💀
Guys, I think Dr K just talked with a random dude on the internet
This video was incredible, very eye opening
The way I’m just a girl plays in my head and resonates with this video 😌✨
Yeah many many many thanks for everything : D
Now I have watched every live on TH-cam : D
Wishing each and everyone a most magnificent moment as well as most health, peace, love and happiness : D
One Love!
Always forward, never ever backward!!
☀️☀️☀️
💚💛❤️
🙏🏿🙏🙏🏼
23:52
He seems to be very self-aware about that. Which is good, since it’s entirely correct.
I love these interviews, but this was probably one of the least engaging to me. Very surface level and quite boring unfortunately. After about an hour on imposter syndrome, it really felt like a talk show guest who is here to plug a book.
Excellent interview! Really enjoyed watching it 👏
For future reference:
Personal trappings 51:47
How about using your insecurities as motivation for positive change? For instance, someone who has been fat-shamed throughout their life might use that insecurity to drive their fitness journey, ultimately gaining confidence and improving both their physical and mental health.
Even though they acknowledge that they haven’t fixed the insecurity in itself
49:56 all these disconnections from stuff before this timestamp are kinda cool
You’re welcome to hold the retreat at my family’s cabin in Minnesota…unfortunately it only sleeps about six. We could probably get more with sleeping bags on the floor…there’s only one bathroom. I can make a bunch of sandwiches and pasta salad. It’s probably a bad plan. There’s a lake, though.
Ali is putting on a front for Dr K and Dr K seemed to know he’d do this straight away
He says "I'm a random dude on the internet" a lot.
Thank you for this HealthyGamerGG💚
Why won't health insurance cover the cost of electrically stimulating the Tempero parietal junction?! Wouldn't having an out of body experience bring bliss ALL the time?! How expensive is electrically stimulating that?!
funny how after Dr.K talked about a beer commercial, I got a beer ad in the video.
Didn’t ali tried to “sell” a “productive keyboard” for like 160$ which turns out to be just a really mid or perhaps below mid 60% keyboard?
Just a random guy making a productive keyboard
He's a "productivity" youtuber trying to sell the keyboard as a productivity product when no effort was put into adding any productivity features to the keyboard.
yes, you should check out his video sbiut new business failed, well whatever his video was called, but it was essentially a post-mortem about they keyboard
good video.
He posted a really transparent video about that keyboard. How he messed with the marketing & how he categorised it. It was an interesting watch.
How do I access the ArtOfficial video. It’s great!
he seems fixating now on being a normal person...
Great stream! And let´s get Steven Bartlett on here too 🙌
Does anyone know the name of the paper Dr. K. was talking about concerning having control in your life and anxiety?
Thank you Dr K and HG 💚
Amazing interview with two very talented men ! ❤
The guy calling in sounds like Chad Williamson.
I felt like he was not interested at all in the conversation, just keeping up appearances, and then when it was time for his book plug he finally lit up. I gotta say I think he was just there for the plug.
I agree - it’s no wonder that he seemed irked at being called some “random guy”. He probably wasn’t expecting to be called that while promoting his book lol
He’s a businessman doing business. That’s very apparently his one actual interest there.
And Alok is purposefully naive, making a conscious choice to see almost exclusively the good in people. It takes A LOT for him to actually seriously criticise anyone on a personal level.
If anything, the only person I’ve ever seen Alok criticising out loud was his own fucking wife.
And even in her case, he just made bitter remarks about her actions, not ever actually delving into adjectives or anything of the sorts.
Point being, these two might not be the best combination, honestly. It’s almost like he was taking advantage of Alok’s kindness for business.
Being frank? I don’t mind that on a moral level, actually. Money is money and anything is fine as long as no one is getting physically hurt.
But, at the end of the day, it just doesn’t make for the most genuine content.
Oh, oh this is a very well-known pattern. You have one famous TH-camr inviting yet another influencer out of the blue and after 10 minutes of yapping they start to subtly promote their brand new book. Rinse, repeat.
That’s not at all what I got but still a valuable opinion nonetheless
@LFanimes333 Dr K also benefits to his business by doing these.
Coming back to this later. Approximately 25:00
Thank you for this valuable info Dr. K💚
People call me a Dr… but now I too want to identify as just a random guy who got a doctoral degree.
Dear Dr K - In your interview with Dr Mike, you mentioned a mantra that you were given as a monk that helped you immensely to clarify your life sight - are you able to share that mantra with us?
Apparently it's a deeply personal thing. I don't remember if it was Dr. K that said this but I recall something like "even if I told you what it was it wouldn't make sense to anyone but me" in reference to a mantra given by a guru.
I've also heard some conflicting things about the legitimacy of theae mantras as well. There's very little modern documentation on these practices so a person would have to spend a lot of time reading old texts and speaking to legitimate practitioners to have a good understanding of it.
Random people write books all the time, when JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter, who was she? Nobody knew her, she didn't have any experience writing children's book, she was just a random woman writing a book. There was no credibility there, no "proof" that she needed to write a book. She had an idea, wrote a book and took off.
Missed 1.5 mio points to have Dr K Guru stream 😭😭😭😭😭
1:48:28 pure gold
1:39:35 “Mo money more problems, less money even more problems! BARS!
A question tho. Why didn't Dr.K move towards negativity on oncology? When is it enough and when to identify discomfort? 1:49:09 Isn't that a privileged statement?
nah
Nah
I love you Ali! LOL and Dr. K ❤❤❤
At last Dr. K confronts the "culprit" of toxic productivity. Let's goo
Dr. K, how is metal music cleansing us?
Hey dr k. Can you please make a video analyzing why you think hippies are the way they are?
Mind-blowing ❤
Two of my favs!
Ali abdaal too disinterested to delve into the content of his book, or have a deeper conversation.
The corporate mogul energy is strong in this one
His god is money and status
I wonder how all these comments from an alternate universe wound up here. Never once did he seem disinterested or opposed to a deeper conversation.
a bit disappointed that there is no talk about productivity.
All that he talks about is productivity porn...the real productivity hack is to turn off TH-cam and do the tasks
Ali was a cool guest on the stream but does he usually blink this much? 😭
ah yes, the only 2 books I've read this year.
Would love to hear a conversation with Sapolsky or Sam Harris on free will!
Please interview Hamza!
I hear a lot of comments about Ali being a scammer, and it's kind of sad. The guy litterally spent an hour talking about imposter syndrome and negative comments and fear of being 'too famous'. All of these things scream of someone who feels like he doesn't deserve what he has. You don't sell a book very well by telling people on a livestream that your book doesn't feel legit. If this is a scam, this is a terrible strategy coming from the worlds most followed productivity influencer.
He seemed a little nervous to interrupt Dr. K when Alok began to elucidate on the mechanisms of ego. I think Ali was being respectful and was letting the man cook. Sadly, this led to a lot of "yeps" and "that's great" from Ali as he didn't really know how to respond. He's used to talking about cold, hard logic, and efficiency, not emotions.
While I'm sad that more topics weren't explored, I think what was covered here was authentic and genuine. I am reminded why doctors are considered to be high on the sociopathy scale lol. Not every person that Dr. K interviews is gonna be extremely empathetic and verbose. Dr. K and even someone like Dr. Mike are far from your average doctors
Idk what some people didnt like about this stream, I thought it was great
An Indian and a pakistani together
The problem is Ali doesn't package himself as a random dude but rather a productivity expert. Now he feels guilty about trying to establish credibility about his channel and book, and that's something he should feel guilty about. Karma is real and not even Dr.K can save you unless you stop. Great interview anyway.
I honestly disagree that the insecurity of Ali is undesirable. In fact the video made me realize what I need to do is to stick to my jam and never make my conscience need worry about whether the message I send is ethical.
I am just a random dude on the internet who is listening to some other random dudes on the internet because I like it.
!!!THE EGO WILL ALWAYS MOVE THE GOAL POSTS!!!