In this episode, my guest is Josh Waitzkin, former child chess prodigy and the subject of the movie and true story Searching for Bobby Fischer. Josh is also a world champion martial arts competitor and the author of the book The Art of Learning. We discuss Josh’s childhood as a chess prodigy and how he learned to train and compete at the highest levels by facing his fears and overcoming points of weakness. He explains the principles that unify disparate physical and mental pursuits and how understanding the interconnectedness of the learning process enables ultra-high-level performance across disciplines.
We explore how to structure one’s day to tap into the most creative, generative, and unique capabilities. Josh shares his approach to learning, including how to address flaws and mistakes and how to harness the subtle and overt energies of the learning and peak performance process. He also discusses how he structures his life and makes decisions related to career and family. This episode is sure to inspire deep thinking and practical life changes for all who listen.
Read the full episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.
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Timestamps
00:00:00 Josh Waitzkin
00:03:21 Chess, Competition & Performance
00:10:50 Martial Arts, Tai Chi, Jiu-Jitsu, Foiling, Training Others
00:14:41 Sponsors: Wealthfront & Our Place
00:17:43 Theory of Mind, Chess, Strategy & Mindset
00:26:39 Early Chess Training
00:32:30 Failure & Change, Chess, Tension, Power of Empty Space
00:43:22 Sponsors: AG1 & Joovv
00:48:06 Grief, Competition Loss, Growth, Frustration Tolerance
00:57:22 Arousal, Frame Rates, Intense Moments
01:06:17 Frame Rates & Pupil Size; Firewalking, Training
01:13:12 Sponsor: Function
01:15:58 Stress & Recovery, Tools: Doing Less, Most Important Question (MIQ)
01:23:24 Tool: Still Body, Active Mind; Shame, Strengthening Weaknesses
01:32:02 Child Prodigies, Brittle; Chess Principles & Transfer to Life
01:43:22 Sponsor: Eight Sleep
01:44:48 Preconscious vs Postconscious
01:52:02 Hypoxic Breathwork Caution & Drowning; Foiling, Fear, Postconscious
01:57:05 Static vs Dynamic Mindset, High Performers
02:05:48 Comebacks, Hunting Adversity, Living on Other Side of Pain, Tool: Cold Plunge
02:19:20 Ego, Identity, Unbreakable Will
02:29:18 Studying People; Chess, Computers; Science & AI; Ocean & Control
02:40:37 Time, Future Direction, True to Self, Wounds
02:51:07 Daily Routine, Individualization, Waking Up, Tool: MIQ Gap Analysis
03:00:21 Tool: MIQ; Stuck Points, Distraction
03:05:58 Reflective vs Stimulus-Response, Optimize Quality not Quantity
03:14:12 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Social Media, Protocols Book, Neural Network Newsletter
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