The Most Interesting Person Alive

Who is the most interesting person alive?

My opinion: Josh Waitzkin

Here's why:

Josh is 46 -- but he's lived the life of a 460-year-old:

1. Chess - Child prodigy (International master at 16)

2. Tai Chi - 2x world champion

3. Jiu-Jitsu - 1st black belt under Marcelo Garcia (The GOAT)

4. Surfing - Now in an unknown location mastering this

The Waitzin Playbook:

He spends 5-10 years of his life mastering a craft

Once he masters it -- he goes back down to level 0 and starts again in a new domain

His life is a testimony to an ego-less learning process.

Waitzkin Model 1: Depth > Width

Waitzkin designs his training like a video game designer.

He identifies level 1 of the video game - e.g. Guillotine choke in BJJ

He doesn't start level 2 until he understands the principles of level 1 at a fundamental level

E.g. How he teaches chess

Most start just playing countless games (Level 20 of the video game)

Instead, Josh starts at level 1:

He has 3 pieces on the board - King & Pawn vs King.

He doesn't move past level 1 until the person has drilled the fundamental first principles

Waitzkin's theory is that once you've understood level 1 of the video game so deeply -- you can then copy and paste the principles to other levels.

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times” - Bruce Lee

Waitzkin Model 2: Locus of control

Waitzkin argues that "Bad weather" is the first low-agency conditioning mechanisms

Most parents - "It's bad weather. We can't go outside"

Josh Waitzkin - "It's a beautiful rainy day. Let's go outside"

He uses the weather to teach agency

"We're externally reliant on conditions being perfect in order to be able to go out and have a good time." - Waitzkin

Josh flips this on its head.

He insists he and his young son NEVER miss a single storm, rain, or snow.

They always go outside and have fun together in it.

Waitzkin Model 3: 0/10 or 10/10

Josh argues that in order to be at a 10/10 with focus:

You have to be able to hit a 0/10 via relaxation & recovery

In order to switch ON intensely, you need to switch OFF intensely

"Most people in high-stress, decision-making industries are always operating at this kind of simmering six, as opposed to the undulation between deep relaxation and being at a 10." - Waitzkin

Waitzkin's example of the 0/10 or 10/10 principle is the GOAT of BJJ: Marcelo Garcia

0/10 - Before the semi-finals of the world championship, he was so relaxed he was caught asleep 😂

10/10 - He turned it on so intensely and won. (5-time world champion)

Here's another story of Triple H visiting Floyd Mayweather before his fight:

Floyd just chills and watches basketball (0/10) before turning it on for fight night (10/10)

Here's how Waitzkin teaches people the 0/10 or 10/10:

• HIIT training -- and a heart rate monitor.

Every few minutes, he gets them to mindfully move from:

1. 10/10 - Full out sprint - 170+ beats per minute

2. 0/10 complete relaxation - Calm down to 140 beats per minute

The beauty of the 0/10 or 10/10 approach:

1. You perform better

2. Life is more fun

3. You'll live longer

Reminds me of @naval's advice to his younger self:

"Relax. You’ll live longer *and* perform better."

Waitzkin Model 4: Channeling The Subconscious 

1. Waitzkin identifies the most important question he needs to solve

2. He then switches off his mind for the evening - leaving it with his subconscious.

3. Wakes up first thing and journals on the question before any inputs

Most people report their best ideas come from the shower

Why?

The mind is completely switched off and the subconscious is free to bubble away

The comedian Jerrod Carmicheal reports taking 35-minute showers -- and it's where his best ideas come 😂

Waitzkin Model 5: Common Root Structures

Waitzkin doesn't want to just identify the mistake he made

But also the gap in his thinking that caused the mistake

And ask: "Where is that gap happening again today?"

One common root structure that repeats is:

"I didn't know before but I know today"

This is the idea that we laugh at ourselves 5 years ago -- but forget that we will laugh at our present self 5 years from now.

The arrogance of the present moment.

"It’s so easy to think that we were in the dark yesterday but we’re in the light today... but we’re in the fucking dark today too" - Waitzkin

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