January 27, 2025

The Art of Learning & Living Life | Josh Waitzkin

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. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Wealthfront**: https://wealthfront.com/huberman Our Place: https://fromourplace.com/huberman Joovv: https://joovv.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman **This experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients of Wealthfront, and there is no guarantee that all clients will have similar experiences. Cash Account is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. The Annual Percentage Yield (“APY”) on cash deposits as of December 27,‬ 2024, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to partner banks where they earn the variable‭ APY. Promo terms and FDIC coverage conditions apply. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. 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 Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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About this Show

Huberman Lab

The Huberman Lab podcast is hosted by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. The podcast discusses neuroscience and science-based tools, including how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health, as well as existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Huberman has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills, and cognitive functioning. He is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision, in 2017. Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine has been published in top journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell, and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover, and other top media outlets. In 2021, Dr. Huberman launched the Huberman Lab podcast. The podcast is frequently ranked in the top 10 of all podcasts globally and is often ranked #1 in the categories of Science, Education, and Health & Fitness.