Gad Saad

Date: 2022-05-11 | Duration: 3h 15m

Episode Overview

Gad Saad shares a candid account of his personal journey toward health and discipline, detailing how he overcame obesity through consistent lifestyle changes like regular walking, mindful eating focused on protein, and shedding the all-or-nothing mindset. He emphasizes the importance of showing up daily, whether in fitness or creative pursuits, and discusses how this principle applies to his writing process and academic work. Saad also reflects on the role of discipline in both physical health and intellectual rigor, underscoring the value of persistence over perfection. The conversation then shifts to cultural and social commentary, where Saad critiques modern “wokeness” and the rise of identity politics, describing them as parasitic ideas that distort truth and undermine free discourse. He offers nuanced perspectives on topics like vaccine misinformation, gender identity debates, and the polarization of society, advocating for honest dialogue grounded in science and reason. Saad also touches on the challenges of parenting and the importance of treating children with dignity to foster better societal outcomes. Throughout the episode, Saad blends personal anecdotes with sharp analysis, illustrating how evolutionary psychology informs his views on human behavior, authenticity, and social dynamics. His reflections on justice, truth, and the pursuit of the good life provide a thought-provoking framework for navigating today’s complex cultural landscape.

About Gad Saad

Gad Saad is an author and commentator known for his books The Parasitic Mind and Suicidal Empathy, which explore how ideological systems can hijack human cognition and emotion. Drawing from his Lebanese Jewish background and family's experiences during the Lebanese Civil War, Saad brings personal perspective to his discussions on geopolitics, cultural values, and the Middle East conflict. He examines how excess empathy can become destructive and analyzes the intersection of ideology, culture, and Western liberal values.

Key Moments

– Weight Loss
– Intermittent Fasting
– Martial Arts
– Discipline
– Writing Process
– Anti-Vaccine Misinformation
– Social Justice
– Critical Race Theory
– Parenting
– Authenticity
– Criminal Justice
– Death Penalty
– Self-Deception
– Exercise Science
– Comedy
– Philosophy
– Psychology
– Political Polarization
– Transgender Issues
– Book Publishing
0:00:33 – Discussion on health and weight metrics
0:03:32 – Removing all-or-nothing mindset for weight loss
0:06:43 – Practicing martial arts and its effects
0:09:39 – Intermittent fasting 16-hour window
0:11:28 – Two types of authoring and creative discipline
0:14:29 – Spread of misinformation as a contagion
0:18:13 – Examining anti-vaccine misinformation claims
0:21:16 – Social dynamics of male insults and hierarchy
0:22:58 – Genetic factors in physical attractiveness
0:26:12 – Casting director's subjective influence on selection
0:29:05 – Meeting actor Robert Pattinson
0:33:45 – Discussion of Gad Saad's book 'The Parasitic Mind'
0:36:36 – Institutionalized victimhood and personal history
0:39:31 – Masking and COVID-19 social behaviors
0:41:12 – Scientific truth and settled science discussion
0:43:06 – Free speech limits and incitement to violence
0:46:21 – Fear of truth and its social consequences
0:50:01 – Collective understanding of truth and hive mind
0:51:10 – Emergence of pregnant man emoji and cultural shifts
0:53:09 – Satirical commentary on Lebanese civil war and pronoun politics
0:56:30 – Debate on social justice mathematics
1:00:31 – Encounter with transgender barista and social perceptions
1:02:53 – Satire on pronoun Taliban and cultural pressure
1:08:06 – Equity feminism and truth in discourse
1:09:04 – Physical fitness and bravery in academic selection
1:14:15 – Golden era of social psychology
1:17:59 – Generational changes in student wokeness
1:19:36 – Blue haired Taliban as minority in culture wars
1:23:42 – Progressive guests and podcast pushback
1:28:29 – Liberals who hunt and political complexity
1:34:15 – Challenges of hunting and equity
1:38:21 – Exercise proven better than SSRIs for mental health
1:40:58 – Science of endorphins and exercise benefits
1:44:53 – Difficulty in changing lifestyle and gaining momentum
1:46:34 – Documentary on comedy and creative process
1:50:03 – Daily writing habits and creative mindset
1:56:39 – MMA training and personal fitness
2:00:48 – Honesty and authenticity as personal values
2:10:31 – Book promotion: 'The Parasitic Mind'
2:14:50 – Attracting desirable partners and authenticity
2:18:35 – Favorite movie and kindness in people
2:28:04 – Recipe for the good life and legal ethics
2:30:52 – Death penalty debate and justice system flaws
2:39:14 – Evolution of self-deception theory
2:43:05 – Crime rates and law enforcement challenges
2:45:36 – Psilocybin studies and addiction treatment
2:47:20 – Violence exposure and prenatal effects
2:50:26 – Parenting with dignity to reduce criminality
2:52:47 – Speaking engagement at UT Austin
2:56:36 – Concerns about grooming and education
3:01:05 – Marketing to children and ethical boundaries
3:03:03 – Dave Rubin and ideological conflicts
3:05:36 – Balancing progressive values and hard work
3:10:00 – Aristotle on being a good person
3:11:23 – Availability of 'The Sad Truth' podcast

Transcript Excerpt

Starting point is 00:00:00 the Joe Rogan experience Starting point is 00:00:33 And so I was just saying, if you really are saying that you want to get healthy and you Starting point is 00:00:57 On size, waist, 33. Starting point is 00:01:10 I mean, just to give you a sense so that we could put it into metrics, when I was overweight, Starting point is 00:01:26 She demands a lot of me. Starting point is 00:01:48 It could be walking outside. Starting point is 00:02:11 minus 20 in Montreal. I'm walking outside until I reach that. But I was always quite physically Starting point is 00:02:38 She's got this MyFitnessPal, Starting point is 00:03:07 plus, so the third thing is I weigh myself once a week Starting point is 00:03:32 I removed the all or nothing mindset. Starting point is 00:03:49 Am I right? Starting point is 00:04:00 was probably close to 300 pounds. Starting point is 00:04:14 I've gone for my yearly physical and I got on the scale and I was 256, which is the average Starting point is 00:04:39 And so I get on, I'm now 10 pounds less, 20 pounds. Starting point is 00:05:03 You don't have to be so punishing. Starting point is 00:05:39 You got to get better the same way you got sick. Starting point is 00:06:16 You're not going to go back. Starting point is 00:06:31 No, no, no, not putting on. Starting point is 00:06:43 I do martial arts. Starting point is 00:07:05 Whenever I do that, I always feel like shit. Starting point is 00:07:24 But you do mainly the protein stuff, right? Yes. Mainly I eat as much as I want. I eat large amounts of food. But you do mainly the protein stuff, right? Starting point is 00:07:44 So breakfast I may have one or two boiled eggs. Lunch might be my wife and I go to the Peruvian Starting point is 00:08:28 70, 80 calories, Starting point is 00:08:43 I haven't reached it. Starting point is 00:09:03 That's pretty thin. Starting point is 00:09:21 So what kind of window? Starting point is 00:09:39 Yeah, I do 16. Starting point is 00:10:09 Th...

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Who was the guest on Joe Rogan Experience #1816?

Gad Saad was the guest on JRE #1816. This page includes the episode overview, topics discussed, and related resources.

What topics were discussed on JRE #1816?

On Joe Rogan Experience #1816 with Gad Saad, topics include Weight Loss, Intermittent Fasting, Martial Arts, and Discipline.

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The full searchable transcript for Joe Rogan Experience #1816 with Gad Saad is available on this page, along with key topics and timestamps.