Full podcast episode: ua-cam.com/video/aGOV5R7M1Js/v-deo.html Lex Fridman podcast channel: ua-cam.com/users/lexfridman Guest bio: Walter Isaacson is an author of biographies on Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, and many others.
Walter Isaacson really understands and connects with his subjects. The guy is like a kindly wise man, fair play to him and wish him all the success he deserves.
I would prefer if he psycho-analyzed Elon Musk: Elon is driven, because he had an evil father who called him “STUPID;” Elon is desperate to prove him wrong. I think Elon Musk is a godless fool, and a coward, because he won’t research the UFO/Alien Abduction phenomenon.
0:25: 🔑 Difficult childhood can play a significant role in the lives of great individuals, serving as a catalyst for their drive and ambition. 4:14: 👨💼 Elon Musk's different personalities and childhood experiences shape his behavior and approach to business. 8:38: 🔑 Harness your demons and know your strengths. 12:37: 🚀 Elon Musk is driven by three big missions: making humans a space-faring civilization, transitioning to sustainable energy, and ensuring safe artificial intelligence. 16:30: 📚 The biography of Leonardo da Vinci and Jennifer Dowden's life stories are discussed as examples of overcoming challenges and achieving greatness. Recap by Tammy AI
Great individuals? I respect all the individuals. But we must add some caution here. Trauma begets trauma I’d day. What we need is to convince each other to respect ethical norms and move forward in a loving and kind manner towards solving our collective problems with empathy and mutual respect. Or do we need idols? And to worship them? Have idols of the past brought us sustainable solutions for our problems?
I am honestly appalled by the hate for Elon in this comments section. I understand that the man is an asshole, but so was Steve Jobs. Not saying you have to be best friends with the guy, at the very least you have to respect the man for what he has done for humanity. I’m grateful we have people like Elon, pushing the human race towards a better future.
People are so picky about which assholes they love and which ones they hate. They’re both assholes, so you can’t use the same logic to love one guy and hate another.
If Elon just stayed off Twitter, people wouldn't care so much about him. That is the difference between him and Steve Jobs, you didn't get to see his every thought or opinion on stuff that was irrelevant.
Great conversation. Story of trauma. Good & bad sides of it. Driving & damaging. I am amazed at how deeply psychologically you both understand it. Having said that l always affirm the role of good, deep, insightful, close relationships, including psychotherapy, in healing of trauma & that the goal is to heal it, regardless the benefits of individual trauma for the humanity. Trauma, in its negative manifestation, is damaging individuals & and society because it carries unresolved pain, which manifests in acted out pain that spreads. I witness how deeply transformational for a person is the process of healing trauma. Thank you both for this beautiful, insightful conversation. Great documentary -The wisdom of trauma- by Gabor Mate. I watched recently & l have been very moved by it.
Awesome! For those who have never had demons to fight they have no idea how hard it is. Addiction is on nly disease where you can come out stronger on the other side. Keep putting in the work, it's worth it 💪
How you were raised as a kid is interesting. Not just for the exceptional. Some parents, Mom's, in some Asian countries are known for driving their kids hard and many do well. Some seem to not be able to survive. Those kids who can survive go on to have good careers, but no risk type careers. Amazes me how uniform the results can be.
I'm sorry but most Asian kids with this type of education go nuts. Only a very tiny amount of them aces in their field when they grow up. Elitism education is inhumane and is utterly a choice made when there's no alternatives, cuz the country was toooooo poor. When the society reaches a certain level of prosperity, it will perish. Only the real elites will get elitism education just like the West.
I think Walter Isaac is fairly accurate in his psychological assessment of the specific people he studies, but unfortunately fails to appreciate the overall picture. While Elon Musk specifically might have harnessed his childhood trauma into a profound work ethic, I think the vast majority of people from broken, abusive or traumatic households end up with lives and careers bogged down by their mental scars, in prison, or worse. It is serious confirmation bias to look at a select few extremely high performers, examine their abusive childhoods and then conclude "yes, childhood abuse is a necessary prerequisite for extreme drive and success in adulthood."
You bring up a valid point about the dangers of confirmation bias when examining the lives of high-performing individuals who have endured difficult upbringings. I agree that the vast majority of people from traumatic or abusive backgrounds do not necessarily channel that hardship into extreme drive or success. It's important to remember that for every Elon Musk, there are countless others who are struggling with the lifelong impact of such experiences, often facing substantial obstacles in their lives and careers. However, I think the aim of Walter Isaacson's psychological assessments isn't to generalize but rather to delve into the unique psychologies of the specific high-achievers he profiles. It's less about saying, "childhood abuse leads to extreme drive and success," and more about exploring how some individuals have managed to convert their adverse experiences into a form of resilience or motivation. In other words, the focus is not to normalize or romanticize abuse or hardship but to analyze how specific individuals have channeled their past into something transformative. So, while I completely agree that it would be misleading and harmful to conclude that hardship is a prerequisite for success, I also think there's value in studying outliers to understand the full spectrum of human resilience and ambition.
what seems obvious to me is that Arnold Schwarzenegger could have actually been much more than he was. his brother is an obvious case of that, died drunk driving in austria, but I would argue Arnold was NOT helped in any way by his crappy upbrining. He cheated on his wife and neglected his family as governor. that was unhealthy compulsivity not reigned in by mental health. trauma always makes things worse because it is always another thing that person must deal with. lessons of character growth can be acquired in any number of contexts, especially in the areas Arnold did excel in.
I make the same point about Mike Tyson. his unresolved issues were an exploitable weakness that some did successfully break through. he did not have a perfect record.
You’re taking what he says out of context. He is not talking about the overall picture of trauma. He does not say, “trauma ALWAYS leads to extraordinary successes”. But rather, the FEW who manage to channel their trauma into something industriously, goes further then those without any trauma.
Strangely, there's never any mention of how musk wants to fully realise his potential. He's obviously aware he is gifted and has more than his fair share of brain cells and ability, and one of the things you have when that is true is an obsession with making sure you don't waste anything that you were gifted
Challenge is good to have wholly and holy, such as a challenging father or mother, rather than a pathetically easy to please one. As bad mother or father is a challenge, but a good mother or father or parents are also challenging.
I’m addicted to intensity as well, and have recently leveled up, leveled down, reached zero, the Swerve by Lucretius READ IT, and been on one or two every since. I like knowing I am a lot like Elon Musk though obviously not quite Him
mr. isaacson is speculating about psychology, not being a biographer. He would be better served by sticking to writing about the facts rather than projecting disorders on his subjects.
something that is interesting is that probably even Errol's father was abusive to him, he most certainly didn't live a happy childhood either. that struggle and being in a situation that is uncomfortable like a bad childhood create a smart person that is capable of manging the emotions that he went through such a thing teach to be self-reliant and capable because no one else will help and as sad as it gets that what creates people like Elon and other that done great things to this world.
It says a lot that these men allow an honest man free access. I don’t quite understand why from the stance of their (or anyone’s) ego, but it’s good. Would you let someone publish your deepest darkest secrets to the world if you were extremely famous and wealthy?
So why hasn’t he been to counseling? Has he been told it wasn’t his fault! His dad was wrong! That was only the earthly dad that failed badly at being a father!
But do we know how driven that person would be without the damage? Do we know how many talented sensitive people were derailed from fulfilling their potential bc of their childhood trauma? John Gardner, an underrated novelist imho, wrote a book On Becoming a Novelist and made the case for the primal wound as a driver of creativity. He's not the only one to make that observation. I do think childhood trauma can prompt creativity, but only in those inclined or with aptitude. My 3 sibs and i all navigated the terror of my father's temper, but i'm the only creative one. The others are just busy with their coping mechanisms that have become lifelong habits of avoidance and denial. The mysteries of the unconscious are considerable. But the cognitive bias that sees correlation between trauma and creativity or drive is overlooking the invisible army of underachievers who went that way by virtue of their damage.
I skimmed through the comments. I also am surprised at the hate for Musk. He’s smart, works hard, good sense of humour, and puts his money where his mouth is trying to make the world a better place. I also like that he doesn’t care about appeasing the left/woke mob.
I appreciate the discussion in the video, but I think labeling Elon Musk as 'addicted to risk' oversimplifies his approach to entrepreneurship and innovation. What Musk often demonstrates is calculated risk-taking, backed by a deep understanding of the challenges and a passionate belief in the long-term vision. It's not addiction to risk, but rather a commitment to solving complex problems that he believes are crucial for humanity's future. He is less addicted to the risk and more devoted to the potential rewards that those risks could bring-not just for him, but for society at large. Also, the point about abusive relationships is an insightful one. In such situations, the abused party may gain a profound understanding that the problem lies not within themselves, but in external circumstances or individuals. This can indeed shape one's risk assessment skills, teaching them to better discern between genuine issues and misplaced blame. The ability to allocate responsibility accurately is key for any leader, especially in high-stakes scenarios. So perhaps Musk’s willingness to take on challenges that others deem too risky can be better understood through this lens.
I totally understand this life. I rarely go dark but I'm so embarrassed when it happens. I think everyone has that "last straw" when they have been fighting so hard to be good and fair and the people around you that you admire just keep kicking you. Elon Musk certainly has his reasons for going dark. I can't imagine having the whole world (literally) at your throat for a period of time. I've seen this happen on Twitter. I've watched him dance alone in a crowded room surrounded by women that are trying to get his attention, and it kills me. It's been a while since I've been on Twitter. I am just a recluse. When I find that I'm spending too much time getting to know Mr. Musk, I fall more in love with him so I force myself to back off because this fantasy life is quite embarrassing and not very healthy. I wish I could meet someone like him in person but I realize that they are all hidden. They are rare like elusive gemstones, hiding, feeling like nothing special at all.
The women were trying to get HIS attention. Someone was using their cell phone at a late night dance club recording Mr. Musk and people were commenting about how he was just, swaying to the loud music, his eyes were closed, his head was back and his arms were up, relaxing behind his head ... everyone there seemed fascinated with his presence, taking pics, trying to get closer, like they were witnessing a rare animal that escaped a zoo. He looked so alone and depressed. Some people say he was doing some kind of recreational drug at the time. Perhaps to get away from it all for a moment. This was during the Twitter battle incident I believe.@@MortimerYoung
13:54 "Make sure AI is aligned with human values." That's scary. Human values would be to take over Earth and eliminate all species that are inconvenient. Pretty sure Homo sapiens would be #1 on the list.
I was expecting far better than this from Issacson! The most unique person of this generation with beyond amazing achievements and a unique perspective espousing the human condition and what you get for book tour is this bullshit about demons and difficult childhood! The jails are full of people with difficult childhoods. And, Issacson comparing himself with Musk is just funny!
Loads of distortions on empathy here. It’s like every other part of human nature that varies-it can be exactly what the situation requires or the exact opposite of what is necessary (depending on the context). This is one of the reasons we differ temperamentally as a species. Don’t distort the label to accommodate those low in empathy-value both those low and high in this aspect.
Search Errol Musk interview on Podcast & Chill, you will differ with Walter Isaacson. That's how you will really get to appreciate both the father and the son
this level of glazing is insane. saying mean things to people when things aren’t going our way is something we all do sometimes. calling it “demon mode” is dramatic asf. sounds just like the “when i get mad i just see red, bro” guys
i just don't get it, why would you discuss someone's personal life behind their backs, i don't care what problems Musk have or had, or his father, they can go to shrinks and have fun there.
We are all Jeckel and Hyde, Light and Dark, One thing and No Thing, Selfless and Fullish, Modred and Arthur. Son, Father, demon mode, angel being happening Now?
Everyone seems to have forgotten about Howard Hughes. I like to think Elon is the modern Howard Hughes...without the brain damage from the plane crashes. Yes, I believe, although I could be wrong, all of the issues with OCD etc, that Howard had at th end of his life, were from head injuries due to the plane crashes. Is there a chance Walter could write a book about Howard. Maybe even compare the two. Or just reference some of the similarities between the two.
That sounded like cheap and unsolicited psychoanalysis. The vast majority of successful businesses and organizations are not run by "troubled" people, and "we" don't seem to care about understanding how they succeed. By the way...Genghis Khan had a tough childhood too
It never ceases blowing my mind observing just how many otherwise intelligent people consider Elon Musk to be some kind of genius!? I mean, seriously, Isaacson putting Elon Musk's name alongside Einstein's and Leonardo Da Vinci's with a straight face... Genuinely implying that he possesses a remotely comparable intellect (as opposed to the serial plagiarist and conman that he actually is) would be hilarious if it wasn't so absurdly commonplace throughout society, and is therefore depressing; it demonstrates just how few people can use reason, logic and rationality and apply it to well documented information and recorded history.
@@DD-xw6uw Elon's got more going than Jobs did. Jobs was not able to do the tech stuff while Elon is deeply involved with the engineering in his companies. Jobs took a product created by Woz and turned it into a very successful business.
He's no Einstein or Da Vinci, but rebooting rocket tech and competing with NASA (and other countries) is pretty impressive. If starship actually works.. that will be another magnetude of progression.
Just a simple comment, when interviewing someone, please make sure you look at the face of the person you are talking to. I find it rude not looking at the person you are asking questions.
Ive been berated but the traumas from baratement~ were not the real problem, just the problem I had as a youth who never identified as semi-autistic before.
Love and family IS associated by most as “Psycho Logical” interpretations yes! I vomit when I am too stressed or when “Everything” I am stops suddenly. We belong to eachother and not to only ourselves, no matter how much we want to go it alone. Else, if successful, we end up there Alone. Love and Family, Narcissistic Ego, Selfless or Careless Actions, that are grounded in Love and Conscientiousness and Listening and Family itself, not being a stranger to Your Self or Who You / We Are Not Right Now. Fuck Perceptions and Wisdom, Trust all Flow but no sense of velocity on the highway, when utterly on the Low Way do Not Be Alone, and teamwork makes the dream work makes the people squirt pure energy instead of Being Late or Early. @elonmusk #elonmusk I have another producer level Genus idea for you! Let me know I am rather eager as well as Willing most of the time.
Well well, allow me to say that another weakness I see in Isaacson’s work is that he consciously or uncounsciously romanticizes the people he writes about and helps put them on a pedestal. I doubt whether we need to put people on pedestals. Sure some admiration and respect for others who make a significant contribution is fine and makes sense, but one can easily go overboard in idolizing people but that is unhealthy for both the idol as well as the idolizer I’d say. Look at how fans of famous people act like a mob causing celebrities to not be able to even cross a street and lead a normal life. We should not consider this normal, it is abnormal. And we should strive to teach each other and others more about what is normal reasonable behavior. The above is my view, I am open to hearing other viewpoints.
Full podcast episode: ua-cam.com/video/aGOV5R7M1Js/v-deo.html
Lex Fridman podcast channel: ua-cam.com/users/lexfridman
Guest bio: Walter Isaacson is an author of biographies on Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, and many others.
Only God can deliver one from demons. HE delivers & forgives
he`s not aware of how his father fucked him up... thats a problem
Walter Isaacson really understands and connects with his subjects. The guy is like a kindly wise man, fair play to him and wish him all the success he deserves.
I would prefer if he psycho-analyzed Elon Musk:
Elon is driven, because he had an evil father who called him “STUPID;” Elon is desperate to prove him wrong.
I think Elon Musk is a godless fool, and a coward, because he won’t research the UFO/Alien Abduction phenomenon.
Not really, he didn’t seem to understand Musk well at all and constantly shamed him throughout the book with feminine moralizing and gossip.
Errol and Elon aren't estranged any more. So he was wrong about that.
"The question isn't 'How do you avoid getting scarred,' it's "How do you deal with it?'" Well said.
my take : Both needs to be done in earnest, prevention & dealing with said scarring..
We may better understand why he is strongly determined to succeed.... it does not, however, mean that he always does the right thing.
It's surprising how much Leslie Nielsen knows about Elon and his dad. Who knew
Oh jeez I thought he died
Surely you don’t mean THE Leslie Neilson?
Well ...I can't get that out of my mind
Hahaha, thought the same thing the moment I saw the thumbnail. Frank Drebin, haha
Dying!
0:25: 🔑 Difficult childhood can play a significant role in the lives of great individuals, serving as a catalyst for their drive and ambition.
4:14: 👨💼 Elon Musk's different personalities and childhood experiences shape his behavior and approach to business.
8:38: 🔑 Harness your demons and know your strengths.
12:37: 🚀 Elon Musk is driven by three big missions: making humans a space-faring civilization, transitioning to sustainable energy, and ensuring safe artificial intelligence.
16:30: 📚 The biography of Leonardo da Vinci and Jennifer Dowden's life stories are discussed as examples of overcoming challenges and achieving greatness.
Recap by Tammy AI
Great individuals?
I respect all the individuals. But we must add some caution here. Trauma begets trauma I’d day.
What we need is to convince each other to respect ethical norms and move forward in a loving and kind manner towards solving our collective problems with empathy and mutual respect.
Or do we need idols? And to worship them?
Have idols of the past brought us sustainable solutions for our problems?
I am honestly appalled by the hate for Elon in this comments section. I understand that the man is an asshole, but so was Steve Jobs. Not saying you have to be best friends with the guy, at the very least you have to respect the man for what he has done for humanity. I’m grateful we have people like Elon, pushing the human race towards a better future.
People are so picky about which assholes they love and which ones they hate. They’re both assholes, so you can’t use the same logic to love one guy and hate another.
It is the product of the last two-three years, when he started acting like a total jerk
Elon is sometimes the asshole. Not all the time. And Elon is probably less of an asshole than the click/ad whores make him out to be.
If Elon just stayed off Twitter, people wouldn't care so much about him. That is the difference between him and Steve Jobs, you didn't get to see his every thought or opinion on stuff that was irrelevant.
He Is not pushing the humans Race forward, He does not care about future.
Great conversation. Story of trauma. Good & bad sides of it. Driving & damaging. I am amazed at how deeply psychologically you both understand it. Having said that l always affirm the role of good, deep, insightful, close relationships, including psychotherapy, in healing of trauma & that the goal is to heal it, regardless the benefits of individual trauma for the humanity. Trauma, in its negative manifestation, is damaging individuals & and society because it carries unresolved pain, which manifests in acted out pain that spreads.
I witness how deeply transformational for a person is the process of healing trauma. Thank you both for this beautiful, insightful conversation.
Great documentary -The wisdom of trauma- by Gabor Mate. I watched recently & l have been very moved by it.
Great doctor and sociologist! I'll be making an in depth video soon on the relationship between trauma, addiction mental illness and disease
Errol's a genius with a beautiful family. Some come through the water, some through the fire, but it's all worth it, really.
Just wanted to comment here to proudly share that I've been sober for 1,449 days.
Well done buddy. That is an achievement 🎉
Good man. Keep it up. I’m very happy, and you should be very proud.
Awesome! For those who have never had demons to fight they have no idea how hard it is. Addiction is on nly disease where you can come out stronger on the other side. Keep putting in the work, it's worth it 💪
212 days here
Congratulations 👏😮 that is amazing.
How you were raised as a kid is interesting. Not just for the exceptional. Some parents, Mom's, in some Asian countries are known for driving their kids hard and many do well. Some seem to not be able to survive. Those kids who can survive go on to have good careers, but no risk type careers. Amazes me how uniform the results can be.
That always seemed like child abuse to me.
I'm sorry but most Asian kids with this type of education go nuts. Only a very tiny amount of them aces in their field when they grow up. Elitism education is inhumane and is utterly a choice made when there's no alternatives, cuz the country was toooooo poor. When the society reaches a certain level of prosperity, it will perish. Only the real elites will get elitism education just like the West.
Almost read all his books (reading Einstein now)... All of them are good but Steve Jobs and Ben Franklin is a "must"!
I think Walter Isaac is fairly accurate in his psychological assessment of the specific people he studies, but unfortunately fails to appreciate the overall picture. While Elon Musk specifically might have harnessed his childhood trauma into a profound work ethic, I think the vast majority of people from broken, abusive or traumatic households end up with lives and careers bogged down by their mental scars, in prison, or worse. It is serious confirmation bias to look at a select few extremely high performers, examine their abusive childhoods and then conclude "yes, childhood abuse is a necessary prerequisite for extreme drive and success in adulthood."
Very good respone
You bring up a valid point about the dangers of confirmation bias when examining the lives of high-performing individuals who have endured difficult upbringings. I agree that the vast majority of people from traumatic or abusive backgrounds do not necessarily channel that hardship into extreme drive or success. It's important to remember that for every Elon Musk, there are countless others who are struggling with the lifelong impact of such experiences, often facing substantial obstacles in their lives and careers.
However, I think the aim of Walter Isaacson's psychological assessments isn't to generalize but rather to delve into the unique psychologies of the specific high-achievers he profiles. It's less about saying, "childhood abuse leads to extreme drive and success," and more about exploring how some individuals have managed to convert their adverse experiences into a form of resilience or motivation.
In other words, the focus is not to normalize or romanticize abuse or hardship but to analyze how specific individuals have channeled their past into something transformative. So, while I completely agree that it would be misleading and harmful to conclude that hardship is a prerequisite for success, I also think there's value in studying outliers to understand the full spectrum of human resilience and ambition.
what seems obvious to me is that Arnold Schwarzenegger could have actually been much more than he was. his brother is an obvious case of that, died drunk driving in austria, but I would argue Arnold was NOT helped in any way by his crappy upbrining. He cheated on his wife and neglected his family as governor. that was unhealthy compulsivity not reigned in by mental health.
trauma always makes things worse because it is always another thing that person must deal with. lessons of character growth can be acquired in any number of contexts, especially in the areas Arnold did excel in.
I make the same point about Mike Tyson. his unresolved issues were an exploitable weakness that some did successfully break through. he did not have a perfect record.
You’re taking what he says out of context. He is not talking about the overall picture of trauma. He does not say, “trauma ALWAYS leads to extraordinary successes”. But rather, the FEW who manage to channel their trauma into something industriously, goes further then those without any trauma.
“It’s not a requirement”. Thank you for seeing room for compassion in success, Mr. Walter Isaacson.
It’s good to be liked, much better to Be Understanding and understood.
Very intriguing video thank you
Strangely, there's never any mention of how musk wants to fully realise his potential. He's obviously aware he is gifted and has more than his fair share of brain cells and ability, and one of the things you have when that is true is an obsession with making sure you don't waste anything that you were gifted
its called CPTSD, look it up
Everyone has their own gifts and talents. Moral work is always good no matter how large or small. McDonald’s worker to genius.
I needed this video
"Elon is addicted to risk...Elon is addicted to intensity. " - Walter Isaacson.
Challenge is good to have wholly and holy, such as a challenging father or mother, rather than a pathetically easy to please one. As bad mother or father is a challenge, but a good mother or father or parents are also challenging.
I’m addicted to intensity as well, and have recently leveled up, leveled down, reached zero, the Swerve by Lucretius READ IT, and been on one or two every since. I like knowing I am a lot like Elon Musk though obviously not quite Him
mr. isaacson is speculating about psychology, not being a biographer. He would be better served by sticking to writing about the facts rather than projecting disorders on his subjects.
something that is interesting is that probably even Errol's father was abusive to him, he most certainly didn't live a happy childhood either. that struggle and being in a situation that is uncomfortable like a bad childhood create a smart person that is capable of manging the emotions that he went through such a thing teach to be self-reliant and capable because no one else will help and as sad as it gets that what creates people like Elon and other that done great things to this world.
Elon had additional "training" almost dying in school daily...
Aaaw 😢. I hope in time God helps when he finds childhood wounds/trauma healed. Especially for the benefit of all his children 🙏
. 🙏🙏🙏
All the children he has Father's image??Attention ❤
God Bless 🙏
It says a lot that these men allow an honest man free access. I don’t quite understand why from the stance of their (or anyone’s) ego, but it’s good. Would you let someone publish your deepest darkest secrets to the world if you were extremely famous and wealthy?
So why hasn’t he been to counseling? Has he been told it wasn’t his fault! His dad was wrong! That was only the earthly dad that failed badly at being a father!
Actually the majority of men who are severely abused by a father become broken men in adulthood.
This video is a masterpiece.👏👏👏
Walter, thank you for your insight & understanding concerning Elon.
🚀🚀
You mean the dude who married his own stepdaughter?
I've learned so many things from Elon Musk. He's a brilliant first principles thinker. Isaacson rocks. 😎
I can believe it. His dad is seems super arrogant from what I've seen
So is the conclusion: progress requires traumatizing children?
Something does not add up here …
But do we know how driven that person would be without the damage? Do we know how many talented sensitive people were derailed from fulfilling their potential bc of their childhood trauma? John Gardner, an underrated novelist imho, wrote a book On Becoming a Novelist and made the case for the primal wound as a driver of creativity. He's not the only one to make that observation. I do think childhood trauma can prompt creativity, but only in those inclined or with aptitude. My 3 sibs and i all navigated the terror of my father's temper, but i'm the only creative one. The others are just busy with their coping mechanisms that have become lifelong habits of avoidance and denial. The mysteries of the unconscious are considerable. But the cognitive bias that sees correlation between trauma and creativity or drive is overlooking the invisible army of underachievers who went that way by virtue of their damage.
I skimmed through the comments. I also am surprised at the hate for Musk. He’s smart, works hard, good sense of humour, and puts his money where his mouth is trying to make the world a better place. I also like that he doesn’t care about appeasing the left/woke mob.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion
I appreciate the discussion in the video, but I think labeling Elon Musk as 'addicted to risk' oversimplifies his approach to entrepreneurship and innovation. What Musk often demonstrates is calculated risk-taking, backed by a deep understanding of the challenges and a passionate belief in the long-term vision. It's not addiction to risk, but rather a commitment to solving complex problems that he believes are crucial for humanity's future. He is less addicted to the risk and more devoted to the potential rewards that those risks could bring-not just for him, but for society at large.
Also, the point about abusive relationships is an insightful one. In such situations, the abused party may gain a profound understanding that the problem lies not within themselves, but in external circumstances or individuals. This can indeed shape one's risk assessment skills, teaching them to better discern between genuine issues and misplaced blame. The ability to allocate responsibility accurately is key for any leader, especially in high-stakes scenarios. So perhaps Musk’s willingness to take on challenges that others deem too risky can be better understood through this lens.
😢
Childhood like that of Elon can break people to.
Yeah, that is more often the outcome
What a beautiful clip to listen to in the morning, thank you Lex
I totally understand this life. I rarely go dark but I'm so embarrassed when it happens. I think everyone has that "last straw" when they have been fighting so hard to be good and fair and the people around you that you admire just keep kicking you. Elon Musk certainly has his reasons for going dark. I can't imagine having the whole world (literally) at your throat for a period of time. I've seen this happen on Twitter. I've watched him dance alone in a crowded room surrounded by women that are trying to get his attention, and it kills me. It's been a while since I've been on Twitter. I am just a recluse. When I find that I'm spending too much time getting to know Mr. Musk, I fall more in love with him so I force myself to back off because this fantasy life is quite embarrassing and not very healthy. I wish I could meet someone like him in person but I realize that they are all hidden. They are rare like elusive gemstones, hiding, feeling like nothing special at all.
I’m glad you recognize that having a parasocial relationship with a celebrity is a bit delusional and odd.
I love to make people smile. @@annmaguire6346
What do you mean when you write that you've seen him dancing alone while trying to get women's attention?
The women were trying to get HIS attention. Someone was using their cell phone at a late night dance club recording Mr. Musk and people were commenting about how he was just, swaying to the loud music, his eyes were closed, his head was back and his arms were up, relaxing behind his head ... everyone there seemed fascinated with his presence, taking pics, trying to get closer, like they were witnessing a rare animal that escaped a zoo. He looked so alone and depressed. Some people say he was doing some kind of recreational drug at the time. Perhaps to get away from it all for a moment. This was during the Twitter battle incident I believe.@@MortimerYoung
We all die in the end some people die harder
What a great conversation!
"Every successful man is either trying to live up the expectations of his father or live down his sins."
I'm glad you commented because I was thinking he said something about living down the scent of his father and I thought that was odd
If all the things he did, his childhood was the most difficult, they must grow them tough in SA
We will all Heel And Heal together, or apart.
Walter you are enough and you are great too!
Excellent ! Thank you!
That’s not Elon’s dad, that’s Al Pacino
WhooooAaaaaaa
13:54 "Make sure AI is aligned with human values." That's scary. Human values would be to take over Earth and eliminate all species that are inconvenient. Pretty sure Homo sapiens would be #1 on the list.
walter Isacson (sp?)is one of my favorite journalists. His commentary is thoughtful and informed each time I hear him and his manner is nice
"demons" experiences with pains that manifest a confrontational attitude and push in life. The selfish goal of avoiding pain, torture and suffering
Vincent was distrusted in his Time as well, but not by his real Brother
I was expecting far better than this from Issacson! The most unique person of this generation with beyond amazing achievements and a unique perspective espousing the human condition and what you get for book tour is this bullshit about demons and difficult childhood! The jails are full of people with difficult childhoods. And, Issacson comparing himself with Musk is just funny!
Loads of distortions on empathy here. It’s like every other part of human nature that varies-it can be exactly what the situation requires or the exact opposite of what is necessary (depending on the context).
This is one of the reasons we differ temperamentally as a species. Don’t distort the label to accommodate those low in empathy-value both those low and high in this aspect.
Search Errol Musk interview on Podcast & Chill, you will differ with Walter Isaacson. That's how you will really get to appreciate both the father and the son
Be Everything you Want To be, or not. Choose Freely
Great Man are admired for what they've been though and respected. Where as women get tagged a mental. Cases..
GOD is the answer
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and He will acknowledge
and He will light the way
home. 😊
this level of glazing is insane. saying mean things to people when things aren’t going our way is something we all do sometimes. calling it “demon mode” is dramatic asf. sounds just like the “when i get mad i just see red, bro” guys
So imagine Elon’s kinda like Joe Pesci from Casino, but a great engineer.
It's called Bipolar
i just don't get it, why would you discuss someone's personal life behind their backs, i don't care what problems Musk have or had, or his father, they can go to shrinks and have fun there.
Oh, povero Tesoro, e cresciuto con la paura dentro.
Quanto vorrei, prendermi cura di lui e suo figlio, ma perche non mi prende come Nanny 😢
My superpower and one of me, Burning Man “Pseudonym” is Understanding When Listening
isnt it a candle to the flame?
The Struggle is real, and so is the Challenge. It’s so damn Squantchy, especially English.
Demon mode? He seems like the softest man ever
The people we follow and admire.... are unwise.
We are all Jeckel and Hyde, Light and Dark, One thing and No Thing, Selfless and Fullish, Modred and Arthur. Son, Father, demon mode, angel being happening Now?
I enjoyed listening to these two slobber over Elon for 3hrs
Everyone seems to have forgotten about Howard Hughes. I like to think Elon is the modern Howard Hughes...without the brain damage from the plane crashes. Yes, I believe, although I could be wrong, all of the issues with OCD etc, that Howard had at th end of his life, were from head injuries due to the plane crashes.
Is there a chance Walter could write a book about Howard. Maybe even compare the two. Or just reference some of the similarities between the two.
This is massively irresponsible, linking success with child abuse is disgusting
That sounded like cheap and unsolicited psychoanalysis. The vast majority of successful businesses and organizations are not run by "troubled" people, and "we" don't seem to care about understanding how they succeed. By the way...Genghis Khan had a tough childhood too
Be Inspired, as a Pseudonym.
Young people on the spectrum are extremely sensitive and will experience anger and violence in a much more heightened sense.
His father had 2 childen with his stepdaughter. Read between the lines
Elon's father was werner von braun
From what I see, he's still trying to prove himself to his father.
It never ceases blowing my mind observing just how many otherwise intelligent people consider Elon Musk to be some kind of genius!? I mean, seriously, Isaacson putting Elon Musk's name alongside Einstein's and Leonardo Da Vinci's with a straight face... Genuinely implying that he possesses a remotely comparable intellect (as opposed to the serial plagiarist and conman that he actually is) would be hilarious if it wasn't so absurdly commonplace throughout society, and is therefore depressing; it demonstrates just how few people can use reason, logic and rationality and apply it to well documented information and recorded history.
Musk and Steve Jobs aren’t geniuses in the way Da Vinci or Einstein are. I see them more as as brilliant visionaries and great businessmen.
@@DD-xw6uw
Elon's got more going than Jobs did. Jobs was not able to do the tech stuff while Elon is deeply involved with the engineering in his companies. Jobs took a product created by Woz and turned it into a very successful business.
He's no Einstein or Da Vinci, but rebooting rocket tech and competing with NASA (and other countries) is pretty impressive. If starship actually works.. that will be another magnetude of progression.
i believe you could have written a better biography on Elon Musk. YOU ARE SO SMART.
Re: Comments about Elon ... like listening to dirty, sniffing, grubbing, burrowing, tunneling, hiding, bug-infested moles criticize an Eagle.
chillax
Fucking hell son, I'm impressed you articulated that with Elons balls displacing your tongue so far back in your mouth. Eagle! lol
Exactly, my friend.
thanks to Walter for taking time to listen and peel back the layers.
Fuck Yeah Batman
MDMA is the answer.
Wish Elon would go talk to a therapist instead of acting out in the world. We'd all be a lot safer.
Funny that Elon’s Missions are all also mine.
Psycho Logically “Challenging” Father, like me.
Just a simple comment, when interviewing someone, please make sure you look at the face of the person you are talking to. I find it rude not looking at the person you are asking questions.
If you can’t read the Eh books, listen to them!!
That’s why UA-cam
From an apartied government, it’s call carrying that trauma forward.
Even his narcism for procreation, these are apartied South African concerns.
His dad owning an emerald mine helps. I'll take some demons with a side of emeralds. Where do you think he got his business acumen from?
He is a counter puncher….interesting.
We may have a much better world. If there weren’t, insecure driven people.
If it meant, no dictators, and wars, wow!!!
You sound a little dictatorial yourself. The world may be a much better place if there weren't so many "insert group name"
@@HAZMOLZ How about, billions of us.
Ive been berated but the traumas from baratement~ were not the real problem, just the problem I had as a youth who never identified as semi-autistic before.
Can Walter ever stop talking about himself. Talk about the subject please
Elon's father sounds bipolar. Has he sought treatment?
Narcissist not bipolar
What disappoints me about Elon is he is no better than a schoolyard bully
Love and family IS associated by most as “Psycho Logical” interpretations yes! I vomit when I am too stressed or when “Everything” I am stops suddenly. We belong to eachother and not to only ourselves, no matter how much we want to go it alone. Else, if successful, we end up there Alone. Love and Family, Narcissistic Ego, Selfless or Careless Actions, that are grounded in Love and Conscientiousness and Listening and Family itself, not being a stranger to Your Self or Who You / We Are Not Right Now. Fuck Perceptions and Wisdom, Trust all Flow but no sense of velocity on the highway, when utterly on the Low Way do Not Be Alone, and teamwork makes the dream work makes the people squirt pure energy instead of Being Late or Early. @elonmusk #elonmusk I have another producer level Genus idea for you! Let me know I am rather eager as well as Willing most of the time.
Well well, allow me to say that another weakness I see in Isaacson’s work is that he consciously or uncounsciously romanticizes the people he writes about and helps put them on a pedestal.
I doubt whether we need to put people on pedestals. Sure some admiration and respect for others who make a significant contribution is fine and makes sense, but one can easily go overboard in idolizing people but that is unhealthy for both the idol as well as the idolizer I’d say.
Look at how fans of famous people act like a mob causing celebrities to not be able to even cross a street and lead a normal life.
We should not consider this normal, it is abnormal.
And we should strive to teach each other and others more about what is normal reasonable behavior.
The above is my view, I am open to hearing other viewpoints.
😢😢😢😢😢
ELON MUSK father 😮😮😮
he hates the idea of aliens, because that idea would disrupt his importance
💖🌟