#103 – Looking back on the first 99 episodes: Strong Convictions, Loosely Held

In this episode, originally recorded to be the 100th episode of The Drive, Peter discusses topics that he has changed his mind about since starting the podcast as a result of preparing for interviews as well as from the actual conversations. Peter also reviews some of his favorite moments from the first 99 episodes, shares what books he’s currently reading, and much more. Initially scheduled to be released as episode 100, this was delayed due to recent podcasts covering COVID-19. 

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We discuss:

• Definition of “strong convictions loosely held”, and the value in trying to shoot down your own hypotheses [2:20];
• Metformin—How Peter’s strong convictions have changed since 2018 [8:00];
• Getting a dog—Why Peter caved and how it’s going so far [15:45];
• Rapamycin—How Peter’s feelings have evolved, and the questions still needing to be answered [20:45];
• Archery, the joy of pursuing mastery, and the importance of stillness [26:50];
• Zone 2 training—Why Peter has made it a big component of his exercise regimen [37:30];
• Deadlifts—Why Peter now believes it’s extremely beneficial to longevity when done properly [41:45];
• Read any good books lately? [50:00];
• Baby aspirin for preventing blood clotting—Why Peter no longer takes it, and a few alternative options [53:15];
• Generic drugs—How and why Peter’s mind has shifted on generic drugs [55:45];
• Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA—How Peter’s long-held views have changed [58:15];
• How Peter got better at saying “no” [1:02:30];
• Does Peter have any favorite episodes of The Drive? [1:07:15]; and
• More.

Definition of “strong convictions loosely held”, and the value in trying to shoot down your own hypotheses [2:20]

• During the pre-show preparation and during conversations with podcast guests, Peter will often shift his thinking about a topic
• And in most cases it leads to positive behavior changes
• This episode is about sharing some of those situations where Peter’s thinking has changed

“Strong convictions loosely held”

• This is a phrase that exists in various forms (e.g., strong opinions loosely held, strong opinions weakly held, strong convictions weakly held, etc.)
• But this particular this version was something one of Peter’s patients told him was a guiding principle at a very successful hedge fund where they would make bold investments based on strong convictions but they were very loosely held convictions and they were always looking for ways to change their information
• Bob points out that especially in science and medicine, the ability to change your mind is a “feature and not a bug”
• In his book, biochemist Richard Feinman (not to be confused with Richard Feynman) quoted his colleague, Izja Lederhendler, who said, “What you do in science is, you make a hypothesis and then you try to shoot yourself down.”

Metformin—How Peter’s strong convictions have changed since 2018 [8:00]

How has Peter’s strong convictions about Metformin changed since he started the podcast in the summer of 2018?

-Peter had been personally taking metformin for about 7 years

-Peter said the benefits of metformin were clear for:

{end of show notes preview}