Scott Adams Interview (Full Episode) | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast)

Scott Adams (@scottadamssays) is the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, which has been published in more than 2,000 newspapers in 57 countries and in 19 languages.
In my conversation with Scott, we cover topics ranging from the rise of Dilbert, to how he uses affirmations to impact stock market decisions, success with women, and building his career.
We also talk about Scott’s interest in hypnosis and its relationship to his writing process. Plus, we dive into his current fascination with Donald Trump.
Connect with Scott Adams:
Like Scott Adams on Facebook: / scottadamsofficial
Follow Scott Adams on Twitter: / scottadamssays
Follow Scott Adams on Instagram: / scottadams925
Scott Adams: The Man Behind Dilbert
Show Notes: fourhourworkweek.com/2015/09/2...
Show Notes
Start [00:00]
How Scott started using affirmations [08:45]
The beginning stages of Scott’s journey as a cartoonist [20:45]
The process Scott uses to create his affirmations and the reasons they work [22:39]
How God’s Debris came about [32:01]
How Scott incorporates hypnosis into his life [35:25]
Scott’s first hypnosis experience and why he started [39:15]
Scott’s definition of hypnosis [45:50]
How writing has helped his practice of hypnosis [48:41]
Hypnosis, NLP, and Donald Trump [51:00]
How the way Trump phrases his statements help him in the media [59:43]
Scott’s view on goals vs. systems, and why each approach can work [1:02:39]
Scott’s practical approach to dieting [1:12:29]
The first time Scott was paid for Dilbert, his ‘day job,’ and where his first ideas came from [1:18:27]
How he came up with the name Dogbert [1:21:51]
The aspects of Dilbert that have changed over time and what the characters mean to Scott [1:23:07]
Scott’s techniques to help Dilbert succeed and gain a competitive advantage over other cartoon strips [1:24:31]
The tools and routines Scott uses to get in the creative mood [1:30:42]
Scott’s morning routine [1:34:09]
Scott’s six elements of humor [1:37:26]
Other cartoons Scott respects and reads [1:41:26]
How Scott got his voice back after identifying he had spasmodic dysphonia [1:42:36]
The book Scott would recommend everyone read [1:51:30]
When Scott thinks of the word “successful,” who is the first person that comes to mind? [1:58:58]
The advice Scott would give his 30-year old self [2:01:54]
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About Tim Ferriss:
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 200 million downloads and been selected for “Best of iTunes” three years running.
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[@robertmaybeth3434]

After I heard Adam's affirmations" trick (from reading one of his older non-cartoon books), I did try doing this to get something I really wanted badly at the time. It's so simple, quick and easy, there was no reason not to, so every day, I wrote down my goal on paper - some days I typed it instead - and I did it at least 15 times. I only devoted maybe 2 or 3 weeks straight to doing it, then stopped. I wrote the goal down the form of "I WILL BE - (goal)." The goal wasn't anything huge, unlikely, or practically impossible, like becoming the astronaut, winning an Oscar or becoming President of Ford Motors... but it wasn't something that was likely to happen just by chance either. And within a matter of 2 months I did achieve that goal! Now, I am not an optimistic, lucky, or impressionable person, but - I say if you really want something very badly, DO try doing the affirmations, I truly believe there is something to it. Persist and I really believe, you probably will hugely increase your chance of success.

[@ajpisharodi]

Robert: Very good story and point, thanks for sharing! Its amazing what you were able to accomplish in just a few weeks! As for the examples you provided, under the correct circumstances a person can beat the odds and may be able to achieve those as well, though it would take years and decades, lots of persistence. Not a run in the middle guy deep into adulthood with a desk job of course. But a young air force pilot or science student may be able to use affirmations to work his way towards becoming an astronaut, a performer or even a sound editor can use it to make advances in his career and do Oscar quality work, and a young college grad may be able to work the ranks of a major company and become CEO with the aid off affirmations if they use the right ones and work persistently towards their goal for years! Takes lots of discipline of course.

[@foofootheclown2984]

Dafuq

[@foofootheclown2984]

Uh what does this have to do with affirmations

[@foofootheclown2984]

What was the thing you set a goal for?

[@robertmaybeth3434]

@Kristopher Taylor what if you are not a cyberstalker though

[@JoshuaCadavez]

Around 1:56:00, Scott Adams advises "to be useful", so similar to what Jordan Peterson would say.

[@firetowardsgreatnessburnso3945]

Starts at 5:25

[@ishansaraf1576]

Bless you!

[@rujynn3737]

affirmations start at 7:49

[@diamondchunks]

Thanks buddy

[@saiphaniutkarshkethana8519]

Thank you Tim & Scott!! You guys are transforming the world with this video 😇😊🙏🙏👍👍 You both are being useful..

[@stephenorpin6464]

Excellent interview and soooo informative

[@RossTheNinja]

Listening whilst enjoying a simultaneous sip

[@Toysinnick123456]

Your interviews are like biographies sir!!! Like reading a book!

[@SuperrSamrat]

BEST Interviewer & a Nice gentle guest.

[@Potentialaj]

I love this interview

[@Toysinnick123456]

Este tipo es una mente! 🙌

[@fekete-kiss-sandor]

My picture about billgates changed so much in these days (covid)

[@OneMoreTag]

I'd like to see Scott and DJT sit down for a chat one of these days.

[@meshachthomas]

Cant believe this is 8 years old now.

[@davidpellum1221]

You know why I am here!

[@fredbloggs5902]

Do affirmations work?

[@richardcasey4439]

37:41. Pacing and leading = Ballroom Dance

[@robertmaybeth3434]

Brainwash dance

[@paulpeters5844]

1:41:16

[@jimmyfortef3674]

Anyone try the affirmation, and had success, neutral or failure?

[@TheWoeJoe1]

I tried. Had big success with it

[@PabloEscobar-cs9lu]

Jimmy Fortef tried it and got what I wanted big success

[@lorddread606]

Tried it and got mixed results though I blame the failure on my part being inconsistent and the times they were a success were just uncanny.

[@yoelsarmiento638]

I have been doing them for 5 years now and I have got amazing results. I keep doing it. Still many dreams. The key is to persist. What I haven't got yet , it's been because of failure to persist. IT TOTALLY WORKS.

[@timothykent7285]

All these responses are cool to hear, I've been wondering myself. I've been doing them about two weeks written out. Nothing real yet, but maybe I have not been doing them long enough yet.

[@Rayquesto]

1:57:30

[@XRLostCause]

Be useful. Got it.

[@Waldo-Manfred]

the trick is to JUST DO IT

[@Waldo-Manfred]

he DIDN'T literally write the book art of the deal, he just wrote the intro. Tony Schwartz wrote the whole book.

[@mgabrysSF]

Really loved this one. I'm addicted to his periscope feed and when it's not updated - I go hunting for my fix. This one went in smoother than morphine. It's funny that's he's got some techno-ADD anxiety. I've lived and worked in both advertising and Silicon Valley (where Scott is) so I guess I have a built in buffer against technofads, and as a lifelong gamer - a built in filter to extraneous data. Maybe. Mostly the fad part because I worked with tech startups for over 15 years and they were mostly pure shit. Hint : If you are calling a feature a product - you're full of shit. Proof? How many companies have been wiped out or had their API merged on purchase and are now invisible components of someone else's product? Answer : too many to count.

[@rodgeraarons8997]

33:25. Scott. What soap were you using in the shower to get that tingle?

[@tycoonnik]

Affirmations 7:35- 30:30

[@user-qt3jo9tw6m]

Funny to hear him mock Trump’s plan to build a wall. Which was highly effective.

[@ajpisharodi]

Affirmations: 10:00 -19:50

[@anirudhkannan9]

have you tried them?

[@ajpisharodi]

@@anirudhkannan9 Yes, I've been doing them daily for the past 2 years, and it's completely changed my life! I highly recommend it to everyone!

[@anirudhkannan9]

@@ajpisharodi if you're open to sharing -- what have you asked for? How unlikely was it?

[@ajpisharodi]

@@anirudhkannan9 ​ I would love to share! First off, I should mention I am of Indian descent, as I assume you are based on your name. Im from the US and some years ago I was in between jobs for an extended period of time and was struggling with interviews for even midlevel companies. Then I started listening to hypnosis audio recordings daily as well as applying Scott Adams affirmation technique. What I first did was ask for a specific higher income level than I was previously seeking.

[@ajpisharodi]

@@anirudhkannan9 Eventually while I was focused on one job requirement with a somewhat well known professional development company, I received an interview opportunity with Google, which I felt was so unlikely I didn't expect to get. When I received the phone call the next day with an offer, my first thought was "it actually worked!" When that contract eventually ended and it all seemed like a fluke, it was reinforced when I landed a job at Apple, a company I had months earlier practiced active visualization daily in my mind. Since then I have not had to worry about my career, I am in a very different place in life than I was before it. The odds of landing either of those prior to my practicing affirmations, based on how I was struggling before, was probably 1 in 1,000 or more!

[@rahdaswami2452]

Our destiny is preset, and when you pick an affirmation you are basically forcing yourself to see the future that was already there.

[@kermitgator]

stupidest thing i've ever heard, by far. if our destiny was preset, why even get out of bed in the morning? Just an excuse to be an underachiever loser and justify lack of life accomplishments. Why try anything, the forces working have already determined your future. so stupid. 100% wrong, we have free will which clearly means no pre destiny. Your decisions shape your future not pre destiny.

[@anirudhkannan9]

@@kermitgator I don't necessarily believe that our destinies are preset, but the answer to your first question is because it's part of your destiny to get out of bed (if you do manage to make it out of bed). I think there's a big difference between descriptive and normative statements; you've read his metaphysical statement as normative. I think he was trying to make a descriptive statement.

[@anirudhkannan9]

@Jerry have you tried the affirmations?

[@AynRand1967]

Scott Adams is GOD

[@zaynumar0]

No he's not Ayn Rand 😂

[@fergal-m6410]

Not unless God is an idiot.

[@lutor136g]

After 8:00 minutes of bullshit it's when the interview starts.

[@Toysinnick123456]

You cam eat more calories if you build muscle bro 😜✌️

[@mustafa2010ism]

Hmmm.....wonder what Paul Allen would say about Bill Gates being the greatest person in the world.

[@robertmaybeth3434]

I enjoyed most of his (non-Dilbert) books and he is very intelligent and wise. The newer books (How to win bigly) aren't quite as good but they are still good. He has a lot of wisdom to pass on if you really want to achieve success, and "affirmations" really DOES help, immensely.

[@teeI0ck]

Manjistha Seeburn

[@looniper3551]

Affirmations - Incorrect. The brain IS capable of processing everything around you, but you are not able to examine it consciously as fast as this is being done, so things like hearing your own name are prioritized. The perception he is describing is called Proprioception. It is that feeling of someone watching you... when they are. It is that feeling that someone is waiting behind the door to jump out at you, when they are. It is the feeling that there's something suspicous about that outwardly Normal car parked down the street... when there is. Your brain picks up everything down to barometric pressure shifts and the angle of carpet fibers just walking into a room. That information can result in clear conclusions that the basic Conscious brain hasn't even begun to move toward. Those who have inadvertently honed their proprioception have good "instincts."

[@woooweee]

MAGA

[@----t----1234]

wooo weee hell yeah my dude

[@sillysissyphus4877]

That was the most ambiguous nutritional advice I ever heard. I'd be more informed from a fucking McDonalds ad. "Workout and don't eat everything that comes across your face." Woah dude! Thanks bro! I never thought of that before. Otherwise great interview.

[@DinosaurDubstep]

LOL