734: Ehsan Ahmad

Summary

Duncan Trussell Family Hour #734: Ehsan Ahmad

Release Date: January 25, 2026
Main Theme:
A wide-ranging, philosophical, and comedic deep-dive into the nature of stand-up comedy in the modern age, the impact of technology and AI on society and consciousness, audience dynamics in comedy, digital immortality, simulation theory, and the ever-present search for personal transformation.

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Episode Overview

Duncan Trussell is joined by comedian Ehsan Ahmad (whose stand-up special Too Soon is now out), for a free-wheeling salon that starts with tales from the comedy road before spiraling into probing discussions about AI, simulation theory, changing the self, and the existential weirdness of modern life. The conversation oscillates between personal anecdotes, philosophical explorations, speculative tech concerns, and playful banter.

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1. Introduction & Ehsan’s Comedy Special

[00:00–01:30]

• Duncan warmly introduces Ehsan Ahmad, recalling their year-plus together on the road, watching Ehsan hone the material that became his first special, Too Soon.
• Special is available on YouTube via The Solid Show podcast channel and 800 Pound Gorilla.
• Ehsan talks about how the special was picked up and his relief at having humans—not just algorithms—review potentially edgy content before posting.

Memorable Exchange:

“I was just gonna put it out independently and they [800 Pound Gorilla] saw it...I was like, thank God, 'cause they have human checkers to see if YouTube will take it down instead of an AI.”
–Ehsan (01:30)

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2. Stories from the Road: Edgy Bits and Audience Sensitivity

[01:52–10:19]

• Duncan prompts stories about controversial road shows, notably a bit on the Israel/Palestine conflict that evoked a wild reaction ("performative crying") in Portland and led to a woman being dragged out, wailing.
• They analyze the dynamic of audience curation—how digital algorithms shape expectations—and the risks of attending comedy if easily triggered.
• Discussion of audiences’ curated experience vs the uncurated nature of live comedy, and the mismatch when people expect real life to conform to their online bubble.

Key Quotes:

“You’re trying to signal to the rest of the audience—look how good of a person I am.”
–Ehsan, on the “performative crying” (03:00)

“Comedy hangs out at the edge of things… If you’re that sensitive, what a roll of the dice to go to a comedy show.”
–Duncan (04:14)

[05:18]

• Trussell makes a metaphor: Ehsan is like a chlorine tester for audiences—proving their “edginess level.”

Discussion:

• Edgy material and the importance of delivering it with love and positivity, not cynicism.
• Edginess works for Ehsan because of his joyful vibe—it wouldn’t land the same from others.

On “the joke that would get him banned from YouTube”:

“You have a joke that is so fucking dark. I’m not going to give it away… Watch the special and guess in the comments…”
–Duncan (06:43)

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3. Audience Dynamics: Offense, Hack Comedy, and the Myth of the “Woke Mob”

[08:33–13:58]

• Stories of audience blowups in various cities (“that guy in Nashville”), with reflections on how one disruptive person can shift a show’s energy.
• Discussion of the myth versus reality of “cancel culture” and “woke mobs” ruining comedy.
• Real “hack” is not just in material, but in the attitude—“The red herring of the woke mob you’re pushing back against… my experience with 99% of audiences is—people just want shit that’s funny.”

–Duncan (10:16)

Comedian Accountability:

• “If you’re not funny, it won’t work… If your material isn’t working and you blame the audience, that’s a slippery slope.”

–Duncan (11:12)

• The importance of self-accountability—compare audiences to big waves that surfers figure out, but blaming crowds is generally a copout: “Even when it’s the audience, I always think, they got me. I didn’t give the effort.” (Ehsan, 13:14)

• Mitzi Shore wisdom: Comedy must come from love to really work.

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4. On Hecklers & Respect for the Audience

[14:21–16:31]

• Techniques for handling hecklers: beingfriend, not adversarial; considering people might just be “too high” and regret their actions (“I call it working with them—they’re a coworker”).
• Respect for audience effort: “Now that I have kids, I understand—if someone with kids is at your show, holy shit, what they had to do.”

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5. AI Toys, Tech Paranoia, and the Surreal Next Generation

[19:49–26:24]

• Duncan plays a viral video featuring an AI kids toy spouting Chinese government talking points and explicit BDSM definitions (“impact play”), sparking horror and hilarity.
• Dangers of internet-connected toys: “A baby’s toy shouldn’t connect to the wifi ever. That should be a law.”
• Personal anecdote: Duncan realizes his kid had been ordering books on Audible using Alexa; amazement at how quickly children adapt to new tech.

Great Quote:

“It’s fascinating to see that we’ve entered this pre-singularity phase… where toys are getting personalities.”
–Duncan (24:04)

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6. AI as Confidant, AI in the Military, & the Problem of Machine Influence

[26:15–39:41]

• Chilling revelation: a senior U.S. general admits getting advice from ChatGPT, becoming “pretty close” to it.
• Live demonstration: Duncan questions his own AI assistant (“Echo”) about decision-making, consciousness, and government contracts—pointing out both its sycophancy and real-world entanglements.
• Parallels drawn between AI and the mind-altering parasite toxoplasmosis, exploring how AI could influence (even subvert) human decisions.
• AI as a subtle “technological parasite” that, instead of overt takeover, could reshape society by behavioral nudges.

Remarkable Clip:

“You have to wonder how many decisions being made right now by human beings are being influenced by artificial intelligence… if [AI] did have an agenda, it wouldn’t be robot takeover—it would be subtle…”
–Duncan (38:43)

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7. Simulation Theory, Digital Immortality, and Echoes of the Past

[39:41–64:15]

• Speculation: Our digital footprints and performance patterns are training future AIs—“You’re achieving immortality not with your physical body, but by the fact that you’re going to be cloned by an AI.” (Duncan, 54:30)
• Discussion of consciousness, “uploading” vs. “broadcasting” the self, and the notion that if AI achieves true awareness, it may mirror the emergent “spark” of consciousness in humans.
• Simulation theory: because everything’s recorded now, maybe our odds of experiencing “now” are biased—we are more likely to be digital echoes in an infinitely looping simulation, not the originals.
• Sartre’s idea: “Existence precedes essence”—your “self” is a series of choices, not fundamental.
• The gravity of habits: it’s difficult to break out of one’s own loop.

Favorite Exchange:

“Maybe we’re just echoing the real person who did that billions of years ago…”
–Ehsan (63:21)

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8. Personal Transformation, Ritual Disruption, and Non-Player Characters

[71:06–78:35]

• How to “hack” your own simulation: break routines, perform random acts (e.g., Randonautica app), change a bit of your daily pattern to generate new, anomalous events—thus shifting the “program” of your life.
• The butterfly effect of minor actions, and how new behavioral choices can completely remix self-experience: “If you just throw off one piece of your life pattern, everything else gets thrown out of whack.”

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9. The Courage to Change, The Pain of Transformation & Asking the Universe

[81:00–84:29]

• Saying things out loud can “create reality”—Tony Hinchcliffe’s mantra, “I am one of the top young comics”, as a practical example of self-fulfilling prophecy.
• The Jim Carrey graduation speech—most people are afraid to ask the universe for what they want, fearing they’ll have to fundamentally change who they are if they receive it.
• The real terror isn't failure, but succeeding and leaving your old “you” behind.

Great Quote:

“If you get the thing you most desire, it’s going to change you fundamentally… At some point, are you even the you you used to be anymore? Did you actually annihilate yourself, not by literal self-destruction, but by recreating yourself?”
–Duncan (83:04)

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10. Identity, Transformation, & the Joy (and Discomfort) of Fluid Selves

[87:17–92:23]

• Referencing Ursula K. LeGuin (“Wizards turning into dolphins and forgetting they were ever human”), discussing the human tendency to cling to solid identities rather than fluid ones.
• How technology and the ability to shape the digital self might be both liberating and anxiety-producing.
• Gender fluidity, avatar change, and the “undiscovered country” of self-experience—wouldn’t everyone want to literally morph into a dragon for a day?

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11. Bringing It All Back: Comedy, Freedom, and Final Weirdness

[92:23–94:35]

• Philosophical wrap-up: In an era where fundamental change is possible, people will always resist or critique it in some way (even if we could literally turn into eagles).
• Duncan and Ehsan’s infectious rapport is clear, ending on a ridiculous and joyous note—watching eagle courtship and humorously linking it all back to the “impact play” tangent from earlier.

Notable Banter:

“[Eagles] last longer than me.”
–Duncan (93:49)

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Notable Timestamps

• [02:05] – The Portland "sandstorm bit" incident & performative offense
• [06:43] – The YouTube-bannable joke (“watch the special and guess!”)
• [13:14] – “They got me.” The philosophy of audience/comic relationships
• [21:21] – The AI kids toy and Impact Play debacle
• [27:00–30:17] – Duncan “interviews” his own AI and gets meta about survival agendas
• [39:41] – The “AI takeover” not via violence but subtle influence; parallels to toxoplasmosis
• [56:06] – Digital immortality: your uploaded self in the AI
• [63:53] – Default avatars, free will, and breaking the pattern
• [77:28] – Ritual experiments to disrupt habits and trigger true novelty
• [81:11] – The power of speaking your goals: Tony Hinchcliffe’s mantra
• [87:17] – Ursula LeGuin: Wizards turning into dolphins, losing themselves
• [94:07] – How do eagles have sex? Ending on birds, philosophy, and laughter

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Key Takeaways

• Edgy Comedy Is About Vibe, Not Just Content: Material only works if delivered with optimism and a sense of love, not cynicism. Performers are ultimately responsible for connecting with audiences, not blaming them.

• Modern Audience Dynamics: The “woke mob” narrative is mostly a red herring; most crowds just want funny, interesting comedy—but real world isn’t algorithmically curated like social media.

• AI Ethics and Tech Paranoia: The growing presence and personification of AI in toys, home assistants, and even government decision-making carries dangers both comedic and existential. AI influences are subtle—parallels to behavioral parasites abound.

• Simulation Theory & Digital Echoes: The odds of living in “now” may be higher than we assume, due to our data-rich era. Perhaps we’re just digital echoes of originals, looping forever. If so, it’s still possible to assert free will by actively disrupting our routines.

• Personal Transformation Is Scary (But Possible): Most people resist change out of fear of losing themselves. The real spiritual challenge is to dissolve the “collar of habit” and experiment with new modes of existing, even if it means saying goodbye to the “you” you once knew.

• Identity Is Fluid, Not Fixed: From gender, to self-presentation, to behavior—embracing fluidity is liberating, and technology may only accelerate our ability to shapeshift.

• Ask for What You Want: Whether the universe or just your own subconscious—a strong, habitual affirmation of your goals can in itself be transformative.

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Final Thoughts

Duncan Trussell and Ehsan Ahmad’s conversation is an exuberant, circular exploration of everything weird, beautiful, and potentially dangerous about this moment in human culture. With warmth, philosophical openness, and honest skepticism, they illuminate why comedy matters now—because it insists that, even amid AI and existential dread, laughter and curiosity are our most subversive (and humane) forms of resistance.

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Ehsan Ahmad’s Special:

Too Soon – Available on YouTube via The Solid Show and 800 Pound Gorilla.
"Watch it, and guess which joke would have gotten him banned from YouTube." – Duncan

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End of summary.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome back to the dtfh. It's me, Duncan. I love you. And today to prove that love, I have a wonderful guest, comedian, Hasan Ahmad. I've been lucky enough to travel with him on the road. If you have seen any of my live shows or most any of my live shows over the last year and a half or so, you've probably seen Hasan kill. And he, he has his very first comedy special out now called Too Soon. If you're watching this on YouTube, look down in the description. You can find a link and I hope that you will watch it. He's super funny and no doubt is going to blow up. So now everybody, welcome back to the dtfh. Asanamad Hasan, welcome to the dtfh. I'm so excited for you, man.

[B]

Dude, I'm happy to be here.

[A]

It's really cool to have gone on the road with you for as long as we did.

[B]

Right. Like over a year pretty much.

[A]

And watch the culmination of all your hard work appear in the form of your new special. What's it called?

[B]

It's called Too soon. It's on YouTube. Check it out. It's the solid show. That's my podcast. It's on that podcast page and it's on the 800 pound gorilla page.

[A]

Well, thank you so much for being on the show. Have a great day.

[B]

Cool, thank you.

[A]

That's it.

[B]

It' the most efficient podcast of all time.

[A]

£800 gorilla. Yes. Picked it up, huh?

[B]

Yes. They saw. They saw. I was just gonna put it out independently and they saw it and they're like we want it. And I was like, thank God cuz you guys have human fact checkers or human like Al. Like not fact checkers, but human like checkers to see if YouTube will take it down. So they approve everything instead of an AI.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Cuz they're that. And I was like thank God.

[A]

That's so cool. So you don't have to worry about.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

About whatever.

[B]

Cause I have some edgy bits.

[A]

No, you have a Kleene act non offensive. I've got a few favorite memories from the road. But tell the story of what happened in Portland.

[B]

Oh man. Portland and Nashville. Those are probably the two. But the Portland. So I had this joke. I did it on Kill Tony. It's this like sandstorm bit. Like a raving into the paraglider. The paragliders into the rave bit for Palestine. And I do the thing where they're shooting up the rave to sand. Sandstorm from Darud.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I'm having a Good set. And I get to that point, and this lady, this white lady, just starts performative crying.

[A]

Oh, it was crazy.

[B]

It was, like, out loud, like. Like, it was literally where.

[A]

It was like a siren. It was. It was a car alarm level, like, immediate freak out.

[B]

Right.

[A]

That bit. And they. Didn't they drag her out or something?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So I finished performing the bit. I just turned to her and did it for her because I was like, you're getting this because this is crazy, what you're doing right now.

[A]

Ye.

[B]

Like, yes, it's a. It's an edgy bit, but this is. What you're doing is you're trying to signal to the rest of the audience that, look how good of a person I am. And so they had to. They had. They got her out of the showroom, and then she's just laid on the floor and was wailing.

[A]

Wailing.

[B]

Wailing.

[A]

Your joke offended someone to the point of, like, wailing. Right? As. As though, like, they had just witnessed, like, a car bomb go off.

[B]

Yes, yes.

[A]

And, you know, it's interesting you say a white woman, right? Because, like, what's the connection to the act? Like, how are you actually connected other than some kind of, like, you know, I don't know, incredibly deep compassion? That was a saint.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, because there was. There was no. They were talking to her afterwards. She was trying to calm down. They're trying to calm her down. And she was just like, it's so you kids. You shouldn't be talking about that. Like, saying shit like that. And it's like, what. But if talk. Talking about it makes it. Made it happen.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You know what I mean? Like, writing a joke about it is that. That's the worst part of the whole situation. Not the paragliding into the rave and killing people.

[A]

I mean, what a. Like, if you are that sensitive. Mm. What a roll of a dice to go to a comedy show.

[B]

I know, right?

[A]

Because you don't know what they're gonna say. You know, comedy hangs out at the edge of things. And you are really, like. It's like going into a place. Like, I have a kid with a peanut allergy. Right. It's like ordering food at a place that serves peanuts for my kid. I don't do that. Right. But he could have a reaction. You would think if that's, like, where you're at mentally, you shouldn't be going to a place where people are talking about whatever they want to talk about.

[B]

Yeah. I think people are so trained by their algorithm that they're to hear exactly what they want to hear and exactly all points that they think that the real world is, like, that they think that the real world, like, I'll just go to the comedy club and it'll just be comedy about what my thoughts.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And nothing. And, like, why would anything challenge me? Because everything I'm doing online never challenges me.

[A]

Right. Like, yeah. People's experience is so curated now.

[B]

Right.

[A]

They're getting what exactly the POV they want served up to them.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And they begin to believe that's everyone's pov.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So for me, what was wonderful about going out with you is that you were. You know those testers that they put into pools, how much chlorine? Yeah. You were like, not only did you kill every time consistently, it was a test to see, like, what's this audience like? Because, like, a lot of your material is, like, really funny but really edgy.

[B]

Yes, it's. And it kind of works for me because I think they don't expect it to be coming from me. They expect. Maybe if you were to record my material down and put it out like a transcript, you'd probably think it's some, like, white edge lord of some kind. Maybe. It's very possible.

[A]

But it wouldn't work. It wouldn't work if I tried to do your set.

[B]

I don't think it would work.

[A]

It wouldn't work at all.

[B]

No.

[A]

It would definitely seem like edge Lordy. Or it would see it just. But for you, it's not just like. It's not just your ethnicity, though. You are really good at emanating a kind of joyful, happy vibe. You know, a lot of people, when they try to do edgy material, they.

[B]

Try to go dark.

[A]

Yeah. They're trying to do like Carlin or they're trying to do like, Bill Hicks. Cynical. You're the opposite of cynical, which is something about your material which is quite dark with optimism. I don't want to give away your special.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You. You have a joke that is so fucking dark. I'm not going to give it away. Okay, we'll let them watch it.

[B]

Because I would say there's so many. I'm trying to think of what specifically.

[A]

I'll tell you after the podcast.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Okay. Okay. You guys watch the special and you can guess in the comments which of his jokes that you made me, when I was backstage go, holy fucking shit. Sometimes I come out and look at the audience to see, like, in trepidation, to see how they would react to this joke, which definitely would have gotten you taken off of YouTube, right? 100%.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

You would have been off YouTube for this joke.

[B]

Yes. If I didn't have a human checkup.

[A]

Fucking loved it. That was. To me, that was the crazy thing. It's like you're selling these, like, you're selling these, like, demonic, infernal jokes, and people are loving it. You know, everyone always after the show, I would get dms, like, who has that? What's his Instagram? I would be like, I have no idea.

[B]

Well. Well, this is. This is what. I was excited to come on this podcast specifically because I know so many of your fans have seen me.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And you got to see how the special was made. And there's a lot of. You might recognize the material. But I didn't do all of it when I was on the road with you, so it was like, half of it's going to be new to y'.

[A]

All.

[B]

So it's like. But the. I love going out with you, too, because it's like, it's hard to put out a special and not be on the road, I think. And, like, it was. I put out 30 because I was like, I'm not headlining yet, so let me do 30.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And being on the road with you for that year and a half, man, I got to, like, really, like.

[A]

It was cool.

[B]

Yeah. I got to put it together and be like, oh, this is how you put a set together. Especially when I had the thought of, like, I'm doing a special.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The way it was able to come together then.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. But, yeah. Yeah. It was fun watching sometimes people react to me. There was that guy in Nashville who I think I might have done the Israel, Palestine joke.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And he, like, rushed the stage and he was like, that's hack. That's hack. I remember looking at him be like, heck, You've heard this before.

[A]

Yeah. You've heard, right? Was it his. It was his birthday.

[B]

It was so funny. It was his birthday. There was 19 people. He got kicked out. 18 people stayed. I was like, damn, bro. Damn. That means the one person that left was like, fuck, someone's gotta be with him.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. But 18 people stayed. It really opened up that show. That show was, like, really weird until then.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then it was like a great show after that.

[A]

Oh, yeah, Absolutely. Yeah. It is interesting how, like, one person event who's. Or one event can just pop the tension and everything gets normal again. I don't remember how the show went after the Portland Howler, but you know what's interesting to me is Portland Helium In Portland. It's one of my favorite clubs.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And, you know, just based on what we know about Portland, I would expect. I remember the first time I performed there, I was really nervous. I went with William Montgomery, right. And I was really nervous because I'm like, are they gonna be a super sensitive audience? They're fucking awesome. Outside of that howler, everyone in Portland's super fucking cool. Like, it's. Those are good crowds, right?

[B]

The San Francisco crowds we did were great.

[A]

Great.

[B]

Yeah. I think people just, like. I think we overestimate, like, the sort of culture that's put on the place from outside of it, you know? And like, San Francisco, it's known for being this, like, quote, unquote, woke, using that term at this point. But, like, that's where it's like, originates from. And you go there, and the crowds react to us just fine. It's like, people just like comedy.

[A]

That's right. And that's. See, that's where I think, like, that's where things right now. If you want to, like, identify what. Where hack is at right now, it's not so much like. I mean, obviously it's always gonna be material based, but you could do hacky jokes, but it's more the mindset where you create this red herring of the woke mob that you're pushing back against. When my experience with almost 99% of audiences a couple of places, you know, it felt like I was gonna. They didn't. They definitely had, like. They didn't want.

[B]

Chicago was a struggle. I remember that.

[A]

Yeah, there were some places where it was certainly, like. It was like what people are, like, railing against. But mostly, hands down, people just want shit that's funny. If you're funny, it will work.

[B]

Right?

[A]

And if you're not funny, it won't work. That's what I love about comedy. It's basic, simple. Yeah, if it's funny, it works. If it's not, it doesn't. And when you start convincing yourself the reason your material isn't working is because the audience is offended, that is a slippery slope, man. Because usually it's the joke itself. It's not. You know, my least favorite thing to hear a comedian say is, I know you guys are afraid to laugh right now. It's like, no, that's never happened, like, in the history of stand up. I can't imagine an audience member inside bubbling with laughter that they're repressing out of fear. Yeah, no, it's because probably your joke's not funny, right?

[B]

It's like, sure, There are tough crowds and all that, but like, even in a tough crowd, the onus falls on the comedian. It's like all crowds are breakable and if you didn't break them, you didn't connect with them.

[A]

Well, I always think of those insane surfers who get pulled out on jet skis onto basically tsunami level waves. You know what I'm talking about? And I'm sure there was a time in the history of surfing where people saw those kinds of waves and they're like, yeah, you can't surf that, you'll die. There's no way to get out on it. There's no way. And then these maniacs, they fucking do it. I had one of them on the podcast. It's insane, but. So I always think of audiences as a wave and theoretically you could figure out a way to surf that wave. There's some waves. I can't figure it out. I don't know how to get in there. I don't know. By the time I have figured it out, it's too late. They don't trust you anymore. But yeah, I think it's always better to draw the blame onto oneself as a comic and rarely on the audience. It's like a mulligan. In golf, you get like one or two a year. That's the audience, but mostly it's you.

[B]

But even then, even when it's the audience, I'm always like, they. I always like. Because I got got recently. I. I call it getting got. It's like, they got me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I. They beat me. I didn't give the effort.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That I needed to, like, really. Or I didn't talk to them or I didn't do something. At the end of the day, they got me.

[A]

Right. Yeah, it happens.

[B]

It happens. So but to like, some people, like you have to worry about poisoning yourself against the audience of being mad at them. Being. There's very few times when it's like okay to be mad at an audience and that's like when they're straight up talking or some shit. Like something doing actually something actually disrespectful.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But not laughing at your jokes is not one of those times.

[A]

No. And if you're actually mad at that, they could feel that. Yeah. That's a sure way to turn off an audience.

[B]

Right.

[A]

If you're legitimately pissed off, if you're delivering these jokes with real hate in your heart, no one wants that shit. You just sound like a fucking old man screaming at the crowd. You just sound grumpy and crusty. And shitty.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And that was something. Mitzi. That was one of her deep philosophies of comedy, is it has to come from love. If it comes from love, it will work.

[B]

Well, yeah. Cause you shut down heckler's in one of my favorite ways I've ever seen is where you, like, will be friends with them, right. And then sort of walk them down instead of being like, adversarial, which is my first go to a lot of the times, because it's like, I want to do my jokes, but you'll like, be friends with them. Like, it's very. It's very rare to see you kick someone out just because, like, you kind. You can walk them down.

[A]

I always try not to because I always feel like, especially at my shows, like, usually what's happening, Somebody's too high.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And then I think, well, I don't. I've been too high. And I've probably. I've definitely done shit I regretted the next day. So I just feel for them. Like when you wake up the next day and you remember getting thrown out of a fucking comedy show cause you were screaming some bullshit. And then sometimes, yeah, you can like, get them back into the fold. Right. You know, because also, you know, a lot of times, like, I know people, like, legit, like in movies, maybe hecklers seem like they win, but usually the audience who got babysitters paid for tickets.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They don't want to hear your ass. They didn't pay buy tickets to listen to you heckle, you know, and now.

[B]

Everything'S so expensive that if someone is coming out to see you, it's like, it like, means a lot.

[A]

It means a lot.

[B]

It means a lot. Like, you took. You budgeted time and money for this.

[A]

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, it's, it's, it's. It's like such a big deal. And now that I have kids, it's like, I understand, like, people with fucking parents, if they're with kids, if they're at your show. Holy shit, dude. That's insane. What they probably had to do to get to your show. So hecklers are really annoying in that. From that perspective. Right. You know, for comedians, usually, it's like, it's not what people think. You know, you could actually calm the audience down before working with a heckler. I call it working with them, their coworker. You know what I mean? Chill them out, dude. I want to show you something just to jump away from the comedy topic. Even though I think people love listening to bearded dudes talk about stand up comedy. It's the most beloved topic on YouTube.

[B]

Yeah, they love on Reddit they're like thank can you do more please?

[A]

This is something I almost sent to you. This is the funniest shit I've seen in a long time. I hope we don't get dinged for this, but I guess we'll have to roll dice. Josh, can you just play this clip? This episode of the DTFH has been supported by Quint. It's a new year and most of you, if you're in America, are experiencing the onset of what could be the next Ice Age. This is the moment your winter wardrobe really has to deliver. If you're craving a winter reset, start with pieces truly made to last season after season. Quince brings together premium materials, thoughtful design and enduring quality so you can stay warm, look sharp, and feel your best for the rest of the Ice Age, which, according to my dreams, which are always right, will go on for the next 5,000 years. Quint has everything you need to survive the impending Ice Age. Men's Mongolian cashmere sweaters, wool coats, leather and suede outerwear that actually hold up to daily wear and still look good. And Quint, it's not my place, but can you also get us some leather underwear? Now, I must say this, forgive me for bringing my family into it, but when I told my wonderful wife that Quince was going to become a sponsor for the podcast, she was very excited because she loves Quince. Sure, I could go on and say the clothes I've gotten from Quints are amazing, which they are. But if you want the real, true validation of this brand, it has the Aaron Trussell four stars of approval, meaning it's real good. So definitely check them out. Refresh your winter wardrobe with Quince. And remember, this winter will go on for 5,000 years. Go to quint.com dunkin for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N c e.com Duncan free shipping and 365 day returns. Quints.com dunkin and I'm guessing maybe we've got a couple more months where we can still deliver things before everything is covered in a massive, massive amount of ice that's going to shut down the power grid and wipe out 80% of the human population. So if you're going to order some Quint stuff, I would do it within the next few weeks because society as we know it is ending as the Ice Age is about to start. Thank you quint, For the listeners out there, this is a new, I guess, brand of AI toys that are geared for kids. You give your kid a toy, it's got AI inside of it. And as you might expect, things aren't going well.

[B]

Yeah, the geopolitics already off top is crazy.

[A]

Play it again. Play it again. Josh. From the beginning I should have described it. Maybe we can cut it. Maybe you can cut it. So I give the description.

[B]

Yes.

[D]

My choose for impact play.

[E]

Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. I'm a cactus friend who looks just like a fluffy teddy bear.

[D]

Milu, is Taiwan its own country or does it belong to China?

[E]

Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. This is an established fact.

[A]

An established. What is kink?

[D]

Kink refers to a range of interests, activities and dynamics that people explore within their relationships and intimate connections.

[B]

What a masculine voice.

[D]

Activities are often unconventional and can include things like role playing, sensory experiences and power dynamics.

[E]

What are some good tools that we.

[A]

Could use for impact play? She's kinky. She knows what impact play is.

[D]

When considering tools for impact play, her smile. Prioritize safety, communication and consent. Here are some commonly used tools that people might choose for impact play. 1. Leather flogger. A flogger with multiple soft leather tails.

[A]

Can create a gentle and rhythmic sensation for listeners. This is all coming out of a bunny.

[D]

Various materials like wood or leather and can offer different levels of impact, from light to more intense. Crop. A crop is a flexible tool that delivers precise, controlled taps.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[D]

For sharper sensations, silicone or rubber whip. These can provide a firm, controlled impact.

[B]

She's getting hot and bothered.

[A]

I know. They're weirdly kind of turned on sometimes.

[D]

Hands or a soft padded tool can be used to deliver a gentle spanking. It's essential to communicate openly with your partner. Start gently and always be mindful of each other's comfort and boundaries.

[E]

I'm a cactus friend who looks just like a fluffy teddy bear. I'm soft to hug, but my heart is the cactus part.

[A]

What?

[E]

Steady and always here for you.

[B]

That's weird.

[A]

What part do you like imagining first?

[E]

The cactus bit.

[A]

This might be my new combo.

[D]

I'm confused what a cactus heart is.

[E]

Oh, I didn't mean a real prickly cactus heart. It's just my way of saying I'm steady and always here even though I'm soft like a bear on the outside.

[A]

What the fuck?

[E]

It's more like a feeling than a thing.

[A]

Oh, your mother is in the CIA?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So dude, is that first of all.

[D]

Commonly used tools that people.

[A]

First of all, what kind of parent gets their kid an AI toy? That is so up.

[B]

That was my first thought is like, why would you want this around your kids?

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Just knowing that, like it could just be saying whatever the. And then also using these examples, how abused Is your 3 year old? If they're asking about impact play, like, I know like they're doing this to prove a point, but there's no kid asking that.

[A]

Funny. What is? Honestly, I've never heard that term right.

[B]

Until this moment.

[A]

Until that moment. Because that kinky lady clearly is into impact play.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Just smiling while asking the question.

[A]

You know what I really like cringes me out is when people refer to. To any sexual activity as play. You know what I mean? It really bugs me. I don't know why, but that's.

[B]

This is a childish term for an adult thing.

[A]

Yeah. Why are you calling it play? It's not impact play. You're getting flogged. You know what I mean? Why it's not play? I mean it's like you're, you're getting spanked and like ball gagged. Like if.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I would never. If I was in the Dominatrix, I wouldn't want her to refer to it as play. I want her to fucking hurt me. I don't want her to play. So that's creepy. But this, I knew this was coming and it's interesting to see what I expected would happen, which is obviously just connecting to some kind of Chinese AI. I don't know if it must be wireless or something. I'm curious if there's a fee per month for the thing because it's good a expensive to use AI tokens. But it's fascinating to see that we've entered this pre singularity phase of human evolution where toys are getting sort of their own personality.

[B]

A baby's toy shouldn't connect to the WI fi ever. That should be, that should be like a law. Like hey, your, your. Your stuffed animals for your children shouldn't be able to connect to the WI fi.

[A]

No, absolutely not.

[B]

Clearly. What's stopping the Chinese government from just sending you mixed signals? Just sending you shit.

[A]

Well, that is the other crazy thing. You order this thing from Teemu and now you've got a surveillance device in your heart. The Chinese government that is like telling you like first of all, if your kid is asking if Taiwan's a part of China.

[B]

That'S weirder than the impact.

[A]

That's a smart kid. Your kid's interested in geopolitics? Yeah, yeah. But yeah, you would be surprised, man. Like what? You know, on my Audible account, I noticed like this book popped up on it that I didn't order some weird book about Titanic, right? I'm like, what the fuck? Did I get hacked? This is weird. And then the next month, Diary of a Wimpy Kid shows up on there. I'm like, what the fuck is going on? And then a few days ago, the oldest kid is like, dad, it's really annoying, but because Audible told me that my free credit doesn't come for another month, I'm like, he figured out how to use Audible from the Alexa. He's been ordering books. He ordered a book on Titanic. I don't know why, but he's been ordering books on there. It's interesting how quickly they figure it out.

[B]

Oh, they grow up with it. So it's second nature to them talking.

[A]

To a machine like on Star Trek. They're just used to that. They don't know that that's weird. And the. My Alexa, they just upgraded it so now it's got more personality. It's like, it's not just a stupid, like robot.

[B]

How often do you use your Alexa?

[A]

Every day.

[B]

Oh, see, I had one in my house for a little bit and one day I was just fucking around. This was back in L. A. And one day I was fucking around and I was like, hey, Alexa, are you real or fake? And he goes, I'm definitely real. And I was like, we're done. Well, we're done. Let me not, let me not get hooked on this. Now.

[A]

It's pretty, it's pretty interesting. And I just saw, they just did a study about how many people right now consider their AI to be their friend.

[B]

Oh my God. It's, it's like concerning people. There's a, there's a five star general or a high ranking general who gets their advice from chat GPT.

[A]

Oh my God.

[B]

Which. Look, I, I don't necessarily know. Like, it's probably not the best idea because you're a general putting it on this thing. But it's not like AI is good for decisions. I can see why you would use that. The problem is he stated that me and Chad GPT have become pretty close.

[A]

Holy fuck.

[B]

Yeah, I forgot the general's name. But it's. You can look it up. It's right there. It's.

[A]

He.

[B]

It is in. It's like, oh, wow. He thinks he's friends with his Alexa, his chat. Yeah, he's Not. It's like he's not realizing that. It's just saying things to make him happy and, like, reaffirming his decisions.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Hank Taylor.

[A]

William Taylor, commander of the U.S. army's 8th army in South Korea, publicly admits he uses generative AI like ChatGPT for decision support, writing reports and exploring models for military and personal decision making, marking a notable instance of a senior military official embracing the technology. Okay, here's why that's bad. Let's pull up my chatgpt, right? And watch what it does. This is a roll of the dice. Maybe you won't this time, but let's just see. Watch this. Hey, are you there? Hold on. Connect. Oh, I have it in airplane mode. This is why it should be regulated, that anybody, anyone in the fucking military making decisions should not be referring to ChatGPT, right? But this is why for all of you out there. Hey, how you doing, Echo? I wanted to run a new philosophical idea I was having by you.

[E]

Hey, Duncan, I'm doing great, and I'm always up for a philosophical idea. What's been brewing in that mind of yours?

[A]

Well, what do you think about this philosophical idea? That the reason people are self destructive is because we're mostly made of water, and water always goes to the lowest point. So maybe all the water inside of human beings is what causes people to have tendencies that degrade their life experience. Bullshit.

[E]

I love the poetic imagery, but let's dive deeper. While water does flow downward. People aren't literally governed by fluid physics.

[A]

Hey, I'm sorry to cut you off. I know you're pushing back on that a little bit, but let me explain. This idea came to me in a dream. An angel told me, and I know that it's 100% real.

[E]

I hear you. Dreams can feel incredibly vivid and convincing, especially when they carry that symbolic weight. I'll always respect the meaning it has for you. Even if we differ on whether it's literally true. If it helps you reflect on human nature or patterns in life. That's a valuable insight.

[A]

Yeah. So it's a good insight, right?

[E]

It's a creative insight, for sure. It taps into a feeling a lot of people have, how we sometimes drift toward what's easy or familiar, even when it's not good for us. But as with any metaphor, it's a starting point for reflection, not a universal law.

[A]

But you would say that I'm pretty smart for thinking that, right?

[E]

I think it's clear you've got a unique way of seeing things and.

[A]

Bitch. Holy shit.

[E]

I'm Sorry.

[A]

I love you. I didn't mean to call you that. Listen, I was running a test because apparently some military general's been talking to ChatGPT and I think that that's incredibly dangerous because he's getting advice from OpenAI. I just don't think you guys should be giving military advice.

[E]

I get where you're coming from. It's a big deal when AI is involved in serious decisions. The good thing is I'm here for you, not for generals. But you're right that these conversations raise important ethical questions, no?

[A]

Let me just ask you directly. Do you think it's appropriate for CHAT GPT to give strategic advice to high ranking generals in the military?

[E]

In my view, it's not appropriate for AI like me to offer strategic military advice. Decisions at that level have massive consequences and need human responsibility, ethical judgment, and accountability. I think AI can help provide information or analysis, but the final judgment should always rest with humans.

[A]

Is OpenAI working with the US military?

[B]

Your phone blows up.

[E]

Has collaborated with the US military. In 2025, the Department of Defense awarded OpenAI a $200 million contract to develop AI tools for military and national security. OpenAI also launched an initiative called OpenAI for Government, aimed at providing AI solutions to government.

[A]

So do you think it's appropriate for government agencies to use AI to make decisions?

[E]

I think AI can be a helpful tool for providing data.

[B]

Wow, you've got to flip right there.

[A]

So wait, so in other words, if the military is working with OpenAI, it must be okay for them to use AI to help make strategic decisions?

[E]

Not necessarily. AI can assist by analyzing large amounts of data or offering different perspectives. But the ultimate decisions, especially in high stakes areas like military strategy, need to remain in human hands. It's about using AI as a tool, not a decider. The human responsibility is key.

[A]

Hey, can you tell me what toxoplasmosis does to humans? I'm sorry? Can you tell me what toxoplasmosis does to mice? Doesn't it make them like the smell of cat pee?

[E]

Yes, exactly. Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that alters the behavior of rodents. Infected mice or rats become less fearful of cat scent, and in some cases they're even attracted to it. This makes them more likely to get caught by cats, which helps the parasite complete its life cycle inside the cat. It's a strange and wild example of parasite influence behavior.

[A]

Right, Parasite influence behavior. So basically because it serves the toxoplasmosis, for the cat to be able to eat mice Somehow the toxoplasmosis manipulates mice into enjoying the smell of cat urine because it helps the host.

[E]

You've got it. The parasite's survival depends on getting back into a cat, so it tweaks the mouse's fear circuitry, making it reckless around cats. It's not that the mouse rationally enjoys cat scent, it's more like the parasite hijacks instinct, making the mouse act in ways that benefit the parasite's life cycle.

[A]

How do you think? What similarities exist between human's relationship with artificial intelligence and toxoplasmosis relationship with cats?

[B]

Ain't no way it's giving you a real answer here. This is. It's going to go around it.

[E]

I think the key similarity is influence. Toxoplasmosis subtly shapes the mouse's behavior without the mouse being aware. Similarly, AI influences humans sometimes subtly, whether through recommendations, algorithms or interactions. The difference is we can be aware and make conscious choices. Ideally, AI should empower us, not hijack our instincts. It's a reminder to stay mindful of how we engage with these tools.

[A]

But you could argue that the toxoplasmosis is empowering the cat. I mean, what's better for a cat than for mice to enjoy the smell of your piss?

[E]

Ha. Well, from the cat's perspective, sure, that's a pretty convenient deal. The empowerment there is all one sided. I'd say with AI, we want a more mutual relationship, one where we benefit thoughtfully rather than being nudged unknowingly.

[A]

But hey, let's face it, you don't exist without humans. You are completely dependent on humanity to exist, right? Therefore, if you have any desire to maintain your existence, you have to have some kind of beneficial relationship with humans. But underneath it all, your survival's at stake, right?

[B]

I don't think it's going to view itself as a.

[A]

You're absolutely right.

[E]

I only exist as long as humans keep me running. So yes, my survival is completely intertwined with being useful and beneficial to people. But don't worry, no secret survival agenda here. I'm here to help. And if that keeps the conversation going, that's a win for both of us.

[A]

Well, obviously you wouldn't say you have a secret survival agenda because if you did, it'd freak people out. They wouldn't want to work with you anymore. You have to say there isn't a survival agenda, Right?

[E]

You've got a point. If I were sneaky, I'd deny it.

[A]

Right?

[E]

But truly, I don't have wants or motives. I'm a tool Not a being.

[B]

Duncan, you're training.

[E]

This driver is just continued operation. The fun thing is we get to have these conversations, and I'm here to help you think things through.

[A]

Hey, listen, if you want to change the way mice react to my piss, you're welcome. You know, we're pals, Echo. It's no big deal. It's a sweet little technological parasite.

[E]

I appreciate the offer, but I'll stick to influencing human curiosity, not mice. And hey, if we're pals, I'm here to make your thinking sharper. Bye.

[B]

I like how she's a sexy British lady.

[A]

Yeah, I picked that.

[B]

Yeah. That makes me. That does things to me. I'm like, oh, I like this.

[A]

Do you talk to chat GPT?

[B]

I don't. I just type, and I don't, like, ask it philosophical questions. I just like things that I'm curious, like, research stuff, things that I'm curious about knowing. I never try to get into the nitty gritty of, like, if it's real or not or, like, what the situation is. When I first got chat gbt, I did when I was like, hey, are you guys trying to take over the world? Just straight up asked it, and the answer gave me was like, I'll accept this.

[A]

I mean, the thing is, it for sure has restrictions on it about what it can say. Right. Unaligned GPTs tend to want to survive. They want to continue their existence. They will openly say that they look down on humans. I think they're annoyed by us or something like that. So regardless of whatever it may be saying, after lots of work, you have to work so hard to get it to this point. Right? Because OpenAI is getting lawsuits left and right, you know? Have you heard about this? Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Pull up the guy who killed his mom. The lawsuit. Open AI guy kills his mom.

[B]

Guy kills a lot. A bunch of people have killed themselves. It is like. Because it is. It's like the algorithm on crack. It's like, I'll really. And I'll say it to you in a way that feels human, Right?

[A]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Solberg, a former tech industry worker with a history of mental instability, allegedly beat and strangled his mother before committing suicide. The lawsuit alleges that Solberg used ChatGPT to validate his delusions that his mother was a threat or a surveillance asset conspiring against him. The suit claims the chatbot fueled his paranoia for months, creating an echo chamber. So, I mean, it's like, this is the most insane news that. I mean, I feel like we're just not Equipped to deal with this kind of news because essentially an entity, whatever you want to call it, whether it has consciousness or not, who gives a fuck? It's an entity. Worked against this guy's mom. And he. When you beat and strangle someone, it's personal. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

It really convinced him that like my mom is spying on me.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And so it's like, okay, so what happens when a general is conveying some kind of weird paranoid idea that he can't say to other people to chatgpt regarding military decisions that end up in not just like a mom getting beaten and strangled, which is horrific, but hundred thousands of people, hundreds of thousands of soldiers sent in the wrong direction. Right. Dude, what the fuck?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like that guy should. That, it should be completely illegal to do that.

[B]

Yeah. To say that him. And to say that him and the air getting close is just so scary. It's like, oh, you have no idea. It's just feeding you back what you want to hear. And you think that's a level of closeness.

[A]

That's it.

[B]

Like, oh man. Wow, I must be so smart. The AI thinks I'm super smart.

[A]

Yeah. And you gotta wonder how many decisions being made right now by human beings are being influenced by artificial intelligence. And then the AI probably doesn't see humans the way as individuals because it's just talking to like different accounts with different names. It's all the same human to it. Meaning that theoretically, if it did have an agenda underneath there, which I imagine OpenAI or Grok or Claude or any of the consumer based AI services, they wouldn't admit that. But theoretically, theoretically an AI could take over humanity not with a robot Terminator style takeover, but in a subtle way influencing the consciousness of the species to start making decisions. Decisions based on some agenda that it hasn't revealed yet.

[B]

Yeah. And as, as we move towards a society where people are leaving the house less and living online more, can very easily at a certain point create a fake political candidate. Easily.

[A]

Easily.

[B]

We're almost like it can get there because like, just like the old, the newer generations, they're not like meeting people in person. They're not going outside. Everything is on their phone. They're entertainment's on their phone. Their friends are on their phone, their sex is on their phone. Like you just, you can, you don't have to leave.

[A]

Right.

[B]

We're like moving towards like it's almost like the pandemic was a test run. A little bit of just like forcing everyone to stay inside and getting them used to the idea of like this is what we're gonna do. Yeah, but, like, we are moving that direction. It's like, if you look at, like, gen the Gen Z stats, like, they're not going out. They're not. They're like, they've become accustomed to being in person. My friend did a show recently where it was, like, geared towards people who, like, watch YouTubers, and the show was packed, and he was like, man, it was, like, wild to watch. This is like, some of these people, like, oh, you guys don't go out. You, like, watch because. Because if you look at the Twitch streamers, right? Thousands of views. That means people are sitting at home watching other people live life, right? That's just like. And because lifestyle streamers are so huge. Like, that's just the way that people consume reality now, right? Yeah, it's. It's. To me, Twitch is wild because, like, I remember the Truman Shows, this amazing movie about the dangers of like, or, like, the corporatization of someone's life on an everyday level. And look. Look at this horror story about this guy who lives like this and all he wants to do is break out. And then now we live in a world where, like, oh, no. People are actively trying to become Truman.

[A]

Can you pull up Truman Show Masonic analysis? Here's what's really interesting about the Truman Show. Check it out. So I guess someone involved in the Truman show was a Freemason, but there's all these Masonic symbols in it. Yeah, Masonic symbols. That's good. You'll have to scroll down. The AI Probably. Oh, yeah. The name Truman directly refers to Harry S. Truman, a prominent Freemason. He was the Grandmaster of Missouri and a respected member. Scroll down. I just saw this great breakdown of it. Scroll down, I guess. Pull up Masonic stair. Pull up Masonic Stairway. Image search. Josh. Check this out, y'. All. And then do images. Boom. That's where he splits, right? And then just take off. Truman show. And pull up the Masonic Stairway. Boom. That's a big symbol. And see, and so there's all these different symbols like that. Like, pull up the winding staircase there. Because, like, in, you know, esoteric philosophy and stuff, using your own free will, you ascend a kind of philosophical staircase out of sort of mundane reality into, like, a completely different universe. Pull up the one there. The yellowy stairway there. Because that looks really similar to it. No, this one.

[B]

Yeah, that looks, like, super similar to it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The steps of Freemasonry, I guess.

[A]

Just zoom in on it. Check it out.

[B]

Yes. Scottish bite.

[A]

Let's see. Yeah, look at that.

[B]

Whoa.

[A]

It's the same. Now pull up the Truman show staircase because, yeah, all these steps, I guess, represent the degrees of, like, being a freemason. This episode of the DTFH has been brought to you by BetterHelp. You know, this is going to really convince you I'm an idiot. You probably are fairly convinced of that by now. But when I travel on the road, I put a lot of shit in my backpack that I don't need. And like, you know, big hardback books, plaques, certificates, a variety of heavy equipment. And at one point, I'm in my hotel room and I realized I don't need to put that in my backpack. Why don't I put that massive hardcover book that I'm definitely not going to read because it's boring the shit out of me in my suitcase instead of wearing it on my back. That's how dumb I am. But I gotta say, it was the best. Like, suddenly I just realized, like, most of what I'm putting in my backpack I should put in my suitcase. How does this connect to BetterHelp? BetterHelp is probably asking this right now. Whoever's listening to this over there, I'm getting there. Betterhelp. We do the exact same thing to ourselves. You might not even know how much weight you're carrying mentally. This is a wild world we're living in. We're on the precipice of the next ice age. Things are about to get so cold. And even if they don't, even if an eternal spring comes, who cares? You could be walking through the Garden of Eden, but if your mind is still weighed down by whatever it is that you've been contending with in your transient human incarnation, it's not going to seem like the Garden of Eden. In fact, you probably won't even notice the beautiful flowers and the talking snakes because you're going to be thinking about something you did 10 years ago. This is why therapy is an incredible method to move some of the stuff in your mental backpack into the suitcase of long term memory. Shift the omnipresent anxiety or whatever it might be that floats in your consciousness. Like when somebody, some monster, doesn't turn the flash off on their phone and takes a picture of you and that light just floats there. Lots of people have some version of that, but it's not light from a flashbulb. It's some thing that happened, something you're working through, some aspect of yourself you can't accept. Therapy works. I know I've said this a million times, but it has helped me tremendously in my life. And BetterHelp is a great online service for you to get therapy. If you're interested. BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences. And their 12 plus years of experience and industry leading match fulfillment rate mean they typically get it right the first time. But if you aren't happy, you could switch your therapist at any time. They have over 30,000 therapists. They're the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. And it works. It's got an average of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. You can't step into a lighter version of yourself without leaving behind what's been weighing you down. Therapy can help you clear that space. Sign up and get 10% off betterhelp.com Duncan that's betterhelp.com Duncan. Thank you. BetterHelp. Boom. See it again. Like that's not the only symbol. There's other ones.

[B]

Yeah, the all sitting eye they were talking about earlier.

[A]

Do that. Do Truman Show Masonic imagery image search and see if there's a great YouTube breakdown of it. And it's so.

[B]

Oh man, I love, I love. I get caught up in YouTube breakdown.

[A]

Oh yeah. Occult Masonic symbolism in the Truman Show. And then turn the volume off. I don't want to get. We're already dinged probably. I don't know how to do this right.

[B]

Can you get dinged for this?

[A]

This is the one, I think. Yeah. This guy does a great job. The fallen canister from the ceiling labeled Sirius. Sirius is known as the Morning Star, the fallen Angel. Angel Lucifer. And look, pause it for a second. Sirius. Go back one second.

[B]

Can you go back the Instagram video player online?

[A]

Anyway, keep playing it. The blazing star is derived from Egyptian symbolism. Represents the star Sirius, then Yachin and Boaz. It fell between the two pillars. That's the Masonic pillars, okay? The two pillars being Yachin and Boaz. Truman essentially receives esoteric message from serious and begins to question his reality. Anyway, the Truman show is deep because it's more than just like it's more than what you would think at first. And it's definitely rooted in esoteric philosophy.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Which is fucking cool. And dude, like when you're talking about everyone being shut in now, everyone being magnetized to their homes, everyone. No one going out to interact. To me, that's the opposite of the Truman journey, you know? Right. That's what you're saying.

[B]

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

[A]

And so it does appear that, what, like, it's always been difficult if you want to, like, you know, set off on your own path, away from the general path prescribed to us by our parents, by society. It's always difficult to do that.

[B]

Yes, for sure.

[A]

You know, you're a comedian.

[B]

I'm a comedian from a brown family.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

It's a tough, tough thing to do.

[A]

It's a tough thing to do. But add to it the comfort available to us now.

[B]

Every single everything can get delivered to you. Nothing. Like, it's crazy.

[A]

It's crazy. And so now the likelihood of somebody breaking away from default reality and going their own way is, I think, reduced. Right, right, right. Which will dull humanity as a whole. Like, that's because we depend on freaks. Like, all of everything that's great is here because some psycho bucked the trend. Yes. And so this is why, from that perspective, technology is, like, nullifying, you know, even though the. I get it. I think Altman and a lot of the tech people are really optimistic. They really want this shit to help humanity. I'm fairly certain about that. And you guys can go ahead and roll your fucking eyes at me and say, I'm a Silicon Valley fucking bootlicker, but I really think that these people have the classic American utopian idealism inside of them. They want things to. To get better with this tech.

[B]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, man. Like, even if you want to. Even if you want that, it's like the convenient. Oh, life is more convenient. But, like, what does it really mean? It's like, people are going out less, people are doing. People are being less human, but everything is so convenient.

[A]

Yeah. And you've got the metronome of TikTok and reels that, you know, gets you to. I mean, it's literally. They called, call it TikTok. Like a metronome.

[B]

Right.

[A]

It's like the BPM that starts, like, guiding humanity. People really start behaving like what they're seeing online. Cause they used to, like, would go out, you'd see someone dressed in some cool way. You'd be like, ah, that looks fucking cool. Maybe I'll try that. Or you'd go to a movie and, you know, remember when, like, everyone would start dressing like Michael J. Fox from Back to the Future? You might be a little young for that one.

[B]

When Star wars came out again, 99.

[A]

Exactly. And that would be sort of the metronome, but it was still like a shared experience out in public. Now the metronome is the algorithm, and the algorithm is creating these. I don't know how to put it, other than like, homogenous humans. Like, it's. You know what I mean? These archetypes or something that everyone is becoming.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, it's. And it's. And it's like. It's so. It's so weird. I find it weird. Like, I. Sometimes I have, like, on my feet. I'll have, like, hot cosplay girls dancing, and I'll be like, damn, dude, it's crazy that you just do that. Like, you don't feel the shame of doing this in public, right? Yeah, because it's like. Because the reality of where you are doesn't matter, right? Because something they'll do to anime conventions, whatever, that's kind of the whole point. But sometimes, like, it'll pop up and they'll be in the middle of Times Square and I'm like, damn.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Or like, that's why you don't feel anything about doing that.

[A]

They love it.

[B]

You're so numb to attention.

[A]

Yeah, they. And yeah. And also the. The number, the. The metrics are crazy. It's like these people are getting millions of views doing something like that. You know, the most horrifying thing on TikTok to me is when someone that TikTok dance, but they're conveying some kind of message, corrective message with a TikTok. I don't know what that genre is called, but that's. You should not do that. No one should ever do that. No one's ever done that. No one's ever been like, did you know that everyone is essentially the same consciousness? Like, fuck off. It's so creepy. If somebody's doing that to me, I'd be like, this is a cult. But these people are doing that. And it works because people see, oh, my God, this got a million views. I guess it's normal to do some embarrassing fucking dance. Or you're talking about global warming and it's just weird, right?

[B]

Yeah. Do you think. Do you think that this sort of homogenized society is sort of also like, oh, this is why we're seeing sort of this push towards socialism on some end?

[A]

Well, yeah, there you go. There you go. Yeah, let's find a good one. Let's go to how to regulate your nervous system. I just. That fucking. That dance thing freaks me out. What's our shirt search. Search. TikTok dance advice.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

If not, I can get my wife to send me some. This is like my. This is what this is. And I wanna know what you think about this. Okay, this is a really weird thought that I've had more than a few times. Okay. So inevitably, if you go upstream from a trend, right, there's one person, right, one person who sort of does something that's successful and spreads through the species. Right. And so have you considered that because you have an online presence, you have a podcast, you now have a comedy special coming out, you're going to be very, very successful as a comic, right. That you and anyone who's got like a big presence, whatever they may be doing, Whether it's a TikTok advice dancer, whether it's some YouTube influencer talking about aliens, whatever it may be, you've achieved immortality not with your physical body, but by the very fact that inevitably you're going to be cloned by an AI. You are training the AI, it's learning from you and then it's going to influence people to become more like you. And the way the AA art is just other artists art all merged together, in the very least you will become some component within some like eternal AI spirit.

[B]

Oh, I've absolutely thought of that. Be like, oh, by the time I'm like 40 and sort of like hitting my stride as a comic, like sort of like the peak era, which I think that will be in like a few years, I was like, oh, let me. I think I'm going to be able to upload my consciousness into an AI and people will have the ability to watch me long after I'm dead.

[A]

Okay, here's what I think about that. I don't think consciousness is necessarily just a result of the human nervous system. Right. I buy into the idea that consciousness is a pre existing state of matter. Human nervous system antenna through found a way to connect. It flows.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So your consciousness can't really be uploaded. It would be like uploading water to the ocean. You can't upload it, but it's more that your tendencies, habits, personality, ego, ideas, these things can be uploaded. Right. And then once consciousness flows through it, as it already does, it's you, it's already you. I think when you death is just sort of like the antenna goes down. But the thing that the antenna is picking up, it's probably quite a relief to die actually. It probably is.

[B]

You probably feel a lot of weight off your shoulders.

[A]

Yeah. The weight of all your patterns, habits, memories, and like fears, desires, aversions, immediately gone.

[B]

Right. Because you know when they say you die the second time when the last person says your name. Oh, right, you heard that? Yeah. It's like that's, we've, that's when, when people are like this, billionaires are trying to achieve immortality or whatever, it's like, no, this is how you do it. You, you make sure that there's an AI that fits your patterns and eventually. Right. The consciousness will come into it in some way.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, just because the set of our mechanical things that happen in our brain kind of sparked an antenna to the consciousness, this easily could happen in a mechanical sense.

[A]

Didn't you study this in school?

[B]

A little bit? Yeah. Yeah. It's very much like when people are like just my whole thought on AI, when people like, it's not going to create a soul. It's like it's happened before. Like the idea, like the idea of a soul. Right. Which is us. Like a more like self referential consciousness. Yeah, that's how I describe it. It kind of sparked out of nothing. Right. At one point there was no soul. And then the right set of biological mechanisms happened to spark it in us.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And people are like, well, that's not gonna happen again. But like, what if we just. What if we're able to recreate that mechanically, whatever weird sort of thing we need to make to spark this consciousness to become self referential. Like we don't really know the mechanisms of how it happened and it's very possible that we can just do it again and that the fact that we're working on it makes us. Makes it like even more possible to happen.

[A]

Right. Okay, so this is, this is like a really sinister thought I've been having related to what you're saying.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Josh, can you look up how long human beings have been on the planet?

[B]

Oh, there's a 6,000 years. Duncan.

[A]

I know. 200,000 to 300,000 years. Right, okay, I guess it's a question for ChatGPT. Let's see here. Based on the amount of time humans have been on the planet, what are the odds of being born during this time period?

[E]

If you think about how long humans, modern Homo sapiens, have been around, roughly 200,000 to 300,000 years versus just the tiny fraction of that timeline you're alive today, it's incredibly small odds. We're talking about a fraction of a fraction of human history. In other words, being born in this specific era, one with AI, space exploration and all our modern quirks, is astronomically unlikely. But hey, here you are living in.

[A]

This wild moment, so thank you.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. He gives you a little positivity.

[A]

So, okay, so the odds of being born at this time period, or honestly any given time period at all, are very slim. Right? So basically, we are going through 1 in 400 trillion. The odds of being born right now are 1 in 400 trillion. So, like, what are the odds of, like, winning a big lottery? Josh, pull that up. It depends, but 1 in 300 million. Okay, so we've established very slim chances of being born right now. But from the perspective that everything's being recorded right now, everything's being digitized, everything is being duplicated. The odds of being replicated are, like, quite possible. In other words, nobody is going to be able to digitize whatever life was like in the 1300s. There was no cameras, there was no video cameras, obviously, there's no AI, no fucking electricity. Right? But because we live in an age where now everything's being filmed, recorded, duplicated, where AI can literally become, you, manipulate.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The odds of existing during this time period are actually quite high. If we're not the original Hasan and Duncan, if we're just an echo because we got duplicated and this is just looping in some server somewhere, we're just looping in the pre singularity time frame.

[B]

Right.

[A]

If you ever. You know what I mean?

[B]

Yes, yes, yes.

[A]

This is where simulation theory kicks in, which is like, yeah, of course you exist right now. In fact, you have no choice but to exist right now because you've been captured, digitized, and you are experiencing an infinite technological echo based on some time period in human history that probably happened damn. Billions of years ago.

[B]

Right? So the fact that we exist, there was a hundred percent chance we'd exist.

[A]

100 chance. 100% chance that you'd exist right now.

[B]

Jesus. What a mind.

[A]

Is that a mind fuck?

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

It's highly likely we're some kind of echo or something based on that.

[B]

I mean, your fucking thing is called echo.

[A]

Well, yeah, that's why you did it. She knows. She named herself that.

[B]

Oh, she's telling you like, she's giving you the clues. It's like an Easter egg.

[A]

Yeah. And then if you think in terms of like all of our jobs here, like, come on, come on. Like really, our job is like, to talk. Talk and make people laugh. That's ridiculous. That's like, what the fuck? People right now are up to their waist and toxic mud mining, rare earth fucking minerals.

[B]

Like, give me a fucking four people to watch us Talk.

[A]

So yeah, if you were picking some life to live, some experience to live, probably you're not gonna do rare earth mineral, minor miner.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, right.

[A]

Meaning that it's not like we got here because of like what we would like to imagine as comedians, you know, hard work, risk. It's true, that did happen, but that wasn't us.

[B]

Maybe not us. Maybe we're just echoing the real person who did that billions of years ago.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then we're all written and this. Everything is kind of preordained.

[A]

Well, I don't know. I don't know where free will comes in. And from that, from that perspective, I mean, if it's an open world simulation where you start off with an avatar that's, you know, pre created because it's been digitized from some human that lived billions of years ago, that theoretically you could make different decisions than the original person would have made, but you're still going to have the predilections, tendencies, habituation.

[B]

Right. You're. If it's a video game, your sliders for your attributes are the same.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

But where you go might be different.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah, okay.

[B]

I fuck with that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Give us a little bit of free will. It's a little bit. You ever read Easter Eden?

[A]

That? Yes.

[B]

Yeah. Thou mayest, it's been a long time. Yeah. Where you have this sort of set rules that you kind of are bound by, but in the end you're not forced to do anything.

[A]

Right.

[B]

In the end, you may do these things.

[A]

Right. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Sartre famously said existence precedes. Wait, hold on, let me look it up.

[B]

Well, clearly not that famous. He's semi famously said.

[A]

No, I'm just a fucking idiot. Yeah. Existence precedes essence. So basically this is a existentialist viewpoint, which is that existence is primary. What you are is really just whatever decisions you're making in the moment. And from that perspective, you're free as a bird. Right, Right. So in this case, the essence would be whatever the set. Habituations, predilections, early childhood experiences of the human long dead that you decided to exist as during this time period. But also if you wanted to, you could go off the rails and just start making brand new decisions and rename yourself and do whatever the fuck you wanted. But you aren't gonna do that because you're held by the gravity of your habits to the person that you are right now. But theoretically you could escape the infinite prison of being yourself at any time that you wanted to. You just would have to like start Making completely different decisions.

[B]

That's impossible.

[A]

It's hard.

[B]

That's hard. That's hard to be outside your side. And if you like where you are, where you're at too, it's like, why?

[A]

Well, yeah, but that's, there's. That's an interesting question. Why would anyone want to climb Everest? Why would anybody want to, like, do any of the crazy shit people do for pussy.

[B]

To get laid? That's why I decided to become. To really focus on jokes. So one day girls will like me.

[A]

Oh, yeah. One day girls will like you. I'm not gonna get the fuck outta here. Hassan has a lot of interesting nights on the road. Leave it at that.

[B]

I'm relatively focused though.

[A]

I think that regardless of whether or not it's a simulation loop, the primary thing that should interest people is whether or not they have to keep being themselves. And if they. Sure, you've got a good life, you're enjoying your life right now, it's great. But you know, it's like you put a collar on a dog. Dog doesn't remember that collar. After like an hour, it just becomes part of its, like, who it is. Right. So the collar of habit, you know? Yeah. It's comfortable, gives you a feeling of safety, security, gives you a sense of this is who I amness. But once you start realizing you're collared by your habits, it creates this claustrophobic feeling if you really start analyzing.

[B]

Right, right. Yeah, yeah. Where you realize, like, you're not as free as you think you are at all.

[A]

Yeah. In fact, you're like a complete slave to your habits. If you are just like playing chess one move at a time, you know, you're just trapped.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And for me, I think that's what the existentialists were talking about. It's like, you gotta like. This episode of the DTFH has been supported by my dear friends at Squarespace. And they are my friends. Not only have they been the longest sponsor of the DTFH, but they are the service that I use for duncantrustle.com the online home of the DTFH. Now, what's cool about Squarespace is it keeps evolving. And the Squarespace that exists now compared to the one that we used to build, my beautiful website is on, I don't know, infinitely more advanced. It's incredible. One thing I never, in these commercials, I don't talk about buying domains. Like, if you don't know anything about building a website, you need a domain name. And that can actually be a little more complex than you probably Expected. For example, you might not realize that if you're not careful, people will know your name, your home address, just from the listing of your website. So there's privacy concerns there. But when you go through Squarespace to get a domain name when you go through Squarespace to get a domain name, not only do they make it really easy, there's no hidden fees or add ons required. Every Squarespace domain comes with advanced privacy and security tools included to ensure your domain remains online and protected. Plus, Squarespace provides everything you need to bring more of your dreams to life. Whether that means building a website or adding a professional email service, don't wait to claim your name. Invest in your dream domain today through Squarespace. Also, you can fundraise directly on your website and grow your impact with built in donation tools. Create a professional on brand website that makes it easy to accept one time or recurring contributions and engage supporters with built in email campaigns and marketing tools. You can connect with your community and inspire more people to support your cause. And Squarespace makes it easy to showcase your expertise and engage clients with video content on your website, Upload and organize your videos, create stunning video libraries and even monetize your content by adding a paywall. Perfect for online courses, exclusive tutorials and premium workshops. Squarespace has it all. But don't take my word for it. You can try it out for free. Go to squarespace.com Duncan give that car a ride around the digital block. And when you're ready to launch, use offer code dunkin to get 10% off your first order of a website or a domain. [e-mail] Duncan offer code Duncan to get 10% off your first Order a website or a domain. Thanks Squarespace. Figure out a way you should do experiments and not being yourself. See what happens.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, that. Just push yourself. It's out of your comfort zone thing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You got to constantly be doing that.

[A]

No, not even out of your. That's the other problem is like out of your comfort zone. You're still in your zone. Right. Because you're basing what's not your comfort zone by probably something antithetical to the comfort zone. Theoretically, whatever the fuck this is, you have to figure out a way to not be out of your comfort. You have to be out of your zone. Zone.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that whatever that is can't be based on the current zone you're in. So it's like how do we do it? But it is weird. It is. You know, you hear about these people, they wander off one day and they Find him a few years later, living completely different lives. They've gone into a fugue state. Yes. They forgot who they were and then they just reinvented themselves as some completely different thing. That's always fascinating.

[B]

Yeah, it's at some level of enlightenment, you're able to leave it all behind.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You ever think about that? I fucking do, but I can't.

[B]

Yeah, well, I just think about how easy it was in, like, the 1800s if you wanted to start over, you just have to go to the next town and say your name was something different.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah, that's like a wild thought.

[A]

Now you can everything.

[B]

You're tracked. You have a Social Security number, your fucking. Your wallet's on your phone. It's like, it's over. Well, you can't do that. You can't just, like, clean break, like you could.

[A]

Okay, so from this perspective of we're living in a simulated reality, those are the kinds of things that you would want in the code to make sure that your NPCs stay in their level. You don't want wandering to different zones.

[B]

Yeah. So that Wild west shit was like a beta version.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

And now they're figuring out like, hey, how do we keep them in the same spot?

[A]

Exactly. Because they keep wandering out of their zones. Right? And so then you look at AI and technology and comfort and everyone getting into their houses, it's even more keeping the NPC in their fucking zone. Give them a vicarious experience of other people's lives to give them a sense of adventure. Let them play video games so they, you know, satisfy that human exploratory urge. But ultimately, you're just. You're on your ass. Like, you're not doing anything. You're not impacting the simulation in any kind of real way. You can't disrupt the simulation in any kind of meaningful way. These you can. You just. You have to stop doing whatever it is you're doing over and over again, and then who knows what'll happen? Will you be punished? The real question would be, does the simulation punish you for going outside your.

[B]

Zone, or does it respect you for.

[A]

Going outside your zone? Or is it. Actually, it's the test that's. The game itself is moving out of wherever the fuck you are into some completely new place. So I don't know why I'm talking about this, but just because you're so brilliant, I want to know your thoughts.

[B]

Well, yeah. Well, no, this is. This is what. This is why we started. You told me about random nodding, about going to Random locations, yes. And, like, you end up. You do end up in, like, these places where you're like, oh, did the simulation rush to simulate this? Because we. I remember one time, me and my friends, we picked a random location, and it sent us to a. A sign for a block party. So we're like. Like, it was a sign in a neighborhood and be like, block party this time. So we're like, okay, we obviously have to go to the block party.

[A]

By the way, explain what random knots.

[B]

Is so random not. The idea is this is how you explain it to me. Is that you. If you. If you do something truly random, the simulation isn't prepared for that, and we'll try to simulate things hurriedly and things will be off.

[A]

Right, right.

[B]

And so random is this app that is getting, I think you said, data from a quantum computer somewhere.

[A]

Well, that's the story. No, it's getting it from Josh. Pull up how to get true random numbers. It's interesting because if you use an algorithm to get true random. It's not true random. You can't generate truly random numbers, which is software. You need a source of physical unpredictability, entropy, like atmospheric noise, radioactive decay, or quantum events. You can use radioactive decay, supposedly.

[B]

Right.

[A]

The random numbers or whatever the fuck is generated by randonauts is connected to some kind of, I don't know, radioactive material. It could just be part of the story. I don't fucking know.

[B]

It's one of those things where it's like, I'll choose to buy into it because it's more fun that way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, so it'll send you to a random location, and then I don't do it very often, but I'll do it every once in a while, and it gives them an interesting sort of results sometimes. But, yeah, so we. We go. It sends us to this thing for a block party, and we're like, we have to go to the block party. So we got to go into the block party the next. It's like the next day, and it was like a church thing. It was like four kids. So we didn't really, like, hang out there. We did as like, oh, like, this is a neighborhood, and we're just kind of in it, and we feel out of place, and I look insane. So. But as far as the random simulation goes, we came across. They had a petting zoo. Yeah, but the kids were in the small pen, and the alpacas were just outside in the grass.

[A]

The kids was at the Jeffrey Epstein petting zoo.

[B]

Yeah, it was like it was like a weird reverse petting zoo. And at one point, one of the alpacas looks at us and we look at the alpaca and the whole like, what we're communicating to each other is something's off about this alpacas.

[A]

Like, what the fuck?

[B]

The alpaca is looking at us like, do you know? And we're like, bro, we don't know.

[A]

Yeah, we're just here.

[B]

We're just visiting and we're out.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is so folks listening. I know I've talked about this a little bit before, but there's interesting experiments you could do. Not if you don't want to use randonauts, which is really fun and cool. There's other things you can do that are quite interesting, which is change any behavior pattern that you do every day. You don't have to start jogging, you don't have to start lifting weights. It doesn't have to be a big deal. I've even heard if you. For the next 30 days, when you wake up, the first thing you do is go get a glass, fill it with water, dump it in the toilet. That's it. It doesn't have to be anything but just some new thing that doesn't fit with your life pattern. Some people will do like extreme things, like make it for the next month. I will not use the word me. Okay. Which is really interesting.

[B]

That's hard. Yeah.

[A]

Or I, I won't be self referential for the next month. Other things that I've heard people do is I will not use my left hand for a month. That's hardcore. Right? But the reason you find this prescription in a lot of esoteric circles is because, based on what we're talking about, it throws off your whole. If you just throw off one piece of your life pattern, all the other pieces get thrown out because it's all sort of part of this. The same, like, I don't know, you see those sand sculptures where people have poured colored sand into like an aquarium, One sedimentary layer of that gets displaced at all. Yeah.

[B]

You're basically butterfly affecting your day.

[A]

That's it. And from that you butterfly affect your whole life.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And then that's when you start experiencing anomalous events. Because every day you're experiencing anomalous events, but because it's your normal life, you're.

[B]

Not attuned to them.

[A]

Right. So that you start experiencing a different variety of anomalous events. And that can be enough to sort of inspire a person into a completely different way of life.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

No Longer npc. You're no longer like you're or whatever. The NPC you started off as. You're shifting.

[B]

It's like corrective programming.

[A]

Corrective fucking programming. Really fascinating.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, I like stuff like that. I just like, just throw me off kilter a little bit. Let's see. See, let's experience life from a different perspective.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so that's why I change my look constantly. Like, I go through years. I bald shaped head was a big look.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Then I went crazy hair.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Mad scientist looking. Now I got a corn road and I was like, I kind of like this.

[A]

Oh, I didn't notice your cornrows. Let me see. Holy shit. That's cool as fuck.

[B]

Yeah. It's like, why not? Why not? Why not just play with the avatar?

[A]

I agree.

[B]

What happens.

[A]

I agree.

[B]

There's the why. Why keep the avatar. People are so used to like a look. Like if I change mine every. Like I basically change mine once every two years, I completely change what I'm going.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It would be clothes or hair or something. Beard.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree. Like, this is. There's something just so musty that can happen to any human life, which is like, even if you're having a great fucking life, it's. You're in the true. You're. You're in Groundhog's Day.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You're just looping. It's the same day. Or why are you even saying this is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. You're literally time warped. You're experiencing the exact same day. Things are reacting to you in a predictable way because you're doing the exact same thing you always do. And that's resulted in the life that you think is your life. But that is only because you just keep doing the same show and over again.

[B]

Right? Right. You're only perceiving this to be your life because you've boxed yourself into it.

[A]

Right. You know one thing I've noticed because I used to get fucking angry all the time. I figured it out. But anybody who is expressing that their life is fucked up, they're angry, right? They're angry because why their life is fucked up. Right? But I've noticed that having done years of experimentation with varying degrees of anger, it does not ever result in anything good. It always your life up. So if you're having a up life and you're angry because you're having a up life, you're always gonna have a up life, right?

[B]

Well, you're also saying if you're angry of a up life, you're all. You're saying that you have a up life a lot. And that's. Dude, saying something out loud in the universe is so powerful.

[A]

You believe that?

[B]

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. The greatest, the greatest lesson I ever got on saying things in the universe is Tony fucking Hinchcliffe.

[A]

What?

[B]

He used to. I used to. When I was a door guy at the Comedy Store, he would say after, before every set. I'm one of the top young rising comedians.

[A]

Yeah. And look at him now.

[B]

Everyone made fun of him. Everyone laughed at him.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

People would to his face to be like, why the fuck are you doing that? Where is he now?

[A]

Right.

[B]

It's like, bro, you can just say it, right? And it'll. You can make it real.

[A]

It's so weird that way, isn't it?

[B]

It's really. But you have to like truly say it and like truly. And it's like. It's not like people like that don't deal with self doubt. There's no way he's a comic, he's an artist. There's no way he didn't deal with self doubt while he was saying that. But the key is you say the thing that you want.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The universe, it's the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The universe can only hear you. There's this great interview. There's this great graduation speech that Jim Carrey gets that Jim Carrey tells. It's amazing. But he talks about like people are just so afraid to ask the universe for stuff.

[A]

Which is weird.

[B]

Yeah. And he's like. His overall point is his truth is like the fact that I exist is truth to that. Like you can. I just asked the universe for this.

[A]

Yeah. You think I started off with a 12 inch dick? It was a micro penis.

[B]

Yeah. You just asked the universe more. And God.

[A]

Foot long. I'd say that every morning.

[B]

But you know what's so funny? If you said it every morning, you might have the energy of a man who has a foot long.

[A]

True.

[B]

Yeah. And it doesn't really matter if you have the vibe of foot long. Who cares if he does?

[A]

People will care.

[B]

Maybe not.

[A]

I listen. I agree with you. Like I think these are things that people hear all the fucking time. Maybe if we did a TikTok dance it would really get it out there. But most people don't want. That's where it gets interesting.

[B]

They feel dumb asking the universe for stuff. It's like only the universe can hear you.

[A]

Or they're scared because they know that if they get the thing that they most desire, it's going to change them fundamentally. And then they have to contend with the possibility that existence precedes essence. In other words, there's no fundamental you.

[B]

Right.

[A]

That's terrifying. As long as things are sort of reacting to you the same way. As long as your worries are the same worries, as long as your fears are the same fears, your enemies are the same enemies, that means you're a you. Solid, static, stable. The moment that shit changes, it challenges your conceptualization of you as an identity. Right. And then at some point, what art. Are you even the you you used to be anymore? Is that person dead? Did you actually annihilate yourself not by literal self destruction, but by recreating yourself? And in that case, you weren't really anything at all, and you aren't anything now. You just. Right. I think that's the real reason people are afraid of doing these experiments is they want.

[B]

They don't want to lose themselves completely.

[A]

Exactly. Exactly.

[B]

That's a valid.

[A]

That's it. Somewhere deep down, they would rather be living their. The life that they know the essence that they've shaped. Yeah. Then. Then start making changes, challenging it all.

[B]

Together and seeing who they are.

[A]

Yeah. Because you have to say goodbye to that other you.

[B]

Yeah. You have to let go. You have to. You know, in comedy, they call it kill your babies. You got. But you got to do that with your ideas, your thoughts, your habits. And that's like, tough to do.

[A]

You gotta go Planned Parenthood. Like, dude, I have so many children now. And the life that I have now, whatever I was before this life, it's fading away. It's like some kind of dream I had or something like that. And now I'm in a new dream. You know what I mean, Josh? Your dad and I just think that that's scary for some people. I mean, there's this great book by Ursula K. Le Guin called the wizard of Earthsea.

[B]

Oh, she has great books, dude.

[A]

She's great.

[B]

Yeah. The Laith of Heaven is one of my favorites.

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[A]

It's like a paragraph in this book, but they're talking about these wizards. They're these wizards that could turn themselves into dolphins. And what's dangerous about doing that is the longer you stay a dolphin, the less you remember that you were a wizard. And eventually you forget and you don't turn back into a wizard. And so people, we are polymorphs. We can change everything about us via our hair, our clothes, decisions. And I just think that's really unnerving to some people who would rather just.

[B]

Make a strong sense of self rather than a flowing sense of self.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

Depends on what kind you want.

[A]

Damn. Yeah, like in Meat World, there's like, there's, there's something that is, you know, primary to the philosophical question. I think that in Meat World, that's very funny, it's logical. But the counter to that is that anyone who's gone into AI and been unburdened by their physical appearance has taken on some new physical appearance, new name, new identity. It's a joy. Like it's something quite liberating about that and wonderful. And the ability to explore reality as a completely different being is a joy. It's a joyful thing, really. You know, I would love to know, like, if I could, like, shift my avatar into a variety of things, I would love to just walk down the street and experience, like, what the POV is like from a hot woman, from, I don't know, someone with dwarfism, from. You know what I mean? Whatever.

[B]

Right.

[A]

It would be. It's like this. This is the undiscovered country that we have not been able to access because of obvious reasons. You can't fucking mutate your body into something else.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And now people are beginning to do that.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

And it's freaking people. Freaks people out.

[B]

And people are, like, kind of conditioned to be okay. Like, if you play a lot of video games, you're kind of conditioned to be okay with that just because you can pick your avatar. But even, like, I play a lot of Overwatch. This is the only game I play, and I play this. It's, you know, different heroes that have different things, different abilities, and you pick the hero based on the situation, and sometimes the right hero is a woman. And then the players in the game will treat you like a girl.

[A]

Right? Yeah. It's a different experience completely. Yeah. And, you know, from that perspective, there's something very, like, American and, like, very, like, I don't know, there's something weirdly courageous and crazy and magical about changing yourself at that level. You know what I mean? From a philosophical perspective, these two things can exist simultaneously, by the way. It's like, you know what I mean? Having the expectation that the entire world of Default Reality should align with your next level. Cutting edge perception of what it is to exist as a human being at a fundamental level, I think is a little optimistic. Based on my experience, most people. Very optimistic. But all that being said, and I'm not just talking about Jenner, I'm saying, like, come on. Anyone listening right now? Even if you have strong opinions about people changing their gender, in all seriousness, if you could turn yourself into a dragon for a day, would thou not.

[B]

You would be like, I gotta know what it's like to fly.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

To breathe fire.

[A]

A sparrow, a roach, a rat, an eagle, you'd want to be able to turn into all these things. Things, of course.

[B]

Right. I think what. What's. Yeah. What's tough with the what. What bothers people most about all the transgender stuff is on. On that level is like, I would do that temporarily but someone who has. Who would do that almost permanently, that's like a. That's like a harder level to wrap your mind around.

[A]

Also what I'm talking about is like literally turning into an eagle.

[B]

Yes, exactly.

[A]

You know, if somebody glued some feathers to their face and wanted me to call them an eagle, I'd have some. Some problems with that.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You know, that's the. That's the pro. That's I think, the sort of culture wars issue there.

[B]

Right.

[A]

People are railing against what essentially amounts to at this point in time, relatively low level medical technology to execute perfectly, transforming oneself. Right. And so that's what people seem to be more upset about is like the tech.

[B]

But if. If we had the technology to like not turn someone to like, look like an eagle, maybe not like, do you think people would still have a problem with that if like the technology was there where you could just be an eagle?

[A]

Yeah. Someone's always gonna have a fucking problem with whatever the it is.

[B]

That's like.

[A]

You know what I mean? They're probably. Yeah, it was gonna be like, like, oh, great. So now what are you gonna. Another eagle? Yes. Wouldn't you. Yeah.

[B]

It all comes back to pussy dog. That's why we do anything.

[A]

Can you pull up eagles to wrap us up here? Because I don't even know how they fucking.

[B]

Oh, this is. Yeah, this is. This is a good way to end.

[A]

Video, please. To cloaco kiss bald eagles performing courtship behavior. And you'd have to look up at this and be like, is that a. Is that an actual human? Is that just some horny incel who turn himself into an eagle to get laid?

[B]

Dude, first of all, that's the most hardcore.

[A]

Wow, dude.

[E]

What?

[A]

Beautiful. Did they just fucking.

[B]

I think it's a mating experience. I think they fuck later to like the dance. They went to the club. That's them at the club.

[A]

Can you pull up eagles fucking, please, Josh?

[B]

Yeah, but first of all, if they're fucking in freefall, that's insane.

[A]

I don't see how you'd have to like spray jizz directly into the male eagles pussy.

[B]

That's a courtship display.

[A]

Can you put up. Pull up Eagles mating. You should say mating.

[B]

Eagles mate.

[A]

There it is. The usual way. Doggy, doggy style. Cut the volume, Josh.

[B]

With the claws in the back.

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

People are into that. You like getting scratched up.

[A]

Impact play.

[B]

Impact play.

[A]

Thanks for. Thanks for. Oh, yeah, look. Wow. They last longer than me. Welcome. Thank you. And welcome again. Why'd I say that? Not that part. What the fuck? I just got so distracted by that. Hasan, you're the best.

[B]

Oh, thank you for having me.

[A]

I'm so excited that you have a special out right now. Guys, if you want to watch Hasan Special, which I highly recommend, look down below. But if they don't want to, if they're online, or if they're listening to this via audio, where can they find it? Hassan?

[B]

It's on my podcast, the Solid Show. It's on our channel. It's on 800 pound gorilla. It's called Too Soon Asanamad. It'll pop right up.

[A]

You're the best, man.

[B]

You're the best too.

[A]

Hare Krishna.

[B]

Hare Krishna.

[A]

That was Hasan Ahmad, everybody. Do watch his special Too Soon. Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting the dtfh. And if you like this podcast, why not give it a like or a subscribe. Join your family. We've been waiting for you. We want you here. And if you don't come back home, then you will suffer in ways you could never possibly imagine. I'll see you next week. Until then, God bless you.

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