Robert Greene: A Process for Finding & Achieving Your Unique Purpose

In this episode, my guest is Robert Greene, multiple New York Times bestselling author and expert on human psychology and behavior both at the individual and group levels and in the context of relationships, careers, and society. We discuss how to find, pursue and achieve one’s unique life purpose, and how to best learn from good and hard experiences along that journey. We discuss power dynamics in relationships, the different types of human communication and the interplay between seduction and vulnerability. We discuss how to find the right romantic partner, improve healthy self-awareness, the link between anxiety and creativity, and pick ideal mentors and role models. Robert also discusses his recent stroke and what he has learned from his near-death experience about motivation, urgency and appreciation for life. Listeners of all ages will benefit from Robert’s insights on navigating the process of building a deeply purposeful life and enhancing one’s relationship with the self, others and society.  For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com. Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Robert Greene (00:02:15) Sponsors: LMNT & Waking Up (00:05:56) Mastery (The Book), Purpose (00:08:26) Finding Purpose, Childhood, Learning & Emotional Engagement (00:18:00) Early Interests, Delight & Discovery (00:22:50) Love vs. Hate Experiences & Learning (00:28:25) Self-Awareness, Frustration, Excitation (00:30:51) Sponsor: AG1 (00:33:18) Sublime Experiences, Real vs. False; Authenticity & Time (00:43:57) Power & Relationships; Purpose & Mastery (00:55:51) Seduction, Vulnerability, Childhood (01:08:05) Power Dynamics & Romance; Equality, Love Sublime & Connection (01:18:42) Vulnerability in Relationships, Creativity; Social Media, Justice (01:29:45) Outrage, Control, “Art of Ignore” (01:33:50) Masculinity & Femininity (01:42:16) Picking Role Models; Purpose & Mentor Relationship (01:51:07) “Alive” Thinking; Anxiety & Creativity (01:58:55) Convergent Interests & Romantic Relationships (02:07:19) Self-Awareness, Core Values & Romantic Relationships (02:15:27) Non-Verbal Communication & Relationships (02:24:58) Eyes, Voice, Intuition & Seduction (02:28:38) Virtual World, Social Skills, Non-Verbal Communication (02:32:19) Self-Awareness & Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Nuance (02:41:43) Human Brain, Plasticity (02:45:18) Stroke & Near-Death Experiences, Self, Time (02:55:49) Appreciation & Near-Death Experience, Urgency (03:01:36) “Death Ground” & Urgency (03:09:13) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer