APN03 - The Integrity Gap

You're listening to Optimize with Bryan Johnson. More Wisdom in Less Time. This is a mini chapter from Brian's book, A Philosopher's Notes. You can find it on Amazon.

The Integrity Gap. Guys like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle tell us that if we want happiness, we've got to live with arete, a word that directly translates as virtue or excellence, but has a deeper meaning, something closer to living at your highest potential, moment to moment. I like to look at it this way. Let's draw a couple lines. One representing what we're capable of doing or being in any given moment, and one representing what we actually do or who we are in that moment. In the book, we have two lines. We have one line which has capable next to it. Then below it, about an inch below, we have another line parallel to that capable line, which is actual. And I say now, if there's a gap between what we're capable of doing and being and what we actually do and who we are, guess what sneaks in? Depression, anxiety, and ick. So we've got those two lines again, capable, above actual. And in between that, we have the integrity gap, which is where ick hangs out. Now, it's often easier said than done, but close the integrity gap and there's no room for the negative stuff, just a whole lot of happiness. So how are you out of integrity? And what can you start doing to close the gap?

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