Wim HofInstructor and teacher, Wim Hof Method

Living 8 years as a squatter POOR & HAPPY | This or That

3 Feb 2023 · 5 min

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5:00

In this rapid‑fire "This or That" segment, Wim Hof shares personal anecdotes and philosophical preferences that illustrate his unconventional worldview. He recounts spending eight years living as a squatter—having no money or formal work yet feeling "bloody happy"—and describes how this period gave him freedom from societal expectations. When asked to choose between being cherished or respected, he favors respect, linking it to his desire to help others improve their lives. He prefers intense, short‑duration pain (e.g., ten‑minute ice baths) over dull, prolonged discomfort, framing the former as a purposeful exercise. Regarding legacy, he would rather be misunderstood than forgotten, believing that his heartfelt living will eventually be understood. He identifies as an anti‑hero, rejecting fictional hero tropes and emphasizing authentic self‑expression. He chooses sad endings because they provide learning, wisdom, and the power to prevent future sorrow. Finally, he declares an unwavering optimism—"optimist tot in de kist"—and envisions a future where everyone is happy, strong, and healthy, dismissing negativity as "bullshit." The segment ends with a thank‑you to viewers.

Chapters

Hey guys, welcome back. Another episode of This or That. Poor and happy or rich and miserable? What do you think? I want to be— The best time I had in my life was 8 years in a squatting place. I had no money. I had no work. I was happy. I was poor. I was amazing. I had food. Every day I went to the market and they throw away food. Those spills was my food. I was bloody happy all the time. Free thinking. I was not associated with the system, with the normal people, you know. I was able to think free. I was happy and I was poor. I know I was rich and I was happy without money. Cherished or respected? I like to be respected. Cherished is like, uh, yeah, you can be cherished like your mother cherishes over you and 'Hey, that's all nice, and others, but I don't like to be, you know, I'm not this just little flower who needs to be cherished.' No, I like to be respected for what I do. And what I do, I want to make people better. To bring about the best in their lives. And that's what I want to be respected for. Yes. Intense pain for 10 minutes or dull pain for the whole day? Give me intense pain. I love pain. A little bit sadomasochistic, you know. That's why I go into the ice. Stupid me going into icy water. Who is so stupid to go 10 minutes into icy water? No, give me pain. 10 minutes. I make it an exercise. But it's getting dull when it is dull all day long. 10 minutes. Misunderstood after death or forgotten after death? If I have to choose between the two, I think misunderstood. Because at a certain moment they will understand. Until then, it's misunderstood. It's all right. You know why? Because I've lived through my heart. And all I did, there is nothing I can think of that could be misunderstood. But someday they will understand that man lived through his heart. That's amazing. Hero or anti-hero? I think I'm an anti-hero. Because what we take as Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and all, it's fictitious. It's not real. I want to show that the real Superman is to feel different than the normal. Above the normal is to feel superb. Just who you are and what you are, unconditionally. I'm the absolute anti-hero. Happy endings or sad endings? I know sad endings, and I turned them into happiness and understanding and natural wisdom. So I choose sad endings to learn, to acquire that power that Sad endings never happen anymore. Sad endings. Overly optimistic or overly pessimistic? Optimistic. They say in Dutch: optimist tot in de kist. Optimist until you are in the coffin. It means. And I am that like. I see, foresee a future where we all are happy, strong, and healthy. That is the most logical thing to do, is to be in charge of your own happiness, strength, and health. The rest is bullshit. Overall optimistic. The future is shining and it's coming, and we will bring it together. Hey guys, thanks for watching all this, this or that. Hey man, I don't— Yeah.