The Tim Ferriss Show

#388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception

Sep 26, 2019

Lisa Ling, an award-winning journalist and host of CNN's "This Is Life with Lisa Ling," discusses the importance of understanding subcultures in today's polarized world. She reflects on her early experiences in Afghanistan at just 21, showcasing the stark contrast between conflict and her American upbringing. Ling emphasizes the emotional toll of advocacy work, the necessity of empathy in healing, and the influence of iconic figures like Oprah Winfrey on her career. Throughout, she champions the need for meaningful human connections and open dialogues about personal histories.

01:44:52

Episode guests

Lisa Ling

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Wrestling Rivalries and Internet Security

5min

Journey into Conflict: Lisa Ling's Early Experiences

7min

Navigating Emotional Challenges in Advocacy

9min

Healing Through Connection and Reflection

23min

Influence, Insight, and Empathy

25min

The Prescription Predicament

5min

Reevaluating Historical Narratives and Empathy

20min

The Importance of Understanding Subcultures in a Polarized World

2min

10.

Exploring Business Rivalries and Unique Recommendations

5min

11.

Protecting Your Data: The Importance of VPNs

3min

"It requires time and energy to get invested in other people's stories, but I do in my heart of hearts believe that you emerge a better and smarter human as a result of taking that time." — Lisa Ling

Lisa Ling (@lisaling) is the host and executive producer of the CNN Original Series This Is Life with Lisa Ling. It returns for its sixth season on Sunday, September 29 at 10 p.m. ET. In each episode, Lisa immerses herself in communities across America giving viewers an inside look at some of the most unconventional segments of society. In 2017, the series won a Gracie Award.

Lisa is also host of the CNN Digital series This Is Sex with Lisa Ling, which explores the taboos around sex in America and This Is Birth with Lisa Ling, which explores how healthcare legislation, income inequality and cultural shifts shape how people have children in America.

Before coming to CNN, Lisa was a field correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show and contributor to ABC News' Nightline and National Geographic's Explorer. She has reported from dozens of countries, covering stories about gang rape in the Congo, bride burning in India, and the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda, among other issues that are too often ignored.

Lisa got her start in journalism as a correspondent for Channel One News where she covered the civil war in Afghanistan at 21 years of age. She later went on to become a co-host of ABC Daytime's hit show The View, which won its first daytime Emmy during her time at the show.

Lisa has also served as a special correspondent for CNN's Planet in Peril series and is a contributing editor for USA Today's USA Weekend magazine. In 2011, her acclaimed documentary journalism series Our America with Lisa Ling began airing on OWN.

Lisa is the co-author of Mother, Daughter, Sister, Bride: Rituals of Womanhood and Somewhere Inside: One Sister's Captivity in North Korea and the Other's Fight to Bring Her Home, which she penned with her sister Laura. In 2014, President Obama named Lisa to the Commission on White House Fellows.

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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.