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The James Altucher Show

Ask Altucher! EP06: The Legacy Dilemma - What We Leave Behind and Why It Matters (Or Doesn't)

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher

Education, Business

4.62.7K Ratings

🗓️ 16 September 2023

⏱️ 39 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Is it important to leave a legacy? Should your life's mission revolve around creating something that outlasts you? Episode #6 of "Ask Altucher" grapples with these questions as Jay and James offer contrasting perspectives. Jay strongly believes that leaving a legacy should be a driving force in life. James counters with a cautionary note, arguing that the pursuit of a legacy beyond your immediate family can lead to discontentment, as you'll never experience the benefits after you pass away.The conversation takes an even deeper turn when James raises the concern about one legacy he would NOT want to leave: death by suicide and the collateral emotional damage inflicted upon family and friends. This poignant moment adds another layer to an already complex debate, making listeners ponder the legacies they are consciously or unconsciously leaving behind.But the duo doesn't stop there. Jay ups the ante by introducing two philosophical dilemmas that challenge conventional thinking: "Would you choose immediate suicide to save the planet?" and "Given the choice only for immediate death or immortality, which would you pick?" These thought-provoking questions elevate the episode from a simple discussion on legacy to a broader contemplation of life, death, and the ethical considerations in between.Whether you've contemplated your own legacy or never given it a second thought, this episode offers a compelling dive into what it means to leave something behind, the cost of doing so, and the moral complexities that come with it. A must-listen for anyone pondering the bigger questions of life.------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast.------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe  to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsStitcheriHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on Social Media:YouTubeTwitterFacebook ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0

This isn't your average business podcast and he's not your average host.

0:06.8

This is the James Altiger show.

0:18.6

So the thing with legacy is interesting is that some people really, like, let's say Elon

0:24.0

Musk, like his whole point of saving humanity and this and that, or even Steve Jobs,

0:29.9

creating iPhone, I'm sure because he wants to leave some sort of legacy.

0:35.8

People look at Steve Jobs, people will be like, okay, the guy's, the Apple guy, the

0:38.9

created iPhones, iPad, Mac, right?

0:41.7

Elon Musk's like, okay, Tesla, PayPal, it's like normal people like me.

0:48.0

If I don't have all those ambitious, will I be able to live a legacy and should I care

0:54.1

about leaving a legacy?

0:56.0

Here's the thing.

0:57.7

The thing about your legacy is the exact opposite of being a happy person.

1:03.4

How so?

1:04.8

Because if, let's say, oh, I really want a legacy of being the most inspirational writer

1:11.4

and podcaster ever, or if I'm Elon Musk, I really want a legacy of, like, we're going

1:16.0

to, humans are going to be a multi-planetary species because of me.

1:20.7

That's going to be my legacy.

1:22.4

Then you're going to work really, really hard for something that may or may not happen.

1:27.2

And then you're dead and you're not going to think about it, you're going to be dead.

1:30.9

You're alive for, let's say, 80 years.

1:33.9

And then you're going to be dead for the next trillion years after that, okay?

1:39.0

So, and then you only care about legacy, let's say, for 30 of your 80 years, if you live

...

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