David Choe is a world-renowned artist, writer, podcaster and TV host. He tells how as a child, he was made to believe he was destined for greatness but also that he was a complete disgrace, leading him to channel his energy—including deep shame—into art that brought him global recognition. He shares about his addictions that put him on a decades-long cycle of extreme highs and lows and that forced him to eventually acknowledge and heal the childhood trauma he was battling inside. David shows up with raw, authentic presence to show us how we can transmute pain and shame into our best creative work and, more importantly, how complete vulnerability, especially about our hardest experiences, is the ultimate tool for forgiveness and self-acceptance. He also tells us the actual story about early Facebook, Pee-wee Herman and Santa Claus.
Note: This conversation includes topics and language that may not be suitable for younger audiences.
Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
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Timestamps
00:00:00 David Choe
00:03:10 Drawing, Black & Colors, Death
00:12:54 Telepathy, South Bay
00:17:52 Sponsors: Eight Sleep & LMNT
00:20:40 Childhood, Podcasts, Mundane Moments & Artist Life
00:28:45 Mother, Beliefs, Religion, Artistic Ability, Childhood
00:33:27 Gambling, Transformation; Immigrant, Disgrace
00:40:10 Street Art, Graffiti, Creativity; Paintings, Payment; Sports
00:52:08 Sponsor: AG1
00:53:30 Santa, Belief; Journal, Vulnerability; Heart Break, Art
01:00:16 Facebook, Graffiti; Theft, Gambling
01:10:57 Adapting, Creativity
01:17:16 Album Cover, Art & Payment
01:23:40 Sponsor: Function
01:25:28 Immigrant & Belonging, Academics, Learning Art, Marvel Comics, Shame
01:35:11 Shame, Gambling Addiction, Stress
01:43:05 Sexual Abuse, Trauma, Shame, Addiction
01:51:52 Early Career, Pornography, Author
02:01:20 Graffiti, Disappointment, Rejection; Early Magazines
02:08:26 Sponsor: Mateina
02:09:27 Pornography, Co-Dependence; Movie Set
02:18:00 Pride & Family, Vice; Pokémon
02:26:44 Podcast, Workaholism, Shame, Reality; Anthony Bourdain, Channing Tatum
02:38:54 Writing, Career Success, Workaholism, Vice, News, Self-Sabotage, Heart Attack
02:52:21 Growth & Pain, Sizzler; David Arquette
02:58:40 Rehab, God, Purpose, Parents & Disappointment, The Choe Show, Pee-Wee Herman
03:05:53 Gratitude, Korean Immigrant, Self-Reflection, Brokenness
03:14:37 Emotion, Saying No, Suicide; Vacation & Workaholism, Art
03:25:23 Legacy; Vacation, Work; Authenticity
03:31:15 Surviving & Thriving, Suicide, Addiction, Play the Tape Out, Fun, Feeling Enough
03:44:43 Hope & Faith, Electronics, Santa Claus
03:51:23 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
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The biggest genocide of century happened in Iran. The nation will always carry the wound of this Holocaust 😔🖤❤️🩹
Please speak up for people of IRAN!!! They murder people, profit from their deaths, and shut down the internet to erase the evidence. This is Iran today. Be the voice of the people. Being seen saves lives. #DigitalBlackoutIran #Internetshutdowniran #IranRevolution2026 💚🤍♥️
🚨🚨The criminal Islamic Republic regime has shut down the internet for six days. It is killing Iran’s children in darkness, away from the eyes of the world. Be the voice of the Iranian people.🆘️
🔆ALL EYES ON IRAN. INTERNET CUT OFF by Iran regime and all land lines cut as well. Be the voice of Iranian people who fight bravely all over the country. Millions are in the streets right now 🔆
As someone who grew up in the same time as this guy I can say without fear of doubt is a complete........idiot. A self described hippy male feminist, is completely disaaociated with real outcomes. A true unadulterated idiot
Amazing episode. It feels like we need a new kind of men's club. The crisis of male identity is visible across the entire spectrum — even politicians are trying to capitalize on it in their campaigns. We really need to have an honest conversation about what it means to be a man today.
three f* hours podcast 🤩🤩 awesome
so so many ads!!!
excellent, all round episode
amazing podcast, learned so much from this. thank you
M6n
great information, thanks to you all. happy to see a seccusful and well educated Persian💗
Hi from Iran, thank you for your super informative podcast. Just one thing: pls consider that some of your listeners are not native English. I sometimes find it hard to understand your point.
I'm in love with your podcast episodes. I'm Iranian, and it's hard for me to understand spoken English. Is there any place where I can read the full transcript of the episodes? Please, I would really appreciate your response.
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I have a question about the cortisol in the am, any suggestions if it's still dark out within 30 minutes of waking?
great episode
Dr. Huberman's work is truly groundbreaking—his ability to break down complex neuroscience into actionable insights is unmatched. The way he explains neuroplasticity and how we can train our brains for better performance is especially inspiring. It's fascinating how understanding the nervous system can improve everything from focus to physical performance. Speaking of optimizing performance and exploring new experiences, I recently came across this electric surfboard that's designed to give a thrilling ride while engaging balance and coordination—kind of a practical way to challenge your nervous system outdoors! Visit " https://www.lampuga-me.ae/
ط ۳۲دز ث گ۲
Dr. Harold McGee explains how chemistry affects food flavor, aroma, and taste—like how cooking changes molecules and how our senses detect them.