Influencer. I’ve come to despise the term as much as “biohacking.” And many of those who portray themselves as all-knowing. If one produces content – and offers products or services – in any field, authenticity is an imperative. This is especially true for any individual who is purportedly attempting to help others to experience long, healthy, and productive lives.
Since influencer makes me cringe, let’s use authority as our term of discussion. Any thought leader or person in an authoritative position regarding longevity must be open to being vetted. And he or she must possess certain credentials or characteristics which lend credibility to their messages.
We are literally inundated on a daily basis with information on how to do this or that in order to live better or longer. Not all of these messages are consistent. It can be confusing and overwhelming. There can even be misinformation which is potentially harmful, yet it is difficult for us to discern what’s good or bad, right or wrong. Of course there will always be room for debate and to challenge conventional thinking. But here are some things to beware – or at least consider – when choosing to follow the teachings and preachings of the latest, greatest longevity guru.
They are not 50 years of age or older. I might get some flack for this one. I don’t care. If you haven’t lived at least half a century, there is no way in hell you can speak with absolute certainty about the human lifespan. Doesn’t matter what you’ve seen or studied. You have to live it. Feel it. Only then can you truly know it. The progression from naivete to wisdom is well-recognized. As we trade youthfulness for maturation, we know more. It’s just a fact. A 24 year old social media icon can be a supermodel, but not a longevity authority.
They do not possess significant training in a medical, science, or health-related field. Education continues to evolve, and it is fair to say that a college degree may not hold the same representation of knowledge and qualification that it once did. But, that stated, degrees and their associated licenses and certifications carry weight. They demonstrate that an individual is passionate about the subject of longevity and human performance, and is willing to undergo academic rigor as well as significant expense, to seek knowledge and understanding. In this day and age you can certainly be largely self-taught by utilizing all the resources available, but it is very difficult for this to be as comprehensive as a didactic curriculum. Degrees don’t mean everything, but they certainly mean a lot when it comes to providing public assurance regarding one’s competency.
They do not have several decades of hands-on work experience in healthcare, human performance, or research primarily on people not rodents. You gotta put some time in the trenches. Get your reps. Do you go to the accountant, attorney, or mechanic with little to no experience? I didn’t think so. It’s fine to have some great ideas, and many longevity authorities do. But it’s also important to work with a few thousand folks and undergo experiential learning which is invaluable for understanding contextual relationships and communicating effectively.
Their confidence borders on arrogance. Nobody likes to be talked down to. But some of these clowns (even if they are well-meaning) have a way of delivering their message that can make you feel a little stupid. They’ve lost sight of the true goal of science, which is to be less wrong over time. Their entire ego and persona is wrapped up in being right, and this always leads to delusion and denial. They’re sure they know best for you, and they never admit it when they are wrong, even if their doctrine f**ked up thousands (or more) people in the process.
They are not reasonably fit and healthy themselves. This one really bugs me. It should be obvious. You gotta walk the talk. You don’t have to be the world’s most jacked, shredded, and Olympic-level performer. But you’ve gotta be vital, energetic and capable. This is visible in several areas. If someone looks (and is) exhausted, overstressed, and out of balance…they are. And their advice may be suspect. Same goes if they are extremely overweight (not just a little) or emaciated.
They are trying to sell you supplements. This incenses me and it’s so rampant. The data on supplements is all over the place. There is an absence of very well-designed and replicated, randomized, controlled, double-blinded clinical trials on humans. And in the absence of clear nutrient deficiencies, the evidence-based efficacy of most nutritional supplements is minimal at best. When any longevity (or health, fitness, athletic) authority promotes their complete line of products with messages like “you will live longer only if you use my blankety-blank,” we need to call bullshit. I’m not saying there’s no chance that you may benefit here and there from a certain supplement, and you might believe very strongly about that. But there is just not enough evidence to support the longevity line of supplements, most of which are made in the same factories with different labels. Don’t give your hard-earned dollars to a profiteer so you can have expensive urine. Just say “NO!”
Their services have become so expensive and elite that they really aren’t helping the masses and addressing worldwide wellness. I’m all for capitalism and the American dream. Entrepreneurship and the like. But if what we have to offer is priced so high that is only exclusively available to less than 1 percent of the population no matter how discerning we are with our budgets, Houston we’ve got a major problem here. Coaching and consulting comes in many forms. Medical, health, fitness, life, productivity, etc. One way or another, these services need to be available for everyone.
Holy s**t, my fingers flew across the keyboard and this turned into a power rant before I knew it. I’m not going to edit this. Let me know what you think.