YouSaid · the spoken record

Lisa Ling

lines on the record: 74
first: 2019-09-26
most recent: 2019-09-26
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: podcast

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“It made me, I mean, I've always been a curious person, but I think it really kind of ignited this empathy thing because I just start thinking about everyone as like a little boy, you know, and so many cases when I interviewed people, I asked them to go back to when they were seven or eight years old. And I ask them how they would feel if they could see their eight-year-old self could see them right now and what they would say to them. And the truth is that we all, you know, we all experience something as a child that really has continued to live with us and in some cases haunt us or debilitate us. But until we take steps to address it, it could continue on. And so for me, doing this kind of work, that's always something that”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Me to want to understand people better because at the end of the day, Tim, you know, we all are human beings, right? We were all born of parents who loved us. We were all born of a mother at one time, right? And we're learning so much about when kids experience any kind of trauma between the ages of one and 17, when their brains are developing the fastest. Well, if you don't address that trauma, if you don't deal with it, then it can go on to haunt you for the rest of your life and emerge in ways and get triggered in ways that you might never expect. And for me, I just, after that experience, I started to really try and dig deep. And it made me a better person. It made me a better reporter.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“When I took the initiative to try and learn about my mom in particular, because we didn't have much of a relationship when I was a kid, I just became astounded by her backstory. I ended up taking her to Taiwan, back to where she grew up. And it was a really painful experience because she did not have a good childhood. I mean, it was very, very dark, the things that she experienced. But it allowed me to know her and all of that resentment that I felt for her just disappeared because it was almost like I was looking at this little girl and what she had to deal with as a little girl. It made my issues just seem so trivial, even though they weren't, but they compared to what she went through. And I think that really propelled.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I always felt very conflicted about my identity. I didn't like being Asian because I was in a community that was totally non-diverse. I felt a lot of resentment toward my parents because they weren't active in the way that my friends' families were. And so in my late teens, early 20s, I decided that I needed to get help because I just I had all this stuff kind of percolating in my body, right? In my soul, in my heart, but I couldn't identify exactly what I was feeling. I didn't really even know what feelings were. And so I started working really hard with a therapist and just talking. And that therapist started asking me about my relationship with my mom and my dad. And to tell you the truth, I didn't know anything about my parents' backstory because we didn't talk about it. And so”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“It's a great question I come from a pretty traditional Asian family, and most people probably have a pretty decent sense that Asian culture is just not the most communicative. And on top of that, my parents got divorced when I was seven years.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Know. But hopefully we will give you an opportunity to know people who are different from you and develop a better understanding of our fellow humans.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I like to feel whether it's feeling heart sick or feeling glee, like recognizing what it's like to feel. It just makes me feel more alive. My senses are heightened. And I feel grateful that I'm able to have this kind of experience irrespective of the feelings that are generated. And unfortunately, we just we're afraid of feeling. And I think that it's becoming increasingly dangerous. And so, you know, I hope that people, when they come and see my work, they will be prepared and ready to feel. But I also hope that they will come with an open mind because we will often profile or immerse ourselves among people that you would otherwise never get a chance to get to know or you might not want to get to know.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Yeah, and to be honest with you, what I really hope that people will do when they watch my work, any of my shows, is just to feel something. You know, I think we have become this culture that doesn't want to feel. And it's really easy for doctors when we're going through things that are hard to say, well, here's a pill to take. You know, let's take some edge off. Let me give you something. And for me, one of the main reasons why I love what I do so much is because I”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“If I were alone doing this, I don't know that I would have been able to survive all these years because it is so emotionally taxing, but having these people by my side and really my team consists of the most sensitive, incredible people, men and women has been what has gotten me through all of it. And hopefully I've been able to help them get through it as well. But it just makes you realize how much people are hurting out there, how deep and dark people's worlds are, which, by the way, is why I'm so excited about all the work that you're doing and psychedelic research because I think that it's just to ignore this possible pathway to recovery from Trauma and grief would be just a colossal mistake given how much people are hurting.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“So that she could have a safe place to sleep. And Tim, it was just like, it was so gut-wrenching the way she was telling the story. And from outside of the room, I could hear my male colleagues going, like starting to cry. And then I just totally lost it. And she ended up having to console me because I had just been so overwhelmed with grief. And after that interview, My team and I, we just kind of like huddled together and just we all cried together again. Like this is five men and me. And we just had to let it out. It was just so devastating. And I mentioned earlier that having these teams who are with you along the way has really been my salvation because”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Years ago, I interviewed a 17 year old girl named Ashley who was sold into the world of sexual commercial sexual exploitation when she was like 11 years old. She was basically sold by a cousin to be a prostitute. And I remember I had an all-male team and I asked them all to sit outside so that she and I could have a more candid conversation. We were in a bedroom. So the only man in the room was our cameraman and the two of us. And as she was recounting Her story. I remember her telling me about how at 11 years old she would on a regular basis call the police and beg them to arrest her.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Well, but it puts in perspective for me always the work that social workers do. I mean, they are on the front lines of all of this stuff, right? And they also, in many cases, become deeply entwined with people. And I think the difference between people like you and me is while we may establish relationships, we don't really know how to deal with, you know, people who are in the throes of addiction or who are mentally ill. As much as you want to try and help people, there certainly are risks that need to be taken seriously as well.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Well, look, Tim, I mean, I've bought a lot of bus tickets for people. And I am though... Very open now, and I did learn the hard way because one of the guys that I was buying bus tickets for, I found out later on that he was continuing to use. And so now I will say to people, look, just to make things clear, I'm not going to give you money. I'm never going to give you money because I don't know really what you're going to do with it. But if I can help you in any way, if I can direct you to resources, I will do everything I can to try to do so. And I really do. I mean, again, I do take responsibility for these relationships. And they're important to me and they're personal for me. And I really do care about these people because of this thing that they shared with me and that we shared together. But I do have to be very careful because”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Profusely, but it was one of those moments where I thought, you know, maybe this wasn't such a good idea to maintain this relationship. I mean, that was. You know, the only that was the only time something like that happened for the most part. I get asked for money from time to time, particularly from people who are abusing drugs or I get asked to help in different ways. And I try to do what I can and I tell people that I will do what I can, but I also make it clear that I can only do so much.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I mean, it was really like he really revealed so much about his life and what propelled him to become the man that he became and do what he did. And so he started writing to me and I would write back to him. And after a while, you know, I just, you know, life took over and it became increasingly more difficult to keep up our pen pal relationship, right? And so one day I get a letter in the mail and he's threatening me with violence because I stopped or I hadn't written to him in a long time. And that was certainly a moment. I mean, and it wasn't just, it wasn't just like, I'm going to kill you. It was like a really, really terrifying thing that he said. And I thought about reporting it, but I didn't. And subsequently, a couple of months later, he wrote me another letter apologizing.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Oh, yeah, I mean, I've gotten calls from drug addicts at all hours of the night. I've gotten calls from prison, many, many calls from prison. And there is a risk. There was an inmate that, and this wasn't someone I gave my cell phone number to, but we had this really personal exchange while I was interviewing him”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Among ordinary people who may feel compelled to do something about it or just become more aware of these issues on their own.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“the depths of their heart with me, I would be remiss if I were to just say, okay, thanks for sharing. Bye, you know, like we just shared something really powerful. And so staying in touch with people has really helped me. I mean, I've gotten, you know, fairly decent at compartmentalizing. Like, you know, my work is my work and I'm deeply, deeply passionate about it. But it sort of exists for me in one part of my heart and my brain and then my family and my life are another part. Do they ever get fused absolutely all the time? And my husband, my family, they know that sometimes I just need some space to just decompress and process. But what keeps me going honestly is just knowing that bringing a lot of these stories to light will raise consciousness.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Yeah, I mean, I definitely have been witness to some of the worst aspects of humanity. I mean, covering a story about gang rape in the Congo, what you mentioned, covering stories about bride burning in India, stories about child trafficking, and just really devastating and horrifying aspects of humanity. I don't always handle it well. I am lucky that I'm not out there on my own covering these kinds of stories. I'm always with a team. And when we are out in the field, we are truly living the story. Every second of the day is consumed by the story. And I meet people and people share with me on so many occasions things that they haven't even shared with their closest friends or family members. And so, as a result, you can't help but build a bond and develop a relationship with these people.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“The Soviet Union. And so here I was in a place that my country had a major, major role in. It had a role in everything that I was seeing around me. So many of the young boys that I was looking at were carrying American-made weapons because they were paid for by the United States. But yet I knew that back home, no one had any clue that this scene existed in the world. So it was just it was just surreal. I mean, I kept closing my eyes and opening my eyes and just going, where the fuck am I and how did I end up here? I mean, honestly, because it was just, you know, the furthest place on earth that I could have ever imagined.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Well, I had never, I'd barely traveled by the time I was 21. And so as cliche as this sounds, I felt like I was on another planet. Afghanistan at the time had, I mean, it was really like a country that had been just completely destroyed. It was in rubble, really. There were bullet holes and craters everywhere. Not a single wall stood that wasn't riddled with bullet holes. Because when I was there in the early 90s, it was in the midst of a civil war. But before that, for about a decade, it was the scene of a war between Afghanistan and the Soviet Union, during which time my country, the United States, pumped billions of dollars worth of weaponry into the hands of the Afghans to fight our then enemies.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Be far less, and had I not gone in with them. So I agreed. And from the moment I set foot in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, I just realized I was very, very, very far from home.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“You know, when I was a kid, we didn't grow up with a lot of money. And I've always been an insatiably curious person, even as a young kid. But I really didn't have the opportunity to travel that much. And so when I was 18, I was hired to report for a show called Channel One News, which was a show that was seen in schools across the country. In fact, Anderson Cooper was one of my colleagues. And they sent us off into the world to cover far-flung stories in distant locations. And one day there was talk amongst some of the executives about sending a correspondent to cover the civil war in a country that at the time I couldn't even identify on a map. And it was Afghanistan. And I agreed to go because we'd be going in with the Red Cross. And so the likelihood of something happening while with the Red Cross would”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Definitely was, yeah, I was 21 and never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would go to a place like Afghanistan at that age or ever. But it was certainly, as you can probably imagine, one of the most eye-opening things that I've ever experienced to this day.”
2019-09-26 · The Tim Ferriss Show · #388: Lisa Ling — Exploring Subcultures, Learning to Feel, and Changing Perception · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT