Ancient philosophers became an ‘object of ridicule’ if their lifestyle differed from their outlook. Today, content creators don’t always practice what they preach

In January, Andrew Huberman, the podcaster and Stanford neuroscientist, wrote on X: “I think it’s fair to ask if the MD or scientist or public health official saying to do X or not do Y looks and sounds healthy and vital. I avoid going to a dentist with bad teeth. What do you think? I sense diverging opinions on this.”

Around three months later, New York magazine published a lengthy profile of Huberman that revealed details about his personal life, including how he was allegedly being dishonest with multiple romantic partners. While Huberman’s show presents a way of living guided by science and optimization, “the deeply reported piece suggests he’s running around being a hot mess”, Arwa Mahdawi wrote for the Guardian.