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Joe Rogan Experience #1149 - Michael Scott Moore

Michael Scott Moore is a novelist and journalist, who was kidnapped by Somali pirates and spent two and half years in captivity. His book "The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast" is available on Amazon now: https://www.amazon.com/Desert-Sea-Captive-Somali-Pirate/dp/0062449176

Michael Scott MooreguestJoe Roganhost
Jul 29, 20181h 20mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Kidnapped Journalist Survives Somali Pirates, Finds Forgiveness And Freedom

  1. Journalist Michael Scott Moore recounts being kidnapped by Somali pirates in 2012 while researching a book, and held hostage for two years and eight months before his mother raised ransom money to secure his release.
  2. He explains the evolution of Somali piracy from small-scale ‘coast guard’ activity against illegal fishing and toxic dumping into a violent, khat-fueled kidnapping industry intertwined with gun and human smuggling.
  3. Moore details the psychological and physical toll of captivity, his relationships with guards and fellow hostages, and the internal battle over escape, suicide, and ultimately choosing forgiveness as a survival strategy.
  4. The conversation also explores broader issues: the collapse of states like Somalia and Libya, global migration and modern slavery routes, and how extreme experiences permanently alter one’s perception of wealth, safety, and everyday complaints.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Somali piracy grew from local ‘coast guard’ vigilantism into organized transnational crime.

Initial armed responses to illegal fishing and toxic dumping off Somalia’s coast escalated into hijacking commercial ships and kidnapping people on land, with pirate bosses diversifying into gun and human smuggling.

Khat addiction helps sustain pirate violence and instability.

Almost every pirate Moore met was heavily addicted to khat, spending much of each day chewing, crashing, and repeating, which made them jittery, volatile, and more dangerous while driving constant demand for cash.

Armed security teams on ships have drastically reduced Somali piracy at sea.

Once merchant vessels began sailing with private armed guards who could fire warning shots, hijackings became far more difficult and less profitable, pushing pirate bosses toward other illicit businesses.

Survival in long-term captivity can depend on mental strategies like structured thinking and controlled hope.

Moore coped by ‘writing’ and revising paragraphs in his head, memorizing names and routines, and eventually abandoning cycles of hope and despair to stabilize his mind during an open‑ended ordeal.

Forgiveness can be a practical survival tool, not just a moral ideal.

After hearing a radio homily by Pope Francis, Moore consciously chose to forgive his guards repeatedly; he believes this reduced his rage and suicidal impulses and kept him from using a gun on them or himself.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

“From that moment on, I was a captive.”

— Michael Scott Moore

“They said, ‘You have to demand $20 million from your mother.’”

— Michael Scott Moore

“For me, it was life and death. Unless I had forgiven them, I probably would’ve picked up a gun and killed myself, if not them—or both.”

— Michael Scott Moore

“Most of the world doesn’t live like we do in the West.”

— Michael Scott Moore

“I came here to write a story about pirates, and now it’s not even a story—I became the story.”

— Michael Scott Moore

Michael Scott Moore’s kidnapping and 2.5-year hostage ordeal in SomaliaOrigins and evolution of Somali piracy, including illegal fishing and toxic dumpingKhat addiction, pirate culture, and the business model of ransom kidnappingsLife in captivity: physical abuse, medical neglect, shipboard imprisonment, and psychological copingNegotiations, ransom payment, and the role of Moore’s family, FBI, and institutionsPost-release recovery, PTSD-like symptoms, and the role of forgiveness in survivalBroader geopolitical context: failed states, human trafficking routes, and modern slavery

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