Joe Rogan Experience #1480 - Kevin Hart

Joe Rogan 0:00 You come in here moving and shaking, man. You come in here making deals. You're on the phone already.

Kevin Hart 0:04 (inhales deeply) Gotta do it, y'all.

Joe Rogan 0:04 You're always moving.

Kevin Hart 0:06 I mean, is there anything else to do?

Joe Rogan 0:09 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 0:09 Is there anything else to do besides move?

Joe Rogan 0:11 Not if you wanna get ahead.

Kevin Hart 0:12 No, no. Especially not now, man. Hunters hunt-

Joe Rogan 0:16 Yes.

Kevin Hart 0:17 ... those that don't get ate.

Joe Rogan 0:18 The last time you were here, man, that was one of the most inspirational podcasts I've ever done.

Kevin Hart 0:22 It was a great time.

Joe Rogan 0:22 I left that... I literally had a shift in the way I was looking at things. Like, you put an extra gear in my step that day. I was like, "Oh!" I love being around people like you.

Kevin Hart 0:32 My guy.

Joe Rogan 0:33 S- people around you, y- y- people like you, you're g- you're going for shit all the time and it's infectious. It's like a... You're, you- you give off energy. And when people are around you, they wanna g- they wanna get shit done too. They wanna hustle.

Kevin Hart 0:44 It's contagious.

Joe Rogan 0:45 Yes! Yes!

Kevin Hart 0:46 It's contagious. It's not, it's not just me putting it out. I think that, uh, the last time I was here, our conversation was such a great conversation because there was, there was... We both had point of views, right? And when we shared the point of views, you elevated the other person's POV. Like, when we were talking and I was telling you why I live the way I live, why I am the way I am, you spring boarded and you said, "Yeah, because Kev, for me, I've been doing this." And, and we had this yin-

Joe Rogan 1:19 Hmm.

Kevin Hart 1:19 ... and yang thing going.

Joe Rogan 1:20 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:20 And it, and it drove the conversation. I told you, you know, before we jumped on, one of the, the best interviews that I've ever done and from a feedback perspective with people that just loved what the discussion was, uh, loved the tone of the interview, the things that were said, um, felt inspired, motivated after, um, it was just great all around for me. Checked all the boxes.

Joe Rogan 1:42 It was for me too, and I got a bunch of great responses from my friends. From fr- that's when I know it's good, when I get friends and my friends are all like, pretty unanimous. They're like, "That is a motivational motherfucker."

Kevin Hart 1:51 Wow.

Joe Rogan 1:51 Like, "That dude gets shit done." When people hear th- stuff like you, like someone who's o- excited about life, excited about doing things, you know, there's something about that, that... It's fuel. It's fuel for p- we, we need that. Everyone needs that.

Kevin Hart 2:04 You know, I don't even... This is, this is not a cheesy segue. All right? This just makes sense from what you just said. What you just said is the reason why I did the decision. You said, "People need that. (clicks tongue) It's fuel."

Joe Rogan 2:21 Yes.

Kevin Hart 2:21 Right? I feel that in today's time, what people are most selfish with is information.

Joe Rogan 2:28 Hmm.

Kevin Hart 2:28 Nobody wants to give information. You gotta ask for it. If you ask for it, then all right, maybe, maybe I'll tell you some stuff, but it's a search and find.

Joe Rogan 2:37 You mean real good information?

Kevin Hart 2:38 Real information, information about how to get to success. That's the, that's the want from everybody across the board on some level.

Joe Rogan 2:48 Right.

Kevin Hart 2:48 Okay? Everybody's success is different. This doesn't mean fame and, and stars. I'm not talking about that level of success for everything. I'm saying whatever your version of success is, to get to it, information from someone that's done it or that's partaken in it in some degree will only add to the value of your journey.

Joe Rogan 3:09 Hmm.

Kevin Hart 3:09 It's only going to make it easier. It's not to say that you gotta do what they said, but bi- with that information, you're able to process it. Maybe use it, maybe not.

Joe Rogan 3:18 Right.

Kevin Hart 3:19 But you got it.

Joe Rogan 3:20 Right.

Kevin Hart 3:21 That's what I wanted to do. I said, "Yo, I got, I got a fucking... I got a life. I got a hell of a life that I've lived full of ups, downs, potholes, cobblestone, speed bumps, flat road, U-turns, some smack brick walls that I've ran into."

Joe Rogan 3:37 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 3:38 Uh, you know, some revolving doors of back and forth. And through it all, my mental has only gotten better because I feel like I've been in, I've been in a mental gym. The mental fitness that, that coincides with life, you know, it should get better. It sh- you should get wiser. You should get smarter. You should be able to make better decisions. And all of my decisions came from the massive amount of fuck-ups and I can now share those fuck-ups. I can now share the rights and the wrongs and the way that I handle all of the things that I've done. And people can just take that information and go, "Wow, I never looked at it like that."

Joe Rogan 4:18 Well, it gives them a better view of the landscape.

Kevin Hart 4:20 Yeah!

Joe Rogan 4:20 Especially when someone like you... You, you almost seem like an unattainable person. Like, "How, how, how does he do that? How is he doing that? How does this guy go from Philadelphia to be one of the biggest movie stars in the world? How does he become one of the biggest standup comedy stars ever? How the fuck do you do that?" Y- you almost seem like an alien-

Kevin Hart 4:36 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 4:36 ... you know, to people on the outside. But then when they hear you talk about your real life and t- talk about these fuck-ups and talk about these successes and talk about the lessons that you've learned, man, that's fuel for folks in a way that nothing else is because it's... Th- there's a lot of people that are bullshitting online. There's a lot of these motivational speakers that haven't done shit. And it's a, it's a weird thing. It's like they're, they're trying to give you motivation by, like, sort of reciting things that they think are gonna work or if they-

Kevin Hart 5:02 That they think-

Joe Rogan 5:03 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 5:03 ... that they think you wanna hear.

Joe Rogan 5:04 But they haven't done anything.

Kevin Hart 5:05 (laughs) I ha-

Joe Rogan 5:05 But someone who's done something, when you say it, people are gonna listen. They're gonna go, "Oh." And you're so honest about everything.

Kevin Hart 5:13 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 5:13 Which is every-... That's everything to people because when you are pure, when you, your, your, your words are pure, people take them right in. They come right in. There's no, there's no like, "Oh, this guy's kind of fucking selling me something." "Oh, this guy's kinda full of shit."

Kevin Hart 5:25 I'm not selling shit.

Joe Rogan 5:26 Yeah, exactly.

Kevin Hart 5:27 I got, I got nothing to sell. I had a, uh, I had a talk with Chase, like, uh, Chase, JPMorgan Chase are partners of mine, and we were doing this... Well, not we were, we are. We're doing this thing called Advancing Black Pathways, right? Where we're trying to cure financial illiteracy in the black community. We've been... We're on like year number two right now, right? And there was a conversation where, you know, they wanted to have said bankers go and talk to the kids in the inner city. And I was like, "You can't, you can't send...... a white man that works for JPMorgan Chase to the inner city of said community, hood, whatever, to talk to these young black kids that has no idea about the life that the black kids are living. I said, "What you need is people that have actually come from these environments, they have made it out of the environments, and now understand how money works. Because now when I talk to you, I'm not talking to you with hypotheticals, and I'm not preaching to you about what you should do and what you gotta do." I said, "I'm telling you what I did that didn't work. I'm telling you how I fucked off money, and I'm telling you what I didn't know." Hey guys, here's a fact. There is no education that comes with money in the black communities. It doesn't. You can go search for it. There, there isn't one. It does not exist. There is no one that is outright teaching the kids in a black community how to operate financially, how to set up for your future. There is nobody talking to you about ownership, homes, mortgages, investments, stocks, bo- that doesn't exist. It doesn't exist. It's not until you get outta that environment, that you meet some people that are planning their life accordingly, that you start to ask questions. It's not till maybe college, and on the later side of it, that you're with people that are getting jobs in the future that you start to do it. There is no prep or education at a young age. I said, "So you need a, you need a fucking man that can go there and go, 'Hey man, lemme tell you all why y'all gotta stop taking these free credit cards. Lemme tell you why you gotta stop putting a cable in somebody else's name and continuing to fuck it up. Let me tell you why you gotta stop being okay with not having a bank account. Let me tell you why you gotta stop using the check cashing places.'" There's nobody giving that information.

Joe Rogan 7:55 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 7:55 I said, "That's what I am. So if we're going to have a relationship, let's build it off of something authentic. Let's build it off of something that people can go, 'I get that.'" Since then, to go back to your point, my relationship has been based on me telling the truth. I told JPMorgan Chase, "I want to go to the inner city and I wanna have these discussions, but let me have 'em my way. I don't wanna have it in a JPMorgan Chase way." And I gotta credit them for backing me, because they aligned me with other people that shared the same stories, that have achieved certain levels of success, that speak to the same thing. So everything that I've done, everything that I'm trying to do, when I do talk about it, I come proven. I'm only talking about this because I really got knowledge about it. I don't got knowledge about it because i'm the smartest motherfucker in the world. That's not where the knowledge is coming from, Joe. My knowledge is coming from, "Hey man, yo, don't walk through door number one."

Joe Rogan 8:53 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 8:53 I walked through that door.

Joe Rogan 8:53 There's a monster in there.

Kevin Hart 8:54 Yeah, there's a bunch of shit in that door.

Joe Rogan 8:57 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 8:57 It wasn't till I came out-

Joe Rogan 8:58 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 8:58 ... that door that I saw those monsters that I knew the other monsters weren't as bad in door number two. But door number three is finally where you should go. I messed up, man. I went to the first two doors wrong. Why can't I give that to somebody that, that hasn't experienced those doors yet? Why can't I just give that information and possibly prevent them from walking into those doors?

Joe Rogan 9:21 And that's what's really valuable for people listening.

Kevin Hart 9:23 Yeah, man.

Joe Rogan 9:24 That's what's really valuable.

Kevin Hart 9:25 Yes.

Joe Rogan 9:25 Someone who's actually done it and done it wrong and done it right. And like, "Hey listen, I fucked up. This is how I fucked up." That, that means so much to people. It really ... You're, you're advancing people's possibilities.

Kevin Hart 9:37 It's, I think that's what life should be about.

Joe Rogan 9:40 Yes.

Kevin Hart 9:41 If, if as, as adults, as adults, we have a job to do, whether you wanna admit it or not. Your job is to set up the next generation. That's our job.

Joe Rogan 9:55 Right.

Kevin Hart 9:55 Whether you wanna fucking admit it or not. It, it's your kids, it's your friends, it's whomever. You're supposed to live a certain way, do certain things to set up for the next generation to come and to be able to do better. If you don't, then you're not doing your part. And if the world never fucking grows, you gotta raise your hand and be responsible.

Joe Rogan 10:21 Hmm.

Kevin Hart 10:22 'Cause you're a part of the lag.

Joe Rogan 10:24 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 10:24 You're a part of the delay. If we look up in 15, 20 years and we in the same spot, well, that means that our fucking groundbreakers that was doing all the shit during that 15, 20 years never shared the information so that these new people could come through and break new ground.

Joe Rogan 10:39 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 10:40 Somebody gotta do more than what the fuck I did. I don't care who it is.

Joe Rogan 10:44 Right.

Kevin Hart 10:44 But you gotta do more.

Joe Rogan 10:45 Right.

Kevin Hart 10:46 Somebody gotta fucking do more. Somebody gotta break these records and-

Joe Rogan 10:49 You already blazed the trail.

Kevin Hart 10:50 Yeah. That's, all I did-

Joe Rogan 10:52 Keep going.

Kevin Hart 10:52 All I did was show you, "Hey man, hey, they stopped here, but I kept going to the left and I started to haul ass and look what I found. Now that I'm over here, that means there's more."

Joe Rogan 11:03 Did you have a time in your life where you realized that you were doing the right thing? Like a time in your life where you realized, like i- i- in your comedy career in particular, where you realize like, "Uh, I'm getting some fucking traction. Like, this is really rolling." Like in the beginning you probably, like all of us, were not sure what was gonna happen. You're trying, you know, you're doing open mics, you're trying to make it.

Kevin Hart 11:22 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 11:22 But was there a time where you're like, "This approach is, this is happening. I've got traction."?

Kevin Hart 11:28 It was when I think, I think the, the noticing of, oh shit, oh, something's happening right now. And it's, it's, this is ... I think this is success. I think, I think I'm, I think I'm in it.

Joe Rogan 11:44 Was it around the time of your first special? Like when was it?

Kevin Hart 11:46 It wasn't. It was when I did the Shaq All Star Comedy Jam.

Joe Rogan 11:51 Ah.

Kevin Hart 11:51 I was just, I just told somebody this story. I was talking to Gary Owens actually, a good friend of mine, comedian. And we were talking about the past and, you know, Gary was like, "Kev, there was a moment where you just fucking just, just ran past everyone." And he was like, "I don't remember exactly what it was that did it." He said, "I just remember looking up and you were gone."

Joe Rogan 12:15 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 12:16 And I remember it was the Shaq-... All Star Comedy Jam. The lineup was Cedric the Entertainer, he was hosting. It was DeRay Davis, Tommy Davidson, um, and myself.

Joe Rogan 12:29 That's a hell of a lineup.

Kevin Hart 12:30 It was DeRay Davidson, Tommy Davidson, myself. Cedric the Entertainer was the host. And i closed out this show, and I remember going to do the show, it was in Phoenix, it was in the round, and I had to do, this is when I was about to tape Seriously Funny, my next special after Growing a Little Man. So, Seriously Funny, I was taping it in like four months. It was already on the books. So this is th- this is supposed to be it. This is my big coming out party. This has to be it, man. You know, I feel like I'm ready, I've been working hard, my jokes are hitting, I'm raw, I'm edgy. This is it. This is the one. I'm fucking funny, seriously. That's why I titled that Seriously Funny. I was- I was- I was ready. I get the call from Jeff Flanagan, "Shaq's All Star Comedy Jam, we're taping it, Kev. Dude, it's like 15, 20 minutes. You know, can you do it for me?" And Jeff and I had a relationship, and I was like, "Jeff, I'm about to tape my special. I don't want to burn that material." He's like, "Kev, look, you can use some other stuff. 15, 20 minutes, we tape it, but, you know, these things get some good traction, good views. It's some good eye candy. You should just have it out there." "All right, whatever." I wasn't even taking it serious. This was not something that I was taking serious, and this is an example of sometimes you don't know what it's going to be. You don't know what the fuel in a rocket is going to be.

Joe Rogan 13:48 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 13:49 You just gotta fucking buckle up and be prepared for the takeoff. Now, if it take off and you don't know where the seat belts are and you don't know where the lights and shit at, well, now you got a fucked up rocket ride.

Joe Rogan 14:00 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 14:00 You gonna, you gonna crash. It's over. It's over if you're not ready.

Joe Rogan 14:03 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 14:04 I do it, this thing airs, and I remember watching it, and at the end of the show, something so small seemed so fucking big. I say goodnight, I put up two fingers, and as I'm walking off the stage, they put it in slow motion. They put me in slow motion walking off the stage, and there was a separation from everything else that was on there. It was almost like, this guy's the- the guy. It was- it was a, it was a small tweak in editing. I had nothing to do with it. I just saw it. And the slow motion walk off, the crowd getting up, clapping, you see people's faces slow motion, pointing, screaming, and I'm walking off with like a bob, and it was almost like a- a- a- a coined, this is it, this is going to be the guy. I didn't do it. I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't know it was gonna happen. God bless the editors. God bless the Shaq All Star Comedy Jam. After that aired, I remember doing a show at Caroline's. Yo, this is a true fucking story. Shout out to Louis from Caroline's Comedy Club. I was just doing a weekend. Weekend, you're supposed to be doing, you know, three shows. We sold out 15 shows.

Joe Rogan 15:30 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 15:30 We sold out 15 fucking shows. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 15:33 How the fuck could you do that?

Kevin Hart 15:35 I was- we didn't know. Listen, how-

Joe Rogan 15:36 Over how many days?

Kevin Hart 15:37 ... what do you, we was there for like eight days.

Joe Rogan 15:41 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 15:41 (laughs) We were there for like eight days. You can, Louis can confirm this. Caroline's Comedy Club.

Joe Rogan 15:46 That's crazy.

Kevin Hart 15:47 Michael Berkowitz can confirm this. That's my public appearance agent. We just kept getting calls. It... "We're gone. We just put the tickets up for another show, they're gone." "What?" "Uh, what do you wanna do? We can add another. You wanna try to do a- a Wednesday night?" "Yeah, go ahead." "It's gone. Kevin, we added the Wednesday. It's gone." "What do you wanna do? You wanna see if we can add a- a late show Wednesday?" "Yeah, fuck it, I guess." "It's gone." Tuesday, it went Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. We was in that bitch 'til goddamn Wednesday.

Joe Rogan 16:25 Holy shit.

Kevin Hart 16:26 15 shows, Caroline's Comedy Club.

Joe Rogan 16:27 What'd that feel like when it was happening?

Kevin Hart 16:29 It was, I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say 12 to 15 shows, I remember, because some of the days we could do one, some we could do two. But you don't know. I'm like, "I can't- I can't even understand this." Caroline's Comedy Club was a big comedy club. This is New York City.

Joe Rogan 16:43 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 16:43 This is the- this is the melting pot where you got some of everybody. After that is when me and Berk said, "Is this a New York thing? Is- Did the word get out in New York?" And we found out that Shaq's All Star Comedy Jam was playing on like Showtime around the clock. It was just being pumped all day, all night. And we put up some shows outside, and the comedy clubs started frying. We was adding shows. We said, "Let's do small theaters." And then I did small theaters, and right after that moment, I taped Seriously Funny. So Shaq's All Star Comedy Jam hit so hard that by the time I was ready to do Seriously Funny, which was in three to four months, people were so hype and ready to see me do something else, that that became a massive attraction.

Joe Rogan 17:30 Wow.

Kevin Hart 17:31 Seriously Funny took off and blew as well.

Joe Rogan 17:33 That's crazy that it was something that you weren't even really thinking of.

Kevin Hart 17:36 Not even thinking about it.

Joe Rogan 17:38 Maybe that's why it was so free, you know?

Kevin Hart 17:40 You-

Joe Rogan 17:40 Like, so loose, no pressure.

Kevin Hart 17:42 The shit that you don't... Yeah, the shit that... Now- now, by the way, Seriously Funny, I damn near shitted myself before the show.

Joe Rogan 17:46 (laughs) Because the pressure was on.

Kevin Hart 17:47 I damn near defecated on myself before the show because I'm like, "Man, these people are here." The theater sold out so fast. I had LeBron, Shaq, the- the whole Cleveland Cavalier team was there at the time. It was unreal. I was like, "This is... This is it. This is my moment. I gotta- I gotta make this- I gotta make this a thing."

Joe Rogan 18:09 Wow.

Kevin Hart 18:10 "I gotta make... I can't fuck this up. I cannot fuck this up." The show ended up going great, and then from there, the- the- the fucking star just continued to rise. And- and that's when the engine...... within myself, started the click of go get. Right? So there's-

Joe Rogan 18:31 Is this something you always had, the go get?

Kevin Hart 18:32 I got... I always had that. Always had that. I told you before, that's my mom. RIP Nancy Hart. Don't tell me I can't do something, 'cause now I'm pissed.

Joe Rogan 18:40 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 18:41 Now, now I'm gonna do it. Don't tell me that. And that's a gift and curse.

Joe Rogan 18:45 Yes.

Kevin Hart 18:45 That's a gift and a curse. Like, you saw in the, in the doc, I don't know if you saw, but in my documentary, I put it all out there, that's a curse. "Kev, don't put that video up. Don't do that." Don't tell me what the fuck not to do. I'm gonna do it. And sometimes it don't do what you think it was gonna do. You don't know everything.

Joe Rogan 19:00 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 19:01 You don't know everything and you're not that great to think that you do know everything. And you can get bit in the ass by thinking that. But you gotta get bit to go, "Oh, let me get better at that."

Joe Rogan 19:12 Yes.

Kevin Hart 19:12 So, my go get comes from me just saying, w- what's my reason not to go after everything that I possibly can? I will stand on a fucking building to say this, man. It's a game. This, this thing is serious, but it's got a game-like quality to it, this thing called life.

Joe Rogan 19:37 Mm.

Kevin Hart 19:38 It's got a game-like quality to it and if you don't fucking see that, you better open your eyes. You better open your fucking eyes, because in this life, the moves that we're making allow you to do more, to, to get more, to see more, travel more, e- explore, experience. Or some people are dealt a different hand and it's tougher. It's a darker road and it's... Damn it, it's... Fuck, I'm, I wanna get out of this. I can't. I'm doing... Ah. How do I get out? Fuck, I made it. Oh. It looked like I wasn't supposed to get out, but I'm out. Everybody said, "You can't get out of this shit." I did. I'm out. I'm out. I'm one of the people that got out. It's, it's a fucking... It's got a real game-like quality to it. And that doesn't mean that you play with it. Understand what I'm saying here. It means that you can do what you put your mind to, and if you continue to put your mind to it, the game opens up new levels. Tell me I'm fucking saying something wrong.

Joe Rogan 20:45 You're saying something right.

Kevin Hart 20:46 You get a new level, and each new level that gets opened up, you're able to adapt a different mindset and a different approach. You can stop at that level or you can go, "I want more levels. I want more fucking levels." I don't like seeing shit that I have no idea how to obtain or gain access to. That frustrates me. That frustrates me when people do things and I don't know how they do it or did it. Whether I'm gonna do it or not, I wanna know. When, when, when you're around people that work in different atmospheres... "What do you do man?" "Oh man, I'm the guy that takes these labels right here, simple labels right here... I have a manufacturing comp- company where I do these, but I do 'em, uh, in bulk. So, we do 1,000 labels every 30 seconds and I built a manufacturing lab and this company here pays me X on the dollar and I got 35 companies doing the same thing. I've built a multimillion dollar business based off labels." People don't understand how important labels are. I did at a young age, so I started manufacturing labels. "You can manufacture fucking labels?" Now I'm, now I'm intrigued. Even if I didn't want to do that-

Joe Rogan 22:04 Right.

Kevin Hart 22:05 ... I'm intrigued that that's a thing. I'm intrigued.

Joe Rogan 22:08 Yes.

Kevin Hart 22:08 I'm intrigued that you found a way to do that. This table, is it handmade? Does a company do these? Is it fucking custom? Where's the wood from? If you really dig into everything, it comes from a thought. It comes from a broken down thought. So, you can be a person that's just around a bunch of brilliant thoughts and never ask questions, or you can soak some of that shit up. You know what this pandemic showed me, Joe? How our economy really fucking works. Once again, I'm coming from the perspective of a young Black man from the hood. I'm from the bottom. I don't know shit about stocks, I don't know nothing about investments. Never have. Right? But I know through this pandemic, now that I'm at a point where I'm actually into stocks and I'm investing and putting a portfolio together, well, I really looked at the way that the world moves. I really looked at how we move as people. How are we fucking still going? What are we using? What are we fucking using? This is what I said to my kids. I said, "What are you still using?" "What do you mean?" "On a day to day, what do we have to use? Tell me the things we have to use." Toothpaste. Who makes the toothpaste? They told me who made the toothpaste. Is that a company that you can invest in? Do you feel like everybody uses this toothpaste? If you do, that means that this is a company that's been successful and may be successful for a long time, 'cause this is a necessary need of everyone. That's an investment, kids. What else do we use? What else do we use every day? Where do you go, what do you like? In the mornings, Starbucks. Is that an investment? Do you feel like everybody drinks Starbucks? We drink it all the time. You feel like everybody else does too? I think so. That's an investment. That's what you put money in because you feel like it's going to last, it's going to grow. What stores do we go to? Where are we always at? Target. How many people are in Target when we go? A lot. Is that an investment? I guess. Why do you guess? At this point, you should know. We talk about it all the time. Why do you think it's an investment, Dad? Why do you think it's not? I'm talking to you about putting money in places where you feel like it's going to grow. Do you feel like Target's gonna shut down tomorrow or do you feel like they're gonna open more stores?How do you feel? This is a thing that i watch, and this is a thing that i also watch people ignore. (smacks lips) This is what's wrong with our world, because we don't talk to people enough like this. We don't give 'em the simplicity behind the way we fucking move and the way the world goes around. If we did get the simplicity, then we could have people taking $20 out their check and creating a portfolio. We could have people taking $40 to $50 out their check and putting it in said thing, said stock, said thing. Whatever it is, you can be doing it at a younger age. You don't have to have the most crazy amount of money. It can start off with the smallest amounts of money, but you can learn it that it can grow. I watch it. I pay attention. That's what gets me fucking going, Joe. I pay attention to everything. My question is, why don't most of us? Why are we comfortable with letting the world just go by?

Joe Rogan 25:34 I think a lot of people don't have the framework. They don't know how to operate in that realm. They don't know how to get going. They don't know how-

Kevin Hart 25:40 Information.

Joe Rogan 25:40 ... to get started. Yeah. But i love what you said about it being there's a game-like quality to life. That's such a perfect way to look at it. It really is.

Kevin Hart 25:48 You play the game.

Joe Rogan 25:49 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 25:50 You play the game for how many years, Joe? How many years on your podcast?

Joe Rogan 25:54 11.

Kevin Hart 25:54 11 years, right? I'm gonna give you a very true story. And to my brothers, the Plastic Cup Boyz, we got our radio show, Straight From The Heart. I'm constantly preaching to us about it's not about now, it's about tomorrow. Our radio show is a good radio show and we have a following, but it's not about now. It's about tomorrow. You- we gotta put the work in today so that when tomorrow comes, we are well equipped for the conversation that may be. I said, "Joe had a fucking long ride of preparing for tomorrow. And when tomorrow hit, it had to hit correctly because Joe never not did the work on a day-to-day basis to prepare for tomorrow." I got everybody fired up just off of the fact that you continued to do your thing the way that you were regardless of conversations, regardless of other offers and possibilities. You felt something else was on the horizon for tomorrow, but you knew it would come based off of your energy and effort that you put into the thing that you have.

Joe Rogan 27:09 Realistically, i don't look at it that way.

Kevin Hart 27:11 How do you look at it?

Joe Rogan 27:11 I- i don't- i never look at a destination or a thing or something happening.

Kevin Hart 27:15 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 27:15 I just keep doing it. I'm- i'm one of those weird grinders.

Kevin Hart 27:18 That's not weird.

Joe Rogan 27:19 But i- but i trust-

Kevin Hart 27:19 That's a- that's a way for you to go.

Joe Rogan 27:21 But i trust the process, but i don't ever look at it like there's a destination, like a success moment, like a big thing, a big thing hits.

Kevin Hart 27:29 Okay.

Joe Rogan 27:29 I just keep doing it and those things sort of find their own way through management and agents. And i've, uh, put very little thinking into that.

Kevin Hart 27:37 Right.

Joe Rogan 27:37 I put almost all my thinking into just doing the thing the best way that i can do it.

Kevin Hart 27:42 Metaphor for you then. You're an amazing fucking fighter. You are... I mean, i don't know how many black belts you fucking got. I just know i wouldn't fuck with you. Uh, you, but you got some shit with you, right? And if you are practicing a kick or a move, if you do it, let's say, 200,000 times to make sure you get it perfect, are you doing that and figuring that out for the unknown or is it for, "If i ever have to use it, i want it to be so fucking right that-"

Joe Rogan 28:19 Yeah, that's always there. That's always there. But the thing is always the technique. The thing is always the process.

Kevin Hart 28:25 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 28:25 And i think that's where i got this from podcasting and even from standup. It's just the grind-

Kevin Hart 28:31 The process.

Joe Rogan 28:31 ... com- comes from martial arts. The grind is like you gotta be there every day. If you're there three days a week, it's not as good as five.

Kevin Hart 28:37 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 28:37 You gotta be there five days a week.

Kevin Hart 28:38 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 28:38 And five might be better than seven, 'cause sometimes seven you burn out. You wanna keep enthusiasm 'cause that's a fuel.

Kevin Hart 28:44 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 28:44 Enthusiasm, there's something about enthusiasm that, like, you gotta balance discipline and enthusiasm. Discipline's critical. You have to be able to show up, but you also have to enjoy the shit out of it. And so, enjoying the shit out of it with discipline is the key. But you gotta ride those babies out, you know? You don't wanna fuck every day. Take a couple days off.

Kevin Hart 29:05 Take a couple days off. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 29:05 Want it. Want it. You know? Like, people fuck every day, you don't even know what fucking feels like.

Kevin Hart 29:11 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 29:11 Take three, four days off and smoke a joint-

Kevin Hart 29:14 Damn.

Joe Rogan 29:14 ... and make out with your woman. You know? Yes.

Kevin Hart 29:15 Get a- get- get-

Joe Rogan 29:16 Yes.

Kevin Hart 29:16 ... get some energy back into it.

Joe Rogan 29:18 Yes. Feel it.

Kevin Hart 29:18 Do you- do you feel like... And this is something that, you know, i never have a good... I've- i've an okay answer, but i don't feel like it's ever the best answer. When people say, "Well, what do you do when you're not doing what you love?" Right? And what i've said in the- in the past and, you know, in the present as well is, i think in order to do what you love, you gotta get through the obstacles of the things that you don't love.

Joe Rogan 29:47 In life.

Kevin Hart 29:48 Right.

Joe Rogan 29:48 As you're-

Kevin Hart 29:48 Right?

Joe Rogan 29:49 ... trying to come up. Yeah.

Kevin Hart 29:49 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 29:50 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 29:50 That's what i was gonna ask. Do you- do you agree with that?

Joe Rogan 29:52 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 29:52 Like, getting over those hurdles and then eventually they lead you to the thing where you're like, "Okay-"

Joe Rogan 29:58 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 29:58 "... now i'm ready to purs- pursue said thing that i wanna do." Or if you're in a job or, you know, a career and you're like, "I fucking hate my job," what i feel is like, you know, even if you hate your job, you- you're supposed to be using that job for something to get to something. Right?

Joe Rogan 30:17 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 30:17 And if you're- if you're not, then that should be the thing that you're figuring out. Like, "I don't like being here, but now that i'm here, i'm going to do all that i can to get said thing so that i can then..."... be comfortable enough to move here.

Joe Rogan 30:36 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 30:37 If you just go into those things with hate, 'cause you were talking about enthusiasm has made me think about it, made me think about it, if you just got hate and you're just angry about what you're doing every day, then you're not even allowing yourself to figure out the plan of how to escape the thing that you hate to get to the thing that you love.

Joe Rogan 30:54 Yeah. I think it's important to have those jobs that suck, man. They're, they're a, they're, they like cement your foundation.

Kevin Hart 31:01 Oh, God.

Joe Rogan 31:02 'Cause you don't wanna go back to those fucking places. You don't wanna go back to those terrible jobs where you gotta get up and be uninspired all day long. But if you can get through that, l- like, that, that's the, this rigid structure of discipline that allows you to apply that discipline to things you love. If you can apply discipline and learn how to apply it to something that sucks and get free-

Kevin Hart 31:23 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 31:23 ... have a game plan to get free, once you get free, you have that ability to get up and do things that suck, m- guess what? You're gonna get up and do things you love easier.

Kevin Hart 31:32 Even more, even more.

Joe Rogan 31:33 And you're gonna remember construction sites and d- delivering newspapers and all the stupid jobs that I worked. I think about those fucking things when I get up in the morning. They, they, when I'm brushing my teeth, I think about them, like-

Kevin Hart 31:44 That's the fucking game, though.

Joe Rogan 31:46 Yes, yes.

Kevin Hart 31:46 That's the game. Like-

Joe Rogan 31:47 That's why you gotta get through it.

Kevin Hart 31:49 You have to.

Joe Rogan 31:49 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 31:49 Like, th- it's, it's, I, I say this, man, and it's like that, it's the story. You're just putting that story together.

Joe Rogan 31:56 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 31:56 And I don't, I don't think, you know, with- without, without the stories, what do you talk about? What do you talk about?

Joe Rogan 32:05 Right.

Kevin Hart 32:06 You know? What, what is, what is the interesting side of confers- conversation about your growth or-

Joe Rogan 32:15 Right.

Kevin Hart 32:15 ... your journey? If it's, if it's, if it's just the easiest, I just took the highway and got off at the exit, and right there at the exit, I found the gold, everybody else did. It's no-

Joe Rogan 32:24 Right.

Kevin Hart 32:24 What, what is that?

Joe Rogan 32:25 Or my dad was rich and I have a trust fund and I never have to work ever.

Kevin Hart 32:28 What, what is the, what is the-

Joe Rogan 32:29 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 32:29 ... interesting side to that?

Joe Rogan 32:31 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 32:31 Like, I don't, there's no, there is no bonus in that. Like, yeah, I just fucking broke my goddamn back, right? The, the dopest thing for me about doing that was not being able to walk, but then being told that if I'm patient, I can recover fully. I can get back to myself. And me instantly thinking in my head, "I can actually be better than what I was. If he's telling me I can get back to 100%, I'm gonna be better." So the game instantly clicked on.

Joe Rogan 33:04 Hmm.

Kevin Hart 33:05 All right, tomorrow we start, we play. New level. I can't fucking walk, goddamn, here we go. Can't wipe my ass, I'm not fucking getting... They say I can't get in the gym. PT is some weird shit, I'm just taking two steps on a fucking BOSU ball and I'm... All right, this is a little discouraging, but I know they said I'm supposed to do it three days. I'm gonna listen to them, but on those other, on those other four days, is there anything else that I can do to be working on? "Kevin, you can strengthen your lungs up, work on your breathing. Here's a breathing machine." Okay. What about my, my hands? Is there any way my senses... Tennis ball, can I be squeezing it? Should I be doing anything? "No, we don't have anything like that. We don't recommend it." So if I found something and I research if it's just motor skills and working on it, is that fine? "Yeah, that's fine. But, you know, we've, it's, it's, it's okay if that's what you wanna do." Okay. I saw that, yeah, I'm not getting the same... The doctors are just telling me the stuff that I need to know. Stay within those lines, but I'm gonna find other things that I can do 'cause I'm playing a game now. I'm never gonna overexert myself, but the game is to be better. How do I beat better than what I was? Because if I do that, ooh, fuck, for me-

Joe Rogan 34:13 Hmm.

Kevin Hart 34:14 ... I just beat me.

Joe Rogan 34:16 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 34:16 This ain't about nobody else. I don't give a fuck about nobody else. I just beat me. If I can keep beating myself, pause, if I can keep doing that, then that means that I'm in a battle with the only person that fucking makes sense. I'm in a battle with the only person that I really wanna fucking beat, and that's me.

Joe Rogan 34:39 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 34:40 I don't, I don't care about anybody else. I have no worry or gripe about the next man or woman's journey or, or, or, or their level of success. That's not what I'm, what I'm up against.

Joe Rogan 34:54 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 34:55 If I can continue to outdo me from the day before, then I'm, then I'm ahead. Then I'm ahead. And that's, that's what I, that's the newfound, the newfound energy that I got out of life now. You know, I'm on this amazing Rocky story with myself. It's in my head. Nobody else is watching this movie but me. It's in my head. This is Rocky. This is the comeback. This is exactly what I saw in the movie. And I'm gonna come back better than ever. I'm gonna be 41. My body's gonna be ripped up. I'm gonna be about 8% body fat. And then, and then I'm ready. Ready for what, Kevin? Mm.

Joe Rogan 35:34 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 35:34 (laughs) I don't fucking know.

Joe Rogan 35:36 You gotta be better than you were before.

Kevin Hart 35:37 Hey, I don't know, but-

Joe Rogan 35:39 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 35:39 ... that's, that's what I want. I want that day to be like, "Yeah."

Joe Rogan 35:42 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 35:42 Now what? And then I'll figure out what. I'll figure out what that what is then.

Joe Rogan 35:47 Yeah. Well, tell me, when you got injured, what, what... You, you were explaining it to me before the podcast, but I didn't wanna talk too much about it 'cause I wanted to hear it now when, wh- so everybody could hear it. What, what exactly was the injury?

Kevin Hart 36:00 I, I fractured... So I fractured my, my spine, right? And it's from my... It's either from my T10 to my L1 or from my L1 to my T10, whatever order that goes in. So I-

Joe Rogan 36:14 So h- how many fractures is that?

Kevin Hart 36:15 I mean, that's fucking... That's your, that's your spine. That's about-

Joe Rogan 36:18 So you fractured basically everything.

Kevin Hart 36:19 Every- I mean, you got like this much space in my back. So you gotta think, first of all, I'm already small, right? So this is practically my whole back if you look at this right here.

Joe Rogan 36:29 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 36:29 If you look at this, this is practically my whole back. So all of this fractured. And what, what happens is...... they had to fuse my spine.

Joe Rogan 36:39 So, did they have to remove the discs in between...

Kevin Hart 36:42 They basically had to fix... So- so, the bones where- where it's fractured, basically your spine is now outta whack.

Joe Rogan 36:51 Right.

Kevin Hart 36:51 The- the- the things that keep your spine connected and that allow you the flexibility-

Joe Rogan 36:56 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 36:57 ... are outta whack. I got pieces of those bone fragments that are outta place, out. So- so, they gotta- they gotta fuse that shit back together. So, I got eight screws.

Joe Rogan 37:06 Do they take the disc material out and compress it and then screw 'em all... So, is the bone all one piece now?

Kevin Hart 37:12 I- I think I'm, I think I'm one. I don't, I don't know about the disc. I don't know. I don't have that answer. That's a, that's a little too technical for me and I should know that 'cause it was my body. But what I do know is that this thing that's my spine has eight screws and these eight screws now hold it together. So, through this time of healing, because I now have metal in my back, it was about getting your back to be comfortable with the metal, but also back to a normal level of flexibility. So, where people fuck up, when you get this type of energy and you stay still, you allow that metal to get stiff. You don't, you don't... You're not moving it.

Joe Rogan 37:53 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 37:53 So- so now, your movements become robotic-

Joe Rogan 37:56 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 37:57 ... with it. So, because as soon as I got out the hospital, I started. I- I didn't have days off. As soon as I got out, I started physical therapy. I did not wait. I didn't... I got off medication. I said, "I'm not taking no meds." You know, my dad was on drugs. I was like, "I'm not fucking around with that." So, I dealt with the pain, but I said, "I gotta start now because every day that I wait makes it harder to go." So, because I was, you know, back and forth, side to side, doing all of those things, I got- I got my body to get accustomed to it and I got flexibility. So now, when you see me working out, it looks as if I'm back and, you know, I'm probably 98% back to myself right now. But the work that I put into my core and my upper body over the years are what saved me, outside of God, of course-

Joe Rogan 38:51 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 38:51 ... in that situation because, you know, I wanna tell this, people, just for, just for you to know, this health and wellness shit is so much bigger than what you may think it is. Taking care of your body, you don't know when all of that stuff comes into play and adds up correctly. You know, the- the human body is amazing. Recovery, the ability to snap back and go back to what it once was, the body muscle memory, all of that stuff plays a major factor. So, my healing was a lot faster because of the years of work that I put into it-

Joe Rogan 39:29 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 39:30 ... before. Now, if I hadn't have and I didn't have that core, well, I'd be paralyzed. I'd be fucking paralyzed. I mean, they said, um, you're literally talking about this much.

Joe Rogan 39:40 Wow.

Kevin Hart 39:41 Doctor looked me in the eyes, "You're lucky to be walking. You're this much. If your core wasn't in the shape that it was and if you didn't have the- the strength to take whatever that impact was and stay, you woulda been snapped and you would never be walking again." So, that instantly, thank God, I go, "You know what? Thank God for my trainer who jumped into my life at a certain time and changed my way of thinking." Boss, Ronald 'Boss' Everline. And you know, we've been rocking for seven years and- and the consistency of four years before of every day. Every day. So now, I'm like, "You- you're not wasting your time, ever." So, when those people say, "What are you working out for? What are you getting in shape for? Why you going every day?" You don't know when you're gonna need to fucking tap into all of the work that you've done. You don't know. You don't know if you'll ever need it. But to just know that you've taken care of yourself, to know that you've given yourself a chance to fucking not only survive, but perform. You've given yourself a chance to perform at a high level on a day-to-day by taking care of your engine. This is, this is my machine, so I'm taking care of the engine. Just like any car, oil changes, just like, you know, your fucking, your brakes, your- your- your tires, the rotors, all of that shit, you taking care of that so that it's a great ride every time, you gotta do the same with your body. Don't ignore that shit, people. You know, we- we dropping like flies right now.

Joe Rogan 41:22 Hmm.

Kevin Hart 41:23 Heart attacks, strokes-

Joe Rogan 41:24 Yep.

Kevin Hart 41:24 ... you know, uh, k- kidney failure. You got people with diabetes. You got people getting, uh, legs or arms cut off from bad eating, from- from bad eating over the course of years. Take that shit serious. Don't wait 'til the end. That's serious. That's not, that's not a joke. So, when I look at people dying around me, we have no control over when the day is gonna come, but I'm going to try to help amplify my time here as much as I can.

Joe Rogan 41:56 That's the big one, right? Amplify your time. You have energy.

Kevin Hart 41:59 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 41:59 You have a different kinda energy than someone who's unhealthy. You have the ability to push forward. You have the ability to get shit done. You have more enthusiasm 'cause your body feels good.

Kevin Hart 42:08 Why do you not... Why... I wanna be careful the way I say this because I don't wanna seem like I'm coming down on anybody that's not, but why don't you wanna take care of yourself?

Joe Rogan 42:20 I think they do. I think it's just habits are very hard to break. There's a lot of comfort in just the same thing every day.

Kevin Hart 42:26 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 42:26 Open up the cabinet. Twinkies. Fuck it.

Kevin Hart 42:28 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 42:29 I'll start tomorrow. Fuck it, I feel like eating those chips.

Kevin Hart 42:32 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 42:32 And you just settle into it and then y- there's this disappointment that comes from settling in. And it's comfort and it's disappointment at the same time. You're like, you're really, well, I guess that's me, and you accept it. And I think sometimes people are scared of improvement because they're scared of failure. So, if they can just kinda slide into the same bullshit every day-

Kevin Hart 42:50 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 42:50 ... it- it makes them feel less- l- less uneasy.

Kevin Hart 42:54 You know what? I-What I say and, and what I will say goes back to the decision, goes back to information. It's not bad if you want those things. I don't, I don't think that people are supposed to live a robotic life and, and, you know, "I don't eat this ever and I don't do this and never-"

Joe Rogan 43:13 Well, I always point to the Rock and his fucking cheat days.

Kevin Hart 43:16 I mean, his fucking cheat-

Joe Rogan 43:17 Jesus Christ. (laughs)

Kevin Hart 43:17 First of all, he eats for a village. That son of a bitch doesn't-

Joe Rogan 43:19 Well, he is a village.

Kevin Hart 43:20 It's unreal what he puts down when he puts down.

Joe Rogan 43:23 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 43:23 And that's why I'm saying, like, you should enjoy-

Joe Rogan 43:26 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 43:26 ... your, your, yourself and enjoy your life. But I think that there should be a give and take. Like, all right, I'm gonna eat the way i want to eat. I'm not compromising that because I love food. But let me put a half hour in a day of walking. Let me-

Joe Rogan 43:44 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 43:44 ... let me do something so where I'm active, so there's at least a give and take. That's what I would say, um, to people out there. I'm not saying in no way, shape, or form, "Don't do this ever and that's wrong and you're living, you're, you're gonna destroy yourself." That's, no, um, that's unrealistic. That's unrealistic.

Joe Rogan 44:00 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 44:00 I, I think you should definitely be happy, you should definitely do the things that you enjoy, because like I said, in my mind, this is a game. You're playing the game.

Joe Rogan 44:09 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 44:09 Be happy while you're playing it.

Joe Rogan 44:10 Well, one-

Kevin Hart 44:10 Don't be miserable.

Joe Rogan 44:11 One way to play the game is to challenge yourself, like give yourself a month.

Kevin Hart 44:14 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 44:14 Write down for a month, "For one month, I'm not drinking a single soda. For one month, I'm gonna do something, some exercise every day and I'm gonna write down what it is, for one month."

Kevin Hart 44:22 The fucking game.

Joe Rogan 44:24 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 44:25 Here's how I think. I don't know if that's a book title or not, or if it hasn't, has been or hasn't, but goddamn it, that could be my next one, The Game.

Joe Rogan 44:35 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 44:36 Now, I know you guys are hearing this-

Joe Rogan 44:37 Even if it is a book title, it's-

Kevin Hart 44:38 I think it may be, but maybe, you know, The Game, The Game of Life.

Joe Rogan 44:43 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 44:43 That's something, but it's something there. I just-

Joe Rogan 44:45 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 44:46 There's, there's ... It's such a synergy within that-

Joe Rogan 44:50 Maybe just call it Game.

Kevin Hart 44:51 Something.

Joe Rogan 44:52 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 44:52 It's there.

Joe Rogan 44:53 Because your, your, your statement of there's a game-like quality to life resonates.

Kevin Hart 44:56 It's true.

Joe Rogan 44:57 As soon, as soon as you said that, I was like, "Ooh, that's it." That's the way to look at it, to don't just look at it like life. Look at it like you're trying to succeed, you're trying to get ahead and win. The game-like quality of life. That's it.

Kevin Hart 45:08 It's, it's, it's, it's a, it's a dope thing. I'm, I'm gonna, I'm gonna really harp on it. It's something there.

Joe Rogan 45:13 So, you're re- you're recovering from your, your back injury?

Kevin Hart 45:15 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 45:15 Like, how long ago was the injury? How long ago was the crash now?

Kevin Hart 45:18 September, so what is that? September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, was this May?

Joe Rogan 45:24 Yeah, so-

Kevin Hart 45:25 May?

Joe Rogan 45:25 Only eight months.

Kevin Hart 45:26 Almost, it was about to be June, so about to be nine.

Joe Rogan 45:28 Um-

Kevin Hart 45:28 About to get into nine.

Joe Rogan 45:29 And you said you're like 98% now?

Kevin Hart 45:31 98%. I'm down to probably 10% body fat right now.

Joe Rogan 45:37 And as far as, like, movement, you can basically do everything?

Kevin Hart 45:39 I'm doing everything.

Joe Rogan 45:40 Wow.

Kevin Hart 45:41 I'm doing everything. I'm up to running again. I'm probably at, I'm probably at three, I can go three and a half miles straight before I'm like, "Oh."

Joe Rogan 45:50 Your back starts to bother you?

Kevin Hart 45:51 Yeah, before I get tight.

Joe Rogan 45:52 And what are you doing for the back? Are you doing yoga? Are you doing... What kind of exercises are you doing?

Kevin Hart 45:55 I got, uh, physical therapy, you know, that's, that's a random shout-out to Dr. Pat. Um, you know, I make sure that getting the massages, uh, getting the work done, because I'm, I'm doing so much within working out, I don't wanna not take care of that as well.

Joe Rogan 46:11 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 46:11 So, from heating it, from, you know, treatment, uh, just, just literally doing things to, to make sure that I'm, I'm constantly working on those muscles and not forgetting them. I'm getting older. I don't wanna act like that's not the case or that's not a reality. I'm 40 now, so how do I take care of this machine so at 50 I'm not moving as if I'm 70?

Joe Rogan 46:35 Right.

Kevin Hart 46:35 You know? Um, I, I would say that's been, that's been a great adjustment, but one that's really made me feel better. Like, stretching, you know, I didn't, I didn't understand the importance of stretching, of actually resting. You know, I was, "I gotta get it, let's go. It's go time."

Joe Rogan 46:55 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 46:55 "Weights, hit it." Clanging and banging, baby.

Joe Rogan 46:58 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 46:58 Clanging and banging. But now, you know, make sure you get your rest time so that you can come back and give the energy. Your cardio changes, row machines.

Joe Rogan 47:08 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 47:08 I'm on, I'm on, uh, a bike (laughs) , you know, um, um, I'm Peloton-ing, I'm, I'm Hydring, I'm running. So, the, the workouts change and you become more consistent, uh, with your system, with my new system. So, uh, I think by July, July, my, my goal is for my 41st birthday, that's July 6th, to be around eight, eight and a half percent body fat at the age of 41.

Joe Rogan 47:38 So, it's all about body ... It's all about looking good with the body fat?

Kevin Hart 47:41 For me, for me, the body fat means that I've just been super focused.

Joe Rogan 47:44 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 47:45 Like, no ... I eat. I don't want people to think that I don't eat. I'm, I'm not a foodie though, so it doesn't really count. But, you know, I'm not on some strict, crazy diet.

Joe Rogan 47:53 You're not a, you're not a foodie, like, you don't enjoy, like-

Kevin Hart 47:56 I'm not a foodie, man. I don't, uh, I don't eat red meat.

Joe Rogan 47:59 Really?

Kevin Hart 47:59 I don't eat no red meat, no, no fish, no seafood. Uh, I'm a, I'm a plant-based eater, man.

Joe Rogan 48:06 Everything, everything's plant?

Kevin Hart 48:07 Uh, I'll go chicken every once in a while.

Joe Rogan 48:09 Yeah?

Kevin Hart 48:09 I'll dabble into my chicken, and that's what, that's what people don't understand. I don't think people really get that or understand that. It's like, um, just because you make the decision to go and try plant-based doesn't mean that you have to engulf in that world. Learn it, understand it, and see if there's benefits that work for you. I stopped eating red meat so much because I learned that I didn't have to have it. I thought that I needed it to survive. That's what I was under the mindset, like, "If I don't eat this, I'm- things are gonna change for me."

Joe Rogan 48:42 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 48:42 That's what I thought, but once I found out there was protein and things in other foods and other resources, and then I started to learn more about the plant-based, uh, food space, I was like, "I'm gonna give it a try."And I started trying the Beyond Meat and I fucking fell in love with the Beyond Meat and I was like, "I don't feel the difference."

Joe Rogan 49:01 Just let me tell you something right now, those Beyond Meat things are not good for you.

Kevin Hart 49:04 I, I love 'em.

Joe Rogan 49:05 They, they... I'm sure you do.

Kevin Hart 49:06 I love 'em. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 49:06 I'm sure you enjoy 'em, that's fine.

Kevin Hart 49:08 I love 'em.

Joe Rogan 49:08 But if you're gonna be plant-based, that's not the way to go, in terms of, like, the overall health.

Kevin Hart 49:12 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 49:12 It's not bad if you want just taste, if you enjoy, you know, just mouth pleasure. But th- they're not good for you.

Kevin Hart 49:19 I, I-

Joe Rogan 49:20 It's all oils, it's all this p- plant-based oils and it's all processed and weird. Just eat vegetables.

Kevin Hart 49:26 What you are is a very smart man, so I would never challenge the information that you may have that I don't have. So now, after being told such a thing, I would look and see for myself. But I can say to date, I love the Beyond option because it's not only taking the place of the meat, I like the different versions of it that's available.

Joe Rogan 49:54 As long as you're enjoying it.

Kevin Hart 49:55 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 49:55 Nothing wrong with-

Kevin Hart 49:55 I-

Joe Rogan 49:55 ... something you're enjoying, you're obviously very healthy.

Kevin Hart 49:57 Yeah, I can say-

Joe Rogan 49:58 But-

Kevin Hart 49:58 ... I, I haven't seen... I'll put it this way, since, since going plant-based and jumping into that space and choosing that... Because there was a moment where you had the Impossible, you had the Beyond and you had-

Joe Rogan 50:10 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 50:10 ... all the stuff that was out there-

Joe Rogan 50:11 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 50:12 ... and you're trying everything. I liked that one the most. So, after liking the Beyond one the most, then I said, "Let me see if I can be more consistent." Since doing that, I've, I've seen a significant change in just being more vibrant, more up and, and at it. Like, you know, my days were always long, so there used to be a wall that I would hit, you know? When I was eating and I was... Red meat, whether it be the burger patty without the bun, whether it was steak and eggs for protein, whatever it was, I would always hit a wall, a day where, you know, I'm dozing.

Joe Rogan 50:51 Hmm.

Kevin Hart 50:52 I'm dozing and I'm crashing. I don't have those crashes.

Joe Rogan 50:55 Maybe you weren't getting enough carbohydrates.

Kevin Hart 50:57 Could be once again.

Joe Rogan 50:58 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 50:58 Joe, you're a very smart man, so I'm not gonna challenge your knowledge because I know that this is a space where you're well-equipped. You do your research, you read, you know. I've heard you talk about things various times, uh, in this space. I'll just say, it's, it's one of those things where I was like, "Okay, this is a pattern that I fell into," it's been comfortable, but I've seen the results.

Joe Rogan 51:17 Uh, that's all that matters. The... And there's bioavaila- bio, uh, variability that-

Kevin Hart 51:21 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 51:21 ... everybody has to take into consideration. Like, your body's gonna be different than Jamie's is gonna be different than mine.

Kevin Hart 51:26 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 51:26 Everybody's body's gonna respond different to different kind of foods. It really, it's really different, you know? Uh, some people are, work great off of just fish. I know people that, uh, are on the carnivore diet, and they're in the healthiest shape they've ever been in their life.

Kevin Hart 51:38 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 51:38 All they eat is red meat, these rib eyes all day long. And you go, "What the fuck?"

Kevin Hart 51:43 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 51:43 "That doesn't even make any sense." Meanwhile, they look great.

Kevin Hart 51:46 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 51:46 And, and they'll swear to you they've never felt better. Psoriasis is gone, joint pain gone, healthier than ever. And then I know other people that are all 100% plant-based and they're like, "I got off my meds, I feel great." I think focus on eating properly, whether it's eating properly plant-based or eating properly with a carnivore diet, just cutting out all the bullshit.

Kevin Hart 52:06 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 52:07 That's th-... And, and the... And focusing on the fact that you're eating for health and for vitality, like, that's a big part of it.

Kevin Hart 52:14 You just said the key thing, though. The, the key things you just said is people are doing different things that work for them.

Joe Rogan 52:20 Yeah, yeah.

Kevin Hart 52:21 There, there is no right or wrong way, and I think that's the biggest misconception.

Joe Rogan 52:26 Right.

Kevin Hart 52:26 The misconception is that, "You're doing it wrong."

Joe Rogan 52:28 "There's one way."

Kevin Hart 52:29 "There's only one... Nah, don't do that."

Joe Rogan 52:31 "Nah. No."

Kevin Hart 52:31 "Don't eat that. Uh, you, you messin' up."

Joe Rogan 52:32 "There's a lot of ways." Yeah.

Kevin Hart 52:33 There's so many different ways that can work for you. Don't be afraid to try or just experience what those options are-

Joe Rogan 52:40 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 52:40 ... and find your comfort space. Like, that's, that's why I say within that plant-based space, you know, people that go, "Yeah, man, I'm plant-based, but I feel bad 'cause I ate such things." Like, you don't ha-... Like, it's not... There is no rule-

Joe Rogan 52:54 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 52:55 ... to what you wanna do for you.

Joe Rogan 52:57 And you gotta be open to making adjustments too. Do you know C.T. Fletcher?

Kevin Hart 53:01 I do know of him, I don't know him.

Joe Rogan 53:03 He's a-

Kevin Hart 53:03 But I know of him.

Joe Rogan 53:04 Love that guy to death.

Kevin Hart 53:05 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 53:05 Hulk.

Kevin Hart 53:06 (laughs) Yes.

Joe Rogan 53:07 He's, he's as motivational as anybody-

Kevin Hart 53:09 Uh-huh.

Joe Rogan 53:09 ... that's ever lived. He had a heart attack-

Kevin Hart 53:11 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 53:11 ... um, had his heart replaced, got a new heart and he... I, I don't think he's confirmed it, but he believes it's an Asian woman. And I don't know if that's just how he feels or, like, he's had some weird feelings about having this other person's heart inside of his body. And, uh, he went 100% plant-based, just changed everything, changed his entire diet and puts all these videos up about it.

Kevin Hart 53:31 He thinks his heart came from an Asian woman?

Joe Rogan 53:34 He believes his heart came from an Asian woman. I don't think he's confirmed that, 'cause I don't think they tell you, but I think he's... He, he just-

Kevin Hart 53:40 Would you wanna know? Do you wanna know?

Joe Rogan 53:42 Yeah, I kinda wanna know, yeah.

Kevin Hart 53:44 (laughs)

Joe Rogan 53:44 Maybe he knows now, he didn't... I don't believe he knew last time I saw him in here. But, you know, the first time I met him, I mean, he's just a powerful guy, you know? "It's still your motherfucking set."

Kevin Hart 53:55 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 53:55 Like, he's that guy.

Kevin Hart 53:56 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 53:56 And he's just always this, like, booming voice and just gigantic muscles and he's all drive and go. And then when his heart failed and then he had to have his heart replaced, I saw him about a, a year later, and he had this remarkable calm that had come over him. He was just like this different person, very loving and embracing-

Kevin Hart 54:18 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 54:18 ... and had all this happiness and all this joy and all this appreciation. And now all he eats is plants. I mean, he's a... And he swears by it. And-

Kevin Hart 54:26 It's that light.

Joe Rogan 54:27 For him, that's, that's the way to go.

Kevin Hart 54:29 No, I'm talking about that light.

Joe Rogan 54:31 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 54:31 I saw that light.

Joe Rogan 54:32 Oh, yes. Yes, yes.

Kevin Hart 54:32 When you, when you come close to that light-

Joe Rogan 54:35 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 54:35 ... and it's... And that light that I'm talking about is death.

Joe Rogan 54:38 Yes.

Kevin Hart 54:39 If you come close to that light, when you do and if you are fortunate enough to come back from that light, you value life differently.

Joe Rogan 54:51 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 54:52 You, you can't... There, there, there are no bad days for me. There are no bad days for me.I, my, my biggest cry in life came from the first day that i came home from the hospital. Because I never, I never had to see that house again. Like, there was, there was an option-

Joe Rogan 55:12 Right.

Kevin Hart 55:12 ... of me never seeing that home again.

Joe Rogan 55:14 Right.

Kevin Hart 55:14 There was an option of me never walking on that driveway again. There was an option of me never seeing my wife and my kids again. Like, the biggest... And i mean, it wasn't, it wasn't like a, like a build-up cry. It was pull up, get out, feet touch the ground. "What the fuck just came over me? Boo-hoo."

Joe Rogan 55:38 (laughs) Yeah.

Kevin Hart 55:39 Like, "What the fuck?"

Joe Rogan 55:41 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 55:41 "What just happened?"

Joe Rogan 55:42 Boo-hoo.

Kevin Hart 55:42 And, by the way, a painful cry because my back, my back was fucked up.

Joe Rogan 55:46 Right.

Kevin Hart 55:47 So, I'm crying hard and I'm in pain, but the realization of none of this has to be. You're not in control.

Joe Rogan 55:55 Right.

Kevin Hart 55:56 "Hey, Kevin. You're not in control, buddy. You thought you were. You moved for a minute, like, 'Nah, I got this, I'm gonna do that. Don't worry about it, I got it. We'll be good, I'm gonna make sure it happens.' As if you were in control." That's what it is.

Joe Rogan 56:13 (snaps fingers)

Kevin Hart 56:13 It's literally that.

Joe Rogan 56:14 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 56:15 At any decision at any given time, it can be over.

Joe Rogan 56:19 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 56:19 And it's not until you get close to that light that you truly respect that. I respect that. There are no bad days. Hey, man, miss me with any bullshit.

Joe Rogan 56:27 Yeah. Yeah.

Kevin Hart 56:28 I'm, I'm smiling-

Joe Rogan 56:29 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 56:30 ... because I have no reason to be angry, because i don't have to be here.

Joe Rogan 56:35 You appreciate that sunshine 'cause you been in the pouring rain.

Kevin Hart 56:39 Yeah. And, man?

Joe Rogan 56:40 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 56:40 Hey, hey. That's a fuck-... Yes.

Joe Rogan 56:43 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 56:43 So, when you talk about CT Fletcher and you talk about-

Joe Rogan 56:46 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 56:47 ... his calm. You know what, man? I've, I've been on the other side. He's, he's been, "Yeah!"

Joe Rogan 56:53 Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Kevin Hart 56:53 "Let's go!"

Joe Rogan 56:54 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 56:54 And that's great.

Joe Rogan 56:55 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 56:55 That doesn't mean he does, that he doesn't still have that, but now there's a different energy and a different level of relaxation that can come because I know how fortunate I am to be taking these steps.

Joe Rogan 57:06 Yeah. It's not just a theory. Like, every day really, truly is a gift. It's not-

Kevin Hart 57:10 Sheesh.

Joe Rogan 57:11 Yeah. It's real.

Kevin Hart 57:12 And you take it for granted.

Joe Rogan 57:13 It's real.

Kevin Hart 57:13 You take it for fucking granted, man.

Joe Rogan 57:15 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 57:15 I'm gonna tell you, not being able to wipe my ass changed everything.

Joe Rogan 57:21 Do you got one of them bidets in your house? You press the button and it shoots the water up your ass?

Kevin Hart 57:23 i couldn't even do that.

Joe Rogan 57:25 Really?

Kevin Hart 57:25 I couldn't do that. I'm talking you, you take it for granted. You take it for granted, man. All of this, all of this conversation, this clapping, this easy, "Yo, hey, come here." All this shit here?

Joe Rogan 57:41 All the movement.

Kevin Hart 57:41 You just, you just think it's okay. Y- you go, go through, go through a situation where it's compromised.

Joe Rogan 57:49 How long did it take before you could start walking again normal? Or semi-normal?

Kevin Hart 57:56 I lied in the hospital because I didn't want them to know that, that I was having pain because I thought that they were gonna stop me from letting me continue to try my walks. Um, it was like, day seven in the hospital? And I had the walker, and it was slow walks, but I was dragging. It was upper body.

Joe Rogan 58:18 Hmm.

Kevin Hart 58:18 And, and I was masking it as if i was feet, right?

Joe Rogan 58:23 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 58:23 Because i didn't want to stop trying. Like, that was my, that was my, that was my fucking, my, my, my go-get, my drive for anything, was those, that half hour or 40 where i could get up and go walk. Because i was just laying in the bed all day. And, you know, God bless, man, my wife and my kids. There was, there's times like, if this is the remote control and I'm in the bed and i just want to get to the control, well, I can't get to it. If, if, if you didn't position the control down here by my hands so I could get it, this here throws my whole fucking... I-

Joe Rogan 59:10 Wow.

Kevin Hart 59:10 So now, I can't press the button to call nurse and every second is, "Babe, can you, can you grab the control for me? Have, do."

Joe Rogan 59:19 Wow.

Kevin Hart 59:19 And there was a time where my son, my son was like, "Fuck it." My son just slept in the bed with me. My son, he was like, "I'm here, Dad. I'm up." My son didn't want to go to school, my daughter didn't want to go to school.

Joe Rogan 59:29 Wow.

Kevin Hart 59:30 They didn't wanna leave my side, they stayed there. And middle of the night, if they hear- if they heard me, (panting) "You all right, Dad? What you want?" They were up.

Joe Rogan 59:39 Wow.

Kevin Hart 59:39 My son doubled as nurse, my daughter doubled as nurse. Nico doubled as it, uh...

Joe Rogan 59:45 Wow.

Kevin Hart 59:45 You know, they, they were there. My brother came. And that's when the, that's when the care about what was important really changed. The shit that I thought was important, the things that you think are important? You get to looking around that hospital room, it's four walls. None of that shit that you think is important is in there.

Joe Rogan 1:00:07 Hmm.

Kevin Hart 1:00:07 It's only these people. None of the other shit was in there. None of it. None of it was fucking in there.

Joe Rogan 1:00:13 It's also gotta make you feel great that there's that much love, you know? That they cared about you that much.

Kevin Hart 1:00:17 That's what got, that's what gets you, that's what gets you through it.

Joe Rogan 1:00:20 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:00:21 So, those little steps that I was taking, you know? The, the discomfort of not being able to do, the love and energy made me go, "It's gonna be all right, I'm gonna get there." 'Cause you definitely feel defeated for a little bit.

Joe Rogan 1:00:35 And so, how long before you were walking without a walker?

Kevin Hart 1:00:39 Um... I was stubborn, man. So, probably two and a half weeks, two?

Joe Rogan 1:00:45 Wow.

Kevin Hart 1:00:45 Two, two and a half weeks. I shoulda had the walker, though.

Joe Rogan 1:00:48 Wow.

Kevin Hart 1:00:49 I shoulda had the walker, but it was... I'm, I'm giving the perception-... that it's, that it's better than what it is. And I had the back brace on.

Joe Rogan 1:00:59 You faked it till you made it. (laughs)

Kevin Hart 1:01:00 It was- I, I definitely, I definitely, I definitely-

Joe Rogan 1:01:04 (laughs) .

Kevin Hart 1:01:04 ... was, was, hey, smiling.

Joe Rogan 1:01:07 (laughs) .

Kevin Hart 1:01:07 What's up, y'all?

Joe Rogan 1:01:08 Right.

Kevin Hart 1:01:08 Good morning, everybody. Giving this perception of-

Joe Rogan 1:01:11 You know, Bill Burr told me he went to visit you.

Kevin Hart 1:01:13 Yeah. Bill came to see me.

Joe Rogan 1:01:14 And he said, and he said, he goes, "Dude, the fucking guy's already walking around."

Kevin Hart 1:01:16 Yeah.

Joe Rogan 1:01:16 He goes, "It's crazy."

Kevin Hart 1:01:17 Yeah. I had given the perception 'cause y- you don't, I don't want you to, to s- to worry.

Joe Rogan 1:01:24 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:01:25 I, I got, it's me.

Joe Rogan 1:01:26 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:01:27 Let me, I'm going through it and I'm gonna figure it out. I don't want that worry placed on anybody else. I told you, I stopped fucking taking meds.

Joe Rogan 1:01:34 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:01:34 So every night was a, was a horrible night.

Joe Rogan 1:01:37 That's so much better for you, though. Just accept that pain. You know-

Kevin Hart 1:01:41 Every night.

Joe Rogan 1:01:41 ... I mean, I did that with my knee surgery and it's obviously a much less painful thing-

Kevin Hart 1:01:45 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 1:01:45 ... but I was like, I, I took th- that shit once for one of my knee surgeries, one day, and I was like, this, I feel so fucking stupid.

Kevin Hart 1:01:53 Fuck, dude. I slobbered on myself.

Joe Rogan 1:01:54 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:01:54 That's when I said, "No, no." I was talking in a piece of slobber. (laughs)

Joe Rogan 1:01:58 Yeah. I was by myself-

Kevin Hart 1:01:58 Piece of slobber. (laughs) .

Joe Rogan 1:01:59 ... alone in my apartment and I was thinking, this is, you know, back when I lived in New York and I was like, "I am not doing this again. This is one day." I would rather, I'd rather be in searing pain and have my senses than to be stupid. I felt so dumb.

Kevin Hart 1:02:13 Just felt dumb.

Joe Rogan 1:02:15 Dumb as just like, uh.

Kevin Hart 1:02:16 Uh, yeah. (laughs) Yeah, the same.

Joe Rogan 1:02:18 I'm like, this is not me.

Kevin Hart 1:02:19 Uh.

Joe Rogan 1:02:19 I'm not into, I'm not into escape. I don't wanna escape. I wanna dig deep.

Kevin Hart 1:02:22 Not that bad.

Joe Rogan 1:02:23 Yeah. I'd rather just feel the pain.

Kevin Hart 1:02:25 I'm not looking forward to that bad.

Joe Rogan 1:02:26 It, it's a sensation. It's a terrible sensation, but I know what it is. It's just letting me know that there's a problem and w- we'll fix that problem eventually.

Kevin Hart 1:02:33 And I, I don't like the look that comes with being high.

Joe Rogan 1:02:36 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:02:37 Like, when I see what people look like that are, I don't like that look.

Joe Rogan 1:02:42 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 1:02:42 Like-

Joe Rogan 1:02:43 The pill high.

Kevin Hart 1:02:44 ... the, the, this, this shit.

Joe Rogan 1:02:45 They don't like the weed high.

Kevin Hart 1:02:45 No, that's, that's diff- I'm talking about this shit here.

Joe Rogan 1:02:48 Oh, yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:02:49 That, when you don't know what you, uh.

Joe Rogan 1:02:51 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:02:51 This shit here, you, you don't know what's going on with your hands. I don't-

Joe Rogan 1:02:55 Right.

Kevin Hart 1:02:55 ... like that.

Joe Rogan 1:02:56 No.

Kevin Hart 1:02:56 I don't wanna look, I don't wanna look like that.

Joe Rogan 1:02:58 Yeah. I think that's people that are in so much pain all day, just emotionally, that they just need some sort of escape from it-

Kevin Hart 1:03:05 One thing I will-

Joe Rogan 1:03:06 ... instead of embracing it.

Kevin Hart 1:03:06 ... I will not knock anybody that is dealing with any type of mental struggle because that is something that's so serious because nobody understands-

Joe Rogan 1:03:17 Right.

Kevin Hart 1:03:18 ... what that is except that person.

Joe Rogan 1:03:20 Right.

Kevin Hart 1:03:20 So, I never, I never talk as if that's a easy thing. I talk as if that's a thing that I don't fully know about. So you can only, you can only have some type of remorse and, and feeling of understanding for people that are battling any type of mental illness-

Joe Rogan 1:03:37 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:03:37 ... or mental health because that's just a different, it's a different monster and a different machine. So whatever the reasons to escape that are for you and from you, you know, that's, that's something that's TBD, to be determined-

Joe Rogan 1:03:50 Right.

Kevin Hart 1:03:50 ... between you and whoever's trying to help you. People on the outside, we got no right, we got no right if you're not fucking dealing with the same thing.

Joe Rogan 1:03:59 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:03:59 You got no right to judge that, ever, so I don't.

Joe Rogan 1:04:00 There's no way we can understand what's going, um, no way I can understand what's going on in your head other than you telling me about it-

Kevin Hart 1:04:05 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 1:04:06 ... and me trying to decipher it and trying to put it into words. But that's one of the more interesting things about talking to people. It's like when you, when you talk to p- people and you find out how they feel and think about things, it shifts your own ideas of what life is. And, and I've tried to look at life through other people's eyes and the only way you get that is through them talking.

Kevin Hart 1:04:25 I mean, I'm dealing with it now with my kids. You know, I got two teenagers. So my daughter, you know, my daughter got mad. This is a while ago and she got so mad. She was like, "Just forget it." And it was like a-

Joe Rogan 1:04:35 Mm.

Kevin Hart 1:04:35 ... it was like a little rage. I didn't attack her for it. I said, "There's something that made you do that. It's bigger than just this. It's not about what we're dealing with now." I said, "That was, that was something else that I've never seen." And I said, "I'm gonna give you a second. Take some time to yourself." I said, "And later, if you wanna talk about anything, your dad is here." I said, "Let's, let's talk if you want to." And we got this thing called free speaking zone in our house. Free speaking zone means, as a parent, I can't get mad at you about what you said. I gotta give you a conversation based off of what you said and I gotta act as if you're not my child for that moment. You cannot abuse free speaking zone, though.

Joe Rogan 1:05:21 (laughs)

Kevin Hart 1:05:21 You can't abuse it. That don't mean every time you're in trouble, free speaking zone, you're abusing it.

Joe Rogan 1:05:26 Right.

Kevin Hart 1:05:26 And now you risk free speaking zone going away.

Joe Rogan 1:05:29 I like that idea. That's a good idea.

Kevin Hart 1:05:30 So you, you gotta use it correctly. So, you know, my daughter came to me and, and in like, the nicest voice, she was like, "Free speaking zone." And I was like, "Yeah." I said, "What's up?" And she just started talking to me about some things that were bothering her. And when, when we talk, what I found is, I can relate to my daughter because I know for sure that where I come from, it's allowed me to see exactly what she's seeing plus so much more. Plus so much more. And this was a, this was a time where the hair was a issue. My daughter went through a big hair thing. You know, she wanted her hair to be a certain way and the hair wouldn't, there was no way that her hair was going to be able to look like-

Joe Rogan 1:06:21 Cooperate.

Kevin Hart 1:06:21 ... what she wanted it to.

Joe Rogan 1:06:22 Mm-hmm.

Kevin Hart 1:06:23 So the discussion was, "Honey, as a young Black girl, your hair is not gonna do what your friends' hair does." You know, my daughter goes to a private school, so there's white girls here, you got some mixed girls here, and you know, these girls are out and they can jump in the pool, get out, and their hair is a certain way. And I'm like, "Honey, yours isn't gonna do that. But if you want a different look, then that means that we can work on ways to obtain it, but honey, it's not gonna happen overnight." And I had to make sure that my daughter understood how beautiful she was. I had to make sure that my daughter understood...... why it's okay for her hair to be different and be unique and not the same. I had to go into a full father programming of making you understand your value. And my daughter needed that. But it wasn't, it wasn't something that just came out of nowhere, like, "Dad, I wanna talk to you about my hair." It was a anger-

Joe Rogan 1:07:23 Mm.

Kevin Hart 1:07:23 ... that she later then came and wanted to discuss. But if I didn't have the free-speaking zone, that's some shit that just would've been in-

Joe Rogan 1:07:31 And never talked about.

Kevin Hart 1:07:32 ... and never talked about.

Joe Rogan 1:07:32 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:07:33 But I gave her something that she used as a, as a reason to say what I don't like, and, "Don't judge me, Dad, but this is really making me mad."

Joe Rogan 1:07:42 Well, it seems like you've developed this philosophy that applies not just to work, and l- and not just to success, but also to family and relationships. There's a lot of carryover in all this.

Kevin Hart 1:07:54 Mm.

Joe Rogan 1:07:54 It's like accepting things for what they are, but looking at a positive way to improve them.

Kevin Hart 1:07:59 Mm-hmm.

Joe Rogan 1:07:59 Even in terms of just communication with your family.

Kevin Hart 1:08:02 Uh, I mean, that's priority.

Joe Rogan 1:08:04 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:08:04 Priority number one. I mean, that's the... It's, it's so, it's so dope to be able to build what we're building, 'cause it's not a tradition. This is not... We don't have a family tradition, we're the first.

Joe Rogan 1:08:22 Right, right.

Kevin Hart 1:08:23 This is the first.

Joe Rogan 1:08:24 Right.

Kevin Hart 1:08:25 I don't come from mom and dad, same house, kids, dogs, and dinner at night at 6:00 PM. I don't come from that.

Joe Rogan 1:08:35 Right.

Kevin Hart 1:08:35 I don't know how to do that. So, we are now learning that, you know? Divorced, ex-wife, new wife, step-kids, new kid, brothers and sisters, coincide with ex-wife, new wife, make sure that we all understand this is our world. How do we co-parent? Bumps? Of course. Figuring it out? Of course. Kids, household, in our household, let's build something. Dinners, let's make this a thing. Conversations, no phones, let's make it a thing. Movie night, taco Tuesdays, game night, all this silly shit that you may look past are memories. Family trips, family walks, walking the dogs together, all of this shit, we're building.

Joe Rogan 1:09:32 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:09:32 So, I'm fascinated at giving my kids stories to hold onto. When they get older, "Remember that time when we did sad thing, sad thing, sad thing? Where were we at that summer? Remember when such and such happened and you fell in the thing and Dad had to come get you? Oh my God, you know what? Dad, you know where I wanna go back to? You know what we wanna do?" We're building it. So, my hope is that as I grow older, I'm able to look at a new, a new era within the Hart, within this Hart family name, this Hart legacy. I'm looking at, I'm looking at generations, you know? I got two sons. I got two sons, man. That's a, that's an unbelievable thing because this name goes. I got a daughter, that's my oldest. I'm about to have another daughter. Like now, it's like, "Fuck, Kev, you really... It's bigger than you." It's, it's about this. And it's about what they have, but it's about what they remember. I'm doing my part in life, to go back to what we talked about earlier, by making this generation better than what I was. I'm giving you the fucking tools, guys. You don't gotta do what I do, you don't gotta be what I am, but I'm giving you the tools to at least want, to aspire to be.

Joe Rogan 1:10:58 Is there a struggle to find time? Like, to, to manage the time between work and family relationships?

Kevin Hart 1:11:05 Not after that accident.

Joe Rogan 1:11:06 No?

Kevin Hart 1:11:07 Not after that fucking accident. Accident was the, the, the best eye-opening experience ever. You know what I mean? It, it's... I was married to my career and dating my family.

Joe Rogan 1:11:20 Mm.

Kevin Hart 1:11:22 Right?

Joe Rogan 1:11:22 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:11:22 Like, I'm, I'm-

Joe Rogan 1:11:24 Right.

Kevin Hart 1:11:24 ... I'm all about this work and all about this hustle. Granted, there's nothing wrong with that. It's a good thing. But after a certain point, you gotta prioritize accordingly.

Joe Rogan 1:11:37 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:11:38 When you, when you get to a certain point where the decisions that can be made are a little more controlled and you have the ability to maneuver differently because of the success that you've obtained, make those adjustments. I didn't make those adjustments. I was still hustle, hustle, hustle.

Joe Rogan 1:11:53 Mm.

Kevin Hart 1:11:54 Granted, great dad. I'm, we're doing stuff. I'm home. I'm getting back home, but my in and outs, three days, I am out. Two days, three days, I'm out. "I gotta go film the movie. Y'all come down for the weekends. All right? I'll see you guys. We'll eat dinner, we'll do stuff." And it's great, crammed it all in. "All right, y'all, I gotta go. I'm working." And it's not bad, but now, all right, I'll film a movie. After I'm done filming a movie, well, I, I got, I need to take 30 days off. I need to take 40 days off. That's just with me and the fam. Now, hey, you go tour, it was just, bow, year and a half, we out. Four days out the fucking week, I'm out year and a half, I got to get it. Well, now, let's go a month and a half, let's stop for three weeks. I'm with the fam. So, I still have my three days a week that I was here, but then I'm gonna stop for three weeks. This is dedicated to fam time. Don't nobody do anything with me or talk to me. I'm, I'm-

Joe Rogan 1:12:55 Mm.

Kevin Hart 1:12:55 ... I'm home. Now, my office, I was in that office when we fucking opened. Office opening at 9:00, I'm there at 8:00. You know, there's a chance that I may be in that office till fucking 6:00.... now, yo, no matter what, guys, that day in the office has to end at like 3:00. I gotta be home for dinner. I got dinner with the fam. My priorities have changed. But it brings me back to the decisions that you're now able to make based off of life's circumstances, life's lessons. So, because of all of the shit that I went through, because of the things that I now got to see, because of that hospital room and those four walls, and me seeing my family and what that love did for me and to me, well, I'll be damned if I fucking look past that. I'll be damned if I not do what I'm supposed to do and give that the same amount of attention in return. 'Cause my eyes got open. "Fuck, is that why that happened? What are you saying to me? Was I supposed to... What? Okay, I'm gonna assume. I'm gonna assume and I'm gonna look at the signs that are clearly being given, and I'm gonna try my best to do my part. I'm gonna try my best to grow." So, my time now is, is so valuable, but the priority within my time are making sure that the people that I love and that love me have some time. When it's all said and done, I wanna know that I made those adjustments. I wanna know that I did my part.

Joe Rogan 1:14:40 You achieved that balance.

Kevin Hart 1:14:41 Absolutely.

Joe Rogan 1:14:42 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:14:42 But it was learned.

Joe Rogan 1:14:43 Yeah.

Kevin Hart 1:14:44 It was learned. Now, this is information.

Joe Rogan 1:14:47 Yes.

Kevin Hart 1:14:47 It's fucking information. And, and there's one side of information that I had, which was, "Go get it, I'm out. I'm out! I got to go get it, I don't got time to be fucking staying here, man. There's shit to do," which I still do do. I don't wanna make it seem like that isn't in me. But there's a balance. There's now a balance.

Joe Rogan 1:15:07 That's the trickiest shit in life.

Kevin Hart 1:15:08 It's a...

Joe Rogan 1:15:09 Yeah, it's to find that balance.

Kevin Hart 1:15:11 Find a balance, but-

Joe Rogan 1:15:11 Not just be a fucking savage out there grinding and attacking all day, but to have that balance and appreciate, especially appreciate family, right?

Kevin Hart 1:15:19 It's, it's, it's something that I've, that I've had to learn and that I'm still learning. It's not something that I've knocked out the park completely yet because it's a growing fucking-

Joe Rogan 1:15:30 It's a living thing.

Kevin Hart 1:15:31 ... yeah, you just, you gotta just keep being a sponge and being willing to fucking grow.

Joe Rogan 1:15:38 Tell me about this Audible thing.

Kevin Hart 1:15:40 Audible is an amazing partner of mine now. Um, my first book, I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons, was a New York Times number one bestseller, and I got bit, I got bit by the bug. Wow. As an author, I wanted to write a book, I did it, look at the success that it had. The opportunity came up for me to voice that book on Audible, and the Audible success was just as good if not greater than my hard cover. And people loved the fact that the stories were real, but hearing my voice and hearing me be personable while being real was a bonus from other things than they've ever had the privilege of listening to. So, I said, "I wanna do another one, man, but I'm big on this motivation, self-help inspiration thing." I'm, I'm, I'm really big on trying to do my part. So, as I was telling you earlier, I said, in my life, man, I got so, so many stories of all of my twists and turns and right moves and wrong moves and decision-making that enhanced those moves or that devalued them and made them incorrect. Ultimately, if I were to give information, it's just to open up people eyes, it's to open up your eyes to, to the reality of you competing with you. I want people to understand that we lose because we are okay with ignoring our faults, right? It's not until you can accept your faults, your bullshit, that you can grow and do better. We point the finger a lot. By we, myself included. I'm an example of it. "Yo, I didn't do that because nobody told me. I didn't get up. I didn't hear the alarm. Why didn't you call me and get me up? Yo, I didn't know we was gonna go eat. Didn't nobody tell me we was gonna go eat. I would've came to eat, but if y'all ain't tell me. I ain't know we had a test today. Who, why didn't you tell me we had a test today? I didn't study 'cause ain't nobody reach out and tell me." There's so many things that we place the blame on others for that are truly our responsibility, and it becomes a habit. It's, of course, a habit. So, it's not until you break that habit that you can do bigger and better shit. So, this Audible original of mine called The Decision is about making you look at shit differently, making you realize the tone of today, and making you understand how much you're a part of it. I got a big thing on social media in there where I'm like, social media has mind-fucked people into people now thinking that it's what the world thinks. Social media has mind-fucked people into thinking that the comments below a post are what the world must be feeling and thinking about you. The insecurity levels have raised to an all-time high, because my belief is now, "I posted something, people are saying these things underneath, I don't wanna go outside because this is how they feel."

Joe Rogan 1:19:03 Hmm.

Kevin Hart 1:19:04 "So, I've now put this shit in my head that as soon as I walk outside, if you look at me, you talking about my post, ain't you?" "I don't... What post? Fuck is