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Lex Fridman hosted the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, on Sunday, March 16, where he revealed that he was on a 45-hour fast to prepare himself for the meeting.
"I am fasting right now. It has been almost two days, 45 hours. So, just water, no food, in honor of this conversation, just to get in the right mindset, get into the spiritual level."
Alexey Alexandrovich Fridman, popularly known as Lex Fridman, is a 41-year-old American scientific researcher and podcaster. Lex rose to prominence in 2019 after Elon Musk commended a study he authored at MIT.
Alexey has been hosting the Lex Fridman Podcast on YouTube since 2018. In it, he discusses topics ranging from politics to technology. He has 4.6 million subscribers on the video app.
More details on Lex Fridman Podcast with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Lex on the 460th episode of the Lex Fridman Podcast, where they discussed various topics, ranging from fasting, politics, and AI to education, meditation, and mantra. The episode lasted over three hours and was promoted by China and President Donald Trump.
After Lex Fridman announced he was on a 45-hour fast, PM Modi expressed his pleasant surprise. He said:
"All the more because it feels like you're fasting as a tribute of respect for me. So, I express my deepest gratitude to you for doing this."
He delved into a profound explanation of fasting, stating its benefits in detail.
"Fasting is a way to cultivate discipline... It is a powerful tool to bring both the inner and outer self into balance. It shapes life in profound ways. When you fast, every single one of your senses, especially smell, touch, and taste, becomes highly sensitive. Another thing I've experienced is that fasting can greatly accelerate the thinking process and can, uh, give a fresh perspective. You start thinking outside the box."
Following that, the 74-year-old Prime Minister shared a funny episode from when he met with the former United States President, Barack Obama, in the White House.
"After I became Prime Minister, I had a bilateral meeting at the White House with President Obama, and he had also arranged a formal dinner. Then, as discussions between the two governments progressed, someone said, "Please join us for dinner." To which another replied, "But the Prime Minister doesn't eat." This left them a bit concerned. How do you host the leader of such a major nation at the White House without serving food?"
He continued:
"When we sat down, they brought me a glass of hot water. I turned to President Obama and jokingly said, 'Look, my dinner has arrived!' as I placed the glass in front of me."
He added that the next time he met with Obama, the latter ensured he ate twice as much.
PM Narendra Modi rounded up his fasting discussion with Lex Fridman by stating that fasting gives him more energy to work better than ever rather than slowing him down.
"I work just as much as usual, sometimes I even work more."
Lex Fridman has hosted other important individuals, including President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Jordan Peterson, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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