Better Sex, Better Hair, Better Sleep: ‘Human-Maxxing’ is Here | Interesting Times with Ross Douthat
TL;DR
Christian Angermayer advocates for "human-maxxing"—using FDA-approved drugs and technology to maximize human potential without becoming post-human. Through initiatives like the Enhanced Games, he promotes medically supervised performance enhancement, fair athlete pay, and the normalization of hormone optimization for everyday improvements from sleep to sex.
🧬 The "Human-Maxxing" Philosophy 3 insights
Moving beyond transhumanism to human-maxxing
Angermayer rejects the term transhumanism—which implies becoming something other than human—in favor of "human-maxxing," focusing instead on maximizing the potential already present in human biology.
Personal testosterone and peptide supplementation protocol
He personally uses testosterone replacement therapy, GLP-1s for stress eating, DHEA, prescription sleep medication Quviviq, and psychedelics to optimize his own physical and mental state.
Using technology to minimize forced labor
He argues AI and robotics will reduce the need for 10-hour workdays, allowing humans to focus on social connection, play, and sport rather than mandatory labor.
🏊 The Enhanced Games Experiment 3 insights
FDA-approved drugs permitted in competition
The Enhanced Games allows medically supervised use of FDA-approved performance enhancers like testosterone while banning non-approved substances, using medical regulators rather than WADA as arbiters.
Paying athletes fairly unlike Olympics
Unlike the Olympics, which treats athletes as unpaid "props," the Enhanced Games pays participants, directly challenging the IOC president's stated belief that athletes should not be paid.
Billion viewer reach despite criticism
The inaugural event reached over one billion viewers as one enhanced swimmer broke a world record while older athletes achieved personal bests, demonstrating age-reversal potential.
💊 The Democratization of Biohacking 3 insights
GLP-1 drugs outselling AI companies
Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic now generate more revenue than all AI companies combined, with many users taking them as "outsourced discipline" for lifestyle optimization rather than clinical obesity.
Optimizing sexual function and sleep quality
Beyond athletics, enhancement includes normalizing hormone therapy for sexual appetite, hair growth, sleep quality, and cognitive function for journalists and everyday professionals.
Addressing consumer demand for enhancement
Angermayer identifies a "cry for help" from consumers wanting science-based life improvements, arguing society should endorse rather than ridicule the desire for optimization.
Bottom Line
Individuals should embrace medically supervised, FDA-approved optimization technologies—from hormones to psychedelics—to maximize their physical and mental potential across all life stages.
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