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Welcome back everyone to another deep dive with us.

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Today we're gonna be talking about a really fascinating

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and kind of controversial figure in the world of strength,

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C.T. Fletcher.

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You might know him for his super intense motivational style.

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Oh yeah, big personality.

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Huge personality, right, that booming voice.

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It's still your mothering set.

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Exactly.

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But we're going a little deeper than just

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the surface level motivation today.

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We're really exploring this question

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that I think surrounded C.T. Fletcher for years.

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Yeah.

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Which is, was his physique, was all that strength

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really built just by sheer will

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or did something else play a role?

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Yeah, I think that's a question

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that a lot of people have grappled with

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and it really gets to the heart of

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what's achievable naturally versus maybe not so naturally.

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Exactly, and the article that we're looking at today

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really digs into this whole juiced or not debate

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and it looks at things that C.P. himself has said.

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Right.

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It looks at how his physique has changed over time.

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And it kind of zooms out to look at the whole landscape

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of steroid use and bodybuilding.

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Totally, yeah, it tries to give us all the context.

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So are you ready to unpack this?

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Absolutely, let's get into it.

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Okay, let's do it.

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So first of all, I think we should just address

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the elephant in the room here.

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Yeah.

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The whole juiced or not question.

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Right.

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And I think from what we've read,

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it seems like that's actually settled pretty quickly.

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Yeah, I mean C.T. Fletcher has openly admitted

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to using steroids during his peak powerlifting years.

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Wow.

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He even has a quote where he says,

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"'I did what I had to do.'"

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Wow, so he's pretty upfront about it.

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Yeah, very candid.

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I mean, it's not something you hear a lot of people

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in the fitness world just come out and say.

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No, not at all.

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Yeah.

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So does that then make his message,

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like is the case closed, is his message then meaningless?

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Right.

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Does this honesty actually make his message

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more impactful in a way?

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Yeah, I think that's the more interesting question, right?

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It's not just about whether he did or didn't use steroids.

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It's about how this admission kind of colors

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his whole legacy in his message.

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Absolutely.

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And so it sounds like he attributes his steroid use

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at that time to the competitive pressures.

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Yeah, exactly.

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Of powerlifting.

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He talks about how it was just so widespread in that world,

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to reach those top levels.

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Right, so it's almost like he's saying,

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look, if you want to be at the top of this game.

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This is what you had to do.

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This is what you had to do.

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But then he also makes this distinction between the past

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and the present.

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Yes, very much so.

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He's saying, then this is now I'm

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advocating for a natural approach to training.

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Exactly.

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He's drawn a line in the sand.

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So then let's look at the evidence, right?

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Like if we compare pictures of C.T. Fletcher

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during his powerlifting prime to what he looks like later on.

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It's pretty dramatic, the difference.

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It's a huge difference, right?

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You could almost say it's two different people.

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Almost, yeah.

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So during those powerlifting years,

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he had that dense vascular look.

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Yeah, that's kind of the classic signs

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that people point to when they're

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talking about steroid use.

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Right, and then later on, he obviously

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slimmed down considerably.

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He did, but I mean, he was still incredibly strong, obviously.

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Oh, yeah, absolutely.

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But the physique definitely changed.

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And the article talks about how this transformation actually

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is in line with what you would typically see.

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With someone transitioning away from steroid use.

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Yeah, they even mentioned some specific effects,

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like water retention and gynecomastia.

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Yeah, which can occur with certain types of steroids.

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And looking at the pictures, those things

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seem less prominent in C.T.'s later years.

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Interesting, OK.

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So we've got his admission.

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We've got these physical changes that

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seem to support what he's saying.

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Right.

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But I think to really understand this whole conversation,

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we have to zoom out a little bit and look at the whole culture.

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Absolutely. Of steroid use in bodybuilding.

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Yeah, because it's a much bigger issue than just one

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individual's choices, right?

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Right, and then the article kind of touches on this.

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It's like, you know, steroid use in professional bodybuilding

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is almost like an open secret.

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It is.

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It's this weird thing where everybody knows it's happening,

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but nobody really wants to talk about it.

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Right, and it's understandable in a way.

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Yeah.

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Because of the pressure to achieve those insane physiques.

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Oh, yeah, the pressure is immense.

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It is immense.

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And then you have these substances that offer this,

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you know, tempting shortcut.

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Right.

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You get rapid muscle gain, increased strength, faster

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recovery.

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It's like the allure is definitely there.

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Yeah, you can definitely see why someone like C.T. Fletcher,

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driven to push his limits, you know,

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might have felt like it was necessary to stay competitive.

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Yeah, it makes you wonder if he really

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is a level playing field at all in that world.

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Right.

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But then, of course, the article also

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doesn't shy away from the dark side of this.

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Of course not.

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Of this shortcut.

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There's a dark side.

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Right.

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It talks about all the potential health risks.

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Yeah.

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Especially that link between long-term steroid use

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and cardiovascular problems.

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Which is a huge issue and something that people really

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need to be aware of.

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Definitely.

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And that brings us to, you know, a really pivotal chapter

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in C.T. Fletcher's life, which is his own heart issues.

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Absolutely.

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I mean, he's had multiple heart attacks, open heart surgery.

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And ultimately, a heart transplant in 2018.

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Right.

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So while he doesn't explicitly blame his past steroid

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use for those problems, you can't ignore the scientific link

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that's there.

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No, you can't.

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And that's what makes his later advocacy for natural fitness

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all the more interesting.

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Yeah.

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Because it's almost like a cautionary tale.

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You know?

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Like he's saying, look, I pushed my body to be absolute extreme

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and I achieved a lot.

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But it came at a very steep cost.

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Right.

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And it makes you wonder how much of his message

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is now sort of informed by that experience.

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Absolutely.

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It adds a whole new layer of complexity to it.

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So I think it's safe to say that C.T. Fletcher's story is not

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a simple one.

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No, it's very complicated.

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He's achieved legendary status in the strength world.

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He has.

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But it's intertwined with this controversial past

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and these very serious health consequences.

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So how do we reconcile those things?

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How do we understand his legacy in light of all of that?

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Yeah, and that's exactly what we're

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going to be unpacking further.

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But before we dive into that, I just

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wanted to remind everyone, if you're interested in more

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topics that kind of explore this intersection of health

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and fitness and the legal issues that surround them,

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definitely check out our website at publichealthlaw.net.

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It's a great resource for anyone who

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wants to dive deeper into these kinds of topics.

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All right, so let's take a quick break,

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and then we'll come back and really unpack

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the different perspectives.

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Sounds good.

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On C.T. Fletcher's legacy.

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I'm ready.

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So let's talk about the public perception of C.T. Fletcher.

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Yeah.

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Because the article really highlights how divided people

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are.

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You've got those who are super inspired by him

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no matter what.

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And then you've got those who feel like his steroid use just

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completely undermines everything he says.

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It's like that age-old question, can you separate

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the art from the artist?

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Right.

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Or in this case, the message from the messenger.

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Exactly.

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So let's start with the people who are still really

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drawn to C.T.'s message.

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What is it about him that still resonates with them?

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Well, a lot of them point to his honesty as a big factor.

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OK.

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In a world where steroid use is so common,

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especially in those circles.

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Yeah.

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But it's rarely talked about openly.

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Right.

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The fact that he's willing to just own up to it

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is really refreshing for a lot of people.

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Makes him seem more human in a way.

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Totally.

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He's not pretending to be this superhuman who

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never made any mistakes.

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Right.

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He's saying, look, I made choices.

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I faced the consequences.

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And I'm still here to share what I've learned.

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Yeah.

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It's like he's being vulnerable in a way

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that a lot of these fitness personalities aren't.

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Exactly.

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And that vulnerability really resonates with people.

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It makes his message more powerful, you think.

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I think for a lot of people, it does.

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They see his story as one of resilience.

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He's not just some guy preaching from a pedestal.

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Right.

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He's been through it.

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He's been through the fire, both literally

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with his health issues.

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Totally.

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And figuratively with the backlash he's received.

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Right.

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And he's come out the other side.

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It's almost like his flaws make him more relatable.

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I think that's a great way to put it.

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And his message is maybe even more powerful because of that.

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Because you know he's living proof

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that you can make mistakes, even big ones.

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Right.

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And still come back stronger.

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OK, so that's one side of the coin.

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Right.

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But then you have the other side.

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Yeah, the people who just can't get past the steroid use.

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For them, it's just a deal breaker.

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It is.

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They feel like it casts a shadow over everything

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he's accomplished.

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They say that using performance enhancing drugs

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gave him an unfair advantage.

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And that his whole message of hard work and dedication

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just rings hollow because of it.

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Yeah, because it raises that question of how much

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of his success was really due to his effort.

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Right.

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And how much was due to this chemical boost.

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And that's a question that's really hard to answer.

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I mean, we can't go back in time and see

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what would have happened if he hadn't used steroids.

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But for these critics, it's about principle.

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OK.

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They see steroid use as a form of cheating.

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It violates this idea that everyone

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should have a fair shot based on their natural abilities.

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It's like it goes against the whole spirit of competition

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in a way.

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Exactly.

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And it also kind of taps into this bigger ethical question

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about performance enhancement in general.

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Yes, absolutely.

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Like is it ever OK to use artificial means to push

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your body beyond its limits?

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Right, where do we draw the line?

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And what does that say about our definition of achievement?

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It's a really complex issue with no easy answers.

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So for some people, C.T. Flitcher's story

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becomes like a symbol of everything that's

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wrong with the fitness industry.

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Yeah, they feel like by celebrating him.

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Even with the acknowledgment of his past.

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Yeah, even with that.

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They feel like we're condoning a practice that

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can be really harmful.

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And that can set a dangerous precedent, especially

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for younger people who are looking up

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to these fitness icons.

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Right.

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It's a lot to think about.

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It is.

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It's not black and white.

303
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No.

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There are so many different perspectives.

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And that's what makes this conversation so interesting.

306
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Exactly.

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It's not about judging C.T. Flitcher.

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Right.

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It's about looking at his story and using it as a springboard.

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Yeah.

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To have a deeper conversation about ambition,

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about the pursuit of excellence, and about the lengths

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people will go to to achieve their goals.

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And those are questions that apply to all of us in a way,

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not just people in the fitness world.

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00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:35,880
Absolutely, because we all face those temptations

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to take shortcuts, to push ourselves beyond our limits.

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And we all have to decide where we draw the line.

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Exactly.

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So where does all of this leave us?

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We've gone through C.T. Flitcher's journey,

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his admission of using steroids.

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We saw how his physique changed.

324
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We talked about steroid use and bodybuilding, his heart issues,

325
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the public's opinion.

326
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It's a lot.

327
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Yeah, it's a lot to think about.

328
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It really is.

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And I think what's so compelling about C.T. Flitcher's story

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is that it's not a simple good guy, bad guy, morality tale.

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It's messy.

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It's contradictory.

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And it forces us, I think, to confront

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some uncomfortable truths.

335
00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,080
Yeah, about ourselves, really.

336
00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:15,520
About ourselves, exactly.

337
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About our own ambitions, our relationship with our bodies,

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and what we're willing to sacrifice to reach our goals.

339
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Totally.

340
00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,920
And I think that's what makes it so universally relatable,

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even if you're not a bodybuilder or into fitness.

342
00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:30,680
Right, because it's ultimately about human nature.

343
00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:31,280
Exactly.

344
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And he is this larger than life figure

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who really embodies both the allure and the danger

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of pushing limits.

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He achieved this incredible strength, but at what cost?

348
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And does that cost then negate the value of his message?

349
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Or does it somehow make it even more real, even more human?

350
00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:53,000
Yeah, those are the tough questions.

351
00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:54,600
And I don't think there's a simple answer.

352
00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:58,200
No, and I think the juiced or not debate that's settled.

353
00:11:58,200 --> 00:11:59,960
Right, we know the answer to that one.

354
00:11:59,960 --> 00:12:02,200
But the impact on his legacy, I think

355
00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,920
that's still very much open to interpretation.

356
00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:05,440
Totally.

357
00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:06,560
It depends on who you ask.

358
00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:08,240
It's almost like a Rorschach test.

359
00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:09,080
I like that.

360
00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,760
You know what you see in C.T. Fletcher's story?

361
00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,640
Probably says a lot about your own values and beliefs.

362
00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:15,400
Absolutely.

363
00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,240
And that's what makes a deep dive like this so interesting.

364
00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:20,000
It's not about us telling you what to think.

365
00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:21,640
Right, we're not here to give you the answers.

366
00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:23,120
It's about giving you the information

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00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,000
and these different perspectives so that you

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00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:26,280
can form your own conclusions.

369
00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:26,760
Exactly.

370
00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:29,080
It's about encouraging critical thinking.

371
00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:29,600
Yes.

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00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:31,520
And nuanced conversations.

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00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,400
Which can be hard, especially in today's world,

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00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,280
where everything feels very polarized.

375
00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:38,440
But it's so important to be able to engage

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00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:39,920
with these complex issues.

377
00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:41,360
Absolutely.

378
00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,960
So as we wrap up this deep dive, I

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00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:45,880
want to leave you with this question.

380
00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,000
Does C.T. Fletcher's open admission

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00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:52,120
about his past with steroids and then his health struggles

382
00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,160
and his later advocacy for natural fitness,

383
00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,240
does that make his message more authentic or less?

384
00:12:58,240 --> 00:12:59,440
Yeah, it's a tough one.

385
00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:00,800
It is a tough one.

386
00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:02,600
And there's no right or wrong answer.

387
00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,240
It's really about how you weigh the different facets

388
00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,200
of his story and the complexities of the fitness

389
00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,600
industry and your own personal values.

390
00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:12,400
It's a very personal reflection, I think.

391
00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,080
We'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

392
00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,280
And as always, if you're interested in more deep dives

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00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:18,320
on these kinds of topics that explore

394
00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:19,880
the intersection of health fitness

395
00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:22,320
and the legal aspects of these issues,

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00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:24,800
visit our website at publichealthlaw.net.

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00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,720
It's a great resource for anyone looking to learn more.

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00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:29,440
Thanks for joining us on this deep dive

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00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:31,200
into the world of C.T. Fletcher.

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00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,900
Until next time, keep questioning, keep learning,

401
00:13:33,900 --> 00:13:36,880
and keep pushing your own boundaries.

402
00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:38,480
But always with a mindful awareness,

403
00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:40,080
I think, of the potential costs.

404
00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:55,720
Couldn't say it better myself.