Zion
Hellooooo, you precious pearl,
Years ago, I met Peter Attia on a bike ride with friends.
We became friends. Close enough that he once set me up with one of his dear friends. Someone I dated for a year. I had dinner at his home. I met his wife and children. He was simply a person in my life for a season.
Then life moved on.
Around the time he began rising to public prominence for his work in health and longevity, we lost touch. If I’m being honest, a small part of me felt left behind. As if I hadn’t made the cut for the next chapter. It’s uncomfortable to admit that, but it’s true.
Later, I found myself disagreeing with some of his public messaging. I questioned whether my reaction was ego… or discernment. Was I bristling because of pride? Or because something no longer resonated?
And then I saw his name connected to the Epstein files.
It rocked me.
Not because I know what it means. I don’t.
Not because I have inside knowledge. I don’t.
But because it collapses the illusion of certainty. The illusion that we really know people. The illusion that proximity equals understanding.
I’ve been sitting with questions since then:
- Who can we trust?
- What happens when we elevate people to hero status?
- How much pressure do we collectively place on individuals when we pedestal them?
I am not suggesting anyone is responsible for another adult’s choices. We are each accountable for our own lives. Period.
But I am curious about the ecosystem of fame. About how quickly we build people up. About how quickly we tear them down. About how desperately we want someone to embody health, wisdom, and morality flawlessly.
Maybe this is less about him.
Maybe it’s about us.
Maybe it’s about the danger of outsourcing discernment.
Maybe it’s about remembering that no one is a brand. No one is an archetype. No one is a symbol. They are human.
And so are we.
This experience has been a humbling reminder to hold admiration lightly.
To respect my own intuition without assuming certainty.
To stop placing anyone, including myself, on a pedestal.
And to remember that fame does not equal virtue, proximity does not equal knowledge, and disappointment often reveals where we handed away our power.
I don’t have conclusions.
Only reflections.
And a deeper commitment to living in alignment with my own integrity rather than attaching it to someone else’s.
Shuck with love,
Jessica
P.S. If your heart is calling for a safe place to connect, reflect, and relax, I’d love for you to join my retreat in Greece, yes GREECE!!!, in September. You can learn more here.