The Ship of Theseus

Happy Wednesday!

To all the people who wrote back to me yesterday after the YouTube channel was deleted, I extend my sincere gratitude.

I have the best audience in the world.

I’m working on a solution to get the channel back up, but if it doesn’t happen, I am also in the process of uploading all past videos to a private cloud server where anyone can access them for free.

(BTW, you can access all 500+ of the past videos in audio format on Spotify and iTunes since the YouTube channel is down).

Last week, I wrote about the Liar Paradox and how it explains so much of the confusion in modern health.

The response I got from you was incredible.

It turns out many people feel trapped in that same endless loop of being told they are “fine” while their bodies tell a very different story.

So I thought I would continue the theme.

Paradoxes are mirrors for our lives and our health.

They compel us to ask questions that can alter the way we perceive the world.

Today I want to share another famous paradox that has been on my mind.

It is called the Ship of Theseus.

And once you understand it, you may never look at your own body the same way again.

The Ship of Theseus Explained

Imagine a ship, proudly preserved in a harbor.

Over time, the wooden planks begin to rot. One by one, they are replaced with new planks.

Eventually, every single piece of wood has been replaced.

Is it still the same ship?

Some philosophers argue yes, because the shape and continuity of the ship remain.

Others argue no, because the material substance is completely different.

The real tension comes when you add a twist.

What if someone collected the discarded planks and rebuilt the original ship somewhere else?

Which ship is the true Ship of Theseus?

The Back Story

This paradox was first written down by the Greek historian Plutarch in the first century AD.

He described how the Athenians preserved the ship of the hero Theseus as a monument.

To prevent decay, they replaced the old boards with new ones.

Philosophers then debated the question for centuries.

Was this still the ship of Theseus, or had it become something entirely different?

Later, the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes expanded the puzzle.

He imagined that someone collected the discarded planks and reassembled them into a ship.

Now there are two.

Which one deserves the name?

This added layer made the paradox even more thought-provoking.

Why It Matters

The Ship of Theseus is about identity and transformation.

What makes something the same over time? Is it the matter it is built from, or is it the pattern, the structure, and the function?

You and I face this same question every day.

Your body is not the same as it was ten years ago.

Most of the atoms in your body have been replaced. Blood cells are replaced every few months. Skin cells are renewed every few weeks. Even bone tissue is slowly regenerated.

If almost everything about you physically has been swapped out, are you still the same person?

A Biological Ship

Science tells us that the human body is already a Ship of Theseus.

Every seven to ten years, the vast majority of your cells are brand new.

That means the “you” reading this email is built of different material than the “you” from a decade ago.

But here is the twist.

Just because the parts are new does not mean the design is new.

Most people rebuild themselves according to the same old blueprints.

They replace broken boards with the same weak material.

The result is a body that ages in decline rather than renewal.

We are all rebuilding, whether we like it or not.

The question is how you are rebuilding.

Hormones as the Framework

Think of hormones as the structural beams of your ship.

When your testosterone, thyroid, or estrogen levels fall, the ship begins to creak.

Planks break faster. The repairs no longer hold.

When you optimize hormones, you restore the framework.

You give the ship a chance not only to stay afloat but to sail at full strength.

Without hormone optimization, you are always patching leaks. With it, you rebuild with stronger material.

Hormone therapy does NOT change who you are.

It allows you to remain yourself while giving you the raw power to thrive.

Peptides as the Builders

If hormones are the beams, peptides are the construction crew.

They accelerate tissue repair, regenerate mitochondria, and maintain the intended blueprint.

Compounds like BPC-157 and TB-500 help rebuild connective tissue.

MOTS-c and SS-31 recharge energy systems.

Epitalon influences cellular aging itself.

Imagine two Ships of Theseus side by side.

One is rebuilt with rotting planks that barely hold together.

The other is rebuilt with new, reinforced wood that can withstand storms.

Which would you choose to sail?

That is the difference peptides make when combined with hormone therapy.

They ensure every new cell is an upgrade.

Breaking the Old Identity

Many people carry the identity of being broken.

They believe aging means decline.

They assume feeling tired, sore, and foggy is their destiny.

But if your body is already being rebuilt every decade, why cling to that old identity?

If every plank of the ship is replaced, you are not doomed to rebuild the same broken version.

You have the choice to create a stronger, faster, healthier model.

The paradox only exists if you believe you must stay the same.

Two Versions of You

Thomas Hobbes asked the question, “If the discarded planks are reassembled, which ship is the real one?”

The same question applies to you.

There is one version of you that accepts decline and holds on to old patterns.

That ship stays in the harbor and slowly rots.

There is another version of you that embraces hormone therapy, peptides, training, and living insulin-controlled.

That ship sails with strength and vitality, no matter what storms come.

You choose your ship.

Closing Thoughts

The Ship of Theseus teaches us that identity is not fixed in the material parts.

It is found in the design and the purpose.

Your body is already being replaced plank by plank.

The only question is whether you are rebuilding in weakness or in strength.

Hormones and peptides give you the tools to take control of the process.

They let you decide if you will remain the same tired ship or become something resilient and anti-fragile.

The paradox asks which ship is the real one.

The answer is simple.

The real ship is the one you choose to build.

Best,

Hunter Williams