On Peter Attia, Performative Outrage, and the Algorithm Economy

Before I state my position, let me state the following: I am not a proponent of, nor do I condone, degradation of, exploitation of, sexual misconduct against, or abuse of women or children—period.

I have been a follower of Peter Attia's views since the inception. I do not view him as a "grifter," nor do I see him as a cartoon villain whose facade was exposed by the internet at large.

Rather, I have always viewed him for what he is—an educated physician functioning as a conduit of scientific literature to filter information.

This filtering is valuable to individuals who have not had the opportunity to develop the education and experience necessary to evaluate the volumes of material online.

Attia does operate in rarefied air. This fact alone cannot serve as either evidence of moral superiority or proof of fraudulent practices. Visibility is not a substitute for analysis, and access is not a measure of character.

It is not the thoughtful critique that bothers me; it is the rapid-fire, moralistic pile-ons that follow. We all know: most of this outrage is rage-whoring. Outrage is manufactured for clicks and profit. "Create a Peter Attia video" is not an ethical stance—it is a marketing plan. And yes, it works. The algorithm rewards spectacle over nuance.

Was Attia dismissive/demeaning towards women? Yes. Is that acceptable? No.

Is that type of attitude/rhetoric rare/unique/shocking amongst elite professionals? Again—no.

There is zero eividence of childabuse - significant evidence of making poor decisions around his work and family.

Take a look around: Corporate Board Rooms, Hospital C-Suites, Tech Startups, Academic Medicine, Local Businesses, and, unfortunately, your own home.

The existence of that environment does not excuse poor behavior; however, it is disingenuous to act as if Peter Attia is an anomaly. Outrage without perspective is not accountability—it is entertainment.

My children and I (who have listened to Dr. Attia's views with critical ears—not reverent ones) did not find his tone or worldview surprising upon the emergence of these comments.

A person's personality will eventually leak out. That is not newsworthy.

As for Epstein, he was a despicable individual who surrounded himself with many influential individuals who permitted or emulated his despicable behaviors. That relationship warrants scrutiny. However, scrutiny is not the equivalent of conviction.

Calls to remove medical licensure based on mere proximity, implication, or moral indignation rather than evidence should be a cause for concern for everyone. If there is any credible evidence of failure to report child abuse, then that would be a serious and specific charge that should be handled by the proper avenues of law and profession.

Anything less is speculative justification masquerading as righteous indignation.

And here is the quieter truth that is often overlooked: Attia's book has merit. Portions of his writings contain sound scientific concepts. Some of his ideas are fundamental to the practice of medicine, and certainly more so than the longevity hype he received for that book.

Completing or not completing a residency is not a barometer of intelligence, education, or legitimacy. He is a physician, well-educated and far more rigorously trained than the social media hustle economy of MDs for clicks and Chiropractors posing as Endocrinologists.

The true threat is not that Attia exists. The real threat is that we pile on without understanding the full context. We know he was driven and sacrificed his family.

Maybe he was sycophantic when it came to Epistein - so were dozens and dozens of others who were seeking one thing or another from Epistein.

We do not need less criticism.

We need better criticism—criticism that is measured, evidence-based, and immune to the dopamine rush of manufactured outrage.

Anything less is just noise.

Author: R.E. Hengsterman, MSN, MA, M.E., RN

Registered nurse, night-shift administrator, and author of The Shift Worker’s Paradox

Nursewhowrites.com

For educational purposes only. Not medical advice.

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