John Mayer, 'Recovered Ego Addict' | msnbc 

Lets get one thing straight. John Mayer didn't play with Ed Sheeran. Ed Sheeran played with John Mayer.

I'm a recovering Eggo addict. I used to eat like 6 boxes a day. And all that maple syrup...oh God were my hands sticky.

I’m a former Egg Addict. I was cracking up. My whole life was in a scramble. It was quite a heavy yoke to bare.

Well, a narcissist who acknowledges their narcissism is several orders of magnitude more tolerable than a narcissist who doesn't...

Do you understand how difficult it is for a star to get rich now playing blues? This guy made it.

John Mayer sounds like a man who is aware of his faults, went through therapy, and tried to better himself. That's all we can ask of anyone.

To say “recovered” instead of “recovering” takes some ego.

Everyone is saying he likes to hear himself talk . Bro HES THE ONE BEING ASKED THE QUESTIONS .

I doubt you'll read this, John, but we're waiting anxiously for your new music.

Guitar god - 7 time grammy winner - pretty smart & clever guy - had a dream as a kid that he pursued and it came to life - has dated countless hot women Yeah i think this dude deserves to have an ego

I just realized I talk like John Mayer when I’m really really high

John Mayer being interviewed about himself: Talks about himself RU-vid: All this guy does is talk about himself

I love this arrogant, musical genius.

This John guy is a true intellectual. Would he wear those glasses if he wasn't one?

I feel like he’s more honest than other celebrities tbh

6'4, handsome af, one of the all-time greatest guitarists, has Victoria Secret Models on their knees, etc. Who wouldn't get cocky?

Christ, the editing... So many sentences unfinished.

"were rich people living out our dreams." finally a famous person who acknowledges it lol

I think he’s just a kid in love with music who was bombarded with praise and money at a young age. Listening to him talk nowadays is absolutely inspiring. He’s a smart man, an amazing musician and generally one of the most talented people walking on this earth. It’s okay to have an ego and his ego seems pretty mild to me. He’s no Axl Rose. So get off his back.

"theres nothing you can tell that kid" is the most intelligent self aware answer he could've ever given and i love it.

As a John Mayer fan, he still has a huge ego. Maybe not as bad as before but it's there. But who cares? We love him for his music, not his personal life. Understand that he is highly clever, creative, unique and a guitar god of this era.

The man had the greatest blues/pop/RnB album of all time: Continuum

John is an intellectual and introvert who finally got comfortable with himself. The irony is his career was in an extrovert world that will always be a rub for people like that. Well done John. I also like Ronan’s interview skills.

John Mayer is the Tony Stark of music. . . . (edit: thanks 4 so many likes)

fire your editor

He’s a compulsive intellectual. A lot of people can’t take it and don’t have the propensity to understand it. It doesn’t release him from bad decisions but I sympathize. I understand the chaos and loneliness of having that mind. He’s a poet and musical architect and I still respect him and love his music.

"I think it's terribly dangerous for an artist to fulfill other people's expectations. I think they generally produce their worst work when they do that" -David Bowie

All of these psychologists in the comments. I would encourage anyone turned off by John to go to other sources to see his true self. This is an interview that is heavily edited and absolutely CANNOT capture who John is. He is a humble guy who just like us has problems. It takes balls to be honest about our faults in front of 1 person, let alone all the millions who have seen this / will see this.

"I check the mirror.. the original twitter.." good god that was deep.

The interviewer looks like Ellen if she took testosterone

The John mayer rabbit hole is amazing

Society: Be more confident in yourself! Be more happy in who you are and what you do! Society: omh you think so highly of yourself, you have such an ego.

It seems that people are confusing confidence with arrogance. John Mayer knows how skilled he is as a musician and makes jokes around that. People now like to knock others down when they show confidence in themselves out of what seems to be jealousy or some other instinctive response. It is a huge shame that you cannot be honest about certain things without someone getting offended and creating a hate train

Man. He SPEAKS like a songwriter. This man has such a way with words.

A self-aware narcissist. They say there is no "cure" for narcissism (or "narcissistic personality disorder", but I don't know if Mayer is diagnosed), but it sure is good that Mayer is aware of his destructive patterns and that he's trying to do better, to not hurt people, and manage his condition. Great musician - I wish him peace and a calm, content life.

“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them”-Bruce Lee

that interview was cut so poorly, it barely made sense!

I don't think he's realy that egotistical. I'm egotistical, he's just an intelligent person who knows who he is with a strong personality.

To everyone watching this now, it’s clearly evident he’s changed now. You can just tell by his demeanor. His clothing is much more relaxed, his music is very positive, and he’s collaborated more with other artists. Age comes at you in a way with a humbling approach. He definitely wasn’t a recovered ego addict here, but he’s definitely at a better place now.

The amount this man has changed, progressed, GROWN just in the last 7 years is amazing. He no longer has to *talk* about the fact that he's a "recovered ego addict" because it's so apparent when you hear him speak in interviews that he has gotten past all of that. He has let go of the need for approval as well as the need for everyone to think he's funny and it's a fantastic look on him.

Shedding the Ego is tough even for a nobody. I cant imagine being a thinking dude like JM with all that popularity to go along with it. Good luck brother - you are on the right path

“I’m just not interested in the things that won’t last forever.”

Mayer is the James Taylor of our times. Dude can write great songs, plays the guitar like a monster! Glad he’s in this world! Keep ‘em coming John Mayer !

He’s growing up. Mad respect. “I want to run thru the halls of my high school, I was to scream at the top of my lungs!” Great musician, song writing and delivery. Don’t let the disgusting media ruin you.... glad you found peace in Montana.

He is displaying all the signs of somebody who actually is incredibly self doubting, hence his drive to not be what he thinks he is. No matter how much success he has, he will always doubt himself This is the heart of his "issues" Unfortunately, it has made alot of people dislike him, which feeds his deepest problem He could be wired this way, or have had experiences as a kid that shaped this

"And I'm just not interested in the things that wont last forever" AMEN

john has a huge ego, but i think it’s the fact that people expect him to not have one that makes him look like a bad person. he’s hot, tall, has great humour, and is one of the best guitar players in the world…. how can he NOT have an ego? I mean come on.

"What have you found in Montana?" "I've just found HOME, man." **Cut to photo of John wearing 17 different colored shirts on a plain.**

Somewhat of a polarizing figure but whether a beloved personality or not, John Mayer still stands as one of the greatest artists of the current generation. Can't wait to hear his next project

this interview is really weirdly edited

John Mayer is so talented and intelligent. I love when an artist can stand back and take a good look at themselves... anyone for that matter. I’ll always be listening to his music.

John is perhaps one of the best adjusted musicians that are well known out there. His level of talent is miles beyond most and at the top of the game. He deserves to enjoy his life as he wants it. He's earned it.

The most egoistic interview I have ever seen and he says he is a recovered ego addict now, just shows he learned the term but not the lesson

"Recovered" but who cares hes literally a musical genius. probably my favorite artist across genres

How do you not love this guy...through his authenticity and magical metaphors, we need John Mayer

Humility is knowing exactly who you are.

How pleasing it is to see an artist with so much talent and wisdom be so humble and content. His music is incredible. Continuum was one of a kind, and the release of Born and Raised and Paradise Valley, portrayed this incredible versatility and feeling that very very few artists possess. But he doesn't care if you think that. For him, It's purely about the music, and enjoying what he does.

As a musician, that comment about social media and performing self consciously really hit close to home... RU-vid comments, twitter feedback... I did a video for a singer a couple of years back on an online thing that got panned, and more than did well but the feedback is so addictive and destructive. This was helpful.

Ronan is really a first-class interviewer.

He is an extremely intelligent introverted soul, who is comfortable with himself. It's just that most of the people really don't understand him. He is a legend and I have a great amount of respect for him.🙏🏼❤️😁

Editing Sucks, something feels off like, the interview feels artificial.

God i love him. Don't turn away just because you think he is annoying. Listen to his message. He knows he is good, yes, but if he didn't know, then he would have never been able to share his music with all of us. Try to interpret this message the way he means and you'll get it ok. Fame does something to people, and he realized that now.

If we had his singing voice and guitar skills, we'd all be current ego addicts

Glad this man is in the music industry. Intelligent, thought provoking conversation and an all round honest guy. Knows his ego...it's part of him .

John's humor is beyond this interviewer's iq level.... most of it was him being sarcastic. I'd recommend his Instagram stories and current mood on IGtv. I love how he just remain authentic to himself regardless how people perceive of him. Peace.

He's honest... Everyone in their nature wants to be famous and he's addressed it and lived it. And he's trying to get to another part of his life. Every celebrity is like this. Some just more than others.

Looking back at this I feel like “ego addict” was his nice way of saying to himself that he’s a narcissist 💀…

Marty McFly was never a nerd.

I still feel like John hasn't FULLY recovered from being an "ego addict." And the truth be told, people with big egos are just using it as a front to protect a quite fragile, sometimes insecure being. But I'm glad he's on a his journey of growing up...creative people are a sensitive lot anyhow; so the way he's so affected by everything is really quite natural.

From these interviews I feel like what John's always wanted to do is become really popular, but without having to simplify and downgrade his art, or do that at the smallest scale possible. He found that you can't do it. As much as you want to, you can't force the general public to think something is good enough even though he and his fans clearly think it's more than good enough. It just can't be done and that destroys him. His younger self thought it could be done and he couldn't be stopped, but I feel like he's now found peace with it. If you ask me John has already achieved legend status. Can't wait for what comes next; it's going to be clearer and more pronounced John than ever before.

He’s such a incredible guitarist it makes up for everything else

I get him as an artist. He’s not egotistical he’s just an intellectual who seeks validation. He’s highly self aware. He just wasn’t mature in the past. Any one of us would make similar choice given the correct circumstance. Live and learn.

I understand this dude. I had a similar thing going in school. I kinda neglected my friends at this period but when I reached my "goal" I decided to go back to the old me. Was a nice trip.

I love how he shows that addiction doesn’t necessarily have to involve tangible things.

“I’m going to be as strange as they think I am.” That pretty much sums up his whole hiatus during the late 2000s. He played into the role of a playboy. He relished off the idea of becoming the playboy figure in people’s minds. In hindsight however, he realizes he made a mistake as he would much rather be known for his music and storytelling.

y’all....if i was john mayer i’d be talking about myself like that too??? he’s a genius and he knows it :*

I feel like this interview kinda got me a little more into John Mayer's head, and now I can understand why he's acted a certain way in the past and made certain decisions. I can respect him. It's really weird to see how different people handle success and fame.

This is atrociously edited.. Can't follow.

John is an artist and a hard worker. These both things make him naturally struggle between balance and imbalance in self-love matters, because he puts almost all his energy in his art. I don’t know anyone who is either of those things that does not have that struggle with themselves. He has a great impact on me musically and I feel thankful to him for that.

I realize how old this is bt its new to me. Congrats to you, John, for seeing yourself. I couldn't stand you when you first came out. Your ego just pulverized everything. Way to go on the insight. Long may you wave.

1. I love that phrase "You abuse the ability to express yourself." That says so much. I like that a lot. .. 2. Are they truly self-aware? I think they're moreso hyper-aware; which is in direct opposition of self-awareness. ... 3. Never been a huge fan of John Mayer. Don't dislike him, just never got the hype, and I know very little about the scandals or negative image. But, I truly enjoyed this interview.

And all of a sudden, everybody on youtube has a phd in psychology hmmm!

I watched all John Mayer interviews available on youtube. This is the best one I've seen. I often come back to it. Ronan Farrow is on point. Genius.

A very smart and spiritually connected guy,... and a stunning interview. I'm sure that - like all of us - he'll fail many times on his spiritual journey but based upon this interview he's a trail-blazer.

Recovered ... mmmh ... right

"There's this other side you get to--and you don't get there very often--I call it this other side, where while you're writing, you're speaking so much of your truth that you're even learning from it." I love that description.

I clearly have to find more of Ronan's interviews, he's ever so good.

Not being a big fan of his music, I respect him as a musician. Based on his outlook on the music industry by being brutally honest about everything and the fact that he is literally a guitar god.

I remember reading the playboy interview that they are talking about when he was demonized for being a womanizer. He also divulged too much about Jennifer Anniston. when it came out I definitely was thinking that he was a d-bag but really what his downfall was, was being too honest. He had mentioned how he would relive his sexual experiences in his mind about all the insanely hot girls he had sampled and that's what made people so mad. Girls were all mad because they thought he was an egomaniac creep and guys were all mad at him because he got to experiment with so many hot girls. The fact is, all to most men fantasize about so many different hot girls he is just one of the lucky people that gets to live it. We already knew that so it wasn't something that needed to be said

This video is pure irony.

2020 John: still plenty of ego to go around.

In the 21st century perspective with the rise of social media, being an ego addict is quite commonplace. John's level is different of course. Thank you for being honest. This brutal honesty is very helpful.

If this is what John looks like as a recovered egomaniac, thank God I missed the full blown version.

The problem is not social media (which can definitely hurt), the actual problem is every individual's self-love and SELF-ACCEPTANCE in the Occidental world.

I appreciate people who can admit their problems! We all wrestle with our ego and good for him for facing it head on!

Man he's super humble I love him even more

His ego is a wonderland.

He's one of those people that has such good music that it's easy to forget what an ego maniac he is (was). You literally cannot deny how good his music is. I'm the BIGGEST Taylor Swift fan and despite everything that did or didn't happen, I just couldn't hate him. I think you see the real him in his music and it's a raw human being that isn't dying for fame and glory. I've always believed he's underrated but that's okay. I love the sincerity in the way he is and the fact he can talk about Taylor and everything. Thanks to that relationship we came out with Paper Doll and Dear John which are two of the greatest songs from both John and Taylor and honestly I'm good with that.

What a great interview . He has definitely found peace and contentment

John is an ultra talented individual who made it HUGE in his early to mid 20s. It's easy for us as anonymous people to say "what an ego!" or "what an a--hole!" when we never had TMZ and paparazzi following us around trying to catch us in a social gaffe or any kind of wrongdoing to puff ratings or provide clickbait to the masses.. We live in a such a gossipy, celebrity worship driven world when it comes to media, social or otherwise. If not worship, we at least put these talented people (who can do what most of us wish we could but can't) on a pedestal and that would go to nearly any 20 something year old's head.. I'm thankful I am not famous and especially didn't become famous at such a young age when I was still trying to figure life out and figure out who I was. I was never a criminal or a "bad person" but like most I did a lot of stupid stuff. It's just that there weren't media people following me around to document it.. Mayer had quite the rep as a "womanizer" with Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love-Hewitt and yes Taylor Swift among his reported love interests.. If we're honest, most straight men would have a difficult time passing up the chance to date those women were they to be available to us at a young age. Many men who may sneer at Mayer and criticize him for it would do the same at ages much older than he was at the time or now given the chance. Women: you may cheer along with the lyrics to Dear John and make snarky comments that Mayer is still an "egomaniacal womanizer." For all I know maybe he is.. I do know that in this interview he at least appears to be trying to get a grip on what caused him so many problems. Yes, he may have brought much of those problems on himself, but who among us has not at that age? Or any age? There is a Bible verse that says "Man is of few days and full of trouble." This is not referring just to the male species but to mankind. In all of the hurt that John may have caused, much of it was to himself and his reputation. Murder is the only crime that doesn't have a statute of limitations. And egomania or narcissism is not a crime. As for those who criticize John for "talking about himself" in this interview, what in the name of Bart Simpson is he supposed to talk about in an interview ABOUT HIMSELF? If he dodged the questions and talked about the theory of relativity or the cost of living, the same people would criticize that.. "oh, that sorry SOB won't own up to his issues!"