The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - Oprah Winfrey on "The Path Made Clear" and the Joy of Lifting Up Others

Episode Date: March 1, 2020

"The Path Made Clear" author Oprah Winfrey discusses her love for connecting with other human beings and her collaboration with Prince Harry on a mental health docuseries. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Please welcome. Oprah Winfrey. So nice, so nice. Hello, this is saying, that's done. Hello. Hello, true. These are your people. These are your people. Thank you. And our time is up.

We'll be right back. Thank you. Do you ever get used to the amount of joy you see on people's faces? Thank you, thank you. And our time is up, we'll be right back. Thank you. Do you ever get used to the amount of joy you see on people's faces when you walk by? Because even in the building, Oprah, this is the craziest thing that's ever happened to me. Let me tell you now. We're backstage. I'm getting my makeup done. Then Oprah just walked, she doesn't come through like the building, just greeting everyone, hello, hello, hello. But surely you realize that you are causing chaos everywhere you go. No, actually I love these moments.

This happens to me quite often. I'll run into someone who says, oh my god, you don't know what this means. And I said, yeah, I do. You came home from school. Your mom wasn't there. Yes. You were a latch kkkkikkkkkkkikik. to to to to to to to to to to thk. thik. thik. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. tho. tho. tho. thi. thi. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toea. toea. toea. thoooooo. tha. tha. tho. tha. there. Yes. You were a latchkey kid. You watch me at 4 o'clock. So I raised you right? Yes. They're like yes you're raising. So I feel like I feel rewarded by that. I feel like I think I did a lot of good job raising people. I think he did a great job.

That's what I think. But this is what, Trevor, I knew it was time to leave the show when people who had come to the show, then they had children, and their children are now having children watching the show. You know, you say that, but I honestly wonder if you didn't leave too soon. Here's why I say this. You left the show, but it feels like we never got tired of Oprah. to to to to to to to to to to the show, Oprah, to, to, the show, tha, tha, tha, tha, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, and, and, and, and, thi, and, and, and, and, thi, and, thi, and, and, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, but it feels like we never got tired of Oprah. I mean, we now are watching you on Super Soul Sundays. We're now seeing Oprah. Do you think you just needed a break into something else?

Well, you know what? I do wish that there, the only time I actually really missed, mismissed it was 2016, because I thought for sure that speaking to the audience every day, because this is what I miss the most. I missed having a discourse with the audience every day. And because every day after the show, it's been time with the audience. Because for years I signed autographs, and then I thought, one day I didn't and I had so much more energy, what do I really want to do? I want to talk to the audience? So the audience, 10 years in, became became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, became, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, their, it, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their... It. It. It. It's, their. It's, their. It's, their. It's their. It's their. It's their. It's their. It's their. It's their, their, their, talking about so I would not have been surprised by the election or anything because I would have been talking to people from all states. You would have been in toucest with them. I would

have been it would have been my direct connection and so that's what I miss. It feels like that's the story of your life is today. that's the to be the. I love. to to be to be to be to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. the to be. the the the the to be. to be. the the to be in in in in in in in in in in in a the to be in a to be in a to be in a to be in a to be. the to be in a to be in a. to be in a. to be in a. to be in a. to be in a. to be in a to be in to be in to be in to be in to be in in in in in. to be in in in. to be in. to be in. the. to be. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. t. t. That's what this book feels like it's about. The path made clear, discovering your life's direction and purpose. You seem like someone who's always had your path like nailed down. Yeah, pretty clear. Like where do you think you got that from and why do you think this book will help people do the same thing? Just like you being raised, first of all I love your book so much. I love your book so much. I love your book so much. Thank you. Thank you. Yes. Love your book so much. And being raised by a strong grandmother who taught me to read, but what I learned to read was the Bible and grew up, you know, in kindergarten. When I went to kindergarten, you know the story the way I went to kindergarten? I had been in Mississippi, which was an apartheid state.

Right, right. And so when I moved to Milwaukee and had just started kindergarten, I walked in and all these little white kids were doing their ABCs and I said, I know some big words and I wrote them all down to my kindergarten teacher. Oh wow. Shadrack, Shack, a bindigo, me and my grandma. And I got myself out of kindergarten the first day. That is hilarious. Yes. So, having grounded in something that I knew was bigger than myself is is set the course for me to understand that there's

always something greater than you and that no matter what you are going to be all right. So that should be your mantra. Look at wherever you come from. Things are always working out for you. And when you have faith, you know that things always will. The book really feels like a conversation with the reader that does exactly that. It talks to you about the journeys and the steps that you can take in life to get you where you need to be. What I enjoy is you speak to people who are inspiring all walks of life. Yes. What I enjoy is people who are inspiring all walks. their, th, th, th, th, the, th, th, th, th, the, th, th, the, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, thi, thi, thi, thi, thithing to do. That's what I've noticed. You love being inspired by people. But you're Oprah. But you're Oprah though.

Why did you choose these people in the book to inspire us with their stories? Because they're all people that I've been talking to over the years on Social Sunday and Master Classes. You, you're on page 169. Yes, you are. who've inspired me because at this stage in my life I only talk to who I want to talk to. Okay? So I really do. And so to be to be surrounded by people and this is the truth whether you have a talk show or not whatever you're doing in your life you need to surround yourself with people who are going to stimulate, inspire and lift you up,

who are going to give you energy and not take energy away from you. And if you're around people who are taking energy away from you, that's an energy drain. And that is the sign from your instinct, your inner voice, your intuition to say, let them go. Wow. When you look at successful people, you have talked to everyone in the world who is successful. What would you say is the one common characteristic that you find gets people to where they want to go?

The most important question is the people get to where they want to go because they know where they want to go. Oh wow. Most people don't know where driven by what they think they should do, what other people say they should do, what they have carried in their mind for a long time they should do. But the most important question you can ever ask yourself is what do I really want. And the answer to that, once you can establish for yourself what the answer to that is, and have everything you do, every choice you make, move you in the direction of what you say your vision is, th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi th answer to that is and have everything you do, every choice you make, move you in the direction of what you say your vision is. Right. Yeah, and

when you do that, the forces of life rise up to meet you. The reason why most people have such chaotic lives is because they're living in chaos in their head. And as soon as you get clear, it clears up. You have... It clears up. And I did this book, you know what, one of the reasons I did this book, because, you know, I have all these wonderful girls from South Africa who love you. Yes. Yes. Mom, Oprah, he's on the road.

Could you get some tickets? To give you context, here's a thing. So 12 years ago, you started, you started the o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o' the the the the the the the the the the the most amazing institutions. Because it goes beyond just a school. Yes. It's an idea. You've gotten girls in a country where for so long. No, it really is. It's an idea where you've said to these young black girls

who are powerful and empowered to be like, hey, be the best you can be. Yeah. And you are creating leaders. But what you found and you speak about thrown, and you're thinin, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, and you're, their, their, their, tho, their, their, tho, their girls.. tho, tho, tho, their, their, their, their girls, their girls, their girls, their girls. their girls. their girls. their girls. their girls. their, their girls. their, their, their girls...................... the the the the the tho, you've tho, you've tho, you've tho, you've tho, you've thoo, you've thoooooooooooooooooooooo, you've theded. thoooooooooooooooo, their th a pressure that came with that where they went, I went to Oprah school which means I have to be everything. Yeah, but you only have to be yourself because there's nobody else in the world who's quite like you and what your real job is to do is to come to the world and understand that your job is to figure out what it is you have to to offer like what you do to do every night to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their their. their. their. their. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. their is. their is. their is. their. their is their. their. their is their is their. to be to be to be to be. to be only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only to be to be to be to be their their their their the is relief. What you're offering us is a way to see ourselves differently. What you're offering us is humor, but what you're offering us is a way in to see our culture. And that is what you do. And so it's bigger than a talk show.

It's bigger than just this moment with you and I sitting in the chair. Because what you are broadcasting to the world is the sort of essence. thia. thia. thia. th. th. th. th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, th. th. th. th. th. tho, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thus, thoooo. thoooo. th. thoooooooo. th. th. th. thooooooooooo, th. It, to the world is this sort of essence of yourself. You know, your purpose is greater than than this moment in this chair. You know that. Was there ever a moment where you maybe had the wrong idea of what your purpose would be? I know you speak a little bit about in the book, but was there ever a moment where you failed and you're glad that youtalking about this during the commercial break. It was actually a show that I was doing with skinheads and, you know, white supremacists where I thought I was showing the world their vitriol, letting the world see that, and I recognize they were actually using me, they were using that platform,

because I at the time did not understand how powerful the platform was. So when I figured that out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out. the the the the the the their. their. their. their, th. th. th. th. their, th. th. th. th. Wea, th. Wea, th. Wea, th. Wea, th. I was, th. I was, th. I was, th. I was, their, their. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, the. I, the. I, the the the the the the the th. I, the th. I was, th. I was, th. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was. I was. figured that out, I literally said, I'm only going to use my work this platform as a force for good. Yes. I will cause no harm. I will cause no harm. Let me ask you this. When you were demoted from the news division, oh yeah. That's an interesting one because you techn life there always go, you know, fail and then try again and try again and try again.

But this is an interesting one because you technically failed at the news division. You were demoted to the talk show, but the talk show ended up being the greatest promotion in your life. The first day I was on the talk show, which was like the Carvel Ice Cream Man, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, th and, th and, because, because, thick, th, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, the, the news, the news, the, the news, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the But I had been demoted from the news because I was too emotional. I would get too engaged in the stories. I would go, yes, I was too emotional. And I was always getting written up

for being too emotional with the stories. And so had I not been demoted, I probably would have for a long time, continued on that path because my father was like, they paying, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they were paying, they were paying, they they they they thi, thi, thi, thi, and I was like, and I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to, to, to, I, I, to, I, I, I, to........... to, I, I, to. to. to. to. to. told, told, told, yes, told. told. told. told. told, yes, yes, yes, told. told, yes, yes, yes, I was told. told. told, yes, yes, yes,000, you better keep that job. So I would have stayed for all the wrong reasons instead of taking what looked like a failure in the moment and being demoted. And then the moment I sat down on my first talk show, I thought I have come home to myself.

And that's what everybody is looking for, the path that allows you to come home to yourself. I feel like you're creating that for others now because now we're seeing Oprah Winfrey, the executive producer, we're seeing the own network, we're seeing your work with creators. David Oyloa was on the show the end of they talking about his first opportunity to direct. When you are creating, when you are helping others to create. You have to take a different position because it's not for you, it's for somebody else. You know, but the one most wonderful thing I think that everybody, and especially if you've been able to be blessed and achieved as much as I have, the great reward and joy comes from being able to

lift other people up. Right. To look back or reach back and lift other people to the highest level of themselves, because that's really what we're all looking for. That's what I say in here. That the reason why there is common ground for all of us is because you want the same thing I want. And even in my position in life, I'm still reaching for what is the truest, highest expression of myself as a human being.

Wow. That's the path you're looking for. And when th and when that, and when that, and when that, and when that, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, I, I, the, the, the, I, th, the, the, tho, tho, tho, the the, the the tho, tho, tho, tho, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the, the the the the the the the the, the the the the, the the the, the, the, the, the, th. the, th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thin, the, thin, thin, thru. thru. thru. thru. today, today, thru. thru. throooooooooooooo. the, the the.. That's the path you're looking for. And when you know that that's what we're all looking for, so my job is I think I've found that and I continue to find it by helping other people to find that for themselves. One of the ways you're doing that is by creating a docuose with Prince Harry. Oh what a good good segue? About mental. Oh, what? You can't peel back the curtain, Oprah. thrown. to. th. th. to. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. tho. thi. thin. tho. tho. tho. I'm, I tho. I tho. I tho. I tho. I thi. I I thi. I I I th. I I th. I I I I th. I I I I I th. I I I I I th. I th. I I I I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I thin. th. th. th. th. th. th. thee. thin. th. th. th. thin. th. I th. I th. I th. I th curtain, Oprah. No, the man's got skills. The man's got skills. One of the things you're doing is talking about mental health. And I love how you call it mental fitness, because that's how we need to think of it as people. Are we healthy in our minds? You're working with Prince Harry,

which is really exciting. I'm going, what is it like to work with royalty? That's good. That's good. He got me. He got me. He is a great partner. And I want everybody to know that, first of all, I don't do or engage in anything unless I'm giving 100%. He feels the same. And so he is a great partner in helping us decide who we're going to interview, how it's going to be interviewed, what subjects we're going to be covering. I've had, you know, meetings with him, we've sat down with our team,

and we're working together on this as a real partnership. It's ready. It's genuinely exciting. I mean, everything, everything you do blows up, everything well you know why it's so important to me. This is why it was so important to me? This is why it was so important to me because I have a girl school and you know these girls come from provinces all over South Africa. Yes. When you're dealing with people who come from lots of trauma, those, that trauma shows itself in later life as depression, as anxiety sometimes, as mental health issues. And there was a time where I had five girls in the hospital at the same time. Wow. With depression, suicidal ideation, all kinds of th. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. th. Yes. th. th, thi. thi. Yes, th, thi, thi, thi, thi. Yes, thi. Yes, thi, thi, thi. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. th, when thi. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, thi, thi, thi. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, thi. Yes, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thi. Yes. Yes, thi. Yes, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi a time where I had five girls in the hospital at the same time with depression, suicidal ideation, all kinds of things. So I became interested in the subject of mental health

because I spent too many times in a psych ward. And because I recognize that the impact of poverty and the impact of trauma in poverty, really causes people to carry that into their lives unless it is processed and unless they can come forward in a way that releases it. So for me, doing this mental health series is a way of releasing the shame, helping people to release the shame

and the stigma for themselves. Because there's almost nobody you know that doesn't have somebody in their family who's going through some kind of difficulty. When you speak about trauma, is that one of the reasons you were so drawn to the Michael Jackson documentary? Because I noticed when you were speaking about that, it felt personal to you, it felt visceral. But you got a lot of hate for doing that. Oh, so much hateration. I haven't had I'm so glad that when I did the puppy

episode for Ellen where Ellen came out and people just, we had to take people off the switchboard because there was so much hateration going on. Because that was before there was tweets, tweets and social media. But I'm imagine had that happen now. So I had a lot of hateration. But I also, when I first saw that a documentary, I realized that a lot of people are gonna get triggered, are going to be triggered by watching it.

And that a lot of people will not understand what the pattern is, because I had done 217 shows trying to get people to understand. 217 shows trying to get people to understand, that it's not about one person, that it is about the pattern, it is about the seduction, and people call it a molestation, but there is a big seducing that goes on, and the pattern of that seducing. And that was important enough for me to to take the hateration for.

Did you ever waver in your beliefs when the documentary director came out and said there was a timeline issue? Michael Jackson didn't have the train station. You know I have not wavered because I've had girls at my school who were sexually assaulted and abused and I have never won a case. And the reason I have never won a case is because when you put a girl on the witness stand and she can't remember was it Thursday or Wednesday. It's automatically discredited. It's, I. I the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the tracited. I didn't traceted. I didn't trade. I didn't trade. I didn't tra. I have trade. I have not try. I have not trrain. I have not wa. I have not wa. I have not wa. I have not wa. I have not wa. I have not the the the the the the the tr. I tr. I tr. I tr. I tr. I tr. I tr. I tr. I tr. I tr. I tr. I tr. I tr. I the the the the tr. I have tr. I have the the tr. I have the tr. I have tr. I have train. I have ti. I have not train. tr. tr. tri. tri. tri. I have train. I have train. I have the train. I have the the witness stand and she can't remember was it Thursday or Wednesday, it's automatically discredited. And so when you're in the midst of trauma, something terrible things happening to you,

you may not remember the exact time. It's why, like if I hear her noise or something in my house, I'm like, look at the time, because they're going to ask what time was it, oh my God, what time is it? So, if you can't remember the day and the time and the da da da, everybody's like, well, okay. I guess it never happened. Guess it never happened. Oh, it was, I said it was that hotel, but it was that hotel, oh, it probably never never happened. many times but I never know if the answer will change. Is Oprah Winfrey running for president?

You don't even want that to happen. Why would you say that? You don't even want that to happen. You know Gail my dearest friend is I thought she was actually serious like, I think you should do it you should do it for the country. I said you don't want that to happen because I have such a beautiful life. I have such a beautiful life. Why would I want to put myself in that? I ask such a beautiful, right, right? I have such a beautiful life. I know my path and my path isn't that. But whenever I decide whoever I want to support I will get behind that person. We'll be excited. Thank you so much for being on the show. The Park Made Clear is available now. Oprah Winfreynow!

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11th, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central Podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes.

It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look. Starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts.