12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, Jordan Peterson's New Book

[Hervé]

Christie Blatchford interviews 'warrior for common sense' Jordan Peterson

Christie Blatchford National Post
Fri, 19 Jan 2018 12:01 UTC

Jordan Peterson burst from academic quasi-obscurity in 2016 with a video criticizing political correctness on campus and rejecting gender-neutral pronouns. It went viral, setting him up for constant protests, calls for censure, even firing, while establishing him as a darling of the anti-PC crowd. In his new book, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, Peterson draws on everything from neuroscience to the Old Testament to his well-known controversial views. He talks with Christie Blatchford, who has been known to court controversy herself, and who once referred to Peterson as "a warrior for common sense and plain speech." Their conversation has been edited and adapted.

Christie Blatchford: About this book: It's hard work, as a proper self-help book should be, and it is a self-help book isn't it?

Jordan Peterson: It's help for the self and everyone else at the same time.

For a lot of people like me, who only knew you through the controversy at the University of Toronto and the genderless pronoun issue, it comes as a bit of a surprise that you're a psychologist, and there's a lot of psychology in here. Do you define yourself chiefly as a psychologist?

That's a good question. I'd say it's half and half, professor and psychologist. I've had a very extensive clinical practice, I've seen 20 people a week for 20 years.

Are you still doing that?

I haven't been doing it this year because, well, I folded up my clinical practice because my life has become so hectic that I can't. I have a rule for my practice, which is when I'm listening to you I don't think of anything else. And so my life has to be in pretty good order for me not to drift. And I don't want to drift during a session, because, first of all, it's your time and second, because you make mistakes that way. And I don't want to make mistakes.

[video at link: https://www.facebook.com/NationalPos...103642964595/]

You mentioned a client who had severe social anxiety. Seems to me that an awful lot of children, way more than I remember as a child, have it now. Is that real?

It's likely a consequence of being too protected. Our society has become an overprotective mother. If you protect people, you reduce their competence.

There's a rule of thumb for dealing with elderly people in old age homes: Never do anything for anyone that they can do for themselves. It sounds cruel, but it's not cruel.

This is one of the pathologies of our culture. A major pathology, and this is associated with a kind of immaturity and a kind of fear and this Oedipal mother problem, which is, 'I don't want you to suffer any distress right now.' Fine, but what about tomorrow and next week and next month? You might have to suffer a lot of distress right now so that you're better next week and next month.

You talk about your mother walking past you in the schoolyard. Hard for her.

Yeah, because I was about to fight with a friend of mine. And my mum was an agreeable person.

And a good mother. That's why she walked by you.

Particularly good, because her temperament would have inclined her to intervene. But her character told her no. She was very good that way - both my parents. If anything, they erred on the side of autonomy, which is the right place to err.

I've never, ever had a client who came and said to me, 'My parents made me do too many things for myself.' That just doesn't happen. Always the opposite.

Jordan Peterson

Another psychology question then: What about all the people now who are identifying as transsexual, genderless?

We're in a psychological epidemic. This happens all the time. Freudian hysteria was a psychological epidemic; you very seldom see Freudian hysterics now. Multiple personality disorder is a good example; you don't see any cases of that anymore.

Have we seen the gender thing before?

Not in living memory.

I remember no people like that in my whole life. I know gay people of course, and drag queens, but they seem remarkably well adjusted.

I think that one of the things the web has done is enable people who have personality disorders to validate their particular pathology, because they find all sorts of people who are like them.

There's an epidemic of self-diagnosis among young people, there's a race to multiply pathology, there's a glorification of disorders like borderline personality disorder, which is rare. When being the most oppressed victim gives you the highest status, then it's a race to the bottom.

We're not helping young people figure out a noble and difficult pathway forward, where they bear responsibility and march forthrightly into adulthood. Quite the contrary. We're saying, 'Well, the system is corrupt and there's no point in taking part in it. You're going to be victimized no matter what you do.' And so the race is on for who gets to play the victim card with the highest degree of status. And it's really bad, it's especially bad for adolescents because they're trying to sort their identity out, they're already a mess.

What about little kids? There have been at least two or three stories written in the mainstream press about parents who refuse to even say what the gender of their child is.

Narcissistic parents. They're seeking notoriety through the sacrifice of their children. You dig into a family like that and you find things that no one in their right mind would ever want to look at.

You're now a YouTube sensation. How did that come about?

One of the things I'd been interested in doing for a long time is to understand entrepreneurial and creative behaviour. The web has made exposure for creative people easy, but monetization difficult.

I'd already put my YouTube videos online. I hit the million mark and I thought, 'Huh, I don't know how to evaluate this. What does it mean exactly to get a million YouTube views?' People were watching the lectures - they're long - and they were watching quite a bit of them.

And I thought, 'What is this YouTube anyway?' It's not cute cat videos anymore. It's like a Gutenberg revolution, because now the spoken word has the same reach as the written word, and permanence.

(With Patreon) it's a strange model for capitalism, because you get the item free and you can pay for it if you want. The thing is, people have a pretty strong interest for reciprocity. So they feel if they're getting something of value, they actually like to reciprocate. It's the basis of society, right?

... So back to Patreon. I set that up. And within a month I was receiving about $500US in support, and I thought, 'Oh well, that's worthy of note.' So that was all in place when this Bill C-16 emerged about five months later.

Where does the alt-right accusation start?

Oh that's easy. It was there right from the beginning.

I released all three of those videos and then I also took some potshots, when I talked about the unconscious bias training, at Black Lives Matter. Because of that, I was called a transphobe and a racist and a bigot. Alt-right. And that there were Nazis at the bloody rally.

There's a radical leftist playbook which is, if you stand up against us you must be the worst of all possible people and here's the names we think the worst of all possible people deserve and so if you are not of the radical left, then you're anywhere along the remaining spectrum. And you're in a group with everyone in the remaining spectrum. So Nazis are also against the radical leftists.

Therefore you're all Nazis?

Yeah, therefore it's plausible that you might be one, even though of course it isn't plausible because there are hardly any Nazis, especially not in Canada.

Jordan Peterson, a University of Toronto professor, speaks to a group of people at the Carleton Place Arena during a talk hosted by Randy Hiller, Progressive Conservative MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington Thursday, June 15, 2017.

You take a very strong anti-lying position throughout this book - say you have to tell the truth all the time.

It's the sacrifice of the future for the present, and lies by omission are far more pernicious and damaging than people think. It's like, 'Oh, I just won't pay attention to that'. Anything that you don't pay attention to turns into a dragon.

The other thing I found surprising about your book is there's a lot of religion, a lot of the Bible, in here. And you say your founding principle is that we are going to suffer.

Suffering is built into the structure of being.

That's your cornerstone belief?

Starting point. It's an incontrovertible truth, and that's a good place to start.

It's a wonderful comfort too.

It's also really useful to know that it's built in, you know? Because we're finite creatures confronting an infinite reality, so suffering is built into that. There's a point to be made there, and the point is: Life is suffering and that can be unbearable.

So then the next issue is, what can you do about that? And one is to fold up and go home; that's the suicidal gesture, right? Sometimes it's the homicidal gesture. Sometimes it's the genocidal gesture, and that's the problem with that line of argumentation.

That's where you end up?

That's where you end up. That's exactly it. You end up there, even if you don't start there, and that's really not good.

Are you a Christian? Do you believe in God?

I think the proper response to that is No, but I'm afraid He might exist.

You say you're 'a tragically minded and pessimistic person'; I say you're a hopeless optimist.

Well, that's right. You got the phrasing right: I'm a hopeless optimist. That's because I actually believe that despite the fact that I believe that suffering is an ultimate reality, I do believe that there's a mode of being that allows people to transcend it.

I've done a lot of studies, neuroscience studies, trying to figure out and trying to understand how the brain works functionally. We have two hemispheres. One seems to deal with the unknown, that's the right hemisphere. And the other seems to deal with things we already understand - say unexplored territory and explored territory. You know things: Order. You don't know things: Chaos.

So now the question is, how do you know if you're handling the constant interplay between order and chaos properly?

I have a chapter called 'Do What's Meaningful Not Expedient.' If everyone decided they were going to allow their sense of meaning to be their guide, what would they become?

One of the most radical things Christ tells His followers is that if they embody His mode of being, they will be able to do greater things than He did. What it means is that people have an infinite potential and they can manifest that infinite potential in a manner that allows them to withstand the tragic conditions of being.

I worked with a company for a while that did consulting for law firms, and their rule was you send us your most productive people and we'll produce a five per cent improvement in productivity.

Were you able to do that?

Oh, always. The basic rule was, and this is the right rule, let's get your life together and when that happens, you'll be more productive.

What is it that you want? Clarify your damn aims. And then differentiate that down to the point where you have practical, implementable actions you can take on a day-to-day basis.

And start small, that's your other rule. If you can't manage something this big, you should start small.

Yeah, I think part of the reason my lectures are popular, and hopefully the same will be the case for this book, is that I take the highest of abstract ethical principle, the most profound principles I can contemplate, and then differentiate them into something that's absolutely prosaic.

[Mike]

I can't tell you how many times I've heard a friend say "I don't know what I should be doing. What should I do?"

And I would then say "well what do you want to accomplish? What are your goals?"

And they would say "well I'm not sure!"



How can one know what to do if they don't know where they want to go? Like Peterson says, you must have absolute clarity of purpose to get anything accomplished. Well this has been my experience anyway. It seems obvious, but it took me forever to sort that out. I just thought I'd stumble onto something at some point. And I stumbled alright...and stumbled, and stumbled, and stumbled...

Small steps. Such wisdom there. So basic and yet so overlooked. Especially now, as technology speeds things up, we want *everything * done RIGHT NOW.

I love the practicality of his message.

[Wind]

I finally started to listen to this this guy maybe less than two weeks ago and now I can't get enough of him, he really knows what he's talking about and he's a really good and an inspiring orator.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=F7DaMfneZhE

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=-5RCmu-HuTg

[O Donna]

Just the other day I ran into 12 Rules for Life online and thought it looked intriguing even though I don't typically like books that start off with a title like that.

[Matt P]

I first heard about this gentleman for the first time yesterday. I was going to post the interview I watched and so I come on Avalon and here is the thread already. Serendepity!

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=aMcjxSThD54

[SKAWF]

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=5ER1LOarlgg

i have a massive amount of respect for Jordan Peterson.

[Ewan]

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this man, a beacon for common sense in a world going mad. Went to buy his book then decided just to listen to the video again - book shelves already overflowing and money is tight.

[Cardillac]

I've always known which way I should go since my childhood (I continue to be a lone wolf since my childhood; but so is my life's partner; two lone wolves have found each other); problem is most people don't agree with this (my opinion/view of life) including many on this website who have never been alone in their thinking but think they're independent thinkers because they follow the flow of the masses-

Larry

[Hervé]

Jordan Peterson Takes Australia by Storm: Brings Psychological Knowledge and a Message of Hope to the Multitudes

Ryan Jones Sott.net
Sun, 18 Mar 2018 21:25 UTC

Dr. Jordan Peterson sits down with the Toronto Sun on Thursday March 1, 2018. © Craig Robertson/Toronto Sun

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year and a half, you've probably heard of Dr. Jordan Peterson, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, Canada. Described as a "rockstar psychologist" by some in the mainstream media, the good professor has been on a whirlwind tour in recent weeks, bringing knowledge to the masses via a series of public lectures and Q&A sessions in support of his new book, 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos. With a massive online presence via websites, podcast interviews, social media, videos and discussion groups, Dr. Peterson has attracted even the unwilling attention of the mainstream media due to the sheer force of his reasoning. His now-famous interview with Cathy Newman on the UK's Channel 4 TV expanded his audience into the millions, and forged his reputation both as an intellectual powerhouse and a man of the people who can explain almost impossibly-difficult concepts in straightforward terms.

Among its many virtues, 12 Rules For Life provides specific psychological knowledge to counteract the nihilistic ideologies of "radical Left" thought. Polish psychologist and critic of the Soviet regime Dr. Andrew Lobaczewski describes such ideology as an "oversimplified pattern of ideas, devoid of psychological color and based on easily available data". In other words, intellectually barren, psychologically naive, and supported only by cherry-picked data interpreted at the lowest resolution. At present, these features of the radical Left narratives (feminism, Marxism, postmodernism, identity politics, etc.) are becoming plainly apparent to the general public, thanks in part to the work of Dr. Peterson and others who have been pointing them out.

Dr Peterson's touring schedule of Australia was relatively modest: a series of four appearances, the first in Melbourne, the next two in Sydney (originally just one show was scheduled; a second was added due to popular demand), and finishing up in Brisbane. Organised by True Arrow Events Group, the shows were sold out within days, despite the lack of major coverage in the mainstream media (although The Australian did cover both the lead-up to the tour and the tour itself). It seems that even the events' organisers did not quite anticipate how popular Dr. Peterson would be, as soon afterwards want-ads began appearing on marketplace sites like Gumtree.com.au looking to purchase any available tickets for one or more of the events, with the aspiring buyers willing to pay hundreds of dollars.

In Melbourne, Dr. Peterson was greeted by a standing ovation before he even began to speak. Embarking upon one of the most difficult topics imaginable, belief in God, Peterson spoke forthrightly and compassionately about how people perceive the world, the bifurcation present in the brain that seems to mirror a bifurcation in reality, the suffering endured by every individual, and how meaning and imbuing meaning into relationships and life can provide a "medication of the infinite". He spoke about a "landscape of possibilities" that leads both to hell and to heaven, and how the moral choices we make determine how those possibilities manifest in our reality. He also talked about how we treat each other as if our moral choices matter, even if we do it subconsciously, and so we should choose to make it a conscious process, to shoulder the responsibility for making those choices and the results that proceed from them. He then discussed St. Joseph's Oratory - a cathedral on Mt. Royal in Montreal, Quebec, the largest church in Canada and one of the largest in the world - and what cathedrals symbolise and represent in archetypal terms. Many people, both crippled and able-bodied, make pilgrimages up the hillside stairway to the church. Peterson discussed the image of people struggling up the stairs of the path towards the church, the "holy city on the hill", while bearing their life's sufferings. Because, in his words:

What's the alternative? You going to go in the other direction? Because that's the alternative! You're not going to stand in one place; that isn't how life is; you're not in stasis. Stasis just moves you backwards. Because time progresses, right? You fall apart just by sitting here. So, you're either moving up or you're moving down. And you might not believe in 'up', because you're cynical. But I don't care how bloody cynical you are; you're not cynical enough not to believe in 'down'!

This was greeted with a round of applause. Dr. Peterson then proceeded with an explanation of how 'down' is a good place to start in terms of thinking about how bad life can get, and that this is the "price" we pay for having the other possibility open to us: the possibility of moving "up" eternally towards "heaven". This price is represented by the image of people bearing their load, struggling up the staircase towards St. Joseph's Oratory: "This is what it means to believe."

In the second half of the lecture, Dr. Peterson discussed aiming "at the highest possible good", and how human perception is often narrowly focused - how we view the world is determined by our values system. By changing our values and adjusting our aim, we can move from a state of chaos and suffering and into order and understanding, finding a meaning in our lives that can sustain us. By finding that meaning, the world will manifest as a place of "infinite potential and infinite responsibility", and ultimately, bearing one's sufferings towards the highest ideal one can imagine, while aiming as truly as we can in finding the meaning that puts us in touch with the infinite, is what it "means to believe in God".

Talk about opening with a bang, yeah?

For many more interesting insights, amusing anecdotes, and profound observations, his entire discussion from the Melbourne event can be watched below.

(Melbourne presentation, 1:26:24)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=xlldjoTPs_I

Media response to his shows was generally positive, and seemed to gather steam throughout the tour. After excellent interviews with Neil Mitchell on radio 3AW Melbourne and with Bettina Arndt, some of the mainstream media, not wanting to be left out, covered the tour. An article was written in the Guardian Australia, and one of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's flagship current affairs programs, The 7:30 Report, interviewed him (in a decidedly biased way), although the presenter was very circumspect with her standard leftist-trope criticisms, presumably wary of Peterson's intellect after the Cathy Newman interview. Frank Chung at News.com.au reviews the interview here.

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the book-signing session after Dr. Peterson's Brisbane appearance, and took the opportunity to gather some comments from some of the attendees. The sold-out event was attended by over 600 people, not including those who were unable to get tickets and who gathered only for the signing session. As the pictures below demonstrate, the line for signatures was massive, and indeed, it took hours to get through. My question to the attendees was simply, "What did you think of Dr Jordan Peterson's lecture tonight?" Here are some of the responses, quotes slightly edited for clarity:

"Fantastic."

"Awesome!"

"Excellent."

"Everything I thought it would be!"

"Covered the same stuff as in his books."

"Would have liked more Q&A time. Have read his books and watched his material already. Would have liked to have seen more of his responses to questions."

"Even though I know his stuff, listening to him in person enabled a real sense of connection to the ideas."

"He developed and expanded upon the ideas in his books."

"Intriguing."

"His message of personal responsibility and choice is what the world badly needs."

"His book can save the world."

"Wonderful! We were already big admirers!"

"Loved it!"

"I've already read and watched most of what he's done, but it was still great to hear it from the man himself."

From a grandmother: "He talks about the same religious ideas I learned at a Catholic public school when I was young."

"Inspiring."

"My husband agreed to look after the kids for the evening so I could go see JP."

"He's teaching men how to be men."

"He's the antidote for the leftist nonsense that seems to be all over the place these days. That he's a clinical psychologist is just perfect! He's too smart for them!"

One lady, 'Nina', described her enthusiasm for Dr. Peterson's defence of free speech. Like many, she first became aware of him through one of his interviews, and has been avidly following him online since. At the front of the line, a couple of guys were having an enthusiastic discussion about politics and social systems, and a young Russian couple behind me (originally from Moscow) were looking forward to meeting the man in person and getting his signature.

I too, had recently purchased a copy of Dr. Peterson's newest book, and in the brief 30 seconds or so I had to meet the man, the impression was striking. Despite having just given an hour-and-a-half lecture, plus a further 45-minute Q&A session, Dr. Peterson appeared relaxed, attentive, jocular, and chatted amiably with those who walked forward to meet him. He radiated a presence of compassionate understanding; this is a man who truly gives the impression that he lives his convictions. In his speeches he says that we should treat others as if they matter, and even in that brief period of time I spoke with him, I felt that he meant and lived those words; that he did feel I mattered to him as a person. Perhaps my subjective perception is wrong, but even then, to convey that kind of impression to someone is no easy feat and a credit to him.

The discussions I had while gathering comments with some of the people in line were some of the most interesting and enjoyable conversations I've had in a while, too. Nearly everyone seemed eager to discuss Dr. Peterson's ideas, and the diversity of people in the crowd was a definite testament to his broad appeal. Hats off to the ladies at the end of the line whom I talked with for about half an hour before heading for home! Thank you people of Brisbane, and surrounds, for the gracious hospitality shown to Dr. Peterson while he visited. A couple of policemen doing local security liaison for the tour mentioned that there had been no sign of protests; that everything had gone smoothly.

Kudos is also certainly due to True Arrow Events Group for their extremely well-organised, professional productions. The Director, Sam McClelland, has done an excellent job and performed a valuable service, and the results may resonate beyond what anyone expects - it will be interesting to see! Dr. Peterson begins his U.S. tour on the 26th of March in New York. Let's keep an eye on the headlines!

And lastly, thank you Dr. Jordan Peterson, for finding the time to visit Australia and bring some of your badly-needed psychological knowledge to the general public here. Your efforts are inspiring and, I think, efficacious.

For those interested in finding more information about Dr. Peterson and his work, see Dr Peterson's website, or do a search for his name on YouTube, where you will find many interesting and insightful lectures, interviews, and speeches.

I will end this article with a small video showing the line-up for Dr. Peterson's signature. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then consider how many frames are in this video!

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=BCtMUaTpACA

[integralpart]

nice interview! I'm curious about the book already.

[Merlinus]

His use of freemason signals, symbolism, his popularity exploding, and then being maintained by the mainstream media, lead me to believe he's controlled opposition.

Also notice he talks about order and chaos, which is one of their mottos, ordo ab chao.

[Hervé]

3 Things I Learned From Attending Jordan Peterson's Sold-out Show In DC

Juliana Knot The Federalist
Mon, 11 Jun 2018 20:24 UTC

Renowned psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson took the stage at the sold-out Warner Theater in Washington DC Friday night. The crowd got on its feet and started cheering, ecstatic to hear him speak.

Peterson gained fame after opposing a Canadian bill that criminalized using the wrong pronouns for transgender persons. His notoriety only grew from there after a video of his interview with British broadcaster Cathy Newman went viral. Now, he's got a cult following who call themselves "lobsters" (in reference to an example in the viral interview) and a best-selling book titled "12 Rules for Life."

That night, Peterson worked through only nine of the twelve rules, drawing from clinical psychology, philosophy, and common sense. Before he started walking through his rules, he talked about what motivated him.

Earlier that day, he and Dave Rubin, a YouTube personality who opened the show and appeared on The Federalist Radio Hour last week, were at the Lincoln Memorial when a young man walked up to them. This man's brother had been going through a divorce when he started watching Peterson lectures online. The advice Peterson gave helped turn his brother's life around. Peterson said these experiences were the highlight of what he did.

"It's personal, not political," he said.

It's an important clarification, because most of the coverage of Peterson has been only the latter. He's either a spokesman for alt-right hatred or the last defense against stifling political correctness. Yet Peterson is a clinical psychologist. According to him, his aim is to help people.

Before attending this event, I had very little knowledge of Peterson and his views. I had seen clips of his famous interview and glanced at his 12 rules, but lacked an understanding of him and his work. Here are three things I learned about Jordan Peterson after attending his show.

1. Peterson Is Not an Alt-right Demagogue
Many on the Left have criticized Peterson and his followers as disgruntled white men, hiding their pent-up racism and sexism behind pseudo-intellectual talk. A columnist from The Nation states that Peterson has a "far-right political agenda" and advises her reader to avoid dating one of his fans.

Peterson certainly doesn't play the alt-right type by wearing a three-piece navy-blue suit and drinking Perrier. Throughout his lecture, he paced the stage, not goose-stepped, and took frequent pauses in order to word his next thought carefully. This is not the demeanor of a brazen white nationalist.

Neither was his message. He did not blame women or minorities for the problems in his followers' lives. Rather, it actually targeted his followers themselves. Peterson asked the crowd repeatedly, "If your life is truly miserable, are you actually doing all that you can to make it better?" He also has called for people to restrain themselves from violence and focus on managing themselves rather than attempting to manipulate or bully others.

Additionally, his rules called for vulnerability and personal suffering rather than blood and soil. His first rule is probably the best example of this. It states: Stand up straight with your shoulders back. At first glance, one might pounce on this as a command to show the world who's boss. That is not the case. Peterson told the crowd to be open to the wounds of the world, so they can experience its suffering and learn from it. His message does not seek to oppress or dehumanize. Rather, it seeks truth and meaning.

2. Peterson Can Help You Help Yourself, But Not Save You
Because Peterson is seeking out truth and meaning, he can't avoid questions of faith. In fact, he calls the propositions on which he bases his rules "religious, because they're about the fundamental reality of life." His propositions are these:

1. Life is tragic.

2. The world's tragedy is touched with malevolence, because humans often make their suffering worse.

3. In order to contend with this suffering, one must have a "noble goal to justify your existence, clear your conscience, and get yourself out of bed."

Most world religions contain the first two premises in some form. Even secular humanism acknowledges that the world is a broken place. Peterson noted that "'You're perfectly okay the way you are' is the most pessimistic advice you can receive." If this is the best humanity can do, we all will start staring into the abyss very soon. In fact, our society has already done a good deal of that lately.

Peterson's third conclusion doesn't meet his prior statement. He claims that he's become an optimist about the human condition because he's such a pessimist about the state of the world. "The grandeur of the human spirit" is enough to confront the worst pain that we face today, he says.

These rules can repair and improve things like mindset, work ethic, and family life, which are very important things. However, they fall short in addressing the brokenness of the human soul. That's because, even at our best, we can't follow Peterson's 12 rules perfectly. Even if we could, we wouldn't be immune to senseless tragedies like death and illness. Our hurt stretches far deeper than his moral guidelines can reach.

To be fair, I don't think Peterson believes that his 12 rules are the cure-all for the world's brokenness. However, for his many secular followers, this is the sole semblance of religion they have, so they are going to treat it as such.

3. Peterson Isn't Going Anywhere Any Time Soon
Natalie Wynn, a transgender person, responded to Peterson in a NSFW video, admitting, "[People] have this need to have purpose in the face of suffering and like not just complain about patriarchy." Peterson recognizes that it is not enough to stand against bad ideology; people also need a positive belief system.

Peterson engages the common YouTuber in questions of truth and meaning. He acknowledges and fills a gap in society. He doesn't show open disdain for people who haven't read Plato, but speaks to his crowds at their level, showing how complex philosophy has the potential to improve one's life.

Peterson also engages with his fame well. He treats it with caution and doesn't revel in his spotlight. During the question and answer, he said he thinks his fame "will end in catastrophe at any moment." This mindset gives his message endurance over the fleeting fame that so many viral stars chase. It is unlikely he'll burn out like Milo Yiannopolous, an actual provocateur. Peterson's tour is only halfway through, and his videos still rack up millions of views all over the Internet.

As I left the theater, I noticed that the woman sitting in the row in front of me wore lobster earrings. As I walked out, I saw a man who had donned a lobster hat, complete with antennae. He waved his red foam claw around and shouted that this was the best show he had ever been to. Peterson's message is one focused on finding meaning, not fueling hate. Although it's not a saving message, it's one we'll be hearing for a long time.

[Hervé]

An Extraordinary Thing Happened At Jordan Peterson's Indianapolis Performance

Miriam Weaver Chicksontheright
Sun, 17 Jun 2018 10:12 UTC

Y'all know I've been intellectually crushing on Jordan Peterson for months now, basically ever since I discovered him via the Lindsay Shepherd story back in December. And then, when he mind-spanked Cathy Newman in that Mother Of All Interviews back in January? Well, that was it. I was hooked, and I've spent many hours binge-watching his videos since. He is currently on a speaking tour, promoting his book, "12 Rules for Life" - which is a must-read.

When I discovered he was coming to Indy, Mr. Mock and I were pretty stoked. We bought tickets, and spent a little extra on VIP passes so that we could meet him and attend a smaller Q&A session with him.

You guys, I was really struck by the youth of the audience. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but while Mr. Mock was parking, I stood inside the Murat and people-watched as folks made their way into the theater and through the security lines. I'd venture to say that the vast majority of attendees were younger than 30. The theater seats 2500, and it was close to sold out. I saw many gay, male couples. I saw tatted-up biker-like folks. I saw spectacle-wearing, book-carrying student-types. It was as diverse a crowd as I could have imagined. And I loved that.

When Dr. Peterson made his way onto the stage, you'd have thought you were attending a rock concert. It wasn't the expected polite applause you'd imagine might be appropriate for a lecture of this sort. It was full on, raucous, whooping and hollering cheers. We were in the 5th row, where it was easy to see Dr. Peterson's facial expressions, and as he looked at the audience - smiling humbly and nodding slightly - taking it all in, it seemed to me that he wasn't altogether used to this kind of reception. I expect he receives it often, but it seemed like something that still surprises him. It reminds me of how Daisy and I are still shocked when someone is all excited to meet us. You're simultaneously delighted and humbled all at the same time, that you have a palpable level of impact on another person. It's overwhelming, and for us at least, it's not something you get used to.

He spoke for just over an hour, and you guys - I was RIVETED. We all were. He's incredibly soft spoken, and even though he's mic'd up, and even when you're sitting up close, there's this urge to lean forward and turn your ear towards him, so as to not miss a word. It was part story-telling, part university lecture, and part pep-talk. It related to his book - yes - but much of his discussion was about perception vs. reality - and how people see what they value, but often miss what's truly important, and how we can approach life in a way that best reflects our most important values.

After his lecture, he briefly left the stage and the returned with a laptop. People had submitted some questions on line in advance, and he spent 20-30 minutes reading and responding to these questions. One that was particularly amusing was the one from someone who asked (I'm paraphrasing), "How do I know, as I follow your lectures and videos, that I'm not getting sucked up into a cult?" I loved his answer to that one. He said everyone should be skeptical of ANYONE they follow for all sorts of reasons, but that we could all rest assured we weren't part of a cult, because:

1. He's not an authoritarian figure
2. He doesn't encourage or suggest that people only associate with other Jordan Peterson followers.
3. He doesn't discourage independent thinking - in fact he does just the opposite.
4. He doesn't encourage a dissociation from your closest family and friends by asking you to place more value on his teachings than you do on them.

It was a funny question, and he approached it with humor, but he also kindly recognized the legitimacy of it, given how easy it is for people to become star-struck and sucked in by people who they view as larger-than-life.

And then came the question that stayed with me throughout the rest of the evening and even haunted me still when I woke up in the morning.

Dr. Peterson warned the audience that he was about to read a serious question. He even seemed reluctant to read it at all, but after a few seconds of quiet reflection, he then decided to go ahead.

He read, "I plan on taking my life very soon. Why shouldn't I?"

You could have heard a pin drop.

I wish I could have recorded Dr. Peterson's answer for you in its entirety, because there's no way any summary I could attempt to give you would do it justice. The guy's a clinical psychologist, so obviously this is something he's experienced with. But not all clinical psychologists have a way of showing the kind of compassion, sternness, and thoughtfulness that he did, particularly as he simultaneously gave measured, common-sense, logical reasons why the person asking the question shouldn't take his own life.

He spent quite a bit of time answering the question, and one of the things he said was that there was simply no rush. At the very least, he suggested, put it off a day, or two days, or more. He advised the person to talk to someone close, to check into a hospital, to try anti-depressants, to think through the impact that his absence would have on others. And he told stories of people left behind by people who'd taken their own lives, and the guilt they felt.

I don't know about the rest of the audience, but it was hard for me to get over that question. I couldn't help think about the fact that someone in the same audience, the same room, had reached a level of desperation that prompted him to reach out to Dr. Peterson in the way he did.

Let me come back to that in just a second, because what happened later was pretty remarkable.

First though, let me just catch you up on the rest of the night.

So after the Q&A, VIP ticket holders were asked to stick around for a quick meet and greet with Dr. Peterson, a professional photo, and then a more intimate Q&A (although given that there were probably around 200 VIP ticket holders, perhaps "intimate" isn't the right word!)

Here's my pic:

I had like 20 seconds with him, so I basically was able to say what a treat it was to meet him and since I'd watched him getting photos with a bunch of people ahead of me, I knew he was totally cool with side hugs, so as you can see it was a good grasp. 🙂

I was excited to get called on during the Q&A - because there were LOTS of hands up during the 30 or so minutes he spent with our group. Many folks used the opportunity to ask for specific advice about their own relationships, their parenting, etc. But my question was really more about Dr. Peterson himself. I asked, since his star was on the rise, and he'd faced such harsh criticism from people who twisted and misinterpreted his words, what he felt he'd been most misunderstood about, AND whether or not he'd heard from Cathy Newman since their first encounter, and whether there'd be a round 2. He said he'd been most misunderstood about "forced monogamy" and that in fact, he'd reached out to Cathy Newman not long after the interview, suggesting that they have a second conversation. She'd responded that she wanted to wait until the dust settled, but now even months later, he hasn't heard from her. 🙂

All in all, the evening was one I won't forget. And I woke up in the morning with the question from the person considering suicide heavy on my mind. Something compelled me to look at Dr. Peterson's twitter feed, where I saw this:

I am absolutely thrilled to hear this.

- Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) June 16, 2018

I clicked on it, kinda holding my breath, and saw this:

Hey dr. Peterson. It's Chad. You read my serious question tonight at the lecture. I just want you to know that you may have diverted me onto a different path. I am probably going to check myself into a hospital tomorrow night. Thank you.

- 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓭 (@chadjustin98) June 16, 2018

After Dr. Peterson's response to him, Chad wrote him again:

I don't really believe in fate, but I have never felt my adrenaline rush like I did tonight when you started reading my question. Never in a million years would I expect you to actually get to my question. And that was a big red flag for me. Once again, thank you dr.

- 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓭 (@chadjustin98) June 16, 2018

And then I chimed in:

I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since hearing your question last night. I am so happy to see this exchange. You are important and valuable!

- Chicks On The Right (@chicksonright) June 16, 2018

And Chad responded:

Thank you, so very much.

- 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓭 (@chadjustin98) June 16, 2018

I followed Chad, he followed us, and I decided to ask him if I could share his question when I wrote my recap of the evening. And so I direct messaged him, and you guys, you need to see this exchange.

I am just overwhelmed by this entire experience. If you have an opportunity to see Dr. Peterson live, DO IT, you guys. It's not just a talk, not just a lecture, and not just a "performance." It's an experience.

And for some folks, it's life-saving.

=====================================================

Unfortunately, checking into a hospital and getting himself into the hands of antidepressants might not be the best of solutions...

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Only just recently discovered Jordan Peterson. What a powerful, inspirational speaker.

This is a 15 minute rant on post-modernism, social decay, gender politics and more. There's more of him in this clip, but this speech really hits home.

Enlightening, riveting, honest - and at times quite emotional. An important watch imo.

Starts at 7.04min

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=MUUC-SjwQp0