Only if you don't know Jordan Peterson

benenglish · Oct 23, 2018

Here's an interview with a guy that almost everyone knows by now, Dr. Jordan Peterson. Because it's with Dr. Oz and will reach a very wide audience, he covers a wide range of topics without going too deep. It's designed to be and is a great general introduction to his thinking and writing.

If you've ever watched Peterson, don't bother with this. You've heard it before.

If you've never heard of the guy, I promise you that this video is totally worth the almost 3 hours it takes to watch it. I dare you not to seek out more from this man after watching this.

Bias Note - I'm a fan. However, I don't follow his thinking in lock-step. Notice that there are some serious questions that he basically punts. In general, though, he provides solid practical advice on how to live a good life backed up with data-supported principles shown to make life better for you personally, your family, and the world.

diesel1959 · Oct 23, 2018

Yep. It's very interesting how much more difficult it is for him in pursuit of what he believes is right considering the viewpoint of Canada on these issues.

Kar98 · Oct 23, 2018

JP has a few good points, but also, he's cray.

benenglish · Oct 23, 2018

Kar98 said:
JP has a few good points, but also, he's cray.

He's admitted his mental health isn't perfect. His willingness to talk about that subject and his prosaic descriptions of how he's climbed back to functionality are, imo, sufficiently educational as to be worth hearing.

Kar98 · Oct 23, 2018

Wasn't talking about his mental health, but some of his theories, lol.

easy rider · Oct 23, 2018

I've spent hours listening to Peterson. Smart dude.

benenglish · Oct 23, 2018

Kar98 said:
Wasn't talking about his mental health, but some of his theories, lol.

OK, which do you not like?

I'll start - He can't bring himself to give a straight answer to "Do you believe in God?" I would think that an academic who's spent 40 years thinking deep thoughts would have a canned answer ready to go. He could pick any set of definitions for the words in the question, state them, and answer. He refuses. He always falls back on "I don't know how you define certain words in the question" and then uses that excuse to sidestep the whole question. I think he's afraid to go there and I find that particularly objectionable in light of his constant exhortations to "take responsibility for your life."

Since I think he doesn't have his act together on that score, I'm completely open to his being wrong or incomplete on other stuff.

Where do you think he's taken a wrong turn?

seeker_two · Oct 23, 2018

Kar98 said:
JP has a few good points, but also, he's cray.

Cool.....we should invite him to join TGT.

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Kar98 · Oct 23, 2018

I disagree strongly with his pollyanna-esque view on global population explosion, which in his opinion will pose no problems because every person in the world right now is better off on average than 100 years ago.

Younggun · Oct 23, 2018

benenglish said:
OK, which do you not like?

I'll start - He can't bring himself to give a straight answer to "Do you believe in God?" I would think that an academic who's spent 40 years thinking deep thoughts would have a canned answer ready to go. He could pick any set of definitions for the words in the question, state them, and answer. He refuses. He always falls back on "I don't know how you define certain words in the question" and then uses that excuse to sidestep the whole question. I think he's afraid to go there and I find that particularly objectionable in light of his constant exhortations to "take responsibility for your life."

Since I think he doesn't have his act together on that score, I'm completely open to his being wrong or incomplete on other stuff.

Where do you think he's taken a wrong turn?

I think this has a lot to do with his philosophical views on how things are defined. He generally uses very specific words to say what he wants to say. It’s why in almost every interview the interviewer will make a comment about someone Peterson said and Peterson will interrupt with “I didn’t say that”. I think in his opinion “God” can have a nearly infinite number of definitions and without having it precisely defined he is hesitant to answer. Their is also the possibility that he still struggles with his view on the subject internally. I don’t believe such a struggle conflicts with his message of taking responsibility. But maybe I misunderstood.

That said, his comments on the Kavanaugh fiasco did bother me. He is adamant about standing up for what is right, not letting yourself be persuaded by lies, etc. Yet on Twitter he said that he felt Kavanaugh should step down from his nomination in order to help bring people together (paraphrased). I have seen him justify this idea when tested against literally everything he has taught and encouraged.

That said, I’ve spent countless hours watching everything from his classroom lectures, to the breakdown he did on biblical stories, to television and YouTube interviews. I general I find his ideas to be excellent food for thought and appreciate that he often gets down to very nuanced ideas. He often does not give an opinion, but asks questions (in the line of the Socratic method) causing the person asking him questions to consider the subjects themselves. Almost asking the interviewer to form their own conclusion to the question they ask and sometimes at the last minute he will give them his own answer. In a way this is ingenious because he has gotten the person who likely disagrees to provide the justification for the conclusion he (Mr Peterson) has reached.

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Kingarthur777 · Oct 23, 2018

benenglish said:
OK, which do you not like?

I'll start - He can't bring himself to give a straight answer to "Do you believe in God?" I would think that an academic who's spent 40 years thinking deep thoughts would have a canned answer ready to go. He could pick any set of definitions for the words in the question, state them, and answer. He refuses. He always falls back on "I don't know how you define certain words in the question" and then uses that excuse to sidestep the whole question. I think he's afraid to go there and I find that particularly objectionable in light of his constant exhortations to "take responsibility for your life."

Since I think he doesn't have his act together on that score, I'm completely open to his being wrong or incomplete on other stuff.

Where do you think he's taken a wrong turn?

I think he is avoiding the question because of a fear of bias. Oz follows Islam. I suspect he wouldn't get the airtime with Oz, unless he believed similarly. I don't think he wants his ideas to be tainted by someone who says he's just a Hagi or whatever.

Younggun · Oct 23, 2018

Kingarthur777 said:
I think he is avoiding the question because of a fear of bias. Oz follows Islam. I suspect he wouldn't get the airtime with Oz, unless he believed similarly. I don't think he wants his ideas to be tainted by someone who says he's just a Hagi or whatever.

Islam has god too. Probably not your (I don’t know you) but they definitely reference god.

Not going to get in to a debate about religion in general though. Only pointing it out as it is pertinent to your hypothesis.

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benenglish · Oct 24, 2018

Younggun said:
I don’t believe such a struggle conflicts with his message of taking responsibility.

I feel the same.

Younggun said:
...his comments on the Kavanaugh fiasco did bother me.

His tweet bothered me. Twitter isn't the right forum to state an opinion that needs 1000 words to flesh it out. However, I never saw his explanation of his tweet; I heard he did something longer and more nuanced on the subject but I don't know where.

Byrd666 · Oct 24, 2018

Tagged

Chirpy · Oct 24, 2018

He's the best thing to come out of Canada since Pamela Anderson, and she's a little past her sell-by date.

FireInTheWire · Oct 24, 2018

Came across JP on a Joe Rogan Podcast last Friday. Listened start to finish during my travel. Awesome podcast. He had some really great things to say. I will follow up with more of his material going forward.

We need more folks like him cutting through the BS.

Thanks for posting Ben.

Kar98 · Oct 24, 2018

When I'm replying "OK, Cathy" to somebody, for "so you're saying (something I absolutely didn't say, I didn't even say the opposite, I was talking about something completely different)", this is what I'm referring to:

Full interview:

FireInTheWire · Oct 24, 2018

Good lord... she is nuts

benenglish · Oct 24, 2018

Kar98 said:
I disagree strongly with his pollyanna-esque view on global population explosion, which in his opinion will pose no problems because every person in the world right now is better off on average than 100 years ago.

Aren't those two separate things?

The "everybody is better off" observation is just a statement of economic fact. Technology + Capitalism = Generally Higher Standard Of Living Everywhere, right?

Now, the idea that global population isn't a problem is something I've never heard him address. Why does he think it will be no problem? I've heard a number of folks talk about how population growth is leveling for many reasons but I've never heard his take on whether that's good or bad or whatever.

benenglish · Oct 24, 2018

Kar98 said:
When I'm replying...

The first video you posted is an edited cut done for comedy purposes.

But the point of posting those two side by side is still valid.

The JP interview with Cathy Newman (a hugely influential newsperson in the U.K., for those who don't know) was the second thing that made him famous.

FireInTheWire said:
Good lord... she is nuts

Yep, but she doesn't realize it.

Even today both Channel 4, collectively, and Cathy Newman, in particular, seem to feel that the interview went fine. To anyone with a brain, it didn't. In their SJW-addlepatedness, they just don't see it.

That's sad and disheartening but it really made a lot of people sit up and listen to JP.

Only if you don't know Jordan Peterson

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