Chaos vs. orderFor some curious reason clinical psychologist and University of Toronto professor Jordan B. Peterson is a polarizing figure. Social media has contributed to this greatly. On the one hand, you have the rabid, vocal, entitled Western left, who label Peterson an alt-right male chauvinist. Which in no way is true. And on the other hand you have those capable of thinking for themselves. His students, his readers and viewers. (Peterson’s Youtube videos are reasoned and well-thought out.)
But do not take my word for the latter observation. Consider that his UofT students consistently rank him among the best three educators that they have ever had. Or that his recent book, fresh on the shelves,
12 Rules for Life. An Antidote to Chaos is at the moment atop most Canadian non-fiction bestseller list. It is also among Amazon’s and British booksellers’ fastest moving books, most popular works.
Better yet, read this book. Avoid the expected praise on the back cover – among them Camille Paglia, quite the right-wing feminist, yet very intelligent and observant, who calls Peterson the “most important and influential Canadian thinker since Marshall McLuhan.” Perhaps so. Yet Paglia’s endorsement will certainly ruffle feathers among those who demand preferential treatment in the name of equality. Paradoxically ensuring that equality is just a slogan, much like the Marxist mentality demands.
If nothing else, whether in the bookstore or the library, read UofT professor Norman Doige’s foreword. It should convince you to buy or borrow the book. And read it one must, to understand much of what is wrong in our world.
Curiously, a teenaged Peterson – up until the age of 18 – worked for the New Democratic Party in Alberta. Influenced by his school librarian, the mother of Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. Citing Orwell in 12 Rules he notes that he saw mainly intellectual, tweed-wearing middle class socialists agitating for change who "didn't like the poor; they just hated the rich". May I remind the reader of Canada’s silver-spoon socialists, no names necessary? He quit the NDP.
Peterson identifies politically as a “classic British liberal”. His interests led him to study and concentrate on totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and religion. His book is chock full of references to Marxism, Communism and Fascism, peppered with biblical references. He is no Bible-thumper – yet he uses both the Old and New Testament to bolster his argument.
Which in a nutshell is black and white. Life is suffering. Our Being – with a capital B – needs rules to survive this, the eternal conflict between chaos and order. Good and evil. Wrong and right. Peterson does not moralize or proselytize. He acknowledges that life can be brutal.
Read the entire article in Eesti Elu/Estonian Life #15, Friday, April 13, 2018
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L. Tork, Tallinn19 Apr 2018 22:52
'...sometimes depression is just plain unhappiness...' and let's add: coming from wrong life choices that need to be corrected. Wo! Back off from those mood-changing psychotropic 'Brave New World' pills. Trouble is, the contemporary urban person is often largely morally and ethically rudderless, separated as we are from natural cycles, some 'grounding' physical labour, with too much time on our hands combined with easily-swayed imaginations, due to 'ideology-' or 'image possession'. Peterson addresses the contemporary person: largely the travails of the average young male, who has been forcibly demoted to the lowest rung of the evolutionary ladder by political correctness bent on dismantling all tradition, but unfortunately 'throwing out the baby with the bathwater'. What is that baby? It's the actual accomplishments and foundations of the freest and most egalitarian society that has ever existed in human civilization. A terrible irony, paradox and huge mistake of the radical 'transformational' left. A clinical psychologist, he's also been tremendously helpful in getting young women to stand up for themselves in the workplace, and receive the respect and salary that is due to merit and contribution. Why establishment academia hates him so much is that he upsets their simplistic visions of progress, that he demonstrates are a 'cure' proving to be worse than the 'disease'. No one likes to be reminded of their shortcomings. That the emperor has no clothes. As to the gender-bender-naming debate, apparently way most transsexuals are on his side, simply wishing to be called a 'she' instead of a 'he' or the other way round, instead of the 64 new categories of gender being offered up as law not to be trespassed against by the society's new moral police. Of course thoroughly pissing off the 'progressive' professorial class, who up til now, thought they were running the show. Peterson is a maverick. Like a Martin Luther to the Catholic church, flipping preconceptions at such speed and with such staggering logic, knowledge and clinical experience (not mere theory) that his status quo rivals - comfortable and grown soft - who thought they were the tip of the evolutionary 'humanitarian-caring-righteousness' ladder, are stunned. Watch his interview with Cathy Newman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... Jordan Peterson debate on the gender pay gap, campus protests and postmodernism.
9 million views. He's hit a nerve. Canada should be proud. He may just be the world's most important living intellectual.
Lembit Tork, Tallinn.19 Apr 2018 07:42
Not a bad synopsis, monsieur Muhv! As far as can tell, anyone who isn't up on Jordan Peterson has a helluva learning curve to ride. Hey, people are even talking about him here. This will be lost on Eesti eestlased, but adding insult to injury, is having this sincerely humble, yet firm, earful delivered from someone whose accent is vintage McKenzie brothers via Edmonton. Life can be brutal, but from the last 9 months' testimonials and presentations, it's evident that simple sanity has it's genuine rewards. A return to common sense is in order. Sometimes depression is just plain unhappiness. A product of a shitty diet, fraudulent pharmaceuticals, and unrealistic expectations. What kind of society is addicted to and dying from 'meds'. I hate that term. 'Meds'. Is everyone on 'meds' in Canada? What kind of a cult are we talking about? Makes me sick remembering my late friend Raimo Toiviainen, who likely died of something prescribed, not even as a cure, but a smoother-outer. Sometimes, one by one, correcting the things one is doing wrong, including sugar-coated wishful thinking, is a cure to desperation. But what to expect from a culture which does not believe that the human organism might/ should be largely self-regulating, but relies instead on promises in white capsules readily available in the pharmacy that is the average North Americans mirrored bathroom storage case!? Talk about distancing from 'the natural'. A little more Thoreau, please. Mumps.
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