People are often loath to figure out precisely where they are. They don’t want to know because they’d rather be spread out, in a half-blind manner - in the fog - hoping that the place that they’re at is better than it is, and deluding themselves by remaining vague; Rather than trying to figure out, “I’m right here, right now, with these specific problems”.

But it’s better to do that because If you have a set of specific problems and you narrow them down and specify them, then you can start fixing them, and you can start fixing them incrementally.

Slay the dragon in his lair before he comes to your village.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFFSKedy9f4
https://direct.me/jordanpeterson

“One of the key things I love about humanity is not just that we are dissatisfied with things that are wrong and can be improved but also with ourselves we are dissatisfied. Most of us want to be better.”

Cambridge graduate Stephen Fry is a highly educated polymath in combination with a truly charming personality. He is a noted TV, film, stage and voice-over actor, radio broadcaster, author (four novels and three volumes of autobiography), comedian (Fry and Laurie), quiz show host and guest, documentarist, political figure, journalist, poet, public intellectual, and Twitter phenomenon -- one of Great Britain's true national treasures, successful at everything he touches.

Mr Fry and I discuss, among other topics, atheism, religion, rationalism, empiricism, greek and Egyptian mythology,  resentment, cruelty, the necessity of bartering with reality and the psychological advantages of constitutional monarchy.

https://www.thinkspot.com/discourse/pzuXqr/post/jordan-peterson/beyond-order-bonus-essays-evidence-from-our-actions-for-the-existence-of-free-will/b6mtwx

"Evidence from our Actions for the Existence of Free Will?".

Another excerpt that did not make the final edit of "Beyond Order" is now available to read on Thinkspot. Click the link to read it.

Aim at something. Pick the best target you can currently conceptualize. Stumble towards it. Notice your errors and misconceptions along the way, face them, and correct them.

https://thinkspot.com/products/kbuA6w...

I recently answered questions that were submitted on the social media platform - https://www.thinkspot.com. We restarted the Q&A initiative in 2021, and this is my second Q&A of the year.

Thinkspot is still in beta, and would greatly appreciate your participation. These answers were also released early on Thinkspot, so if you want an earlier view of these Q&A's you can see them on Thinkspot a few days early. To view the Q&A's, you must register to Thinkspot.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ET7banSeN0

Audio: https://direct.me/jordanpeterson

“One of the things that is clear about the intellectual classes is that one of their greatest fears is the fear of being considered censorious, and the easiest way to avoid this is to avoid making judgements.”

Dr. Anthony Daniels and I discuss a variety of topics relating to distinct differences in culture and mindset in the poor “Underclass” in Britain. We examine many stories from Dr. Daniel's time as a consulting physician in a prison and hospital in one of the poorest areas of London and draw conclusions on similarities in violence, domestic abuse, learned helplessness, education, monogamy, the disintegration of the family, and more.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPJRYIWhkY2/

What is it that you should value?

People say, "Well, being Happy". They don't mean that. If you decompose what people mean when they say they want to be happy, what it turns out people mean is they don't want to be miserable. They're way more concerned with avoiding suffering than they are with pursuing enthusiastic, positive emotion.

The statement, "I want to be Happy", is not an accurate reflection of what it is that you want.

People wonder why I engage in conflict. I hate conflict. I find it very stressful. But conflict delayed is conflict multiplied.

As the conflict is delayed the reasons multiply. And the persons who are involved demean themselves, get weaker, and less confident. There's a line in the New Testament where Christ talks about prayer:

"If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

Resentment is horrible, toxic, and destructive but, it's useful. Resentment can be a gateway to improvement. Or, you can foster it, let it devour you and take you places that no one with a clear mind would want to go.

Resentment is the pathway to Hell, if not managed carefully.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqIPO_1wXa4&t=2836s

I appeared as a guest on Lauren Chen's podcast that released on YouTube as of yesterday. In this interview we discuss religion, belief, God, intelligence, society's flaws, and how individuals can make a genuine change.

Watch it by clicking the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXiLvPjeK1M&t=437s

My latest Q&A is now live. It was released early on ThinkSpot but is now available on YouTube. This is the second Q&A of 2021. Watch it via the link provided.

Why Comedians Can Insult Every Ethnic Group.

“When I talk about a certain group of people, I’m talking about it from their perspective, not my perspective. The way they read it as, “This guy actually understands us. We can’t be offended because he said something only we should know about ourselves, which means, he’s either an insider, or he’s really paid a lot of attention to us. One way or the other, they know it’s done as a tribute, as opposed to making fun of."

My daughter Mikhaila and I co-hosted a podcast that was recorded earlier in 2021. In this episode, we speak with Russell Peters, a Canadian comedian, actor, and producer. We explore many topics such as politically incorrect humour, stand up, acting, travel, working during the pandemic, universally funny truths, spontaneous action, the personality of a comedian, and more.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/xRGkr0LGZDA

Beyond Order - Bonus Essays: On Power—and Other Sources of Human Motivation.

Another book excerpt that was not published is now available to read on ThinkSpot. You can view it here:

https://thinkspot.com/discourse/32uMp2/post/jordan-peterson/beyond-order-bonus-essays-on-power-and-other-sources-of-human-motivation/b6mtwx?fbclid=IwAR2ueEKTRD68eissWFmfwM4xKqatiTzQhsifw3UoJY7Y4Je1wLVNREoDXdE

Why I Love Comedians.

Everyone knows you can fail in front of people, but when you don’t, everyone is happy. That makes live shows so dramatically exciting.

This clip is from a co-hosted podcast earlier in the year with Mikhaila and Russell Peters.

If you're interested in watching the full YouTube video, click the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRGkr0LGZDA&t=537s

I am taking questions on Thinkspot for my next Q&A to be released on June 2nd 2021. Compact questions are appreciated. I look forward to answering what I can. Please submit questions by the end of today.

https://thinkspot.com/online_content/jordan-peterson/recorded-q-a-submit-questions-by-may-25th/2ruW16/Event?live=yes&t=watch&re=y

My Relationship with the Media

"They want you to say, “I’m left,” or, “I’m right.” You’re like, “Listen, I’m neither. I’m watching both sides and making my own decisions.” That’s how I see you."

Another clip from my co-hosted podcast earlier in the year with Mikhaila.

Watch it in full here, if you haven't already:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRGkr0LGZDA&t=537s

Audio: https://bit.ly/34oGUeE
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3bUlGcE

“If we want to help children in terms of their development and high-risk children; the best strategy is to give support to girls early on who have adjustment problems in the school system because they are the best predictors of boys who will have problems that we are talking about.”

I sat down with Richard Tremblay and we discussed his research in physical aggression and juvenile delinquency, what surprised him of his finding, risk factors that lead to aggressive behavior in adults, experimental interventions with mothers to decrease aggression in children, the biology of aggression, and more.

Another short clip from my talk with Richard Tremblay.

"We haven't measured everything, but most of the emotional behavioural problems that individuals have are likely to affect the next generation."

The full conversation can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vXVn8bK2wA&t=2187s

Is Betrayal Reconcilable?

My observation is that if there is a tight relationship and one party is betrayed by the other (falling in love with another person), it's almost always irreconcilable.

I've helped people try and struggle through that on both sides of the issue. The person who was betrayed and the person who did the betrayal.

I have seen people grow up and not do it again. And this was in situations where their partner didn't know. In a couple of those situations, it seemed that it might even be described as a necessary experience for the person who did it. It helped them develop. I am NOT justifying that behaviour, but life is complicated.

However, I think society works better, all things considered, when you make a promise. And you stick to it. One of the things I learned from reading Jung was that there are things in a marriage that you can't have unless you're all in.

I believe that.

Listen here: https://bit.ly/34oGUeE
Watch here: https://bit.ly/3wG27ww

“People in North Korea don’t die from cancer; they die from infection and hunger mostly.”

I was joined by Yeonmi Park recently to discuss various topics, including her incredible story of escaping North Korea, being a slave in China, and Yeonmi’s current opinions on issues in modern eastern and western society.

Yeonmi is a North Korean defector and human rights activist trying to shine a light on the atrocities still being committed in North Korea by the current Kim regime. She wrote her experiences into a bestseller, ‘In Order to Survive.’ She tells stories of her childhood and escaping to remind the world of how terrible things are for North Koreans.

"You do not have the freedom even to travel abroad; it’s an entire black hole of information. You don’t know outside that cave what’s happening. But of course, the leaders like Kim Jong-il went to school in Switzerland, but the people at the bottom, most of them, have never even seen the map of the world."

My interview with Yeonmi Park has already amassed 170,000 views in the first 24 hours. It's an incredibly sad and intense conversation. Yeonmi shares her journey of escaping North Korea and moving to China with her family.

Watch in full here: https://youtu.be/8yqa-SdJtT4