I have often considered the differences in telling people a hard truth, vs. telling them a comfy lie, or just not confronting anything at all. I truly believe that we do people a disservice by not telling hard truths – obviously time, place, and relationship all have to do with how this plays out – however, by not doing so we are taking it into our own hands, whether or not that person should have the opportunity to grow by tackling difficulty. By telling the truth, we at least give them a choice in how they are going to respond. Our culture at large is so obsessed with “sensitivity,” and “trigger warnings,” etc., that we are attempting to over-protect people to death. This is simply not representative of the state of nature and the real world. We are reducing these people into beasts who need someone to rule over them. Many of us know that ends badly – not in a pillow laden room with puppies.
I am eternally grateful for people in my life who have told me true words that I needed – but at times didn’t want – to hear. I have had to make a lot of hard choices – especially in my younger years – to break free of mindsets passed on to me, and to change bad habits. I am not perfect by any means, but I can look myself in the mirror in large part because of the things I chose to face. The battles I have won have given me a self respect that cannot be taken away, and as I continue to struggle, I only gain more.
This, I believe, is one reason why Jordan Peterson has such a following. People want to be told to do hard things, not because they like being bossed around, but because it is an acknowledgment that they can do it. What the over-protectors see as criticism that makes them want to create a safe space, is, in fact, the word of encouragement that so many are looking for. Yes, life is hard. Yes, you are a bit of a mess. Yes, this is probably going to hurt like hell, but YOU CAN DO IT. Oh! How liberating is that! Rather than wasting years of my life in hiding, I can actually confront my fears and overcome what holds me back.
On the broader spectrum of society and its ills, it is time to wake up and smell the rotten cabbage. Peterson calls out a lot of very concerning things, which is what really rocketed him more into the public eye over the last eighteen months or so. He isn’t wrong. The above sentiments are everywhere, and they are not producing a brave, hard working group of future citizenry. Funny how we are told that it’s all about “equality” and leveling out the playing field. No way it is. Any thinking person who really considers the situation, should be able to see that we are creating an easily subdued and subservient populace, which will only tend to give more power to the few, since the former need to be led around by falsehoods… because they can’t face truth.
Why does Peterson stand out so much? I mean yes, he is brilliant, but clearly he is not the only one who thinks this way. Maybe his unapologetic bravery at defying popular opinion is more rare than I think. In any case, there are a ton of great videos out there, and he is worth checking out, if you haven’t done so.
Last gasp of freedom 