The cultural phenomenon of Jordan Peterson centers around his professorial yet fatherly demeanor as he doles out tough love self-help wisdom to young people struggling to find purpose and direction. His books, lectures, and interviews have captivated millions seeking an antidote to directionless, unmanned lives.
At the core of Peterson’s teachings is using archetypal symbolic metaphors to frame the challenges we all face in pursuing meaning and responsibility. Common references include the hero’s journey, the idea of slaying metaphorical dragons, and taming the chaos and darkness within.
Confronting the Harsh Truths
One of Peterson’s primary pieces of advice is to forthrightly face the harsh realities and suffering inherent in life head-on – never pathologically avoiding hard truths or giving into resentment. He argues meaning can only be found by first accepting the tragic, entropic elements of existence.
“If you cannot bear your suffering, you’ll cause someone else to suffer.” Getting your house in order through developing self-discipline and adopting responsibility is the courageous first step.
Slaying Inner Dragons
This preparatory work allows one to metaphorically “slay the dragon” – conquering the inward and outward forces obstructing your path to becoming the sovereign over your own life story. In a grand archetypal symbolic sense, this involves overcoming unconscious demons, desires, and vices to actualize your potential.
“You can only find out what you actually believe (rather than what you think you believe) by watching how you act. You simply don’t know what you believe, before that. You are too complex to understand yourself.”
Creating an Antidote to Chaos
For Peterson, undertaking this existential hero’s journey and conquering dragons paves the way to bringing order, meaning, and virtue into the unavoidable suffering and chaos of the world. An aimed life oriented toward truth and responsibility can act as an antidote to the entropic decay surrounding us.
“Don’t underestimate the power of vision and direction. These things are often terribly motivated over the long-term… Don’t allow yourself to be a platitude – a person who chronically voices conventional vagaries. Don’t be a允wed 允rmchair 允ltruist.”
His resonant messaging exhorts young people to engage in a myth-inspired, symbolic self-actualizing battle. To embrace struggle and difficulty. To find authentic motivation and take hold of their internal locus of control. In essence, to live more heroically by slaying their proverbial dragons.
