The speaker believes that people should be more afraid of staying in a job that makes them miserable than taking risks to pursue something meaningful. It’s a moral obligation to pursue what you find meaningful, and it may require sacrifice, such as changing jobs or updating one’s skills.
The speaker recommends developing a vision for one’s life and working towards it strategically, which can lead to positive changes. Pursuing something meaningful is not a luxury but a moral responsibility, and it’s not about pursuing happiness but finding meaning. The speaker shares a personal example of being bored in school and misbehaving out of pure boredom.
In this video, Jordan Peterson talks about his experience in a classroom and how it made him realize the importance of challenge and responsibility in life. He believes that people are built to take on a maximal load because it strengthens them and prepares them for the difficulties of life. Peterson emphasizes the importance of being educated, knowing about one’s history, and being able to think, read, speak, and aim. He argues that despite the tragedy and malevolence in life, the human spirit can thrive and transcend these conditions if people take on the responsibility to make the world a better place. Peterson encourages individuals to stand up straight, take on responsibility voluntarily, and strive for nobility in their actions.
In this video, the speaker talks about their past struggles with alcohol and bad habits, as well as their decision to turn their life around and get disciplined in order to pursue their intellectual interests. They quit smoking, started working out and playing sports, and gained 30 pounds of muscle. They also got married to their childhood sweetheart and made a pact to always tell each other the truth, which has helped their relationship. The speaker emphasizes the importance of discipline and hard work in achieving one’s goals.
Jordan Peterson talks about the importance of truth and hierarchy of competence. He argues that truth is crucial to building relationships and that falsehood leads to chaos. He then discusses the idea of egalitarianism and how striving for equity in everything is wrong, especially for conservatives. Instead, he suggests that we need hierarchies of competence, where the best people in various fields are rewarded for their work. He also provides evidence that intelligence and conscientiousness are the two main predictors of lifetime success in Western societies. Peterson argues that hierarchies of competence are valuable and necessary, as they allow us to identify and reward the best people in different fields.
Jordan Peterson shares a story about a bad experience he had with a plumber and emphasizes the importance of competence in tradespeople. He argues that there are hierarchies of competence in every field and it’s essential to strive for excellence in whatever one chooses to do. He encourages young people to work hard, be honest, and aim for the top, rather than whining about their lives. Peterson believes that universities have forgotten their purpose of educating young people and creating high-quality individuals who can contribute positively to the world. He tells a story about speaking to Harvard students and urging them to make the most of their education and become something great.
Video summary in bullet points:
– Pursuing something meaningful is a moral obligation, not just a luxury for happiness, even if it requires sacrifice.
– Staying in a miserable job is not worth the cost in the long run, and the clock is ticking.
– Don’t expect permanent security outside of your ability to contend and adapt to change.
– If you need to switch careers, approach it strategically and responsibly, even if it takes time and effort.
– Develop a vision for your life and work towards it through positive goal setting and strategy.
– Having an ethos or ethic is more important than a specific vocation.
– Good days at work are characterized by losing track of time, while bad days are characterized by boredom and time dragging.
– The speaker describes a class where children were reading to each other and some struggled with reading.
– The speaker reflects on their own experience in the class and how they would misbehave if they were in that environment for an extended period of time.
– The speaker argues that individuals need challenge in their lives and that being in a stagnant environment can be detrimental to one’s soul.
– The speaker emphasizes the importance of being educated, knowing history, thinking critically, and speaking effectively.
– The speaker argues that despite the tragedy and malevolence in life, humans have the capacity to thrive and transcend these conditions through personal responsibility and noble striving.
– The speaker suggests that voluntarily taking on responsibility and striving for the betterment of oneself and the world can justify the tragedies and catastrophes of life.
– The speaker concludes by thanking the audience and reflecting on their own past habits of smoking and drinking.
– The speaker grew up in Northern Alberta in a rough town called Fairview where heavy drinking was common among his friends who dropped out of school early.
– Despite his bad habits and poor physical condition, the speaker decided to turn his life around around 1984 by quitting smoking, drinking, and starting to exercise.
– He enrolled in a swim exercise course where he struggled to keep up with older participants and later began lifting weights, ultimately gaining 30 pounds of muscle.
– The speaker realized he needed to get disciplined in order to work seriously on the problems he was obsessed with and published 15 papers by the time he graduated with his PhD from McGill.
– He made the sacrifice of giving up his hedonistic lifestyle to focus on his work and relationships, getting married to his childhood friend who has been a source of truth and support in his life.
– The speaker recommends being honest with your partner as a key to building a good relationship.
– The truth is essential for any genuine relationship; without it, there is only a web of lies that will unravel in times of crisis.
– Egalitarianism is not always the answer; hierarchies of competence are necessary for certain professions, such as neurosurgeons or plumbers, to ensure the best results.
– Post-modernists reject hierarchies of competence because they believe everything is based on power, but this is a cynical and untrue view.
– Intelligence and conscientiousness are the top predictors of success in Western societies, and hierarchies of competence reward those who work hard and excel in their field.
– While corrupt individuals can rise to the top of hierarchies, the vast majority of those in positions of power are competent and valuable to society.
– It is important to acknowledge hierarchies of competence and encourage young people to pursue careers in fields where they can excel and make a valuable contribution.
– Half an hour later, there was two inches of water in the basement due to 30 leaking joints the night before the drywallers were supposed to show up.
– It’s important to be competent in your trade, whether it’s plumbing or any other profession, to avoid causing more trouble.
– Tradesmanship is a reliable, honorable, forthright, and productive way of making a living.
– Genuine hierarchies of competence create a pleasant and efficient working environment where people know what they are doing and what to expect.
– Young people should aim to make something of themselves, be honest, work hard, and strive to get to the top of whatever profession they choose.
– Universities should be teaching students to read books, think critically, and make themselves into something instead of creating cringing milk sobs who whine about being victims.
