Jordan Peterson is starting to get annoying
I love Jordan Peterson and always have. His insights on human psychology and even on politics and religion have always fascinated me, and his willingness to stand up against evil and tyranny even when threatened is a trait I deeply admire. However, ever since he joined the Daily Wire, I’ve been really disappointed.
Dr. Peterson has always been an independent thinker. It’s hard to be an independent thinker when you have to cater to just one side of the political spectrum, and the Daily Wire is undeniably conservative. I don’t say that as an accusation; I actually lean right myself. I would describe myself as a center-right libertarian. But here’s the thing. I don’t WANT JP to agree with me all the time. I don’t want him to compromise his beliefs by pandering to one particular side. I want him to disagree every once in a while so that he can open my eyes to new ideas.
But here’s what I find most disappointing of all. One thing I always admired about him was his ability to stay calm under pressure. To communicate effectively and unbiasedly even when leftists throw constant straw men and ad hominems at him. Remember the Cathy Newman interview? “So you’re saying…”
Yet despite Ms. Newman’s constant straw men of his arguments, he just chuckled and articulated his actual views perfectly. “No, I’m not saying X, I’m saying Y.” And in the process, by keeping his composure and not attacking back, he exposed her bias for what it was.
Now he just seems angry. Especially in these monologues he’s been doing for DW. He’s always yelling and playing the offensive. It’s not entertaining and also not enlightening. He sounds like a grumpy old man all the time who hates anyone even slightly left of center. He used to identify as a classical liberal. No longer. He’s funded by a conservative channel spouting conservative views to help validate the views of conservatives. It pushes liberals away rather than opening them up to the idea that they may be wrong about some things. He no longer seems open-minded; rather, quite narrow-minded, as he’s tailoring his views to a very specific set of people and shutting out the other half. It’s very divisive, and the last thing we need in this country (and planet) is more division.
I also don’t get his resentment towards sustainability. He’s starting to sound like the far-right climate change deniers. “Climate change doesn’t matter, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a communist.” I call BS. Sustainability is not antithetical to capitalism, contrary to popular belief. We don’t need big government to make us go green; private companies can do that, as they already are. Look at Tesla. We can stop relying on fossil fuels without the government making us, and that’s a win-win. It means more jobs created, plus a healthier and more moderate climate. Yes, many climate change activists are on the radical left, but that doesn’t make sustainability inherently bad, just like the fact that some private businesses are run by corrupt people doesn’t make capitalism inherently bad.
Anyway, that’s more or less a tangent. My point is that his choice to join DW was a bad one IMO, and I’d like to see him return to his roots of being a psychologist, not a political pundit. And take a chill pill. I miss the old JP.
Dr. Peterson has always been an independent thinker. It’s hard to be an independent thinker when you have to cater to just one side of the political spectrum, and the Daily Wire is undeniably conservative. I don’t say that as an accusation; I actually lean right myself. I would describe myself as a center-right libertarian. But here’s the thing. I don’t WANT JP to agree with me all the time. I don’t want him to compromise his beliefs by pandering to one particular side. I want him to disagree every once in a while so that he can open my eyes to new ideas.
But here’s what I find most disappointing of all. One thing I always admired about him was his ability to stay calm under pressure. To communicate effectively and unbiasedly even when leftists throw constant straw men and ad hominems at him. Remember the Cathy Newman interview? “So you’re saying…”
Yet despite Ms. Newman’s constant straw men of his arguments, he just chuckled and articulated his actual views perfectly. “No, I’m not saying X, I’m saying Y.” And in the process, by keeping his composure and not attacking back, he exposed her bias for what it was.
Now he just seems angry. Especially in these monologues he’s been doing for DW. He’s always yelling and playing the offensive. It’s not entertaining and also not enlightening. He sounds like a grumpy old man all the time who hates anyone even slightly left of center. He used to identify as a classical liberal. No longer. He’s funded by a conservative channel spouting conservative views to help validate the views of conservatives. It pushes liberals away rather than opening them up to the idea that they may be wrong about some things. He no longer seems open-minded; rather, quite narrow-minded, as he’s tailoring his views to a very specific set of people and shutting out the other half. It’s very divisive, and the last thing we need in this country (and planet) is more division.
I also don’t get his resentment towards sustainability. He’s starting to sound like the far-right climate change deniers. “Climate change doesn’t matter, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a communist.” I call BS. Sustainability is not antithetical to capitalism, contrary to popular belief. We don’t need big government to make us go green; private companies can do that, as they already are. Look at Tesla. We can stop relying on fossil fuels without the government making us, and that’s a win-win. It means more jobs created, plus a healthier and more moderate climate. Yes, many climate change activists are on the radical left, but that doesn’t make sustainability inherently bad, just like the fact that some private businesses are run by corrupt people doesn’t make capitalism inherently bad.
Anyway, that’s more or less a tangent. My point is that his choice to join DW was a bad one IMO, and I’d like to see him return to his roots of being a psychologist, not a political pundit. And take a chill pill. I miss the old JP.
36-40, M
