Jordan Peterson and Ayn Rand Compared

        Jordan Peterson and Ayn Rand both speak directly to people who feel the world has gone soft on personal responsibility. They attract similar crowds—young men especially, but plenty of others too—who are tired of being told that success is mostly luck, privilege, or exploitation. Rand, through novels like Atlas Shrugged, painted a vivid picture of creators and doers standing up against a society that punishes achievement and rewards mediocrity. Her heroes walk away rather than carry the weight of the incompetent. Peterson, in his lectures and books, tells people to stand up straight, clean their room (get their lives in order before trying to change the world), and voluntarily shoulder the heaviest burden they can bear. Both deliver a message that cuts through the haze: life is hard, but you can make something noble of it by refusing to drift or make excuses. That core appeal—take charge of yourself, produce value, live with purpose—explains why fans of one often find something familiar in the other.

Yet the two part ways when you look closer at what they actually value. Rand was uncompromising in her celebration of rational self-interest and individual happiness; she saw joy, achievement, and personal pride as the proper aim of life, and she regarded sacrifice for others as immoral. Peterson speaks of meaning coming from bearing burdens (often for family, community, or something larger than yourself), and he warns against a shallow pursuit of mere happiness. Where Rand’s ideal is the heroic individual pursuing his own rational values without apology, Peterson’s is the responsible individual who finds order and purpose by confronting chaos and accepting limits. Objectivists often criticize Peterson for slipping toward collectivism or mysticism; Peterson has called Rand’s philosophy overly simplistic and her characters one-dimensional. Still, both have shaken people awake, given them a moral compass in confusing times, and left a mark that lingers long after the lectures and books are closed.

12 Rules for Life, by Dr. Jordan Peterson

 "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos" is a bestselling self-help book written by Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson. The book, first published in 2018, has gained widespread popularity and has sold over five million copies worldwide.

The book consists of twelve chapters, each one representing a rule that Peterson believes can help individuals live a meaningful and successful life. Here is a summary of the twelve rules:

Dr. Jordan Peterson

Peterson interviewed by Cathy Newman

The Antidote to Chaos, and Psychobabble

by John Russell Turner

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is a clinical psychologist, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, author, lecturer, father and husband who has caused, and continues to cause, quite a stir on the Internet. His YouTube channel has over two million subscribers, and most of his videos have been viewed millions of times per day. He has written three books. His most popular book, 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos has sold well over three million copies, but I haven't been able to get a more accurate number from my web research. Most of the figures I did find were around three million, and that seems plausible. Dr. Peterson has toured the world promoting this book, and there are numerous critiques of it available on-line.

I first heard about Dr. Peterson three years ago, when he was embroiled in controversy over his opposition to Canadian Bill C-16, which requires Canadians to use the "preferred pronouns" of transgendered (and other) individuals, or face legally imposed sanctions. This caused a firestorm of controversy, although Peterson's opposition was based solely on the fact that Bill C-16 was and is compelled speech, and as such, antithetical to the concept of free speech. In other words, if you refuse to use the pronouns people want you to use when referring to them, you could wind up in jail. Although jail time was not mentioned in the Bill, but fines were, what would happen if you refused to pay such fines? You'd go to jail.

Dr. Peterson reacting to protester

This infamous "Bill C-16 Incident" was how most people first heard of Dr. Peterson, and he was the subject of a whole hell of a lot of Google searches, and that is how people came to discover the fact that he had, long before the controversy over Bill C-16, posted hundreds of videos on-line about a variety of subjects: the psychology of totalitarianism/collectivism, his fascinating university lectures, the psychology, types, and origins of personality, the psychology of religion/spirituality, rational (common sensical) self-improvement, free speech, male/female relationships and male/female differences. Also, a book titled Maps of Meaning, The Architecture of Belief, which was, in effect, a rational attempt to explain human psychology in terms of ancient archetypes and myths. Suddenly, Dr. Peterson had a large number of people who were intensely interested in his ideas, and many people credit him for helping to vastly improve their lives. In fact, Dr. Peterson's work has been called the "gateway drug to Christianity' by many who were once agnostics or atheists.  I was not an atheist when I first encountered Dr. Peterson on the web, but his work did encourage me to quit being on the fence about it. Millions of people love this man for his incredible passion and intellectual honesty in covering the topics I listed above. The thing that really got me hooked was the point he made about evil living inside of all of us, so to speak, about everyone's ability to do heinous evil, and the peril one faces when this is ignored or not confronted. He asks his students and listeners: what would you have done if you lived  in Germany during the aftermath of World War I? If you were supporting a beloved family, but the only work you could find was working for the Nazis, would you? This thought gave me pause, and got me thinking about true humility and what it entails. As for the majority of his other

admirers, the free speech issues raised with Canadian Bill c-16 was the hook.

As you would expect, Dr. Peterson has many detractors on the Left, and the interesting thing about that is Peterson has become a mirror upon which you can clearly see the vile projections these Leftists unknowingly place on him. In other words, his ideas brilliantly illuminate the evil, twisted rationalizations of most Leftists, especially the post-Modernists. Dr. Peterson's work is sometimes shocking, even astounding, for he reveals the psychological nudity of Leftists who are so wrapped up in The Lie (malignant narcissism) that they cannot see it for themselves. Do you want to change the world? Make sure yours is in order first, the good Doctor advises. Clean your room. Pet a cat or dog whenever you encounter one. Always tell the truth, or at least, don't lie. Sound, solid advice. It's about time! His scathing excoriation of feminists who promote ideas such as rape culture and toxic masculinity is almost embarrassing to witness-many men have claimed that Peterson opened their eyes to the idea that it's OK to be male. Actually, Dr. Peterson's message is that it's OK to be a human being, and that's a message a lot of people need these days.

Watch this interview with Cathy Newman from England's Channel 4, and you will get an excellent overview of the Peterson phenomenon, along with the pathetic nature of his critics. This video was at one time the most viewed video on YouTube.