Takeaways from Jordan Peterson 3/12/22 Sydney

I understand this man has a large amount of hate. I'm a firm believer of didactically taking lessons from anyone. Everyone and anyone can provide insights into life whether deliberate or not. Below are my thoughts.

We must learn to continuously optimise the way we function as a self across time. Stagnation of this, often through staying within comfort for extended periods of time, is an antithesis to growth. What kind of satisfying stories do we tell ourselves? Are these narratives designed for us to continue through our sufferings or avoid them at all costs? Are we conscious of our suffering? I believe suffering needs to be conscious. Once conscious, we can embrace it as there is a purpose and reason. This will allow us to be more accountable and own 'suffering'.

In parallel, we should embrace easy times too. We need down times, we are human. It's a balance of comfort and challenges, which allow us for optimal and sustainable growth. Peterson described this well, "cooperation and competition." More on this later.

"Notice that opportunity lurks where responsibility is abdicated." One of the few quotes he pulled out during the seminar. Where people or a person leaves their duty on a personal, business, moral, societal level, there is an opportunity for another. One person's garbage is another's treasure. This is life, we come and we go.

He also touched on how a lot of our answers to why and who we are today, lie in our subconscious, deeply in our childhood. I agree. It takes a conscious and focused effort to dig into our childhood for triggers and traumas. What made us happy then? Why? Was there more to it?

Peterson also touched on representation. How things are and how things seem are very different. This was the most interesting part of the seminar for me. We ALL have moments (some greater than others) where we make superficial presumptions of people/society/anything really, a shallow image. Too often, these presumptions (again stemming from childhood and conditioned behaviour) detract us from seeing the 'human' behind such representation. We perceive little and assume too much. We see memoryu, not the world, we feel too much and think too little at times. On the other hand, we feel too little and think too much. We need to learn to awareness of when one or the other is falling out of balance. The middle path, which I often talk about. As Musashi wrote on strategy, "see distance from close, see close things from a far." Understand and segregate the emotion if it is obscuring a clarity.

During the Q and A section, there was a question, "thoughts on Kanye?" Peterson narrowed his brows and looked off into the distant ground for 5 seconds. He was someone who was incredibly critical of himself above all (of course, within his own limitations). I could summarise this discussion as something along the lines of 'once someone gains an abundance of fame, money, status etc. they often lose IMPORTANT PROPER FEEDBACK. I often talk about updating our software. In this case, Kanye, whom Peterson called a creative genius, has lost 'good friends' to give him feedback on his actions and thoughts. I think we can relate this to social media, where our judgements are clouded by those often in similar minds or similar reference groups, brought together often by algorithm. Whether we or they believe this is right or wrong doesn't matter. The bare fact is that humans are not made to be alone. We need caring company who do not just say "yes" but call us out when they believe we are falling. Whatever creativity, talent, hard work or persistence, we need regulation. Humans are far too complex to be alone and attempt to take on life, alone. A community is necessary (although one can appreciate how dangerous a community can be...)

As society intensifies through rapid development, we should be reminded to walk lightly. Don't be gripped by life. Practice pauses, practice detachment and attachment. Walk on the middle path.

I respect LGBTQIA+ communities, I respect diversity and above all, I advocate equal opportunity. Everyone deserves a voice and happiness in life. However, hate takes a lot of energy. I enjoyed the session, I would never consider myself a 'fan' of Peterson, I do believe he gives insights which can be taken away with a grain of salt (like all things) and applied in whatever way to better your own quality of life and perhaps others around you.