Plain talk. Wisdom from the old school. Jordan Peterson has sold 2 million copies of his book (a million more than when this book cover was printed). Many of his fans are young men. What’s the big deal? Why is Peterson so popular?
Peterson himself has a simple explanation for his extraordinary popularity: In a culture that sanctifies victimhood, he proposes that people confront life’s inevitable pain unflinchingly. So here is Peterson in a nutshell: Life is suffering. We can only bear it if it has meaning. And meaning is created when you take responsibility – by confronting hardship and firmly steering your ship forward, even against waves that will, ultimately, overwhelm it. This is a message people are “hungry for” in our times, he says (from an article on Haaretz.com).
Peterson covers a lot of ground in his book. I found the ongoing topic of growing into adulthood especially fascinating. I resonated with this passage from Rule 11: Do Not Bother Children When They Are Skateboarding. Peterson is describing how men like to work with each other: “Men enforce a code of behavior on each other, when working together. Do your work. Pull your weight. Stay awake and pay attention. Don’t whine or be touchy. Stand up for your friends. Don’t suck up and don’t snitch. Don’t be a slave to stupid rules. Don’t, in the immortal words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, be a girlie man. Don’t be dependent. At all. Ever. Period. …are you tough, entertaining, competent and reliable? If not, go away. Simple as that. We don’t need to feel sorry for you. We don’t want to put up with your narcissism, and we don’t want to do your work.
I’ve worked with groups of men in various situations, both in ministry and non-ministry arenas, and I find this description accurate and freeing. Add to this Peterson’s profound respect for truth as found in the Bible and you find a guru that many young men find attractive. And one this older man finds compelling as well.
