2.) In almost all other cases, the object of hatred or ridicule is someone who is genuinely eccentric, insane, or literally incapable of self-reflection for one reason or another (80% of the time it's just a case of autism, or child abuse). Peterson's "antics" do not, in my opinion, qualify as anything other than natural given the context of his life, and both the unplanned and clearly unexpected ascent to fame he has experienced
Peterson is not genuinely eccentric? The man who expressed his opinion that ancient art depicting spirals are depicting DNA helix? The man who does lectures on the bible but can't answer if he believes in god, because he doesn't know what they mean by "god"? And of course the man who did a bad podcast with sam harrison and then came up with the excuse that he was at the tail end of 40 days of not sleeping because he had a glass of cider?
This is all natural in the contrxt of his life? Why?
In other words, very little of what's written here, in my opinion, is an accurate description of Peterson
It just means you hear descriptions that are at odds with your own. If you don't respond specifically to those who you think to be wrong, you'll never find out if
1. You are misunderstanding the person you are responding to
2. They know something that you don't
Or
3. You understand something that they don't
You presume it's # 3 each time and that is the luxury of lurkers; their opinions and thoughts aren't tested by fire.
I've been lurking since roughly 2013, so I've borne witness to an innumerable amount of exceptionally bland, and unfathomably autistic threads here on the farms. But this one is among the strangest respecting its tonality and content. So much so that I have now descended from the abyssal plains of dissociated observation for the purposes of inter-penetrative inquiry.
These following questions may seem as though through them I am intending to run you into a rhetorical trap, or discourage your thoughts, or even tacitly insult you, but rest assured I seek only to know, and not to judge.
- What is the difference between merely sounding smart, and actually being smart? (this is one of the most common criticisms I have seen of Peterson here)
- Who do you consider an intellectual authority on the subject matter Peterson tends to discourse upon?
- Have you read Maps of Meaning, and can you describe what you think it's about?
- What makes Peterson a grifter?
- Would any of you describe yourself as communist, socialist, or anarchist?
As promised, honest answers
1. I think "sounding smart" is something completely unimportant. It's like wearing glasses.
I am such a nerd. It is essentially fashion, for intellectuals. Usually it also means camouflage as smart, so something that is the opposite of smart, but only sounds like it.
Peterson says a lot of things to have an oddball, unusual angle to a subject. It's probably his biggest strength and weakness. There sometimes is a disingenuity to it, like the famous reza aslan fox news bit. It is also what helped propel him to limelight as he's aaying things people haven't heard before.
You said earlier you don't think peterson is eccentric considering the context. And of course someone in this thread posted he lived in the same neighborhood and saw flyers and such with defamatory lies and things like that, which I find believable. There are videos of people screaming in his face or defacing the old building that he's giving a speech in. Is that the context you mean? I don't see how those things result in some of the weirder things he's said.
His daughter is a good example she says the same kind of things, but without any of the more forethought that Peterson puts into it to make them pallatable ideas. For that matter l, neither does post benzo Peterson.
2. Considering his discourse is all over the place you can't find a single authority on it. Abortion. Make-up. The bible. Jungian psychology. Archetypes. Ways to live your life. Whether politicians should step down. Pronouns. Free speech. How could you ever find an authority on all of these subjects?
3. No, I have not read any of his books beyond a couple of pages. Probably in the 100s of hours of video content though.
4. Grifter is just a word for "someone who makes money personally on the internet or in media". It's just an easy insult people use, especially when they're sick of hearing the ads. Like Peterson selling rugs for 1000$ a pop. I don't use the insult much personally. I also buy the idea that the internet is just a hustle economy for a good part, so almost anyone making money online is a grifter. I suppose it also depends on the value/price.
5. All three categories are a threat to humanity. As far as I can tell there, for the politically involved, people attack peterson from both the right and the left in this thread.