Jordan Peterson on the Power of Writing

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of teaching critical thinking through writing, highlighting the difficulty in grading poorly written essays. They mention a guide available on their website to improve writing skills. The speaker passionately argues that writing is a powerful tool for effective thinking and action, essential for success in life's battles. They express concern that universities often fail to convey the significance of writing, which should be seen as a vital skill for articulating arguments and gaining influence.

Takeaways

• 📝 The best method to teach critical thinking is through writing exercises.
• 🔍 The speaker has created a guide to writing, which is intended to assist in the writing process.
• 🌐 The guide is available on the 430 website, not the 434 website as initially thought.
• ⏳ Writing and marking essays is a time-consuming task, especially when grading poorly written ones.
• 🤔 The speaker emphasizes the importance of identifying and teaching what parts of an essay are done correctly, rather than focusing solely on mistakes.
• 💡 The rubric is designed to help with the production of essays, rather than just grading them.
• 🧠 Writing is equated with thinking, and the speaker believes that universities should teach students why writing is important.
• 🗣️ Effective writing, speaking, and presenting skills are powerful tools that can lead to success and influence.
• 🤷‍♂️ The speaker is puzzled by the lack of emphasis on the importance of writing skills in universities.
• 🛡️ Writing skills are likened to weapons, providing individuals with the ability to defend and advance their ideas effectively.

Q & A

What is the best way to teach critical thinking according to the speaker?

The speaker believes that the best way to teach critical thinking is to teach people to write.

What is the purpose of the 'rubric for essay writing' mentioned in the script?

The 'rubric for essay writing' is a tool created by the speaker to guide people through the process of writing effectively.

Why is it challenging to teach people to write, as per the speaker's experience?

The speaker finds it challenging because writing and marking essays are time-intensive, and it's difficult to provide constructive feedback on a poorly written essay without overwhelming the writer.

How does the speaker's rubric aim to adjust the teaching process?

The rubric is designed to adjust the teaching process from the production side rather than the grading side, making it easier for students to understand what they did wrong and how to improve.

What is the connection between writing and thinking, according to the speaker?

The speaker emphasizes that there is no difference between writing and thinking, suggesting that writing is a direct reflection of one's thought process.

Why does the speaker think writing is important for students in universities?

The speaker believes that writing is crucial because it helps students think effectively, which is essential for success in various aspects of life, including battles for good causes.

What does the speaker imply about the power of being able to write, speak, and present effectively?

The speaker implies that the ability to write, speak, and present effectively is a powerful weapon that can lead to success, opportunities, and influence.

Why does the speaker find it surprising that students are not told why they should write?

The speaker is surprised that students are not told the importance of writing because it is a powerful tool that can significantly impact their ability to act effectively in the world.

What does the speaker suggest about the lack of emphasis on the importance of writing in education?

The speaker suggests that there might be a conspiracy to keep students weak by not emphasizing the importance of writing, which could be a way to reduce competition.

What is the speaker's view on the role of language and communication skills in personal success?

The speaker views language and communication skills as essential tools for personal success, comparing them to weapons like a sword or an M16, which can make a person dangerous and influential if used effectively.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Importance of Teaching Writing for Critical Thinking

The speaker emphasizes the significance of teaching writing as a means to develop critical thinking skills. They mention creating an online guide to assist in the essay writing process, which is accessible on either the 434 or 430 website. The guide is designed to help students understand the intricacies of writing, as marking essays can be challenging due to the numerous potential errors. The speaker argues that writing is closely linked to thinking and is a powerful tool that can make individuals effective in their actions and arguments. They express frustration that universities often fail to convey the importance of writing to students, viewing it as a vital skill that can lead to success and influence. The speaker suggests that articulating thoughts coherently is a weapon and a tool for empowerment, and they question why this is not more evident in educational systems.

Keywords

💡Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate information objectively. In the script, it is emphasized as a crucial skill that can be honed through writing. The speaker suggests that teaching people to write effectively is one of the best ways to develop their critical thinking skills, as it involves organizing thoughts, evaluating arguments, and presenting them coherently.

💡Writing

Writing is the process of inscribing thoughts, ideas, and information onto a medium to convey meaning. The script highlights writing as a powerful tool for expressing thoughts and as a means to develop critical thinking. The speaker mentions creating a guide to assist people in the writing process, indicating that writing is not just about producing text but about clear and effective communication.

💡Rubric

A rubric is a set of criteria for assessing the quality of students' work. In the context of the script, the speaker refers to a rubric for essay writing that they have created to help guide students in producing better essays. The rubric is used as a tool to adjust the teaching process from the grading side to the production side, making it easier for students to understand what is expected of them.

💡Coherence

Coherence refers to the logical and consistent flow of ideas in a piece of writing. The script discusses the difficulty in teaching students to write coherently, as it involves not just correct grammar and sentence structure, but also the logical arrangement of ideas within paragraphs and the overall essay. Coherence is essential for effective communication and is a key aspect of the writing process that the speaker aims to improve through their guide.

💡Argumentation

Argumentation is the process of presenting reasons or evidence to support a particular point of view. The script touches on the importance of being able to formulate arguments coherently. The speaker emphasizes that the ability to argue effectively is a powerful skill that can lead to success in various aspects of life, including academic, professional, and personal endeavors.

💡Influence

Influence refers to the capacity to have an effect on someone or something. In the script, the speaker connects the ability to write and articulate thoughts with having influence. They argue that those who can write and speak well can sway opinions, secure opportunities, and gain power, which is a significant outcome of developing strong writing skills.

💡Education System

The education system encompasses the institutions, structures, and practices through which learning is provided. The speaker critiques the education system for not making the importance of writing and critical thinking skills self-evident to students. They suggest that these skills are essential for success but are often not emphasized or taught effectively.

💡University

A university is an institution of higher learning that offers degrees and conducts research. The script mentions universities as places where students should be learning to think and write effectively. The speaker implies that universities have a responsibility to equip students with the skills necessary to succeed in life, including the ability to articulate thoughts and arguments.

💡Success

Success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. In the context of the script, success is linked to the ability to write and think critically. The speaker uses the term to describe individuals who are articulate and can effectively communicate their ideas, suggesting that these skills are key to achieving success in various domains.

💡Competition

Competition refers to the act of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others. The speaker humorously suggests that there might be a conspiracy within the education system to keep students from developing critical thinking and writing skills to reduce competition. This highlights the speaker's belief in the power of these skills to give individuals an edge.

💡Articulate

To be articulate is to express oneself clearly and effectively. The script emphasizes the importance of being able to speak and write in a clear, organized, and persuasive manner. The speaker argues that being articulate is a dangerous skill because it allows individuals to influence others, secure opportunities, and achieve their goals.

Highlights

The best way to teach critical thinking is through writing.

An online guide for essay writing is available, possibly on the 430 website.

Teaching writing is challenging due to the time-consuming nature of the task.

Marking a good essay is straightforward, but marking a bad essay is complex.

Feedback should focus on a few things done half-right rather than everything done wrong.

The rubric is designed to adjust the teaching process from the production side rather than the grading side.

Writing is equated with thinking, and both are essential skills.

Universities often fail to explain the purpose of writing assignments to students.

Writing is a powerful tool for acting effectively in the world.

Good thinking, speaking, and writing skills make one 'deadly' in achieving goals.

The importance of writing as a weapon in arguments and presentations is emphasized.

Writing skills can lead to financial success and opportunities.

The value of articulateness is highlighted as a dangerous and influential skill.

Students should be taught why they are learning to write, as it is a powerful tool.

The lack of clarity on the importance of writing in education is a mystery.

There may be a conspiracy to keep students weak to reduce competition.

Students are not often challenged to think critically about their education.

Transcripts

the best way the best way to teach

people critical thinking is to teach

them to write and I made this little

thing that I put online it's I can all

maybe it is it in the site 434 website

did I post that rubric for essay writing

it is not on 434 is that not working oh

oh okay well there's an essay role

that's too bad it's not on the site 434

web site even because I updated it

anyways I have this guide to writing

that's that if it isn't on the 434

website it is definitely on the 430

website and it steps people through the

process of writing because what's

happened now it's very hard to teach

people to write to this unbelievably

time intensive and like writing marking

a good essay that's really easy check a

you did everything right right

marking a bad essay oh my god the words

are wrong the phrases are wrong the

sentences are wrong they're not ordered

right in the paragraphs the paragraphs

aren't coherent and the whole thing

makes no sense

so trying to tell the person what they

did wrong it's like well you did

everything wrong everything about this

essay is wrong

well that's not helpful either you have

to find a few little things they did

half right and you have to teach them

what they did wrong it's really

expensive and so what I did with this

rubric was try to adjust that from the

production side instead of the grading

side but the best thing you can do is

teach people to write because there's no

difference between now and thinking and

one of the things that just blows me

away about universities is that no one

ever tells students why they should

write something it's like well you have

to do this assignment well why are you

writing well you need the great like

know you need to learn to think because

thinking makes you act effectively in

the world thinking makes you win the

battles you undertake and those could be

battles for good things if you can think

and speak and write you are absolutely

deadly nothing can get in your way

so that's why you learn to write it's

like when I can't believe that people

are just told

that it's like it's the most powerful

weapon you can possibly provide someone

with and I mean I know lots of people

who have been staggeringly successful

and watched them throughout my life I

mean those people you don't want to have

an argument with them they'll just slash

you into pieces and they're not in a

malevolent way it's like if you're going

to make your point and they're going to

make their point you better have your

points organized because otherwise

you're going to look like and be an

absolute idiot you are not going to get

anywhere and if you can formulate your

arguments coherently and make a

presentation if you can speak to people

if you can lay out a proposal god people

give you money to give you opportunities

you have influence that's what you're at

University for so that's what you do is

you not yearning you're in English right

or yeah new languages anyways it's like

yeah teach people to be articulate

because that's the most dangerous thing

you can possibly be so and that's

motivating if people know that it's like

well why are you learning right because

you're here's your sword here's your m16

right here's your bulletproof vest like

you learn how to use them but ah it's

just it's an endless mystery to me why

that isn't made self-evident so that's

the sort of thing that can drive you mad

trying to sort out it's like people are

there's there's a conspiracy to bring

people into the education system to make

them weaker so a gift that keeps the

competition down maybe that's one way of

thinking about it if your students are

stupid they're not going to challenge

you so