How To Beat Fear And Anxiety | Jordan Peterson | Powerful Life Advice

Summary

The speaker discusses anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, questioning why everyone doesn't suffer from these issues given life's inherent challenges. They emphasize the importance of courage in the face of self-awareness and vulnerability. Drawing from clinical literature, they argue that facing fears doesn't make them less daunting but rather makes individuals braver. This bravery is linked to a healthier psychophysiological response, contrasting involuntary stress with voluntary challenge. The narrative encourages viewing oneself as capable of navigating life's uncertainties courageously, which can bolster self-esteem and provide solace during life's low points.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Understanding Anxiety: The speaker suggests that it's not surprising that people have anxiety disorders given life's inherent challenges and uncertainties.
• 🤔 The Greater Mystery: It's more puzzling why some people don't have anxiety or depression, considering the universal human vulnerabilities and mortality.
• 💊 Substance Use: The use of drugs and alcohol is seen as a way to cope with the overwhelming aspects of life, like anxiety and depression.
• 🚀 Moving Forward: Despite self-consciousness and awareness of danger, Abraham's decision to move forward is highlighted as a commendable response to life's challenges.
• 🌟 Courage Over Naiveté: Courage is not about being unaware of danger but about knowingly moving forward despite potential risks.
• 🔍 Identifying Fears: The clinical approach to fear involves identifying and breaking down what one fears into manageable parts.
• 💪 Becoming Braver: Facing fears doesn't necessarily make them less scary, but it does make a person braver, capable of meeting challenges head-on.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Voluntary Stress: People who voluntarily take on stressors respond differently physiologically, activating systems associated with approach and challenge rather than defense and withdrawal.
• 🌱 Growth Through Challenge: Embracing challenges as voluntary acts can lead to personal growth and a positive emotional state.
• 🌟 Self-Esteem Booster: Viewing oneself as capable of facing the world courageously and taking risks can bolster self-esteem and provide comfort during life's low points.
• 🛌 Sleep Soundly: Recognizing one's own courage can provide peace of mind and help one sleep better, even during times of instability.

Q & A

What is the speaker's perspective on why people have anxiety disorders?

The speaker suggests that anxiety disorders are not mysterious to them, as everyone has reasons to be anxious. They believe the ultimate reason for anxiety is the awareness of our vulnerability and mortality.

Why does the speaker find it more puzzling that people don't have anxiety disorders?

The speaker is more puzzled by the absence of anxiety disorders because they see life as inherently filled with reasons to be anxious, such as vulnerability and the inevitability of death.

What does the speaker suggest is the appropriate response to life's challenges?

The speaker believes the appropriate response is to move forward despite self-consciousness and awareness of danger, which is a sign of non-naive understanding of life.

How does the speaker describe the process of overcoming fear?

The speaker describes overcoming fear as a process of identifying what one is afraid of, breaking it down into manageable problems, and then exposing oneself to the feared situation to build bravery rather than merely reducing fear.

What is the difference between getting less afraid and getting braver according to the speaker?

Getting less afraid implies that the world is less dangerous than previously thought, whereas getting braver means acknowledging the world's dangers but choosing to face them with courage.

How does voluntary stress differ from involuntary stress in terms of psychophysiological response?

Voluntary stress is associated with an approach and challenge system that is linked to positive emotions and less negative impact, whereas involuntary stress triggers a defensive system that is more taxing and linked to negative emotions.

What does the speaker suggest is a key to a good life?

The speaker suggests that a key to a good life is moving forthrightly into the unknown and embracing the adventure associated with it.

Why is viewing oneself as courageous beneficial according to the speaker?

Viewing oneself as courageous is beneficial because it provides a sense of self-worth and comfort during moments of existential doubt or when life seems futile and miserable.

What does the speaker mean when they say self-esteem is not about just feeling good about oneself?

The speaker implies that self-esteem is not merely about positive self-regard but also about recognizing one's capacity to act courageously and improve one's situation despite risks and challenges.

How does the speaker relate the idea of moving forward into the unknown to the concept of self-esteem?

The speaker relates moving forward into the unknown to self-esteem by suggesting that the act of courageously facing challenges and taking risks in a non-naive way can bolster one's self-esteem.

What role does the speaker believe courage plays in helping one sleep soundly at night?

The speaker believes that observing one's own courage in facing life's challenges can provide a sense of security and satisfaction that helps one sleep soundly, even during times of instability.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Understanding Anxiety and Courage

The speaker discusses the prevalence of anxiety disorders and the human tendency to experience anxiety as a natural response to life's inherent challenges, such as vulnerability and mortality. They express a greater curiosity about why some people do not seem to suffer from these issues. The speaker emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and the courage to move forward despite recognizing potential dangers and limitations. They argue that facing fears and challenges voluntarily, rather than involuntarily, activates a different psychophysiological response that is more positive and less damaging. This approach to life can lead to personal growth and is suggested as a key to a meaningful existence.

05:01

💤 The Comfort of Courage

In this paragraph, the speaker reflects on the value of observing one's own courage, especially during times of instability. They suggest that recognizing personal bravery can provide a sense of reassurance and peace, helping one to sleep soundly at night. The speaker contrasts this with the superficiality of self-esteem based on mere positive self-regard, advocating for a more grounded and realistic form of self-worth that comes from acknowledging one's capacity to face and overcome challenges.

Keywords

💡Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders refer to a group of mental health conditions characterized by excessive and persistent worry, fear, or apprehension. In the video, the speaker discusses how anxiety disorders are common and understandable given the inherent vulnerabilities and mortalities of human beings. The speaker suggests that the real mystery is why some people do not develop these disorders despite the universal experiences of anxiety.

💡Depression

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities. The script mentions depression as a common response to the hardships of life, and the speaker ponders why it's surprising that people don't experience it given the existential challenges humans face.

💡Substance Use Problems

Substance use problems refer to issues related to the misuse or addiction to drugs or alcohol. The speaker in the video suggests that substance use can be a way to cope with the anxiety and depression that arise from the tragic aspects of life, indicating that there are plenty of reasons why people might turn to substances to 'drown their consciousness.'

💡Self-Conscious

Being self-conscious means being acutely aware of oneself, which can include one's actions, appearance, and the impression one is making on others. In the context of the video, the speaker uses the term to describe Abraham's awareness of his own vulnerability and the dangers he faces, yet he moves forward despite his self-consciousness.

💡Existential

Existential refers to the nature or existence of humans in relation to the universe. The speaker discusses the existential awareness of one's limitations and potential for harm, suggesting that moving forward with this awareness is a sign of courage and a proper response to life's challenges.

💡Fear

Fear is an emotional response to perceived threats or danger. The video script explores fear as a natural reaction to the challenges of life, and the speaker suggests that facing fear is a key part of personal growth and development.

💡Approach and Challenge

Approach and challenge refer to a proactive attitude towards facing difficulties or stressors. The speaker contrasts this with defensive aggression and withdrawal, suggesting that voluntarily taking on stressors leads to a different, healthier psychological and physiological response.

💡Voluntary Challenge

A voluntary challenge is a difficult task or situation that one chooses to engage with willingly. The video emphasizes the importance of embracing challenges as a way to grow and thrive, rather than avoiding them out of fear.

💡Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is the value and respect a person holds for themselves. The speaker argues that self-esteem is not about feeling good about oneself without reason but rather about viewing oneself as capable and courageous, which can provide comfort and a sense of purpose.

💡Courage

Courage is the ability to face fear, danger, or adversity with confidence. The video script highlights courage as a critical component of moving forward in life, especially when one is fully aware of the potential dangers and challenges.

💡Forthright

Forthright means direct, honest, and straightforward in speech or action. The speaker uses this term to describe the manner in which one should face life's challenges—directly and without evasion, which is essential for personal growth and overcoming fear.

Highlights

Anxiety disorders are not mysterious; everyone has reasons to be anxious.

The mystery lies in why people don't have anxiety, depression, or substance use problems.

Human vulnerability and mortality are ultimate reasons for anxiety.

Abraham's self-consciousness is highlighted as he moves forward despite knowing the dangers.

Being aware of one's limitations and potential for harm is part of a non-naive understanding of life.

The appropriate response is to move forward despite the awareness of danger.

Clinical literature suggests that facing fears makes people braver, not less afraid.

Voluntarily facing stressors leads to a different psychophysiological response than involuntary stressors.

Approaching challenges voluntarily is associated with positive emotions and less negative impact.

The act of moving forward into the unknown is an adventure and part of what drives people to travel.

Viewing oneself as capable of facing the world courageously can be a tonic for self-esteem.

Self-esteem is not about feeling good about oneself but about recognizing one's courage and actions.

Observing one's own courage can help counter existential crises and provide comfort.

The necessity of having something real to set against existential doubts, especially during challenging times.

The value of courage in providing a sense of purpose and helping to sleep soundly during destabilization.

Transcripts

i've dealt with lots of people who have

anxiety disorders you know

and one thing about people who have

anxiety disorders is they are not

mysterious to me

it's no problem for me to understand why

people have anxiety disorders or why

they're depressed or why they have

substance use problems the mystery to me

is always why people don't have all of

those things at once because everybody

has a reason to be anxious in fact we

have the ultimate reason to be anxious

because we know that we're vulnerable

and we know that we're going to die and

how you can not be anxious under those

circumstances is a great mystery it's a

massive mystery and the same thing

applies with regards to depression

and then the same thing applies to some

degree with regards to drug and alcohol

abuse because i said last week there's

plenty of reasons to drown your

consciousness in alcohol that's for sure

we could refer to the aforementioned

anxiety and depression not least

and the sorts of drugs that people are

prone to take are chemicals that take

the affective edge off the tragedy of

life

so

back to the issue of fear abraham is

self-conscious that's what this

commentary says but the thing is is he

moves forward despite that he's

self-conscious and he knows the danger

but he moves forward despite that and

that's actually the appropriate response

in the face of actual non-naive

understanding of what constitutes life

like if you're naive and you move

forward it's like well what the hell do

you know you know there's no courage in

naivety because you don't know what

there is to

stop you you don't know what dangers you

might apprehend but to be aware of

what it is that your problem is so to be

alert existentially let's say or to be

fully self-conscious means that you're

perfectly aware of your limitations and

how you might be hurt

and then to make the decision to move

forward into the unknown and the land of

the stranger anyways that's the i would

say that's one of the secrets to a good

life and i can say that really without

fear of contradiction i would say

because the clinical literature on this

is very very very clear

what you do with people who are afraid

and and to some degree depressed but

certainly anxious is you lay out what

they're anxious about first of all in

detail what is it that you're afraid of

what might happen and then you decompose

it into small problems hypothetically

manageable problems and then you have

the person expose themselves to the

thing that they're afraid of and what

happens isn't that they get less afraid

that isn't what the clinical literature

indicates exactly what happens instead

is they get braver

and that's not the same thing right

because if you get less afraid it's like

well the world isn't as dangerous as i

thought it was you know silly me if you

get braver that's not what happens what

happens is yeah the damn world's just as

dangerous as i thought or maybe it's

even more dangerous than i thought but

it turns out that there's something in

me that responds to taking that on as a

voluntary challenge and grows and

thrives as a consequence and there's no

doubt about this even the

psychophysiological findings are quite

clear if you impose a stressor on two

groups of people and on one group the

stressor is imposed involuntarily and on

the other group the stressor is picked

up voluntarily the people who pick up

the stressor voluntarily use a whole

different psychophysiological system to

deal with it they use the system that's

associated with approach and challenge

and not the system that's associated

with defensive aggression and withdrawal

and the system that is associated with

challenges much more associated with

positive emotion and much less

associated with negative emotion it's

also much less hard on you because the

defensive posturing system the prey

animal system man when that thing kicks

in it's all systems are go for you you

know the pedals push down to the metal

and the brakes are on you're using

future resources that you could be

storing for future time right now in the

present to ready yourself for emergency

so

there's nothing simple or trivial at all

about the idea of being called to move

forthrightly forward into the strange

and the unknown and there's a real

adventure that's associated with that

right so that's an exciting thing which

is part of the reason why people travel

and then also to see yourself as the

sort of creature that can do that is

willing to do that on a habitual basis

is also the right kind of tonic for i

hate this word for your self-esteem

you know because the self-esteem has

nothing to do with feeling good about

yourself as i already mentioned

there isn't necessarily a reason why a

priori you should just feel good about

yourself but if you can view yourself

acting in a courageous and forthright

manner and encountering the world and

trying to improve your lot

and taking risks you know in a non-naive

way well then you have something that

you can comfort yourself with at night

when you're wondering what the whole

damn point is of your futile and

miserable life

and that's necessary because it's often

the case that you wake up at four in the

morning or at least sometimes the case

that you wake up at four in the morning

when things haven't been going that well

and wonder just what the hell the point

is of your futile and miserable life you

have to have something real to set

against that it can't be just

rationalizations about how you know

you're a valuable person among others

even though that's true that's not good

enough you need something that's more

realistic to set against that and

observing courage in yourself is

definitely one of the things that can

help you sleep soundly at night when

things are destabilized a little bit

around you

you