This Simple Skill Will Make You More Powerful In Life | Jordan Peterson
Summary
TLDRThe transcript emphasizes the importance of individuals being competent and formidable, rather than weak, to navigate life's challenges effectively. It argues that being dangerous in a controlled manner is virtuous, akin to having a sword and knowing how to use it but keeping it sheathed. The power of verbal competence is highlighted as a key tool for empowerment, especially for young men, drawing parallels with the articulate expression found in rap and hip-hop as a means for the underclass to rise towards their rightful place in society.
Takeaways
- ๐ก The importance of being competent and formidable is emphasized for personal strength and preparedness in life's challenges.
- ๐ก๏ธ Being 'dangerous' in a metaphorical sense means being a formidable force, not necessarily promoting cruelty or harm.
- ๐ The New Testament's misinterpretation of 'meek' is clarified, emphasizing the value of possessing power while maintaining peace.
- ๐ซ The pitfalls of being perceived as weak, naive, and harmless are discussed, as they can lead to inability in facing life's adversities.
- ๐ฆ The significance of self-control and power is highlighted, showing that true virtue lies in the ability to choose not to be violent.
- ๐ช Becoming more articulate and skilled in communication is advocated as a means of increasing one's competence and influence.
- ๐ Education, particularly for boys, should focus on developing verbal competence and the ability to think critically and articulately.
- ๐ค Rap and hip-hop are cited as examples of how verbal facility can empower and give voice to the alienated and underprivileged.
- ๐ The power of logos (logos) is showcased, demonstrating how articulate expression can be both redemptive and captivating.
- ๐ฅ The transformation of negative emotions, such as anger, into compelling and controlled artistic expression is seen as a positive force.
Q & A
Why is it important for individuals to be perceived as 'dangerous' according to the speaker?
-The speaker suggests that being dangerous makes an individual formidable, which is essential to be prepared for life's challenges. It implies strength and the capacity to stand up for oneself, rather than being weak and vulnerable.
How does the speaker relate the concept of 'dangerousness' to the New Testament quote about the meek?
-The speaker argues that the meek in the New Testament quote should not be understood as weak or harmless. Instead, it refers to those who have the capacity to be dangerous but choose to keep their power in check, thereby being more deserving of their inheritance.
What is the speaker's view on the importance of verbal competence?
-The speaker believes that verbal competence is a powerful tool that can make one formidable. It is a form of weaponry that broadens the field of battle and opportunity. The speaker emphasizes the importance of teaching this skill to young people, especially boys.
How does the speaker connect the popularity of rap artists to the concept of verbal competence?
-The speaker links the popularity of rap artists to their incredible verbal prowess and the ability to articulate complex ideas and experiences. This resonates with young men who may feel alienated and provides them with a powerful voice.
What is the speaker's perspective on the role of education in developing 'dangerousness'?
-The speaker sees education, particularly in verbal and communication skills, as a means to empower individuals and help them become more 'dangerous' in a controlled and virtuous manner. It is a way to help them take their rightful place in society.
Why does the speaker argue that harmlessness is not the same as moral virtue?
-The speaker contends that harmlessness is often confused with moral virtue, but true virtue comes from the ability to control one's capacity for danger. It takes strength to be good, and being harmless simply equates to weakness, which does not contribute to moral goodness.
What is the significance of the speaker's reference to the story of King Arthur and Horus and Osiris?
-The speaker uses these stories to illustrate the common theme of the young outsider struggling against inadequacies and injustices in their current environment. It highlights the universality of this struggle and the importance of finding one's voice and power in overcoming it.
How does the speaker describe the transformative power of verbal facility?
-The speaker describes verbal facility as having a redemptive power that can transform individuals from feeling alienated to finding their rightful place. It allows them to articulate their struggles and experiences in a compelling and powerful manner.
What is the speaker's opinion on the punk movement and its relation to the concept of 'dangerousness'?
-The speaker views the punk movement as another example of a genre where 'dangerousness' is channeled into art. It is a way for individuals to express their anger and frustration in a controlled and poetic manner, turning it into something captivating and charismatic.
How does the speaker use the example of a comedy club performance to illustrate the power of logos?
-The speaker uses the example of a comedian's spontaneous rap performance to demonstrate the power of logos, or reason, in action. The comedian's ability to weave together diverse topics into a coherent and compelling narrative showcases the impressive and transformative nature of verbal competence.
Outlines
๐กEmbracing Competence and Danger for Personal Strength
This paragraph discusses the importance of individuals becoming competent and formidable to navigate the complexities and challenges of life effectively. It emphasizes that being dangerous in this context does not advocate for cruelty or harm but rather the possession of strength and capability as a means to deter weakness. The speaker references the misinterpretation of the concept of 'meek' in the New Testament, arguing that true power lies in having the ability to wield force but choosing to keep it sheathed. The paragraph also touches on the negative outcomes of promoting naivety and weakness, such as the inability to handle life's tragedies and responsibilities, and instead advocates for a balance of strength and peacefulness. The speaker further explores the idea that being dangerous in the controlled sense is a virtue and that self-control without the capacity for danger lacks moral value.
๐คThe Articulate Path to Personal Empowerment
The second paragraph delves into the power of verbal competence and its role in personal empowerment. It suggests that articulacy is a primary weapon, even more so than physical prowess. The speaker argues that the ability to communicate effectively and think critically is a broader and more impactful field of battle. The paragraph highlights the importance of teaching these skills to young boys, especially those who are skeptical of the educational system. It points out that agreeable boys tend to perform better academically, regardless of their IQ, due to their compliance and ease of interaction. The speaker also discusses the popularity of rap artists, particularly among disaffected young men, as they embody the ideal of articulate competence. The paragraph draws a parallel between the power of language in rap and the ability to give voice to the alienated and underprivileged, turning struggle into a path towards the light. It concludes with the notion that verbal prowess is a controlled form of danger that can lead to redemption and personal growth.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กCompetence
๐กDangerous
๐กMeek
๐กStrength
๐กArticulate
๐กVerbal Competence
๐กMartial Arts
๐กAlienation
๐กRap and Hip-Hop
๐กRedemptive Power
๐กLogos
Highlights
The importance of being competent and dangerous in the world is emphasized, as it is seen as an alternative to weakness.
Dangerous in this context does not mean being cruel, but rather formidable to effectively navigate the challenges of life.
The concept of the 'meek' in the New Testament is clarified, suggesting that it refers to those who have power but choose to keep it sheathed.
The necessity of being powerful and formidable before striving for peace is discussed.
The misconception of equating harmlessness with moral virtue is critiqued.
The value of martial arts is highlighted, not just for their capacity to make one dangerous, but also for teaching control.
The importance of verbal competence and articulate communication is stressed as a means of becoming more dangerous in a non-violent way.
The particular significance of teaching verbal competence to boys is mentioned, as it can greatly increase their formidable nature.
The link between verbal facility and the power to articulate the experiences of the underclass, as seen in rap and hip-hop, is explored.
The alienation felt by young men and the struggle for their rightful place in society is discussed, drawing parallels with ancient stories and modern music.
The power of logos and its redemptive potential is exemplified by the spontaneous rap performance at a comedy club.
The captivating charisma of artists who can channel and control their anger is highlighted, using Johnny Rotten as an example.
The transformation of anger into compelling art, as demonstrated by punk rock and artists like Johnny Rotten, is noted.
The satirical brilliance of Sid Vicious' version of 'My Way' is praised as a work of genius.
The discussion emphasizes the importance of developing competence and dangerousness as a means to withstand life's tragedies and responsibilities.
The transcript argues against the encouragement of naivety, weakness, and harmlessness, especially in young men.
The potential for young men to identify with the powerful voices in rap and hip-hop, which resonate with their own feelings of alienation, is recognized.
The transcript suggests that the ability to articulate and control one's words and actions is a key to taking one's rightful place in society.
Transcripts
it's very helpful for people to hear
that they should make themselves
competent and dangerous and take their
proper place in the world competent and
dangerous why dangerous because it's the
alternative to being weak and weak is
not good the people who shoot up the
high schools they're weak they're weak
how is it good to be dangerous
because it makes you formidable and life
is a very difficult process you're not
prepared for it unless unless you have
the capacity to be dangerous that
doesn't mean that you should be cruel it
doesn't mean any of that there's a
statement in the New Testament the meek
shall inherit the Earth but the meek
isn't well translated it means something
more like those who those who have
swords and know how to use them but keep
them sheathed will inherit the world
that's a way better way of thinking
about it you have to be powerful and
formidable and then peaceful in that
order and that's not the same as being
naive and weak and harmless which is
what young men are being encouraged to
be it's like that's a very bad idea it's
a very bad idea because naive weak and
harmless means that you can't withstand
the tragedies of life you can't bear any
responsibility you'll end up bitter and
when you get bitter then you get
dangerous but one thing I'm not getting
there's a big difference between letting
people do something for themselves and
saying men should be dangerous
by dangerous that implies I should be
ready to threaten someone to hurt
somebody no you should be capable of it
but that doesn't mean you should use it
there's nothing to you otherwise like if
you're not a formidable Force there's
not there's no morality in your
self-control if you're incapable of
violence not being violent isn't a
virtue people who teach martial arts
know this full well right if you learn a
martial art you learn to be dangerous
but simultaneously you learn to control
it both of those come together and the
combination of that capacity for danger
and the capacity for control is what
brings about the virtue otherwise you
confuse weakness with with moral virtue
I'm harmless therefore I'm good it's
like no that isn't how it works that
isn't how it works at all if you're
harmless you're just weak and if you're
weak you're not going to be good you
can't be because it takes strength to be
good it's very difficult to be good
you said that a harmless man is not a
good man A Good Man is a very dangerous
man who has that under voluntary control
how should people become more dangerous
oh becoming more articulate is
definitely I would say that's the
primary array of weapons so mean
physical prowess is something and it's
not nothing that physical confidence
that comes along with that as well but
the same thing replicated at the level
of the ability to communicate and to
think that's way broader field of of
battle and opportunity
so this is one thing that isn't taught
well especially to boys it's more
important to teach it to boys I would
say because they're more skeptical of
such the educational Enterprise in
general generally speaking partly
because they're less obedient partly
because they're less agreeable that's
particularly true for disagreeable boys
and agreeable boys get higher grades
independent of their IQ and their and
their academic achievement because
they're easier to deal with so what do
you tell disagreeable boys there's
nothing that makes you more formidable
than verbal competence than being able
to articulate be able to think to
Marshal your arguments right it's a
battlefield metaphor get everything in
order it all your information straight
so to Marshal your forces so I mean
that's part of the reason that rap
artists are so popular especially among
disaffected young men black and white
alike because they're unbelievably
articulate they have this incredible
verbal prowess it's unbelievably
attractive you know and it's associated
with genuine artistic and Redemptive
activity often focusing on something
that's approximately the voice of the
underclass let's say but a powerful
voice right and it's interesting to see
how many young white guys identify with
that was it aldously that wrote dolls of
perception yeah yeah so this is kind of
an equivalent of that right that you
have a experience which many people
struggle to articulate you take the best
of us the one that has the most precise
most articulate erudite language you
drop them in and you say Okay show us
what you've learned this is the
equivalent but for just a different
Community a different sort of life that
maybe you don't have the ability to
describe what it feels like to live on a
council estate in Manchester or in you
know the one of the neighborhoods of
Brooklyn or whatever it might be and
then this person can
and it feels like it's your voice yeah
well you still if you're a young man you
still feel alienated from your place as
rightful error of the proper Kingdom I
mean that's an existential truism for
everyone for every particularly for
every young man because he is an
outsider in many ways he's young and
juvenile and not very highly valued and
and then is is in some sense hurt by the
inadequacies of the current King the
current culture and is easily turned
against it because of that and that's
the machinations of the evil Uncle
that's the King Arthur's story that's
the story of Horus Horus and Osiris it's
an Ancient Ancient story it's the story
of Sauron and it's there all the time
and you see in that in rap music in
hip-hop the all of that alienation being
given an articulated voice in in an
artistic sense and that's a good example
of the power of verbal facility and
that's the route to let's say marketing
education to young man it's like you
want to take your rightful place in the
Kingdom it's like get your tongue
straight man get it on under control in
the highest possible sense we went to a
comedy club Tammy and ion in New York
the comedy seller it's a great comedy
club and the last Comic was an English
guy and uh he was not particularly
physically pre-possessing and he he made
a lot of jokes about that and it was
quite funny and then he divided the
audience into five sections and he asked
each section to toss up a topic just to
Yellow the topic and they were like
random topics like the Kennedy
assassination and electric lighting
before 1890 those were two of the topics
and the other three were just as diverse
and then he put on some beats and he did
about an eight minute wrap
with every verse rhymed
and he tied the whole thing together at
the end and ended at the end of the
music all spontaneously it was
unbelievable
and that's logos man that's the
Redemptive power of the logos right
there the magic word the sacred word
it's just manifesting itself on stage
this is something very impressive
something about that that does feel
dangerous as well and not in a I need to
be concerned and they should be
contaminated and walled off but in a way
that you think that person has so much
competence that it it's flowing out of
them and you almost feel competent by
being around them so but you certainly
feel confident by appreciating it right
because it speaks to the part of you
that is capable of appreciating such
things you think wow that's really
something that's really that's an
amazing display that's an amazing thing
to see amazing right a very interesting
word amazing and you're you're trapped
and you're trapped by the Charisma of
that and that Charisma that's not
nothing that's that's a signal of
something Redemptive occurring that that
accounts for virtually all of the
attraction of hip-hop and raps the
articulate articulated voice of the
struggling but worthy underclass I
suppose that's a good way of putting it
but those who are alienated
from their rightful place and so that
verbal prowess is one of the ways they
struggle up towards the light you know
and and that that's a good example of
that uh of having that danger under
control because it's a dark genre in
many ways right it's it's a there's a
there's a there's a real undercurrent an
air of violence that surrounds that and
its culture like the punk movement in
the in in the UK back in the late 70s
same same sort of thing but that that
capacity to express that in a poetic
manner in a compelling manner Joni
rotten was great at that he's so intense
he has a song called rise which I used
to show my my clients all the time when
I was starting uh assertiveness training
with them I'd put on Johnny rotten's
rise and the line in there is anger is
an energy and he's got these
unbelievably intense eyes anger is an
energy you bet and John Lyden man he
could Channel out like almost no one
I've ever seen he'd get that anger built
up inside him and then it was completely
under control and he expressed it in his
music and he's absolutely captivating
unbelievably charismatic and I really
liked his music that raw anger and the
music that but it was
it was in the bloody music wasn't it
wasn't some random Riot you know he
transmuted that into something you know
you can argue about the poetic merits of
um of punk rock although I don't think
you should I mean uh I Did It My Way Sid
vicious's version of it did it my way my
God that's a work of Genius that it's so
it's so brilliantly satirical
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