Transform Yourself Into A MONSTER! - Jordan Peterson Motivation

Summary

The video script explores the human capacity for aggression and the ethical implications of imitating predators for protection. It delves into the necessity of a unified hierarchy of values for coherence and the concept of sacrifice in personal growth and societal roles. The speaker discusses the importance of maturity, responsibility, and the integration of one's shadow side for personal development. The script also critiques the modern emphasis on compassion, advocating for a balance with justice, and touches on the societal consequences of an absence of traditional values.

Takeaways

• 🧐 Imitating Predators: Humans have historically imitated predatory animals to develop aggression for protection, which has evolved into the concept of the warrior and ethical actor in society.
• 🔍 Ethical Hierarchy: A unified hierarchy of values is necessary for coherence in human behavior, suggesting that without a structured ethical system, individuals may experience aimlessness and conflict.
• 🎯 Future Awareness: Humans are unique in their deep awareness of the future and mortality, which influences our sacrifices of the present for future gains, a characteristic of maturity and responsibility.
• 📝 The Act of Writing: Writing an essay is a physical act that is part of a larger goal-oriented process, reflecting the integration of physical, cognitive, and ethical actions.
• 🔑 Sacrifice and Commitment: Willingness to make sacrifices is a measure of commitment to something, deeply embedded in religious and ethical narratives, signifying the importance of dedication.
• 🏆 Excellence and Sacrifice: Achieving excellence in any field often requires sacrifices, reflecting the pattern that success is not accidental but the result of dedicated effort.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family and Career: The importance of family increases with age, suggesting that a balanced life, including children, is crucial for long-term fulfillment.
• 💼 Work Ethic: The societal shift to a dual-income necessity has altered the dynamics of family and career, potentially leading to a future where women may become the primary earners.
• 🦍 Alpha Male Misconception: The idea of the 'alpha male' dominating through brute force is challenged by evidence that mutual reciprocity and social bonds are more stable foundations for social hierarchy.
• 🌱 Moral Development: The concept of the 'Shadow' in psychology represents the darker, suppressed aspects of personality that, when integrated, can lead to a more balanced and assertive individual.
• 🤝 Compassion vs. Justice: A balance between compassion and justice is vital for ethical development, with overemphasis on compassion potentially hindering personal growth and societal progress.

Q & A

What does the speaker suggest is one of the reasons humans imitated predatory animals?

The speaker suggests that humans imitated predatory animals as a means to defend their loved ones against predatory actions, and to embody the capacity for aggression necessary for survival and protection.

How does the speaker describe the relationship between perception and ethical action?

The speaker describes perception as being nested within a structure that points to what's at the highest, implying that our acts of perception are inherently tied to our ethical decisions and actions.

What does the speaker mean by 'the ethical actor'?

The 'ethical actor' is described as someone who can protect their family from malevolent forces, embodying the warrior spirit in a broader, religious, and ethical sense.

How does the speaker connect the idea of sacrifice to the concept of maturity?

The speaker connects sacrifice to maturity by stating that the ability to delay gratification, which is a form of sacrifice of the present for the future, is a hallmark of maturity and responsibility.

What is the significance of the 'pyramidal ethic' according to the speaker?

The 'pyramidal ethic' signifies a unified hierarchy of values that provides a structured and coherent framework for ethical behavior, without which a person may experience aimlessness, confusion, or conflict.

Why does the speaker argue that general-purpose robots do not yet exist?

The speaker argues that general-purpose robots do not exist because they are not embedded in the complex ethical structure that stretches from minute motor patterns to the highest ethical striving, which is inherent in human behavior.

What does the speaker suggest about the necessity of sacrifice in personal development?

The speaker suggests that sacrifice is a fundamental part of personal development, as it is through the act of sacrificing lower desires or idiosyncrasies that one can aim towards and achieve higher forms of being.

How does the speaker interpret the biblical story of Abel and Cain in terms of sacrifice?

The speaker interprets the story of Abel and Cain as an illustration of the importance of making sacrifices of the highest quality, with Abel representing genuine and honest sacrifices that lead to success, while Cain represents second-rate sacrifices born of bitterness and arrogance.

What is the connection between sacrifice and commitment according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, sacrifice and commitment are intrinsically linked because true commitment to something requires a willingness to make sacrifices for it, indicating a deep level of seriousness and dedication.

Why does the speaker believe that the idea of the alpha male as dominant by brute force is flawed?

The speaker believes this idea is flawed because it does not account for the importance of mutual reciprocity and social bonds, as demonstrated by research on chimpanzee societies where alpha status can be achieved through cooperation and trust, not just physical dominance.

What does the speaker suggest about the role of compassion in society and its potential issues?

The speaker suggests that while compassion is important, placing it in the highest place without consideration can be problematic, as it may hinder personal growth and development, and lead to a society where everyone is treated as if they are incapable of error or improvement.

What is the speaker's view on the importance of truth and its power?

The speaker views truth as incredibly powerful and believes in teaching children to value and speak the truth, even when it is difficult, because truth provides the best reflection of reality and offers a solid foundation for navigating life effectively.

Outlines

00:00

🐾 Imitating Predators: Ethical Actions and Hierarchical Values

The speaker discusses how humans, as predators, have historically imitated the traits of predatory animals. This imitation is not just physical but also extends to the ethical realm, where individuals must act as warriors to protect their loved ones from harm. The speaker emphasizes the importance of a unified hierarchy of values, suggesting that without it, individuals may experience confusion, conflict, and a lack of direction. The concept of work is also introduced as a form of sacrifice of the present for the future, which is a sign of maturity and responsibility.

05:02

🎯 Sacrifice and Excellence: The Biblical Narrative

This paragraph delves into the idea of sacrifice as a fundamental part of existence and attention. The speaker uses the biblical narrative, specifically the story of Abel and Cain, to illustrate the importance of making sacrifices of the highest quality. It is argued that genuine and honest sacrifices lead to success and divine favor, while second-rate sacrifices result from bitterness and arrogance. The paragraph also touches on the necessity of sacrifice for achieving excellence and the potential consequences of not giving one's best effort.

10:03

🏛 The Ethical Striving and the Importance of Sacrifice

The speaker continues the discussion on sacrifice, emphasizing that it is a demonstration of commitment. Using the story of Abraham, the paragraph highlights the continual willingness to sacrifice as a key to maintaining a covenant with God. It suggests that without the willingness to sacrifice what is most valuable, one cannot be truly committed. The paragraph also reflects on the modern lack of rituals that signify seriousness and the potential loss of understanding of what it means to be truly committed to something.

15:06

💼 Work Ethic and the Changing Dynamics of Power

This paragraph explores the reasons behind why some individuals work extremely long hours, attributing it to a desire for dominance or a hyper-competitive nature. It also discusses the challenges faced by those in managerial or executive positions, including the likelihood of being disliked and the immense responsibility that comes with such roles. The speaker questions the cultural assumption that there should be more women in positions of power, instead asking why there are any men who desire such positions at all, given the stress and responsibility involved.

20:07

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Impact of Economic Changes on Family and Society

The speaker discusses the economic and social shifts that have affected the traditional family structure and gender roles. It mentions the change from one-income families to the necessity of dual-incomes, partly due to wage stagnation. The paragraph also addresses the potential future where women may become the primary earners because men are less willing to work, citing evidence of boys struggling academically and the increasing female dominance in higher education. The speaker expresses concern over the long-term implications of these trends for society and the family unit.

25:09

🦍 The Misunderstanding of Power and Social Hierarchy

This paragraph challenges the popular notion of the 'alpha male' and the idea that power is expressed through brute force and dominance. The speaker references the work of primatologist Frans de Waal, who has shown that social hierarchies, even among chimpanzees, are not solely based on physical strength. Instead, mutual reciprocity and the ability to form friendships are key to social success. The paragraph argues against the postmodern and neo-Marxist views of power and dominance, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of social dynamics.

30:09

🌿 The Persona and the Shadow: Balancing Identity and Integrity

The speaker introduces the concepts of 'persona' and 'shadow' from analytical psychology. The persona is the face one presents to be liked and accepted by others, often at the expense of one's true self. The shadow, on the other hand, represents the darker, unacknowledged aspects of one's personality. The paragraph discusses the importance of integrating the shadow into one's persona to avoid resentment and to develop a more assertive and authentic identity. It also touches on the dangers of suppressing one's shadow, leading to passive behavior and a lack of personal boundaries.

35:10

🚫 The Overemphasis on Compassion in Society

This paragraph critiques the societal tendency to prioritize compassion above all else, arguing that it is more appropriate for infants than for mature individuals. The speaker suggests that an overemphasis on compassion can hinder personal development and lead to a society where everyone is treated as if they are incapable of error or improvement. The paragraph calls for a balance between compassion and judgment, using the metaphor of a mother's love for her child to illustrate the point.

40:11

🤼‍♂️ The Development of the Shadow in Masculinity

The speaker discusses the importance of men developing their 'shadow' side, which represents their capacity for danger and assertiveness. It argues that men should strive to be someone no one would want to mess with, but also to keep this capacity under control. The paragraph draws a parallel between this process and the character development in 'Fight Club,' suggesting that the film explores the idea of embracing one's shadow as a means of personal growth and maturity.

👶 The Impact of Developmental Fixation on Identity and Values

This paragraph examines the concept of developmental fixation, where individuals may exhibit behaviors appropriate for an earlier stage of development. The speaker criticizes the idea of creating one's own values, as seen in postmodernist and solipsistic identity claims, comparing such behavior to that of a two-year-old who has not yet learned social negotiation and reciprocity. The paragraph argues for the importance of socialization and the development of a balanced and reciprocal identity within the context of relationships and society.

🗣️ The Power of Truth and the Pursuit of Convictions

The final paragraph emphasizes the power of truth and the importance of teaching children to value and speak the truth, even when it is difficult. The speaker argues against the idea of teaching children that the world is corrupt and that lying is a necessary survival skill. Instead, the paragraph suggests that truth is a powerful tool that, when coupled with the ability to communicate effectively, can help individuals navigate and influence the world around them.

Keywords

💡Predators

In the context of the video, 'predators' refers to beings that are hunted or imitated due to their aggressive nature and survival instincts. The script discusses how humans, having been preyed upon, have imitated predatory animals as a means to defend themselves and their loved ones. The concept is tied to the idea of developing the capacity for aggression to protect against malevolent forces, illustrating the human instinct for survival and the ethical enterprise of safeguarding one's community.

💡Ethical Actor

The 'ethical actor' is a concept that emerges from the discussion on how humans imitate predators to protect their families from harmful influences. It is a person who takes on the responsibility of ensuring the well-being and safety of their kin, embodying the moral courage to confront and counteract unscrupulous individuals or forces. The script uses this term to highlight the role of individuals in upholding ethical standards and maintaining social order.

💡Hierarchy of Value

The 'hierarchy of value' is a central theme in the video, referring to the structured ranking of values that guide human behavior and decision-making. The script suggests that without a unified hierarchy, individuals may experience confusion, conflict, and a lack of direction. This concept is integral to understanding the necessity of a coherent value system for personal and societal coherence.

💡Sacrifice

The term 'sacrifice' is used extensively in the script to describe the human tendency to forgo immediate gratification for long-term goals, a key aspect of maturity and responsibility. It is also discussed in the context of religious and ethical practices, such as the biblical narrative of Abel and Cain, where the quality of sacrifice reflects one's commitment and dedication. The concept of sacrifice is portrayed as a fundamental part of human growth and societal progress.

💡Persona

The 'persona' is defined as the face or personality that an individual presents to the world in order to gain acceptance and affection. The script explores the idea that adopting a persona can lead to resentment and a disconnection from one's true self. It is used to illustrate the importance of authenticity and the potential pitfalls of suppressing one's shadow side for the sake of social approval.

💡Shadow

The 'shadow' represents the darker, suppressed aspects of one's personality, often hidden from conscious awareness. The script discusses the importance of integrating the shadow into one's personality to avoid resentment and to develop a more authentic and assertive self. It is presented as a necessary component for personal growth and the avoidance of unconscious destructive behavior.

💡Maturity

In the video, 'maturity' is associated with the ability to delay gratification and the willingness to work towards future goals, which is seen as a hallmark of adult responsibility. The script uses the concept of maturity to discuss the developmental stages of individuals and the importance of striving towards personal and societal betterment.

💡Sanity

The term 'sanity' is discussed in relation to the balance and reciprocity within an individual's relationships and social interactions. The script posits that sanity is not an isolated internal state but a collective harmony achieved through one's interactions with others, including family, friends, and the community at large.

💡Truth

The 'truth' is presented as the most accurate reflection of reality that one can achieve, despite its inherent imperfections due to human fallibility. The script emphasizes the power of truth and the belief in its capacity to guide actions and decisions, as well as its role in shaping one's character and integrity.

💡Nihilism

The script mentions 'nihilism' as a potential outcome of the collapse of unified values, suggesting a state of despair and the rejection of all moral and religious principles. It is used to illustrate the existential crisis that can arise from the lack of a coherent ethical framework.

💡Superman (Ubermensch)

The concept of the 'Superman' or 'Ubermensch' is discussed in the context of individuals who can create their own values, independent of societal norms. The script critiques this idea, suggesting that it is not feasible due to the inherent complexity of the world and the necessity of shared values for social cohesion.

Highlights

The human tendency to imitate predators as a form of self-defense and ethical conduct.

The necessity of a unified hierarchy of values for coherence and to avoid aimlessness.

The concept of work as a sacrifice of the present for the future, linked to maturity and responsibility.

The idea that acts of perception are nested within a structure pointing to what's highest or most valuable.

The connection between the ability to delay gratification and the capacity for work and maturity.

The multi-level process of writing an essay, from physical finger movement to higher-level intellectual tasks.

The importance of the willingness to make sacrifices as a measure of commitment in various aspects of life.

The sacrificial aspect of attention, where recognizing something as itself involves sacrificing other possibilities.

The biblical narrative of sacrifice, particularly the story of Abel and Cain, as a lesson in quality and sincerity of sacrifice.

The role of sacrifice in achieving excellence and the importance of giving one's best effort.

The societal shift from one-income families to dual-income households and its impact on family dynamics.

The potential negative consequences of an overemphasis on careers at the expense of family life.

The importance of mutual reciprocity as a basis for successful social organization, as observed in primates.

The concept of the 'Shadow' in psychology, representing the darker, suppressed aspects of one's personality.

The necessity of integrating the 'Shadow' into one's personality to avoid resentment and to stand up for oneself.

The critique of placing compassion as the highest moral value, suggesting it's more suitable for infants.

The analysis of 'Fight Club' as a cultural artifact reflecting themes of masculinity and the development of the Shadow.

The Nietzschean concept of the 'Superman' or 'Ubermensch' and its critique in relation to creating one's own values.

The collective nature of sanity, suggesting it is an arrangement not only internal but also dependent on social relationships.

The power of truth in communication and its importance in maintaining sovereignty as a citizen.

Transcripts

one of the things human beings did

because we were prayed upon and became

Predators one of the things we did was

imitate the Predator you know and so we

were in awe of predatory animal like we

still might be if you meet a grizzly

bear in the in the woods you know it's

you might freeze and you're certainly

going to attend to it but then there's

part of you that is deeply called upon

to imitate the the capacity for

aggression of the Predator so that you

can

defend your loved ones against predatory

action and some of that would be to be

the warrior that can fight off the

grizzly bear but then abstracted up into

the religious sense it would be to be

the ethical actor who can protect your

family from um from

unscrupulous Psychopaths you

know forces of malevolence that border

on the on the satanic and so and that's

all part of the ethical Enterprise and

weirdly enough all of your acts of

perception are necessarily nested inside

a structure that's pointing to what's

what is at the highest or you're

incoherent those are the

options well that's a strange thing

right because you can say well maybe

your hierarchy of value isn't unified

and there's nothing at the top it's like

okay it's not unified well then you're

confused and if you're with someone and

your hierarchies of value aren't unified

then you are in conflict or you're

aimless or you're hopeless or you're

anxious or you're lost that's the

phenomenological consequence of lacking

this

United pyramidal pyramidal ethic so you

you can't get away from the necessity of

this unless you want to live you know

aimless nihilistic confused hopeless all

of

that you know people are aware of the

future in ways that animals aren't or

animals are only partially aware we're

very aware of the future and aware of

our mortal limitations in a manner that

seems unique to human beings and we

sacrif we constantly sacrifice the

present to the Future that's actually

the definition of work and that emerges

very early on in the biblical narrative

Corpus the the idea that humans are

destined to work but that also work is

the sacrifice of the present and that's

part of the fall in some sense the

sacrifice of the present to the Future

and we regard that as the Hallmark of

maturity fundamentally right can you

delay gratification well if the answer

is no it's well then you're two can you

delay gratification well then I mean

that technically um because

two-year-olds can't delay gratification

which makes it very difficult for other

people to play with them for example um

if you can delay gratification then you

can work if you're work if you can work

then you're mature it's the definition

of maturity and

responsibility it's so interesting to

see that it pervades the act of

attention itself and that there's no CU

you know I used to ask my students

because I was trying to figure this out

I'd ask them a question like

well why are you why are you writing

this essay or what are you doing when

you're writing this essay that's a

better question so you think what is

someone doing when writing an essay and

one answer is say they're doing it on a

computer well they're moving their

fingers up and down

and that's actually a really good answer

because that's not an idea right moving

your fingers up up and down that's not

an idea that's where your spirit meets

your body you're actually moving

something physical and you you you don't

really have consciousness of the

musculature or you know you don't know

how you move your fingers but you can do

it and so at the most the highest level

of resolution when you're writing an

essay you're moving your fingers and now

you know how to type and you have

automated structures for doing that and

then you're composing words and the

words are in phrases and the phrases are

in sentences and the sentences are in

paragraphs and the paragraphs are in

sections and the whole thing makes an

essay but then that's a subset of a

class and you want a grade for the class

because you want to pass the class

because you want to get your degree but

why do you want to get your degree it's

well maybe you're interested in that

field of study and you think being a

scholar is a good thing and you want to

have a job and so while you're writing

an essay you're what are you doing

preparing to have your career and then

does that are you doing that because you

want want to be a good citizen and a

good father perhaps good mother and do

you want to do that because you want to

be a good person and or you mixed up in

all of that and but so you're doing all

of those things well or badly at the

same time all the time with everything

you do all the time and there's no way

around that it can't be simplified the

whole structure has to be there and

that's another reason why we don't have

general purpose robots yet is that

they're just not embedded in that ethic

that stretches all the way up from the

most minute motor patterns of action and

perception to the highest possible

ethical

striving you realize that in order to

exist in the world you're constantly

having to sacrifice is you have to

sacrifice the idiosyncrasies in order to

be able to grasp the the object because

this can be all kinds of things right it

could be a dog's Choo could be could be

a million things but in order to be able

to grasp it I have to sacrifice

idiosyncrasies and I also have to

somehow let's say recognize it in its

highest form or kind of move it towards

its highest form and that seems to be an

aspect of religious thinking which is

actually part of attention which is

sacrif well the sacrificial aspect of

attention in part is that whenever you

see something as that thing you

sacrifice the possibility of all the

other things that could be and that's

delimiting to a large degree you know it

hems you in but but that's also a relief

because because you know how many bloody

million things do you want to attend to

at one time but so part of the reason

you know the idea of

sacrifice conscious idea of sacrifice

emerges very easy early on for example

in the biblical writings because the

second story in in Genesis there's this

insistence that so human beings are

already destined to work as a

consequence of the fall out of the uh

Garden of Eden but the Canan abble story

is specifically about sacrifice and

about the degree to which a sacrifice

has to be of the highest quality so you

have this one protagonist Abel um who's

a prototype for a motive being that

stretches throughout history and Abel's

sacrifices are to the

highest to to that which is the highest

imaginable so he's aiming as high as he

can and they're genuine and honest and

the consequence of that is that God

Smiles upon him let's say but that his

life is extremely successful he gets

everything that uh sensible human being

would want and need and he's contrasted

with Cain who's bitter and arrogant and

make second rate sacrifices and you want

to think about that personally it's like

well did you give it your best

shot when you when you failed and if the

answer is no it's like well who are you

trying to fool exactly you're trying to

fool yourself well good luck with that

you trying to fool other people it's

like well who made you you so smart and

those them so dumbb and is that how you

think about other people you can just

pull the wool over their eyes and then

is it more than that you think you can

bend the structure of reality and so

you're going to make these half-witted

sacrifices and that's going to please

God too and that's what you believe and

you know Cain is very annoyed that his

sacrifices aren't being rewarded and he

goes and talks to God and basically

calls them out and says something like

you know kind of stupid Cosmos did you

make here here I am breaking myself in

half and all the good things are going

to Abel it's like what's up with you

which is really quite the thing to do

you know and if you don't think people

do that you don't know much about them

and God basically tells them well people

do that all the time which is why it's

an archetypal story and God basically

tells Cain that he doesn't make good

sacrifices he knows that perfectly well

that he was tempted by bitterness and

arrogance and deceit to enter into a

consent ual sexual relationship with the

spirit of vengeful sin itself which is a

hell of an

accusation think of a basketball player

I like to always bring it to something

that at first not religious at all for

people to see what we're talking about

the basketball player has to one

sacrifice million things that all his

friends are doing that are fun or that

that he could be doing he has to he has

to take away all the idiosyncrasies and

focus on one thing and then he has to

that's when the able sacrifice comes in

he has to give his best if he doesn't

give his best then he won't make it

there's no way and so the the

sacrificial pattern enters into pretty

much any type of

Excellence you don't know what you could

do you don't know what's possible and

you're not as much as you could be and

so God only knows what you could what

you could do and have and give if you

sacrificed everything to it

and that's the reason Abraham is

constantly making sacrifices and it's

archaic right he's burning up like baby

lambs but like well they're alive you

know that's something and and they're

valuable and that's something it's you

have to admit even if you think about it

as a modern person that the act of

sacrificing something might have some

dramatic compulsion to it you know to go

out into a flock and to take something

that's newborn and to cut its throat and

to bleed it and to burn it might be a

way of indicating to yourself that

you're actually serious about something

and it isn't so obvious that we have

rituals of seriousness like that now and

so it's not so obvious that we're

actually serious about anything and so

maybe that's not such a good thing and

so maybe we shouldn't be thinking that

these people were so archaic and

primitive and superstitious it's

possible that they knew something that

we don't and certainly in the abrahamic

stories one of the things that maintains

Abraham's Covenant with God is his

continual willingness to sacrifice it's

so that sacrificial issue is so

important because you are not committed

to something unless you're willing to

sacrifice for it commitment and

sacrifice are the same thing and I think

it's it borders on miraculous that those

concepts are embedded into this

narrative at the level of dramatic

action you know instead of abstract

explanation people are acting this out

and then the the fundamental conception

is so profound that it's really quite

it's quite a inspiring it's it's

breathtaking really when you understand

what message is trying to be conveyed

you have to make sacrifices what do you

have to sacrifice you have to sacrifice

that which is most valuable to you

currently that's stopping you and God

only knows what that is it's certainly

the worst of you it's certainly that and

God Only Knows to what degree you're in

love with the worst of

[Music]

you so why work 80 hours a week well man

will it some men very few a handful of

hyper competitive men who are obsessed

with hitting the Pinnacle of the given

dominance hierarchy therein will happily

work 80 hours a week and they'll forgo

everything else relationships family

children way in the second category and

so those men are often very difficult to

live with too because they're so

obsessed with their career it's hard to

have a relationship with them and maybe

they don't have much of a relationship

with their kids but they're damn good at

what they do and part of that is is

they're smart and disciplined and

they'll work nonstop all the time it's

like an obsession and that's the sort of

people who run things those are the

people who run things well they're often

also disagreeable too because you want

to you want to manage people really

they're not going to like you you know

and it's not an easy thing to not be

liked and actually if you're an

agreeable person and women are more

agreeable than men it's quite painful to

be disliked but if you're in a manager

or an executive position the probability

that people are going to like you is

quite low those those positions are very

stressful partly because of the

interpersonal Dynamics and they're also

incredibly incredibly competitive so

we've got things backwards in our

culture we're thinking at least in part

why aren't there more women in positions

of power wrong question the right

question is why are there any men at all

who want those positions of power

because it's not just positions of power

you have to be such a knead to think

that oh it's a position of power it's

like sure but it's a position of

overwhelming responsibility and if you

make mistakes you're done right it's not

like you occupy that position of power

and everyone does what they're told all

the time and your life is easy it's like

forget about that people are on your

case to do exactly the right thing all

the time 100% of the time and maybe you

want that maybe you don't so the what I

don't know what people think is these

people are all sitting in their offices

with their like feet up on the desk

smoking cigars and oppressing the world

it's like that isn't how it works those

people they work flat out all the time

so and it's fine if that's what you want

and some people are like that they're

hyper industrious people right from a

trait perspective no matter where you

put them if you put them in a forest

with an axe they just wander around

chopping down trees nonstop right

because they're it's built into them but

if you want to have a balanced life and

and you should want that you know

because the other thing you'll find this

is God's gospel truth is that the older

you get if you have any sense at all the

more important your family is to you

like the the the utility of your career

maybe that Peaks around 35 or 40 and it

starts to decline pretty rapidly after

that and what happens if you're

fortunate you have someone in your life

that you love that you've woven yourself

together with and you have some kids so

that you have something to do from the

time you're 50 till the time you're 80

and so it's a real mistake it's a Barren

future without children man I can tell

you that it's a real

mistake and so we do a Terri ible job of

of say putting that image forward and

saying well yeah now you know because

women have access to the birth control

pill now and can compete in the same

domains as men roughly speaking there is

a real practical problem here it's

partly an economic problem now because

when I was roughly your age it was still

possible for a one income

family to

exist well you know that wages have been

flat except in the upper 1% since 1973

fre why well it's easy what happens when

you double the labor force what happens

you have the value of Labor so now we're

in a situation where it takes two people

to make as much as one did before so we

went from a situation where Women's

career opportunities were relatively

limited to where they were relatively

unlimited and there were two incomes to

where and so women could work to a

situation where women have to work and

they only make half as much as they

would have otherwise and now we're going

to go into a situation this is the next

step whereas women will work because men

won't and that's what's coming now so we

there was an economics Economist article

showing that 50% now of of boys in

school are having trouble with their

basic subjects and you look around you

in universities you can see this

happening I've watched it over decades I

would say 90% of the people in my

personality class are now women there

won't be a damn man left in University

in 10 years except in the stem fields

and it's a complete bloody catastrophe

and it's a catastrophe for women because

I don't know where the hell you're going

to find someone to to have a you know to

marry and have a family with if this

keeps

happening I talked to France de wall two

weeks ago and that'll be out soon and

he's the world's greatest living

primatologist perhaps um Deal's work is

unbelievably important it's unbelievably

important because he's concentrated on

the idea of the alpha male and you know

we have in part popular Parlin we have

an idea of the alpha chimp right or the

alpha male for that matter and it's

pretty much a postmodern neo-marxist

view of primate primate sociology and

that is that the biggest ugliest meanest

male dominates by brute force and so now

he's at the top of the pyramid and so

the implicit claim there from the

biologists is that

power those who Express power most

effectively power being the ability to

compel

those who Express power most effectively

will dominate the the Pyramid of of um

of of dominance of of social hierarchy

and they'll Prevail

reproductively well that's pretty gloomy

that idea you know but people think well

that's what that's how you look at the

world if you're sensible it's like well

France Dall has been studying chimps for

30 years and that's not true that is not

what happens he told me flat out that

frequently small male can become Alpha

especially if he has the support of a

influential female and the small male

becomes Alpha and has the support of the

influential female not because he

Express his arbitrary power but because

he's unbelievably good at mutual

reciprocation and so he has friends and

he does things for his friends and they

do things for him and they trust each

other and he has lots of friends which

also means he has no enemies which turns

out to be really important because the

brute chimps like the psychopath Alphas

they do Rule now and then but they get

torn to shreds by their enemies because

you know they're tough let's say and

mean but they have an off day and two

chimps they stomped a week before Alli

together and tear them literally tear

them into shreds and so the the

psychopath chimp types who use power to

attain dominance get have very short r

rules and end in a very bloody way and

so dewal has pointed out like P did

among children that PO is an

unstable uh uh ethic upon which to base

a social hierarchy even for chimps and

chimps are male-dominated they have a

patriarchal society and they're

relatively brutal and it doesn't even

work for them and certainly doesn't work

for human beings so whatever is at the

apex of the pyramid it's not as the

bloody marxists insist you know the raw

expression of power and and exploitation

wrong wrong not the case doesn't even

work in nature doesn't work for rats

doesn't work for chimpanzees certainly

doesn't work for people and then there

is a kind of natural ethic that emerges

out of that right because with rats and

with chimps and other social animals

varies to some degree from species to

species there's the necessity for

something like Mutual reciprocity as the

basis for successful social organization

and that's something like treat your

neighbor like you would want to be

[Music]

treated you know you watch all those

romcoms where there's always kind of a

beta male guy who's being real friendly

and always failing miserably with the

women because basically he's lying to

himself and to them um he's a

Persona and a Persona is the face that

you show to the world when you're trying

to uh pretend and to convince yourself

and others that you're I would say

harmless but we could say a good person

but a good person isn't harmless a good

person is capable

of well maybe a good person is capable

of anything but is willing to hold that

in a

[Music]

bance the first first thing you have to

understand with regards to trying to

come to terms with the conception of the

Shadow is to understand the idea of

persona and Persona is the you that you

present when you want people to accept

and like

you often like

[Music]

um let's say that you go to a party

and you're trying to impress the people

that are there and you're trying to get

them to like you and so

you maybe get jabed out a little bit and

you laugh and you know you're you go

along with everyone so that they like

you and then you go home and you're

bitterly resentful about the way that

you were put down at this party and

that's going to make all sorts of

aggressive I wish I could have said it's

going to make all sorts of aggressive

and venge vengeful thoughts sort of

flash through your imagination

well the first part of the problem is

that you were too much Persona right you

sacrificed yourself in some sense at the

party so that people would like you and

in the second part you're refusing to

admit to the existence of those elements

of you that would have actually

protected you from doing that so let's

say you go home and you're all bitter

and resentful and you have fantasies of

Revenge I mean that reveals to you the

shadow part of you that's

aggressive and the thing is you actually

need that because if you would have

integrated that more successfully into

your personality when you went to the

party you wouldn't have had let you

wouldn't have had to let people put you

down to get them to like you you know

instead of having a face like this which

says I'll take anything that's coming my

way you know you have a face and a

stance that's more determined and

assertive and if you manifest that

properly people aren't going to mess

with you to begin with but you know you

may have already adopted a morality that

says well I have to be likable and I

shouldn't do anything that causes any

conflict and I shouldn't ever you know

hurt anybody's feelings and so you're

just to present yourself as a punching

bag and you think that that makes you a

good person but it doesn't and

there's no integration of the shadow in

that situation so you see that at the

end of the movie you know when I I

mentioned this when Simba climbs up the

rock to take control of it all the

female lionesses bear their teeth and he

Roars it's like that aggressiveness is

integrated into him and so resentment is

a really good emotion for making contact

with the shadow side because if you're

resentful about something it basically

reveals two things it either means that

you're immature and you should stop

whining and get on with things you know

someone's asked this often happens with

adolescence who are asked Say by their

mother to clean up their room they got

all resentful about it it's like shut up

and clean up your room you know it's

it's not that much to ask or so it can

be a Gateway into the observation of

your own immaturity or it's possible

that you're resentful because people

really have been poking at you too much

and taking and and taking shot cheap

shots at you and oppressing you but what

that means means is that you've got some

things to say that you haven't been

willing to say or don't know how to say

right you can't stand up for yourself

properly and in order to do that you

have to grow some teeth and be willing

to use them and again that's something

that might violate your morality because

you might say well I shouldn't be able

to bite people and the thing is yes you

should be able to bite people hard and

if you're able to bite them then

generally you don't have to but they

need to know that you can because

otherwise especially people who are

badly socialized they'll just keep

encroaching on you and encroaching on

you and encroaching on you and

encroaching on you until you you put up

a

wall like someone who's really well put

together won't do that you know because

they're

sophisticated but if you run into people

who only have boundaries because other

people impose them on them and you won't

do it you're going to be the bullied one

in the office for example you're not

going to get a raise people aren't going

to credit you with your own work other

people are going to take credit for it

you know and you're going to go home

angry because you're doing your best and

you're trying to get along with everyone

and nothing ever goes your way well it's

because you're a

pushover and you think that's good

because you confuse harmlessness with Mo

with with morality it's it's a bad it's

not right just because you can't do any

damage doesn't mean you're moral it just

means you're you don't have the

capability for

Mayhem and that makes you a

pushover I mean first of all I do not

believe that compassion is an

untrammeled moral virtue and I think one

of the terrible things about our society

one of the deadly edle things about our

society is that we've put compassion in

the highest place unthinkingly and

compassion is for

infants and I really mean that

technically so like if if imagine that

that your ethic was that you were 100%

compassionate okay so what are you like

well you're like a good mother with a

child under 6 months of age because

because human babies are born premature

in some fundamental sense so you know

the average gestation period for a

mammal of about our size should be 2

years and so our babies are born

radically premature and there's complex

reasons for that one is that there's a

arms race an evolutionary arms race

between the circumference of the

infant's head and the dimensions of the

pelvic hole through which the baby has

to pass to be born and if the pelvis of

women was any wider they couldn't run

and if it was any narrower then the

child would die like many children did

right I mean the human birth mortality

rate was abysmal right up till about

well certainly 100 years ago and the

baby's heads are compressable right the

bones aren't fully formed when they're

born and often kids are born and their

heads are cone-shaped because they've

been subject to such pressure during

birth so it's a really it's a it's a

narrow needle to thread and there's been

a lot of evolutionary tinkering to get

that right so you know our our infants

are born unbelievably helpless and they

are basically uh prenatal until they can

crawl and that's s say seven or eight

months and so prior to that because

they're so utterly

helpless everything they do has to be

regarded as above moral reproach and

100% right and so if you have an infant

who is crying who's 6 months old or 4

months old your job is not to judge the

infant or to punish the infant or to

discipline the infant it's like the

infant has a problem and all of your

attention is to be focused on solving

that problem period 100% that's it and

that's great for people who are under 6

months but it's deadly it's increasingly

deadly as the child matures because that

kind of all-encompassing I will do

everything for you is also the enemy of

development and that's that's the whole

Freudian nightmare I mean that's what

Freud put his finger on and he knew that

that was the pathology of the age the

edle mother and it's like yeah well

welcome to the age of the edle mother

everyone because that's certainly what

we see now and so if you put compassion

in the highest Place well then that's

what you have is you have a state of

being where everything is an infant and

the only Hallmark of ethic is pity now

Yung talked about classic conceptions of

what is in the highest Place God he said

well God rules with two hands mercy and

Justice and that's that discrimination

you know how bad discrimination is it's

like well no it's not it's

differentiation it's judgment it's it's

putting things in their proper place

it's it's setting the highest above the

lowest it's it's formulating a pathway

for further development and you know a

mother might say you're just fine the

way you are but what's that to say to

someone who's well 10 it's like you're

not fine the way you are you're 10 you

got a lot of growing up to do and you're

probably not fine the way you are when

you're 20 it's like you're just a

fraction of what you could be and if

it's all maternal compassion and and I

mean that in the symbolic sense it's all

maternal compassion it's well where's

the impetus for development and there's

no judgment there and I think the most

dismal thing you can tell 18-year-old

boys in particular especially if they're

miserable is well you're just okay the

way you are and they're not first of all

and no one thinks they are including

them well they don't not no one gives a

damn about malfunctioning 18-year-old

boys

[Applause]

like you know but you but you can say

with the proper ad mixture of justice

and mercy it's like yeah well you know

you're not so bad for 18 and and you

could be way more and good for you and

then you can encourage that and and that

a that's the spirit of justice and

that's a patriarchal Spirit

fundamentally it's the encouragement and

the calling forth of further

development there has to be allowance

for imperfection and error well well

also also orientation towards the aim

yeah and and getting that balance right

well that's part of what Consciousness

does I would say is it constantly

adjudicates between those two higher

order principles now those aren't the

only principles but and that and there's

no final solution to that right you

can't just say well we're all

compassionate and we're done with it

it's like no and it's it's an ongoing

problem right with your kids you're

always wondering they make a mistake

it's well how much do you forgive them

and how much do you say you know how

about you don't do that again it's

really embarrassing it's terrible for

you if you replicate that error your

life is going to be a bloody catastrophe

you're old enough to figure it out it's

like clue in and you might say well who

loves the child more the one who says oh

it's okay everything you do is love

which it isn't or or the person who says

you could do better and you know the

answer is well it's it's a discussion

between those two viewpoints constantly

constantly because and and and in your

relationship with yourself it's like how

much do you forgive yourself and the

answer certainly is zero it's not zero

that's no one can live without being

able to forgive themselves to some

degree but by the same token you know

you don't want to let yourself off the

hook for every idiot error you make

[Music]

what is your view on the book/movie

fight club I thought Fight Club was

deeply fascist in a very interesting way

um I mean I I'm saying that I'm saying

that some in some way dismissively

although I actually like the movie I

also think it was it was fascist because

it it it was a celebration in some sense

of force it was fascist sort of in the

same way that the Iron Man character is

fascist you know um but I also thought

it was a really interesting exploration

of the idea of developing the Shadow and

so and I do believe that if men don't

become consciously dangerous they become

unconsciously dangerous and so it's much

better to become consciously dangerous

and it's something that every man should

really aim at so you should be someone

that no one will mess with now and but

then you should keep that under control

right you should be first of all you

should be harmless and naive then you're

a child then you should develop Your

Capacity to be dangerous then you should

bring that capacity to be dangerous

under control then that makes you a man

as far as I'm

concerned n said well God is dead and we

have killed him and we'll never find the

water to wash away the blood you know

the holiest that we have created is now

died at her own hands and he thought

that was an absolute catastrophe uh cuz

n was a very smart man and a very wise

man um but he made a real error I

believe and and he he posited that

because of this collapse of values this

precipitous collapse of the the value

that unifies all values or that is the

precondition for all values that we

would be lost he certainly felt that we

would fall into nihilism or that we

would fall prey to communist idolatry in

particular which he predicted dead on

just like doeski did but then he also

said the the solution to that will be

that the Superman will have to appear

the Uber mench and he will be that the

man who can create his own values and so

both Freud and Yung were interested in

that idea um Freud more

peripherally but Yung more more

consciously and part of what Yung was

trying to find out

is well could we create our own values

and the answer he came up with was no

that's not possible and why so the

question is why well you know for the

psychoanalysts we were beset by

fantasies and these are sort of

autonomous personalities that dwell in

in our subconscious let's say in our

imagination in our dreams and that

possess us from time to time the spirit

of Rage the spirit of lust the the

spirit of Envy um these ancient gods

that possess us and

uh these values that and temptations and

impulses that come upon us that we

cannot control they're part of our

autonomous nature and because they have

this a autonomy and so that would be the

autonomy of emotions and the autonomy of

motivations and then even the autonomy

of the spirit that unites motivations

because we don't know for example in the

spirit of play for example play is an

instinct play integrates base

motivations into a higher Unity but it's

an instinct and so Yung realized very

rapidly that it wasn't technically

possible for us to create our own values

and that's partly his stumbling upon the

problem of complexity the world's just

too complex for us to generate our

values in the span of a single life out

of whole cloth autonomously no matter

how much of a Superman we

were and then partly the reason that's

impossible is well okay so generate your

own values what the hell are you going

to do with your wife or your husband or

your friend they're what are they going

to they're just going to live by your

values all of a sudden well that's what

the postmodernist are standing now the

radical types is like my game right my

identity I'm whatever I say I am moment

to moment and and there's no negotiation

and that's because they're 2 years old

and I mean

that I mean that I I mean I mean that I

mean that I mean that technically I mean

one of the things I learned partly from

Reading Freud Freud had this idea of

Developmental fixation and he noticed in

his clients in his patients that people

would get stuck at a developmental level

and so you'd be talking to an adult and

all of a sudden they were 4 years old

and I learned to see that in my clients

and well in people I talk to I'll do

that with if they're annoying me um you

know like okay who the hell are you oh I

see you're a 13-year-old mean girl okay

away we go I know who I'm talking to now

and these these these solipsistic

identity uh uh totalitarians are 2 years

old and 2-year-olds are um very governed

by emotion they're completely incapable

of negotiation they're egotistical in

that their worldview dominates they have

no notion whatsoever of of negotiated

play and their belief is their identity

is 100% generated by them dependent on

what they feel moment to moment which is

exactly how a 2-year-old operates and

most of them get socialized out of that

by the age of four and those that don't

have a very dismal time of it after

that so and I think we have a lot of

people like that now because screens

have interfered with pretend play and

negotiation and because edle parents and

and social systems have produced have

enabled a kind of immature narcissism

that makes itself manifest in these

absurd claims about identity and that's

all part of creating your own values I

can be whatever sex I want to be moment

to moment it's like fine but how how are

other people supposed to deal with that

cuz they don't know what to do well it

doesn't matter they have to do exactly

what I want them to it's like hey good

luck with that you and you Superman you

Uber MCH with your own values like and

this is also partly why the liberal the

small L liberal types are wrong in a

fundamental sense and this would include

most therapists is like you might think

of identity and and and of Sanity itself

as sort of an internal psychological

Arrangement you know so you have your

act together sort of in your brain or in

your psyche and you're sane and there's

insane people around you but you're

saying it's like that isn't really right

it's sort of right but you know you're

saying if if you if you're uh what a

reciprocal partner in your marriage

you're saying if you have three or four

friendships that you've been able to

maintain cuz you can act reciprocally

and the sanity is actually the balance

between you and and your wife or husband

and then you and your wife or husband

and your friends or you and your wife

and your husband um or your husband and

your children and your friends and your

larger family it's and it's this nested

thing that we already talked about it's

like you can't be sane in the absence of

that because that's actually the

definition of sanity and it's Collective

as well as that's why the kingdom of God

is within you and without you it's

exactly that it's like yeah you have a

harmonious psyche but you know are you

dancing with yourself to music that no

one else can hear that's not helpful

there's a communal element of it that

has to be in place and so if you're sane

your marriage is sane and you have sane

relationships with your children you

have sane relationships with your

friends and you're a good employee or a

boss and you're a participant in the

Civic world and all of that is embedded

in this hierarchy that has the spirit at

the top that enables that reciprocity to

[Music]

operate not easy to find your own words

but if you find your own words and

they're truthful words there isn't

anything that can stop them you think

well do you believe that well let's go

back to the Sovereign idea are you

Sovereign citizens or not well if you

are well why is that well it's because

you have a certain faculty a certain

power well what do you have you have the

power of your convictions in your truth

and your ability to communicate and

that's what's supposed to set the state

straight okay so you have that it's like

well then maybe it's truth that you're

pursuing and seeking if you have any

sense and what's truth well truth is the

best reflection you can manage of

reality imperfect because you're

imperfect but it's the best you've got

it's like what what's going to be better

for you than to have reality on your

side and what's going to stand in your

way if you have reality on your side

lies I don't think so that isn't how it

works and I don't think anyone believes

that because the another thing I've

noted and discussed with people

frequently is if you have someone that

you love a child let's say and you're

trying to raise a child in a decent

manner you don't tell them look kid this

is how the world runs everything's

corrupt beyond belief including you and

your parents and and society and nature

for that matter it's it's just complete

bloody hell everywhere and the only

possible way that you can make it

through life effectively is to learn to

lie as brilliant simply and uhu

undisguisedly as possible no one does

that well why

not if you believed in falsehood if you

beli that that was the way forward then

that would be the right thing to teach

but you don't you teach your children to

tell the truth even if it's painful and

the reason for that is that you actually

believe in the power of the truth

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]