Jordan B. Petersen and the epidemic of "being offended"!
Jordon Peterson a professor of Toronto University has been in the news recently for totally destroying a British interviewer Cathy "so you're saying" Newman on camera with his unapologetic arguments. For those who haven't watched it, please take out half an hour from your lives and do it right now. Yes, it's that good!
The interview starts with Peterson explaining why men need to 'Grow the hell up" and why it is important for men to feel powerful in order to run the society better. He arguments, that society doesn't need old infants and women choosing weaker partners is not a long-term solution for a happy and successful relationship. The interviewer being naive picks it up as an attack on the equality and brings gender pay gap as an example of the said attack. She asks the professor why there are only 7 women running the top FTSE 100 companies. The claim that the wage gap between men and women is only due to sex is wrong, replies the professor and any reasonable person could see what he's on to. Women CHOOSE to not work as long as men in the office. They choose to take care of their family more than men do, taking more off days than men and that is one reason why they are paid less than men on an average. Women are more orderly and men and more industrious, a very likable trait in the workplace. Women are also more agreeable than men that makes them compassionate and polite and hence they settle for less salary than men. That is just a biological trait that women have, nothing can be done about it. It's like saying why the fastest man completes 100m in 9.58 seconds whereas the fastest woman has to settle for 10.49? Because women are physically weaker than men and the record has nothing to do with the suppression of the other gender. Sure the pay gap exists but there are multiple reasons for it, one of which is gender, there are however many other bigger reasons that contribute to it and those must not be overlooked.
This whole situation, however, is part of a bigger problem that has engrossed the western as well as eastern world alike.
The problem
People in India protesting over release of a movie
Since the dawn of the 21st century, there has been a huge increase in the number of people being offended. Sure being offended has always been an integral part of the society, it helps filter out the bad behaviors and practices but in the past decade or so it has taken a huge turn for the worst. "Being offended" a practice that first found its root in politics has now spread to almost anything that can be imagined. People are now being offended by literature, statues, video games, eating habits, religious practices, sexual preferences, gender, sports, movies, songs, toys, - you name something, there is a very high chance that some group of people would be offended by it. The human instinct to overcome challenges by working hard has been long gone for most and has been replaced with wining, playing the victim and to seek vengeance.
The solution
A very wise philosopher Epictetus once said,
“If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your mind is complicit in the provocation.”
The offender isn't the sole reason for your hurt feelings, it is you who decides to be offended. Every person is different. Some of us are considerate. Some of us are crass. Some of us reject humor while some find it in everything. People who live their life by certain sensitivity cannot bully others into doing so too. People must realise that other person's feelings are their problem and vice versa. We must stop trying to protect people's feelings. As Jordon Peterson would say, "Feelings are important sure, but the truth is more important". Rage is being given more importance in the society today than humility. There's always a lot of coverage on a person who is outraged than a person who has apologised. Rage is seen as powerful while humility as weakness which is why people rarely practice it.
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The best take from peterson's interview is to learn how to argue with a dishonest leftist. Choose your words and do not accept straw-men and having what you say and mean twisted
You're right. As he said, I am very, very, very careful with my words. He was on the Rubin report yesterday with Ben Shapiro. Watching two intellectual people who have their ideological differences talk like adults as opposed to people screaming at each other, is really fascinating.