Jordan B Peterson is in the UK promoting his new book, the title of it being the title of this post.

He has a strong academic history, with his PhD in clinical psychology from McGill University in 1991, he was an assistant and associate professor in the psychology department at Harvard University for a number of years, and is now a full professor at the University of Toronto.

Peterson has risen quickly in Canadian public awareness, and it seems now in other parts of the world too. He was thrust into the spotlight when he refused to agree to 'compelled speech' legislation in Ontario, Canada. The Human Rights legislation there designated it to be against the law NOT to address people by their preferred pronoun. This applies mostly to those with sexual orientations. Especially, less common sexual identities, such as transgenders, are considered to have a right to be addressed according to a chosen pronoun.

He does not refuse to do this as such. However, he refuses to be compelled to do it. Particularly he takes exception to the fact that those who don't agree to it can suffer serious consequences, including professional sanctions, and in extreme cases, a criminal charges, although that seems unlikely. His refusal apparently might have got him fired from his job at the University of Toronto, were it not for his ensuing popularity.

Having been more or less involuntarily brought into this controversial role, Peterson has expanded on the theme of it, and as the clinical psychologist he is, has tried to come to terms with how such a state of affairs of legally compelled speech is even possible in Canadian society. It is important to distinguish between 'compelled speech' and, say, hate speech. There is little doubt that hate speech can cause harm. It not so obvious that NOT speaking PRESCRIBED words can cause harm.

The emotion and passion with which Peterson's message has been received was not expected by him, nor probably by others. And yet his message has without doubt struck a powerful chord in modern society. His videos have received millions of views on YouTube. Here is an example of Peterson as he promotes his new book.

However, his acceptance is not universal. In its first four days, the following video has had 2.3 million views, and almost 50,000 comments. This is a remarkable for an interview with a Canadian clinical psychologist on British TV. The reason probably has something to do with the contrast between the extremely aggressive style of the interviewer, and Peterson's strong but poised defense he felt compelled to offer up.

An equally compelling contrast can be seen between the interview video just noted, and the talk he gave in the first video. In the first he gives a comprehensive description of his new book to a very appreciative audience, and receiving a lengthy standing ovation for his talk. In the second he is defending himself against an attack on the very same book.