#448 – Jordan Peterson: Nietzsche, Hitler, God, Psychopathy, Suffering & Meaning

Key Takeaways 

• The soul is the battleground between the forces of good and evil; it is your moral duty to constrain evil within yourself 
• Communism does not scale and it does not iterate – whereas religious thought is the record of those ideas that have scaled and iterated  
• If you follow the voice of adventure and make the necessary sacrifices to follow the path that takes you out of your comfort zone, then you will experience the following benefits:
  • Your life will be a blessing 
  • Everyone will hold you in high esteem 
  • You will establish something of permanent value 
  • You will do these things in a way that is maximally beneficial to everyone else
• There is no distinction between the truest adventure of life and taking on the maximal responsibility and burden
• Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today 
• Make the presumption that if you move forward in good faith, whatever happens to you will be the best thing that could happen – no matter what it is  
• Men should have a temper, but they should be able to regulate it; most of what passes for morality is nothing but cowardice
• A good man has to be formidable: The capacity that could be the most potent force for evil can also be the most powerful force for good 
• Welcome the adversity of life as a redemptive challenge; the best parts of yourself activate when you voluntarily contend with challenges
• After you go through a period of pain, you will have more gratitude for the ordinariness of life 
• We have an existential moral duty to aim upward and to tell the truth 

Jordan Peterson is a psychologist, author, lecturer, and podcast host. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep448-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.

Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/jordan-peterson-2-transcript

CONTACT LEX: Feedback - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact

EPISODE LINKS: Peterson Academy: https://petersonacademy.com Jordan's X: https://x.com/jordanbpeterson Jordan's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JordanBPeterson Jordan's Website: https://jordanbpeterson.com

Jordan's Books: We Who Wrestle with God: https://amzn.to/485Dz4a Beyond Order: https://amzn.to/3T4LRBw 12 Rules for Life: https://amzn.to/3c4sqYF Maps of Meaning: https://amzn.to/3A1Ods2

SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: Eight Sleep: Temp-controlled smart mattress. Go to https://eightsleep.com/lex Ground News: Unbiased news source. Go to https://groundnews.com/lex BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex

OUTLINE: (00:00) - Introduction (07:07) - Nietzsche (14:48) - Power and propaganda (19:54) - Nazism (24:54) - Religion (41:18) - Communism (47:03) - Hero myth (49:12) - Belief in God (59:24) - Advice for young people (1:12:02) - Sex (1:32:00) - Good and evil (1:44:46) - Psychopathy (1:58:15) - Hardship (2:10:31) - Pain and gratitude (2:21:32) - Truth

PODCAST LINKS: - Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast - Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr - Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 - RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ - Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 - Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips