It’s been said that common sense is like deodorant; those that need it most don’t use it.
Yet, much to my amazement, a man described as “a warrior for common sense and plain speech”, and “the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now” is also a proud Canadian.
Jordan Peterson is a Canadian with a loud voice, sharing common sense nuggets while taking a bold stand for free speech to a nation that seems obsessed with wanting to eradicate both. It’s also astounding that Peterson is one of the few Canadians who can get away with directly opposing Bill C-16 regarding gender identity, on the grounds of freedom of speech and compelled speech.
Peterson conducts lectures to a large and diverse audience consisting primarily of males in the 20-30 age bracket, who listen intently to him talk for two hours, with no intermission provided. This is truly amazing for a generation accustomed to 24-7 internet access, endless entertainment options and video games, a generation with the ability to simultaneously listen to music, text, check out social media while working on an assignment on their laptop.
Peterson’s popular 12 rules for life and talks have resulted in young men voluntarily banding together to discuss their long-term goals, sort of like therapy sessions without a therapist being present. They claim it’s a place where they can speak openly without repercussions.
It doesn’t take long before they begin discussing college campuses where free speech is all but dead, and where modern society gives white males negative reviews.
One comment I read from a Jordan Peterson fan said, “Fundamentally, it’s responsibility is what he’s selling, individual responsibility.” Continuing on to say, “These days you can get a trophy just for showing up.”
A young woman described Peterson as “capturing something that’s missing from the public discourse in our time”.
This may be why the young men who met regularly found themselves discussing religion, though they did not consider themselves religious. However they came to the conclusion that they felt something is being lost, like a moral compass, as western society becomes more secular. One man summed it up, “We threw out a very important baby with all that bath water.”
Jordan Peterson isn’t the only voice advocating for common sense and a moral compass. The resource book he so readily utilizes, is filled with wisdom, instruction and encouragement. A young lady who endeavored to follow Jordan’s 12 rules for life, found herself sleeping with Peterson’s book on her bedside table, along with a copy of the Bible, because he refers to it so often. She described it as a “strange new world” for her.
Could it possibly result in not only a “strange new world” but a “better new world”? A world where people realize they are so loved by God that they find themselves loving others in return? It’s something to think about as we celebrate Easter. Why is it called Good Friday? It’s good to have a day off, it’s good to have delicious food with family, but it’s especially good to have a future and a hope, no matter what is happening in our world.
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