The guest
Jordan Peterson: Influential clinical psychologist, lecturer, and podcast host; author of Maps of Meaning, 12 Rules for Life, and Beyond Order, known for his lectures on psychology, religion, and meaning.
What this episode covers
In a sprawling, philosophical conversation, Peterson explores whether beauty points toward the divine, how science presupposes a transcendent reality, and why he keeps the thought of death constantly in mind. The discussion turns to the corrupting nature of fame, Peterson's animus toward the political left, the war in Ukraine, Justin Trudeau, and looming famine driven by environmental policy. Peterson shares the rhythms of his global speaking tour, his all-meat diet that he credits with reversing autoimmune disease, and his methods for thinking, writing, and lecturing without notes. The conversation closes on depression treatment, dating advice, Dostoevsky, and Peterson's claim that love and truth are the highest ideals, reachable only through a leap of faith.
Recommended on this episode
BookRecommendedISBN verified
The Stand (and other Stephen King novels)
Stephen King
“i like stephen king a lot great narratives great and great characterization”
“stephen king i was reading a lot of stephen king when i was on tour last time that was good i like stephen king a lot great narratives”— Jordan Peterson
BookRecommended
The Brothers Karamazov
Fyodor Dostoevsky
“the greatest book ever written... it's an amazing book and there's no doubt about it”
“is there a case to be made that brothers karmazov is the greatest book ever written yeah there's a case to be made for that”— Jordan Peterson
BookRecommended
Crime and Punishment
Fyodor Dostoevsky
“i think i like crime and punishment”
“i think i like crime and punishment because while you identified with michigan i think i identified more with raskolnikov”— Jordan Peterson
BookRecommended
The Idiot
Fyodor Dostoevsky
“the idiot was my favorite book uh of all”
“for the longest time the idiot was my favorite book uh of all because i identified with the ideas represented by prince michigan”— Lex Fridman
BookRecommended
The Master and Margarita
Mikhail Bulgakov
“that's a deadly book i've read that i think four times... it's unbelievably deep”
“the master in margarita that's a deadly book i've read that i think four times and i still there's still it's unbelievably deep”— Jordan Peterson
The guest's own work
BookBy the guestISBN verified
Maps of Meaning
Jordan Peterson
“author of maps of meaning 12 rules for life and beyond order this is the lex friedman podcast”— Lex Fridman
BookBy the guestISBN verified
12 Rules for Life
Jordan Peterson
“author of maps of meaning 12 rules for life and beyond order this is the lex friedman podcast”— Lex Fridman
BookBy the guestISBN verified
Beyond Order
Jordan Peterson
“author of maps of meaning 12 rules for life and beyond order this is the lex friedman podcast”— Lex Fridman
BookBy the guestISBN verified
ABC of Childhood Tragedy
Jordan Peterson
“some books i'm going to release in the fall terrible books abc of childhood tragedy they're called dark dark books”— Jordan Peterson
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
BookReferencedISBN verified
The Language of Creation (book on symbolism in Genesis)
Matthieu Pageau
“i found out from matthew pagio who wrote a great book on symbolism in genesis that cherubim are the supporting monsters of god”— Jordan Peterson
BookReferencedISBN verified
The Gulag Archipelago
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
“i have to ask you about gulag archipelago by soulja nitzin that speak to this very point there's so many layers of this book”— Lex Fridman
Big reveals from this episode
- Peterson admits fame has corrupted him 'no doubt in some regard' and says he surrounds himself with critics to keep from spiraling.
- Says he was 'ready to die a year ago' and not casually, after years of severe illness.
- Reveals he currently has 10 lawsuits from the College of Psychologists and has been 'cancelled like 40 times.'
- Calls Trudeau a narcissist and argues his father Pierre 'devastated the west in 1982' with the National Energy Policy.
- Restates the contested fourth reason he gave for the Ukraine war, Putin casting Russia as a 'salvific force' against Western wokeism, that drew criticism.
- Credits an all-meat diet with eliminating his psoriasis, incurable gum disease, eye cloudiness, and 50 pounds of weight.
- Argues The Brothers Karamazov may be the greatest book ever written, surpassing Crime and Punishment.
Worth remembering
- Peterson recounts Elon Musk offhandedly saying death 'would be a relief.'
- Cites estimates that a coming famine could leave 1.2 billion people food insecure, far above UN figures.
- Notes Holland is the world's number two exporter of agricultural products despite being smaller than Massachusetts.
- Relays comedian Jimmy Carr's view that stand-up is 'the most dialogical enterprise,' refined by testing material in 50 clubs.
- Peterson eats only steak and water, three or four times a day, and travels with air fryers he leaves behind worldwide.
- Describes discovering fat-adapted endurance running and the mental clarity of intermittent fasting.
- Claims young men who do the 90-minute future-authoring exercise are 50% less likely to drop out of college.
- Does live math estimating life is roughly two hundred 5-minute chunks per day, arguing you should get the mundane ones right.
- Announces an upcoming Dostoevsky and Nietzsche course for Peterson Academy starting in January.
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