Jordan Peterson

[Bob Kuczewski]

This Blog is for material related to Jordan Peterson.

All posts on that topic are currently welcome by all U.S. Hawks members.

[Bob Kuczewski]

I'd like to start this Blog with the video posted by Bill Cummings that first introduced me to Jordan Peterson. It's still one of my favorites. Thanks Bill.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMj9wsrPE5U

"Don't underestimate the power of your speech."
                                                                 - Jordan Peterson

"Don't underestimate the power of truth. There is nothing more powerful."
                                                                                                                       - Jordan Peterson

"Nothing brings a better world into being better than the stated truth."
                                                                                                                 - Jordan Peterson

"It is not safe to speak. ... It's even less safe not to speak."
                                                                                 - Jordan Peterson

"The truth is what redeems the world from hell."
                                                                 - Jordan Peterson



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UPDATED August 21, 2025: Here is YouTube's transcript with some capitalization and punctuation added by me:

One way of conceptualizing yourself is that you're one Speck of dust among 7 billion, and when you conceptualize yourself that way you might think "well what difference does it make what I say or do?"   And that's actually quite convenient for you because if it doesn't matter what you say or do then you don't have any responsibility and you can do whatever you want. The price you pay for that is a bit of nihilism, but if you don't have to shoulder any responsibility that's a small price to pay.

Another (that's the underground motivation for nihilism), but the other way of looking at it, and this is actually the accurate way of looking at it, is that you're in a network. You're a node in a network, and so you can do a little bit of arithmetic very rapidly and just figure out how powerful you are. You know a thousand people. You're going to know more than that over the course of your life, but let's say a thousand for the sake of argument for now. They know a thousand people. That means that you're one person away from a million people, and two persons away from a billion people. And you're the center of that Network. And now the way networks work is that information propagates in a network manner. So don't underestimate the power of your speech.

Now you know Western culture is phallogocentric. Let's say it okay, so we'll say "Yeah that's just fine", that's exactly what it is. It's predicated on the idea of the logos, that the logos is the sacred element of Western culture. And what does that mean? It means that your capacity for speech is divine. It's the thing that generates order from chaos and then sometimes times turns pathological order into chaos when it has to.

Don't underestimate the power of truth there's nothing more powerful. Now in order to speak what you might regard as the truth you have to let go of the outcome. You have to think "all right I'm going to say what I think, stupid as I am, biased as I am, ignorant as I am, I'm going to state what I think as clearly as I can, and I'm going to live with the consequences no matter what they are". Now the reason you think that, that's an element of Faith. The idea is that nothing brings a better world into being than the stated truth.

Now you might have to pay a price for that, but that's fine. You're going to pay a price for every bloody thing you do and everything you don't do. You don't get to choose to not pay a price. You get to choose which poison you're going to take. That's it. So if you're going to stand up for something, stand up for your truth. It'll, it'll shape you because people will respond and object and tell you why you're a fool and biased and why you're ignorant. And then, if you listen to them, you'll be just that much less like that the next time you say something. And if you do that for 5 years, you'll be so damn tough and articulate and able to communicate and withstand pressure that you won't even recognize yourself. And then you'll be a force to contend with.

And you don't get to wait until, because I get letters like Gad Saad gets all the time too, from faculty members in particular, and they say "well you know when I get tenure". It's like then they think "well when I'm an associate professor" and then they think "well when I'm a full Professor". It's like if you're a professor already you're like the most protected person in the history of the planet. You know and and you you need well okay.

But what one of the things that that indicates is that it's almost impossible to provide people with enough protection so that they feel safe to speak. Okay, so we'll address that directly. It is not safe to speak. And it never will be. But the the thing you got to keep in mind is that it's even less safe not to speak! Right? It's a balance of risks. It's like you want to, you want to pay the price for being who you are and stating your mode of being in the world? Or do you want to pay the price for being a bloody serf? One that's enslaved him or herself? Well that's a major price man. That thing unfolds over decades and you'll just be a miserable worm at the end of about 20 years of that. Right? No self-respect, no power, no ability to voice your opinions, nothing left but resentment because everyone's against you because, of course, you've never stood up for yourself.

It's like, say what you think, carefully. Pay attention to your words. The price is, it's a price you want to pay if you are willing to believe that truth is the cornerstone of society. And in in the most real sense, if you, if you, if you're willing to take that leap then tell the truth and see what happens. And nothing better could possibly happen to you. There'll be ups and downs and there'll be push back and there'll be controversy and all of that. But it doesn't matter. The truth is what makes the world, the truth is what redeems the world from hell. And that's the truth. And we saw plenty of hell over the last hundred years, you know. And we haven't learned a bloody thing from it. It's like wake up tell the truth. Tell the truth, or at least don't lie. That's a start. And, and you, you got to understand that's a risk.

But I will I I have one more brief thing to say about that. Um, so you know I said what I had to say back in September, and I, I, I'm sure that I could have done it better. And many people have told me how I could have done it better, although it didn't mean they would actually do it. But, but, and you know my job was at risk, serious risk for about two months, and it destabilized my family who've been very brave about this. So like thumbs up to them man. They, they've just stood by me. But the op, here's the optimistic news, is the university has left me alone completely. I shook hands with the dean two weeks ago. We're on friendly terms. They don't want this to go any farther than it has already. The students were tremendously welcoming when I came back to teach in January. I haven't had a single negative incident at the University, and I've received thousands of letters from people all over the world, all of which have been in support. I've received two negative letters. That's it. Two.

So the the the people people have an inchoate longing to have the sort of thing that we're talking about articulated. And so don't be thinking you're alone. It's just that people can't talk. They're afraid to talk or they don't know what to say. And and those are real problems. So if you're reasonably articulate, like start talking and sharpen yourself up. I mean the enemy is is a cloud they're a cloud of gnats. They're only courageous in groups. They're only courageous in mobs. If you stand your ground and don't apologize and articulate things properly they'll disperse around you like they're not even there. So most of it's illusion. So don't be... Be afraid. But be afraid of the right thing. And the right thing you should be afraid of is not saying what you say. Because that's the same as not being. And here you are suffering away you might as well be at the same time. At least then there's something to you.

[SamKellner]

BobK, BillC,
Thanks so much for this post.

I am in a conversation with a well known HG pilot. He is saying he has been keeping track of who in u$hPa has been making decisions that are negatively effecting Hang Gliding, BUT
has been asked to keep quiet. I know how I feel, but was at a loss for words.

Then I page back over to US Hawks forum and , BAM, it's in my face. Speak Up

We'll see how it goes. here's a link to the conversation, but its facebook again ..Houston Hang Gliding and Paragliding

https://www.facebook.com/groups/8189526 ... on_generic

[Bob Kuczewski]

BobK, BillC,
Thanks so much for this post.

I am in a conversation with a well known HG pilot. He is saying he has been keeping track of who in u$hPa has been making decisions that are negatively effecting Hang Gliding, BUT
has been asked to keep quiet. I know how I feel, but was at a loss for words.

Then I page back over to US Hawks forum and , BAM, it's in my face. Speak Up

Yes, that video from Bill says it so well. Speaking Up is the most powerful thing we can do. That's why USHPA doesn't have an open forum. They are afraid to let pilots speak up. That's why USHPA expelled me (Speaking up at City Council, speaking up in court, founding the U.S. Hawks where everyone can speak up). That's why Jack and Davis hold a tight grip on free speech. They all know that Speaking Up is the most powerful thing we can do ... so they try to crush that and make people afraid to say certain things.

Thanks Sam.   

[Bob Kuczewski]

Here's another Jordan Peterson video sent to me by Craig:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-aDisCBaK94



Craig also sent me this great speech by Norman Schwarzkopf:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgWCdqKYY-k



These are my notes from the speech:

Leadership is not managership.

Leaders lead people.

The challenge of leadership is to get people to do what they normally would not otherwise do.

Competence is important, but Character is the most important.

99% of failures were not from competence failure but from character failure.

Leadership is Character.

Leaders are respected because they accept responsibility.

You can delegate authority but not responsibility.

The true rewards of leadership come from the leadership itself.

Several points:

1. No organizations get better unless leaders admit something is wrong.

2. Leaders set goals. Goals are only meaningful if everyone understands their role in the goals. Goals are used to focus and limit.

3. Standards. Sets the measure of success. Leaders establish high standards

4. Failure is contagious. Success is infectious. Leaders reinforce success.

5. Leaders establish latitude to learn.

6. Great leaders don't tell people how to do their job.

Two rules for 21st century leadership:

1. Rule 13 - When placed in command, take charge. Do something.

2. Rule 14 - Do what's right.

Full circle back to character.

Character is doing what's right when you know you could get away with doing what's wrong.

Why did you lose faith in your country?

If the world is only going to have one superpower, thank God it's the United States.

America is the people.

Rule 13 and Rule 14.

Do what's right.

Thanks Craig!!   

[Bob Kuczewski]

The Monsterous Element and Self Alignment

[Bob Kuczewski]

Craig Muhonen shared this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A33S2N348WU

[Craig Muhonen]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A6g_geYeL4U

JBP

There are "wordsmiths", then there are "word masters", and "thinkers".

I am adding Mikhaila and her lion and her mom to this mix.
I can't even imagine losing your ankle and hip at such a young age, and then all the heavy drugs, then a baby. Good on ya Mikhaila.
They have "risked" all, but a solid family rewards, every time.

Jordans' wife Tammy is recovering from major cancer surgery.....prayers.

Craig

[Bob Kuczewski]

I know I've already posted this video, but it's so good, that I can't watch it too many times. It holds a special meaning for me today, and I sometimes can't fathom how lucky I am to call Bill Cummings my friend. Thanks (again) Bill.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMj9wsrPE5U

"Don't underestimate the power of your speech."
                                                                 - Jordan Peterson

"Don't underestimate the power of truth. There is nothing more powerful."
                                                                                                                       - Jordan Peterson

"Nothing brings a better world into being better than the stated truth."
                                                                                                                 - Jordan Peterson

"It is not safe to speak. ... It's even less safe not to speak."
                                                                                 - Jordan Peterson

"The truth is what redeems the world from hell."
                                                                 - Jordan Peterson

[Bill Cummings]

The NSA has data on every phone call, text, or social media post
since before 2013 when American Whistle Blower Edward Joseph Snowden leaked numerous global surveillance programs.
There is so much stuff that it usually takes someone to speak out and stand out enough to draw the attention of the social media thought police. If you dare step too far away from your allowed safe space
and someone complains to the social media thought police you may face being put in timeout, shadow banned, demonetized, or totally banned.
(There is discussion online that YouTube demonetized and even blocking Jordan Petersen of Canada for his views that came to light in 2016. It was about Bill C-16 concerning gender identity compelled speech.)
Before George Floyd was murdered people were chastised for saying, black lives matter, by people that were saying, all lives matter or even blue lives matter. Complaints to various social media platforms were attempts to block someone’s free speech.
People were being accused of not adhering to community guidelines
or not keeping comments respectful. So next we have the thought police making decisions about which free speech is disrespectful or outside platform guidelines.
Different business are requiring employees to attend Unconscious Bias training where one might suppose that your thought processes have come to light (And by the way they have your purchasing records.) that your past purchasing of white refrigerators and toilet paper has not gone unnoticed. It reveals much about you. You having not addressed this topic is further proof of your unconscious bias.
Make no mistake about it – this will all come home to roost. Be prepared to defend your speech because censorship comes with cost. It’s not free.