𝔻𝕣. 𝕁𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕒𝕟 𝔹. ℙ𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟

Do you know who this man is?

I imagine many in this space do

But if you don’t, you should.

Since I started my journey towards self-improvement several years back

There probably isn’t any other single individual who has made as much of an impact on my life as has been made by

Jordan B. Peterson

He’s like the grandfather I never had.

And I am so thankful for his life and work

But this isn’t just a big fan boy post.

Although I’d have no shame in that..

It’s not.

What I’d like to share today are 3 of the most important lessons I’ve learned.

From his

- Life
- Books
- Lectures

So, let’s get to it

1. Say what you mean, and don’t back down.

If you’re not familiar with Dr. Peterson, he is a clinical psychologist and has served as a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto since 1998.

He was brought to the forefront over his views on some political and social issues.

There was one situation in particular that really blew up

His name was all over the internet for a while

When asked if he would use certain words if they were compelled by the law, he gave a firm no.

He believes in free speech, and will not be compelled to use certain words by the law, as this violates his conscience and understanding of the law.

He said this very plainly.

And he meant what he said.

The media really blew this out of proportion.

His words were twisted, his character smeared

He went on talk shows where his actual answers to their questions were completely disregarded, his words twisted, and he was made out to be some sort of bigot.

This happened over and over again.

But he did not recant.

He never has.

He took a strong stance based upon his principles and moral compass.

And then refused to compromise.

In this way, be like Jordan Peterson.

Say what you mean.

Don’t back down.

2. Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.

If you’ve read his book, you know this is rule #2 from 12 Rules For Life.

I love that entire book, and if somehow you’ve not read it yet, I suggest you do so ASAP.

But back to this point.

There’s this phenomena I’ve noticed with good-hearted people:

They tend to be much kinder to others than they are to themselves.

And it seems they often do more to care for others than they do themselves.

When it comes to other people,

They are quick to

- forgive
- show understanding
- do their very best to help them

And yet they show no such kindness to themselves.

So treat yourself like someone you’re responsible for helping.

Because you are.

The same care, guidance, and effort you put into helping other people

Put that same energy into helping yourself.

Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.

Now, last

But certainly not least

3. Have compassion, give encouragement.

“People need so little encouragement...”

I’d been following Dr. Peterson for some time before I came across this clip I’m going to reference.

Peterson has much wisdom to give to all people, both young and old alike

Much of it quite harsh on the surface.

You won’t find much fluff, and his talks are noticeably without niceties and platitudes

But I genuinely believe Dr. Peterson desires to truly help people

I was watching this clip from an interview

Dr. Peterson shared how when he was on his speaking tour, people would have the opportunity to talk with him just a moment after the talk was over

He shared how they would tell him about how he had helped them, and how their life had improved because of his work.

And he said he noticed they were sort of hesitant to share the good news

As if they were not used to being able to share accomplishments and have them be well-received

And in this clip, as he’s recalling this, he gets noticeably emotional, a bit choked up

“When people share good news about their life, people don’t necessarily respond positively...You know, they don’t get encouragement...

And people need so little encouragement!”

That clip made 2 things clear to me:

- This man truly cares about people
- What he said is true

It IS so true that in our culture today

Your success will not be celebrated by many

Money Twitter is sort of this wonderful exception sometimes

But others will not always celebrate your wins with you.

Others often won’t encourage you after your accomplishments

But the impact that just a bit of genuine, compassionate encouragement can make in the life of another cannot be overstated.

There are people out there, or even all around us, really

That are TRYING

Maybe they’re struggling

And you have no idea how your encouragement could help them

The difference that the right words at the right time could bring.

So if you truly want to help others?

- Be compassionate
- Give encouragement

This doesn’t always look the same.

Sometimes compassionate encouragement looks like a pat on the back, of a kind word

And sometimes it looks more like a kick in the rear.

But the bottom line is

If you truly want to help

CARE about those who you are trying to impact.

Empathize with them.

Have compassion.

And then encourage them whenever possible.

Have compassion.
Give encouragement.

—

So that’s it.

3 lessons I’ve learned from someone I consider to be one of the wisest men alive today.

If you’re a fan of Peterson, and there’s been a big lesson he’s taught you that I didn’t mention here

I’d love to hear about it, so let’s talk in the comments below

And as always, if you found value in this thread

Please help get it to more people by liking, commenting, and giving it a RT

It’s much appreciated.

Regardless, if you read this far, thank you!

Dr. Peterson has been a huge positive impact on my life

And I hope these lessons have been helpful to you.