70 Jordan Peterson Quotes That Raise Controversy
Rhetorically charismatic and with a neat appearance, Peterson engages with an incredibly broad range of topics ranging from philosophy, religion and literature to evolutionary biology and science. His views on cultural and political issues have made him one of the most important voices against the “woke” movement and “cancel culture”, inspiring millions of people but also raising a wave of opposition and contempt from the left. A staunch opponent of political correctness and identity politics, he argues about the freedom of speech and the need for moral anchors as decisive factors for holding the fabric of a democratic society together. This collection of Jordan Peterson quotes is a perfect representation of his views.
Born in 1962, in Alberta, Canada, Jordan Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist, best-selling author and cultural critic. A professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, he came to prominence in 2016, when he released a series of YouTube videos criticizing Canadian Parliament’s Bill C-16, a bill banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity, as a threat to free speech rights.
Highly polarizing and controversial, his critique and narrative is a red flag for the left, who portray him as a far-right provocateur, fanatic, transphobic, divisive and hateful, but despite the controversy, if we pay attention instead of scorning him, Jordan Peterson expresses some interesting views that we need to take into account and examine deeper. Should we have the courage to look past right and left party narratives, we will realize that things are not always black or white – they rarely are. Honesty can be uncomfortable, like holding a mirror in front of you, but it is an opportunity for self-discovery and growth.
Here we have curated for you the most inspirational quotes of Jordan Peterson to share with friends and loved ones in order to enlighten them, but also to reflect upon and gain insight that will transform your perspective of the world.
Table of Contents
- Short Jordan Peterson Quotes on Everyday Truths to Inspire and Motivate You
- Quotes by Jordan Peterson on Identity Politics
- Jordan Peterson Quotes on Responsibility, Obligation and Commitment
- Meaningful Quotes by Jordan Peterson on Life and Love
- Jordan Peterson Quotes on Psychology and Behavioral Patterns
Short Jordan Peterson Quotes on Everyday Truths to Inspire and Motivate You
We have collected for you the some of the most powerful Jordan Peterson’s quotes to select from; read, share, make the motto of your day!
- What you aim at determines what you see. Jordan Peterson
- True thinking is rare—just like true listening. Jordan Peterson
- If you are not willing to be a fool, you can’t become a master. Jordan Peterson
- To learn is to die voluntarily and be born again—in great ways and small. Jordan Peterson
- Alongside our wish to be free of rules, we all search for structure. Jordan Peterson
- Chaos can be too much. Jordan Peterson
- Tyranny feeds on lies. Jordan Peterson
- Don’t use language instrumentally. Jordan Peterson
- Worthlessness is the default condition. Jordan Peterson
- In order to be able to think, you have to risk being offensive. Jordan Peterson
- Truth is the ultimate, inexhaustible natural resource. It’s the light in the darkness. Jordan Peterson
- Don’t ever underestimate the destructive power of sins of omission. Jordan Peterson
- Work as hard as you possibly can on at least one thing and see what happens. Jordan Peterson
- And if you think tough men are dangerous, wait until you see what weak men are capable of. Jordan Peterson
- There are some games you don’t get to play unless you are all in. Jordan Peterson
- Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t. Jordan Peterson
- It is far better to render beings in your care competent than to protect them. Jordan Peterson
- If you cannot understand why someone did something, look at the consequences—and infer the motivation. Jordan Peterson
- Beauty shames the ugly. Strength shames the weak. Death shames the living. And the ideal shames us all. Jordan Peterson
- Free speech is not just another value. It’s the foundation of Western civilization. Jordan Peterson
- Cooperation is for safety, security, and companionship. Competition is for personal growth and status. Jordan Peterson
- Every bit of learning is a little death. Every bit of new information challenges a previous conception, forcing it to dissolve into chaos before it can be reborn as something better. Jordan Peterson
Quotes by Jordan Peterson on Identity Politics
Peterson has set a new standard in the conversation about identity politics through his unique and controversial viewpoint.
- Identity politics is a sick game. You don’t play racial, ethnic, and gender identity games. The Left plays them on behalf of the oppressed, let’s say, and the Right tends to play them on behalf of nationalism and ethnic pride. I think they’re equally dangerous. Jordan Peterson
- I think the group identity game ends in blood. It doesn’t matter who plays it. Left-wingers play it: blood. Right-wingers play it: blood. Jordan Peterson
- I think that everyone who plays identity politics, whether they play it on the right or the left, is going to pay for it in ways they can hardly imagine. It’s a very counterproductive way of dividing up the world. It’s impossible to come to a peaceful solution in the identity politics universe. Jordan Peterson
Jordan Peterson Quotes on Responsibility, Obligation and Commitment
We are the result of our choices; through our conscious actions we change ourselves and the world around us.
- When you have something to say, silence is a lie. Jordan Peterson
- If you don’t say what you think then you kill your unborn self. Jordan Peterson
- Treat yourself like you would someone you’re responsible for helping. Jordan Peterson
- We must each adopt as much responsibility as possible for individual life, society and the world. Jordan Peterson
- You don’t get to choose not to pay a price, you only get to choose which price you pay. Jordan Peterson
- If you fulfill your obligations everyday, you don’t need to worry about the future. Jordan Peterson
- It’s a luxury to pursue what makes you happy; it’s a moral obligation to pursue what you find meaningful. Jordan Peterson
- In Paradise, everyone speaks the truth. That is what makes it Paradise. Tell the truth. Or, at least, don’t lie. Jordan Peterson
- We believe that in reducing the scope and importance of our errors, we are properly humble. In truth, we are merely unwilling to bear the weight of our true responsibility. Jordan Peterson
- 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. Jordan Peterson
Meaningful Quotes by Jordan Peterson on Life and Love
Suffering or success, loneliness or companionship, evil or good, all these are open possibilities in life that depend on one’s mindset and ambition.
- The meaning of life without positive value is not simply neutral. Jordan Peterson
- He whose life has a why can bear almost any how. Jordan Peterson
- Choose your destination and articulate your being. Jordan Peterson
- Always place your becoming above your current being. Jordan Peterson
- Don’t be dependent. At all. Ever. Period. Jordan Peterson
- Truth is the handmaiden of love. Jordan Peterson
- Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world. Jordan Peterson
- Make friends with people who want the best for you. Jordan Peterson
- If you’re going to be successful you need to be smart, conscientious, and tough. Jordan Peterson
- Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today. Jordan Peterson
- You’re not perfect just the way you are. You could be better! Jordan Peterson
- To suffer terribly and to know yourself as the cause: that is Hell. Jordan Peterson
- Love is the desire to see unnecessary suffering ameliorated. Jordan Peterson
- Question for parents: do you want to make your children safe, or strong? Jordan Peterson
- A naively formulated goal transmutes, with time, into the sinister form of life—lie. Jordan Peterson
- The successful among us delay gratification. The successful among us bargain with the future. Jordan Peterson
- What can be truly loved about a person is inseparable from their limitations. Jordan Peterson
- There’s a worthy and noble ambition—strength in the face of adversity. Jordan Peterson
- Our choices determine the destiny of the world. By making a choice, you alter the structure of reality. Jordan Peterson
- Experience is the best teacher, and the worst experiences teach the best lessons. Jordan Peterson
- The purpose of life, as far as I can tell… is to find a mode of being that’s so meaningful that the fact that life is suffering is no longer relevant. Jordan Peterson
- When the aristocracy catches a cold, as it is said, the working class dies of pneumonia. Jordan Peterson
- If you’re going to insist on bending the world to your way, you better have your reasons. Jordan Peterson
- The secret to your existence is right in front of you. It manifests itself as all those things you know you should do, but are avoiding. Jordan Peterson
- The woman is the gatekeeper to reproductive success, and you can’t get more like nature than that. In fact, it’s the very definition of nature. Jordan Peterson
- Be good company when something fun is happening, so that you’re invited for the fun. Jordan Peterson
- Sometimes it seems the only people willing to give advice in a relativistic society are those with the least to offer. Jordan Peterson
- Once you become consciously aware that you, yourself, are vulnerable, you understand the nature of human vulnerability in general. Jordan Peterson
- People organize their brains with conversation. If they don’t have anyone to tell their story to, they lose their minds. Like hoarders, they cannot unclutter themselves. Jordan Peterson
- Self-love is the only antidote to the chaos of existence. And if you don’t love and care for yourself and your own needs, you will cause unnecessary suffering both for yourself and others. Jordan Peterson
- You must determine where you are going in your life, because you cannot get there unless you move in that direction. Random wandering will not move you forward. It will instead disappoint and frustrate you and make you anxious and unhappy and hard to get along with (and then resentful, and then vengeful, and then worse). Jordan Peterson
Jordan Peterson Quotes on Psychology and Behavioral Patterns
These quotes will shed some light on the complexity of psychology.
- Perhaps you are overvaluing what you don’t have and undervaluing what you do. Jordan Peterson
- Dreams shed light on the dim places where reason itself has yet to voyage. Jordan Peterson
- Our behavioral patterns are exceedingly complex, and psychology is a young science. Jordan Peterson
- I don’t think that you have any insight whatsoever into your capacity for good until you have some well-developed insight into your capacity for evil. Jordan Peterson
- Stop saying those things that make you weak and ashamed. Say only those things that make you strong. Do only those things that you could speak of with honour. Jordan Peterson
Is Jordan Peterson the voice of logic and balance, or just a phobic white man with a hate speech? Despite the labels one may put on him, the truth is that all this cultural and identity maelstrom is only the symptom of a deeper crisis. Past dogmatic, ideological conformity, the acceptance and critical evaluation of opposing perspectives is quintessential for the promotion of plurality and the progress of a democratic society. There comes a time when ignorance needs to be ignored, and this may well be a sign of the times.
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