Ideas Worth Pondering: Nine Jordan Peterson Quotes

Seeds

"There is no correlation between being smart and being wise."

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"If you have hope you are not poor."

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"Don't overestimate yourself, but don't underestimate who you could be."

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"It's from the uphill climb that we derive our value - and I mean this technically. So, almost all the positive emotion we feel, especially the emotion that fills us with enthusiasm... that's experienced in relationship to a goal."

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"If you don't specify what you want, you won't get it."

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"There's nothing that makes you more formidable than verbal competence and being able to articulate; be able to think; to Marshal your arguments, right? It's a Battlefield metaphor: get everything in order; get all your information straight, you know, to Marshall your forces."

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"If you don't have a noble aim then you have nothing but shallow, trivial pleasures and they don't sustain you and that's not good because life is so difficult."

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"The nobler the aim, the better your life."

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"A major part of life and its meaning is the challenge that comes with confronting difficulties."

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Source: https://x.com/JBPetersonQuote

The Increasing Normalization of Censorship and Canceling

"Fantasia" -- Collaboration with Dream by Wombo

The title of this blog post comes from an interview with Jordan Peterson titled Jordan Peterson: The radical Left is guilt-tripping the West into oblivion.

The description for this podcast: Dr Jordan Peterson discusses how to win the culture war, with insights from Soviet and Nazi dissidents who stood up against tyranny and compares their struggles with clampdowns on free speech today. He sits down with The Telegraph’s Steven Edginton in a wide-ranging discussion from why Britain was a miracle for the world to whether he is addicted to Twitter.

Best quote so far: "Courageous people are quite rare, much rarer than I thought."

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I continue to be fascinated with the ways AI can be used. The above was my intro to a blog post about a Jordan Peterson interview with Steve Edginton. You can read what I began to write initially. I intended to draw attention to some insightful quotes. The first that jumped out at me is cited above.

Then I changed my intent by having ChatGPT rewrite the same introductory comments but in different styles. Here are the results of making this request. 

Formal and Analytical Style:
In this thought-provoking podcast, Dr. Jordan Peterson delves into the strategies for prevailing in the ongoing cultural conflict, drawing upon the experiences of dissidents from the Soviet and Nazi regimes who bravely opposed oppression. By juxtaposing their struggles with contemporary challenges to free speech, Peterson provides insightful commentary on the current state of societal discourse. In an engaging conversation with The Telegraph's Steven Edginton, topics range from the exceptionalism of Britain on the global stage to Peterson's contemplation on his own relationship with social media, including his reflections on the scarcity of genuine courage in today's world. Amidst this exploration, Peterson's observation that "courageous people are quite rare, much rarer than I thought" resonates as a poignant reflection on the complexities of human nature.

Conversational and Reflective Style:
So, picture this: Dr. Jordan Peterson, right? He's diving deep into this podcast, talking all about how we can actually win this whole culture war thing. And get this – he's using stories from these real-life heroes who stood up against some seriously messed-up regimes like the Soviets and Nazis. It's wild, man. Plus, he's chatting it up with The Telegraph's Steven Edginton, shooting the breeze about everything from why Britain's kinda like this miracle for the world to whether Peterson's got, like, a Twitter addiction. And hey, you know what's got me thinking? That line he drops about how "courageous people are quite rare, much rarer than I thought" – it's hitting me right in the feels, you know?

Sensational and Provocative Style:
Brace yourselves for the ultimate showdown in this electrifying podcast as Dr. Jordan Peterson unveils the secrets to victory in the culture war! Prepare to be blown away as Peterson draws inspiration from the harrowing tales of dissidents who dared to defy tyranny under the shadows of Soviet and Nazi rule. But hold onto your hats, folks, because the shock doesn't stop there – Peterson isn't afraid to tackle the hot-button issue of free speech crackdowns head-on! And in a no-holds-barred interview with The Telegraph's Steven Edginton, Peterson spills the tea on everything from Britain's global significance to his own social media habits. And if you thought you'd heard it all, think again – Peterson's revelation that "courageous people are quite rare, much rarer than I thought" will leave you on the edge of your seat, questioning everything you thought you knew!

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So, what's the point? My intent was actually to share this observation: it takes courage to speak out and take a stand. Would you agree? 

Related Link: What Good Am I?

What good am I if I know and don’t do If I see and don’t say, if I look right through you --Bob Dylan

Dan Hansen at Benchmark Tattoo: An Artist Statement

"There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres." ~Pythagoras

This month, Dan Hansen's latest work is on display at Benchmark Tattoo in Duluth. A few weeks ago I shared an interview with the artist here. What follows is a more extensive statement about the show, its meaning and the challenges he overcame to achieve it.

Title: Sofia
Greek translation of sofia is wisdom.
Artist: Daniel Hansen

The function of my show is to present a work of historical fiction. This work is the lost writings of Pythagoras. He was born on the Greek island of Samos, sometime around 569-580 BC. Pythagoras was a philosopher, mathematician, and founder of a religion known as Pythagoreanism. He is attributed with coining the word "philosophy" which means lover of wisdom. He is most famous for his Pythagorean Theorem in mathematics. What is known about Pythagoras is written from other philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle and Plutarch among others. There are no text that were written by Pythagoras himself, although it's rumored he wrote poems under the name Orpheus. It can be difficult to sort out the facts from myth. There is controversy as to whether he existed at all. However I love a good myth and the claims of what he did are quite fascinating indeed.

It is said that Pythagoras traveled to various places such as Egypt, Chaldea, and Phoenicia. He studied in the mystery schools of Egypt. Wherever he went he gathered knowledge of geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and esoterics from secretive mystic cults along his journeys. He collated all this knowledge into his own religious system based on numbers. He integrated everything of the known reality together as a seamless continuity. Geometry, mathematics, astronomy, grammar, music, and philosophy were inseparable from one another. In his system all things in creation were comprised of numbers, ratios, and relationships. An interconnected universal code that acted as a programming language of which reality was built.

The Pythagorean Brotherhood was a secretive mystery school he established in Croton where he taught his knowledge to initiates. He was a very democratic individual. Women were treated as equal and allowed into the brotherhood, something that was unheard of in that era. He believed in Transmigration of the Soul or reincarnation. Pythagoras was also a strict vegan but discouraged eating of beans because he thought that flatulance was part of the spirit escaping the body. He became a political adversary to the ruling class who feared his radical ideas and distrusted his secret society. His school was burned to the ground. He was then chased down and murdered.

This show is exploring his number theology of the base 10 number system, numbers 1 through 10. Each number's philosophy is explained in a quasi-biblical writing style in parts. It also functions as a creation myth. I used many ideas from various philosophical successors of Pythagoras because so many seemed to be heavily influenced by the Pythagoreans. I added some of my own ideas in the mix too. I did the text and visuals in Adobe Illustrator and used Photoshop some with file preparation for the print shop. They are printed on 24.8"x35" papyrus sheets I ordered from Egypt.

There was an entire fiasco with getting the paper shipped which was delayed 4 weeks, and then the printer breaking down at the print shop for 3 weeks. It was beginning to look like this show would never happen. Then everything started coming together. Working at a feverish pitch for the last week and a half, my assistant Lucas Anderson helped me age the papyrus by burning the edges with a lighter. We were going to darken the brown of the paper with watercolors but the wetness made the paper wrinkle. We needed the sheets flat enough to photograph in order to create the additional prints for sale. Getting the photos for prints was a real lighting challenge because of the reflectivity of the paper and the ink was so shiny. We couldn't use the flash or bright lights. We closed the shades in my apartment and set the papyrus on my futon. We had to block off light coming in from the window. We also had to time the shots with the movement of clouds covering the sun (which was very synchronistic of the universe to supply for us) so it was dark enough in my apartment with the abysmal fluorescent bulbs as ambient light. It all happened to turn out great though. I think the photos turned out to look much better than the original prints. Oh the irony!

The questions lingering might be what prompted me to have this show? Why Pythagoras? How did you even discover him in the first place? This is where things get socially risky to admit.

It all starts with me duking it out with a grim neuromuscular disease my entire 36 years on this periwinkle globule that is earth. I could not fit in anywhere. I was stuck in an assisted living apartment with no hope of ever feeling like a valid human (or like John Travolta in Battlefield Earth would say "Man Animal"). You name the category. Social, career, romance, politics, ideology. I was a total failure at it all. Everything felt disjointed, disconnected, faulty, suspicious, irrelevant, cruel, absurd, and a complete waste of my time. I dropped out of UMD in 1998 and it seems as though I fell off the face of the earth for about 17 years. I was on a deep search for escape. What I didn't realize was... I was on a quest for meaning.

It was about 2006 and I fell down the conspiracy rabbit hole. Suddenly there was an answer to all the heinous continuity breaks that had been plaguing me all my life. The world was controlled by 4000 year old satanic vampire bankers controlled by grey aliens controlled by reptilians controlled by mantoids controlled by the Annunaki! Ah hah! That sure made a lot more sense than "stupid politicians" or "it's the Koch brothers".

At this time I was an atheist. I thought that satanic stuff was just a bunch of ancient L. Ron Hubbard fluff with psychopaths taking themselves too seriously. We're obviously controlled by aliens was the conclusion at that point... only I wasn't about to worship an alien called Xenu who flew here in a DC-10. I thought everything was micromanaged like in the Soviet Union from (1965-1971) but on a world wide historical scale.

Then it occurred to me, after watching the 800th alien documentary on Youtube, that these things were trans-dimensional. They were coming from another dimension. Maybe the dimension was hell. Maybe aliens were actually demons. That's when I started to rethink my atheist mindset. That was a real crisis. I was beginning to enjoy my "anything is permissible" brand of nihilism. That's when I started to study the occult and what the heck this sorcery business was all about. That's when I had another epiphany: it's all consciousness manipulation.

A line from the movie 'Jacob's Ladder' states it perfectly: "The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you, he said. They're freeing your soul. So, if you're frightened of dying and... and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth." That's when I started thinking maybe these aliens/demons are just another form of legend and myth that can certainly manifest itself but will come in the guise of whatever cultural goggles a person has strapped on. That's when I pulled off the aliens, conspiracies, and occult goggles and put on the comparative religion/mythology goggles. That's when everything became clear to me.

It dawned on me that there doesn't even need to be pre-planned conspiracies when there's a little thing called synchronicity that's occurring under everyone's nose constantly. Those odd improbable coincidences that happen all the time. Those synchronicities led me to my man Pythagoras who may or may not have existed. He helped me gain a sense of perspective on the universe and a sense of myself. And where I'm actuality at and what it all means! That's why myth is real and why we all need it.

I'm going to end this with a quote from one of my favorite new guys Jordan Peterson: "Reality isn't made from matter, it's made from what matters".

Thanks to Benchmark Tattoo for hosting this exhibit! Thanks to Bent Paddle and Carmody's for supplying some great beer! I'd like to thank my assistant and compadre Lucas Anderson for being my right hand all these years. Oh the high adventure and perilous journeys we've weathered together. Love you Bro! Couldn't have made it without you. I'd also like to thank Alicia Gaskin for rescuing me from PR oblivion as the clock stroked midnight. You really packaged and tied this effort together. Love you too! Was fun racing against the clock with you. I'd like to thank ShelDon for being a clutch player in getting these prints off at the last moment and making papyrus history with me! Thanks Melanie! A big thank you to my parents Mark and Wendy Hansen for producing me and facilitating this mound of madness on 4 wheels all these 36 years. I know it hasn't been easy but we all lived to tell the tale! Victory lap! Thanks Mom and Dad. Love ya! Also a shout out to my PCA’s at Superior View Apartments for getting me out of bed and loaded with caffeine every morning. Thanks, love you too!

Daniel Hansen
Email: kenobiwon3@gmail.com
Facebook: Dan Hansen