I used to think I was musically and artistically inclined. But at some point, I realized it went deeper than this—that at my core, I was a creator. If I could no longer paint or play music, I would probably just turn my attention to learning how to write stories, or establish businesses, or devise trading strategies, etc. One of my favorite things to create is curriculum, and in preparing to possibly publish an online K-12 curriculum at some point in the future, I've started thinking about what I would have wanted to know when I was younger with respect to learning about life. So, to help me think this through, my next "hobby" is going to involve attempts at reconciling some of the things Jordan Peterson (who I find extraordinarily interesting) has to say about the topic with what I seem to find in Scripture. I'm hoping this will help me form a more cohesive picture of his views, since I find that after watching some of his videos, though a number of his comments might have struck me as especially insightful or practical, by the time I get to the end, I have almost no idea what he was talking about. Of course, I could just buy one of his books, but where's the fun in that?
I call him - the Einstein of Psychology. Helped me to, put things together and by doing so, fill up the missing pieces in the overall picture. I try to share, regularly his wisdom on my social media, but very few are interesting into that. The concepts of hell/chaos/order, personal logos, the hierarchical structure that we live in, the shadow part of you and much more, - learned from him, just by listening. Basically, you can have a full course of that which he teaches, in Toronto university - for free. The most recent : timestamped P.s had my share of creation too, 3000~ hours in drawing with pencils. Hmnnn, you can't escape that. It's always there, that calling to create, because without it, what else there is, in this - void/oblivion/endless dead universe. And by creating and creating as good as we can, slowly but surely, were moving to that ideal, the personal logos, as close as you can get to a godly figure (the highest attainable version of you) , the judge & the father. P.p.s hope hes doing well by now, had a rough year. And i would choose the video over the book, for your projects. (from his lectures, since i had a book and it isn't that good as watching/listening)
Why would you give up on music? Or art? Either way... I have no idea who Jordan is, but if you want to write a curriculum that might make a difference.... and it'll be right up your alley hopefully... focus on every aspect of personal finance. Not a big bible buff, but Roman's 13:7 is a biggie.
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, by Jordan B. Peterson Stand up straight with your shoulders back Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping Befriend people who want the best for you Compare yourself with who you were yesterday, not with who someone else is today Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them Set your house in order before you criticize the world Pursue what is meaningful—not what is expedient Tell the truth, or at least don’t lie Assume the person you are listening to might know something you don’t Be precise in your speech Let children take risks Maintain a watchful eye on, and cherish, life's small redeemable qualities
12 Rules for Life: Say, “Here I am! Send me.” For has not the LORD commanded you to go, gather your men from the people so that He will give [the enemy] into your hand...to go in this might of yours…does He not send you? Let the word of God profit you by means of reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness; that you might continue to develop until thoroughly equipped for all good works. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. Bring your children up in the training and admonition of the Lord. These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, "Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye," when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. Do not take an oath at all… Let what you say be simply "Yes" or "No." Anything more than this comes from evil. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Where there is no counsel, plans fail; but in a multitude of counselors they are established. My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to take offence and become angry. The more you talk, the more likely you are to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not provoke your children to wrath. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
So what might be the basics with respect to life, and how might it relate to the observations of Jordan Peterson? In the Book of Genesis the first thing God does with Adam is put him in the garden to work and to be a steward over that which God planted. He then formed the animals, because it was not good that Adam should be alone. God then formed Eve to be Adam's wife. They were to then multiply (have children, establish a family) and fill the earth. They were also to subdue the earth and have dominion over every living thing that moves on the earth. And it would seem that through all of this, fellowship with God was almost a given. The following was gathered from three different sections of Scripture... To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. So then, Peterson's first rule might be translated as: Determine God's call on your life, and then do it! Perhaps his second rule could be modified to: Treat yourself in accordance with what God has to say about you... You are a child of God, a new creation, the light of the world, a temple of the Lord. You are made alive together with the Messiah, having been forgiven of all your trespasses, by the canceling of the record of debt that stood against you with its legal demands. You cannot be separated from the love of God.
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
...building yourself up in the Lord—not to earn God's love, but as one who is already the recipient of God's love.
THE FIRST RULE FOR LIFE (An amalgamation of thoughts) We are all going to be tested in life, but if you have a sustaining meaning, it will help shield you against life taking you out. As Friedrich Nietzsche said, “He who has a why can bear any how.” And the “how,” when it comes to bearing up against life, is to have a sustaining meaning…it is to do meaningful things. According to Peterson, life can throw some pretty tough situations your way, a fact that is ineradicable (unable to be destroyed or removed) at its core. An if given the opportunity, life will take you out, make no mistake about it! So, you need to be armed with virtue in order for that not to turn into hell. And then maybe it isn’t just your hell—maybe that’s not just for you—in which case, not only are you suffering, but it’s like you’re taking it out on your family as well, and that can be really bad—especially when you’re contributing to it, because you know you’re the agent. And if you’re really good at it, you’ll also take out large swaths of your community. That’s hell! And no one with any sense and any experience has any doubt that that’s real. And then you can easily think how even though it’s already bad, you could make it way worse. Everyone knows that. So, what’s the bulwark against that? Sometimes, the answer can be found by looking in the dark places. But why would you look in the darkest places? It’s because in the darkest places you can find what still shines. If it can shine in the darkest places (like Christ on the cross) then you know it’s a real light. And so you look at things you don’t want to look at. But ultimately, the answer against it is: Nobility of purpose…and that’s it. If you have that, then you have something to set against the suffering and the malevolence of life. And it isn’t optional. You cannot live without it. That’s why meaning is such a deep instinct. It’s the instinct of life. When someone says, “My life is meaningless,” they are lying because if their life were truly meaningless, they wouldn’t even care about it. What they are really saying is that the spirit has gone out of them—that they are wasting their existence—that they are out of sorts with themselves. Modern secular society criticizes the idea of meaning so much that they don’t really believe in it anymore, which is all well and good…they can refuse to believe in it if they wish…but try living without it and see how far you get with that! You need a reason to get out of bed on a terrible day. So, what is that reason going to be? Well, let’s think it through… People who can get out of bed on a terrible day are people who are taking responsibility for themselves, taking responsibility for others, doing difficult things, and doing them well. So then, you give life meaning by putting in order what you can—by implementing the best plan you have at hand. Don’t remain in stasis. Aim at something and progress towards it. And you have to aim at something that you believe would be worth trying. Start with what you know. For example, you know that God wants you to be aware of His will, so you start there—you start by reading the Bible. And you continue by doing something…anything! It is impossible to steer a parked car, so if you want to fulfill your destiny, you have to get moving first. So then, start doing something—but especially if it is something that supports what God is doing in some way. And from there, God can lead you to your ultimate destination. Beyond that, do everything that you do with excellence, as if you were doing it for God and not for other people. And do so whether everyone is looking, or no one is looking. Also, consider what things make you angry and if there is something you could do to address such injustices. Or in what areas do you have natural talent? Perhaps that's where you should be focusing your energy. Then finally, ask yourself quality questions, because quality questions create a quality life. They direct your mental focus and ultimately determine how you think and feel. The key is to develop a pattern of questions that empower your true nature. For example, try focusing on questions such as: What is it that makes me the happiest? What is there in life that I get genuinely excited about? What am I most proud of in my life? What am I most grateful for? What am I enjoying most in life right now? What am I committed to? Who do I love? By making quality questions a regular part of your life, you will be able to access your most empowering emotional states; and over time, as you consistently practice doing so, you will be able to create mental highways to happiness, excitement, pride, gratitude, joy, commitment and love—which is who you are at your core. Another way to really get to know yourself is to answer the following three questions. Doing so will help you to really see your “heart.” The three questions are: What do I dream about? What do I sing about? What do I cry about? If you know the answers to these questions, you will know where to look to begin finding your true purpose in life. If you ask and honestly answer these three questions, it will help you to connect with who you really are. What do you dream about, sing about, and cry about? Answer these three questions honestly and you will have a better idea of what really matters and is important to you, and who you really are deep inside. But it’s not enough to simply know this. Then you have to act on and live in accordance with this knowledge. Do what matters! This is the first rule of life. Do what matters.
The Bible says that we are created in the image of God, which means we should view people as having dignity, value and worth—and this includes ourselves. Moreover, a basic biblical principle suggests that as creations of God, we should take care of ourselves, the meaning of which ought to be more-or-less obvious to anyone willing to open his or her eyes. For in this day and age, it's pretty clear what things are good for us and which things are not—what promotes our mental, physical, and spiritual health, and what doesn't. In the words of Ephesians 2:10, we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. So it also follows that the only way we are going to be truly satisfied in this life is if we find that path and walk in it, whatever it might be. And from other Scripture passages, it would be reasonable to deduce that from before the foundation of the Earth, God ordained a plan by which He would redeem a people to Himself. This, taken into consideration with how God provided Adam with the company of animals and ultimately with Eve implies that fellowship of all kinds is another one of our human needs that we should recognize and nurture if we would simply view ourselves as God sees us. So then, treating ourselves like someone we are responsible for helping basically comes down to little more than being good stewards of our lives and our relationships. It was an epiphany for me when someone pointed out that rather than view the Ten Commandments as a list of ten rules, we ought to recognize that they are actually a set of instructions on how to love. Similarly, we take care of ourselves, we love ourselves, when we live our lives in accordance with biblical guidelines. Therefore, the second rule of life might also be stated as: Treat yourself like you are one of God's most treasured possessions (in the spirit of Malachi 3:17a). Hence, another take on Jordan Peterson's list might start off with... Do what matters. Treat yourself like one of God's most treasured possessions.