August 26th 2024 | Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
View this email in your browser

Hello,

In this week’s edition, I address the topic of free speech, why it exists, and how it directly relates to your life from a societal perspective at large and on an individual level. Then, I talk with author, podcaster, and opinion columnist Coleman Hughes about why color blindness should be re-implemented as a cultural goal. From the archives, I discuss the significance of taking action and engaging in civic activities so as not to abdicate civic responsibility and leave power vulnerable to exploitation. 

Advice

Contend With Your Life By Utilizing Free Speech

I have been thinking about the right to free speech and why you have that right. Is it one right among many? It is often conceptualized that way. You are granted a set of rights by the state, one of which is the right to freedom of speech. Perhaps you have that right so you can pursue your own interests, so you can say what you want to say. Perhaps it is because you are a free person that you are granted that right. However, I do not think that is why functional states are necessarily predicated on the idea that their citizens have the right to free speech, nor do I think the reason the right to free speech exists is because the state allows it. 

A society that does not make the space around each individual a sacred place where they can think freely fails precipitously and rapidly. It ossifies into something totalitarian where no one ever has to think because, in such a society, everything is already known. But obviously, that is never the truth. Or, it degenerates into chaos because people become so lost they cannot orient themselves anymore by thinking. 

Rather, the state that does not allow free speech does not allow its citizens to think — because that is how you think. You think with speech. You think to yourself with speech. You ask yourself a question, and you get an answer; that is thought. You have an answer. It emerges to a question you ask yourself. Then, you analyze the answer, test it, and discuss it with other people to see if you can sharpen the answer. That is all the process of thought. 

Unless you are able to contend with the conditions of your life in some deep manner, there is no possible way you can move forward. You must wrestle in that manner in order to move forward because life is complicated and difficult. 

In "Foundations of the West," Dr. Jordan B. Peterson is joined by his esteemed colleagues as they explore the ancient cities that shaped the West. Through insightful discussions and visits to iconic sites, they uncover the profound legacies of these civilizations and their lasting impact on the modern world. Watch the third episode as Jonathan Pageau and Dr. Peterson tour the Garden of Gethsemane and walk down the Via Dolorosa. Available exclusively on DailyWire+. 

The Role Of The Holy Spirit: Distinguishing Between Your Will And God’s Will 

I am curious about how you know the difference between your will and what should be done. The prayer — to do the Father’s will on earth as it is in heaven — is different from pursuing your own short-term interests. But you can be deluded about that. So how do you know? How do you test your own motivation to determine whether what you are doing is truthful or just another snare of deception?

Why “Anti-Racism” Is The Worst Form of Racism | Coleman Hughes | EP 474

In this episode, I talk with author, podcaster, and opinion columnist Coleman Hughes about why color blindness should be re-implemented as a cultural goal, the Marxist actors who have deliberately moved to repel it, the need for a meritocratic system, and instances when racial discrimination is appropriate.