The Canadian Jordan B. Peterson: I Think I Like This Guy

When I heard Jordan Peterson say, "Don't be afraid to speak your opinion," I had to listen. So many people are afraid these days to say what they really think, (unless they are on Facebook.) His take on the idea that words matter and language is what binds a society together is a fundamental truth.

I began doing some research on Peterson and watching him on YouTube. Not all Canadians are silly, and I found this guy quite entertaining, smart, and opinionated. It's refreshing to see someone with a point of view who is able to express it and stick by it.

I've been watching his YouTube video "12 Principles for 21st Century Conservatism" and I admit I'm liking what he has to say. His bashing of radical leftists is on target and amusing. He's no idiot.

He makes the point that the assumptions we have about Western civilization are valid. Who among us wants to live in an Eastern environment under leftist regimes? Anyone buying a plane ticket to Syria to join ISIS? Western thought and culture is popular for many reasons. Peterson outlines twelve of these assumptions in his video. Good stuff.

Let me just mention the first "assumption" he discusses. Western civilizations value the individual. This assumption is valid and one of the reasons we Americans celebrate July 4th each year. Radical leftists hate the individual and value only the group. This has profound implications in how we view the world. The only thing that matters to the radical left is the group. They espouse individual rights only as long as it promotes the group. Black Lives Matter, for example, is a movement for the group, not the individual. Have anyone espouse an independent individual opinion that questions the group, then watch the fireworks begin. The survival of the group is what matters, not individual rights.

Peterson is on target here. In Western civilization, individuals matter.