lördag 30 oktober 2021

There are rules, man! Part 1

The other day, I was listening to an episode of Jordan Peterson’s Biblical Series on YouTube. One thing that he said was “There are rules” and adding this stoner/hippie-like “man” that he sometimes does, which is so uncharacteristic of him.

I’ve thought of it a lot afterwards. And I think that he’s right. Basically, I think that there is an unseen reality of rules that govern the consequences of our action. I furthermore believe that it’s partially to be found in the unconscious aspects of our psychology.


This is what Peterson seems to mean: that there are rules written into the fabric of reality, or at least into our psyches. According to Peterson, you will never really get away from the consequences of these rules. They are not the same as the law, even though many are written into the law.


First I found this implausible. People lie, cheat and steal and get away with it all the time. But if you look at what lives these people live, it’s usually not very happy lives. Even if someone goes through his or her life breaking the rules in the ways I just mentioned and still become successful, there might be some real agony once death approaches. And even though I don’t believe in hell, I can’t say for sure that it does not exist. And even if there isn’t any eternal suffering awaiting anyone after death, there might be other consequences. Perhaps consequences that are more akin to a father disciplining a disobedient child.


But successful liars, cheaters and thieves are a small minority. The vast majority, at least among those that do it on a regular basis, are ridden with negative emotions. The vast majority also live in poverty or in fear of retaliation or the law. This is usually proportional to the quantity and severity of the behavior. 

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