Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

So imagine you're doing this publicly. Okay, now everyone watches you and they see that you're a fair player. Well, then they're going to play with you if they get an opportunity. You could even say, I don't know if this has ever been tested, but you could even say, well, maybe you do a 60-40 split and you offer the person that's playing slightly more than you get.

So imagine you're doing this publicly. Okay, now everyone watches you and they see that you're a fair player. Well, then they're going to play with you if they get an opportunity. You could even say, I don't know if this has ever been tested, but you could even say, well, maybe you do a 60-40 split and you offer the person that's playing slightly more than you get.

Well, you lose in that game, but if you get a reputation, that's part of that Abrahamic adventure. If you get a reputation for bending over backwards to be reciprocal, People are going to line up to play with you. And so that's why you try to teach your children to be good sports. Because, you know, you say to them, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose. It matters how you play the game.

Well, you lose in that game, but if you get a reputation, that's part of that Abrahamic adventure. If you get a reputation for bending over backwards to be reciprocal, People are going to line up to play with you. And so that's why you try to teach your children to be good sports. Because, you know, you say to them, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose. It matters how you play the game.

And the kid thinks, what the hell do you mean? Of course it matters if I win. You know, parents are usually not sophisticated enough to pursue that philosophically. But the right answer is no. What good is there winning one game when you never get invited to play again? It's much better to be invited to play 100 games.

And the kid thinks, what the hell do you mean? Of course it matters if I win. You know, parents are usually not sophisticated enough to pursue that philosophically. But the right answer is no. What good is there winning one game when you never get invited to play again? It's much better to be invited to play 100 games.

And that means you're going to have to be the sort of person that other people are lining up to play with. And that's the basis. That's part of the basis of a genuine ethic. And I think raised to a... Raised to the philosophical level, you get something like a transcendent ethic out of that. It's biologically predicated, but it's a higher order.

And that means you're going to have to be the sort of person that other people are lining up to play with. And that's the basis. That's part of the basis of a genuine ethic. And I think raised to a... Raised to the philosophical level, you get something like a transcendent ethic out of that. It's biologically predicated, but it's a higher order.

It's a higher order and more mature ethic, and it's real. It's super real.

It's a higher order and more mature ethic, and it's real. It's super real.

Yeah, well, that's also a very central observation, I would say. So the first story in the Genesis, in the Old Testament, the first story about actual human beings that are in history is the story of Cain and Abel, because Adam and Eve are, well, they're made directly by God. So the first two humans in history are Cain and Abel. It's a story of resentment and envy.

Yeah, well, that's also a very central observation, I would say. So the first story in the Genesis, in the Old Testament, the first story about actual human beings that are in history is the story of Cain and Abel, because Adam and Eve are, well, they're made directly by God. So the first two humans in history are Cain and Abel. It's a story of resentment and envy.

Right, and it's exactly what you just laid out, is that Abel aims up and makes the proper sacrifices. Right, say in the Abrahamic sense. And because of that, everything he does works. And Cain makes second-rate sacrifices, and... deceives himself and other people and God and fails. And instead of learning from his failure, he becomes bitter.

Right, and it's exactly what you just laid out, is that Abel aims up and makes the proper sacrifices. Right, say in the Abrahamic sense. And because of that, everything he does works. And Cain makes second-rate sacrifices, and... deceives himself and other people and God and fails. And instead of learning from his failure, he becomes bitter.

He shakes his fist at God and complains about the structure of reality itself. And then he becomes murderous and kills his own ideal. And then his descendants become genocidal. And then you have the flood. So that's another of the consequences, let's say, of non-existent adventure or false adventure is those who took the adventurous path become the targets of envy.

He shakes his fist at God and complains about the structure of reality itself. And then he becomes murderous and kills his own ideal. And then his descendants become genocidal. And then you have the flood. So that's another of the consequences, let's say, of non-existent adventure or false adventure is those who took the adventurous path become the targets of envy.

There's destruction that's then aimed at them, and that can propagate so widely through a society that it does itself in. That's happened over and over in human history. Yeah, it's really, it's brutal. And it's so terrifying that that's the, you know, you could argue that that Cain versus Abel narrative is in many ways the fundamental narrative of, what would you say?

There's destruction that's then aimed at them, and that can propagate so widely through a society that it does itself in. That's happened over and over in human history. Yeah, it's really, it's brutal. And it's so terrifying that that's the, you know, you could argue that that Cain versus Abel narrative is in many ways the fundamental narrative of, what would you say?

It's the fundamental battle of the most likely attitudes of each individual, right? You can maintain faith and courage. You can make the proper sacrifices. You can aim up. You can be a benefit to yourself and others, or you can hold back what's best. You can try to manipulate the system. You can degenerate into bitterness and envy and then look the hell out. Right? Right?

It's the fundamental battle of the most likely attitudes of each individual, right? You can maintain faith and courage. You can make the proper sacrifices. You can aim up. You can be a benefit to yourself and others, or you can hold back what's best. You can try to manipulate the system. You can degenerate into bitterness and envy and then look the hell out. Right? Right?