Jordan B. Peterson

And so, and I was thinking too, Jonathan, here about the Jesus prayer.

So maybe if you would just recite that for a second, that there's something I can say about it.

Okay, so you say, well, why would people repeat that to themselves over and over?

Okay, so I think people don't pray in part because they don't know how or what it means.

But this prayer, for example, as far as I can tell, means something like, the probability that I'm taking aim properly

optimally and hitting the target constantly is very very low and sasin means to miss the mark and so knowing that I want to keep in mind that that's the case because the degree I keep in mind that that's the case is going to be precisely proportionate to the degree that I might open myself up to learn so one thing you want to do

perhaps, is remind yourself constantly that one thing that could get in the way of your continued adaptation would be your unrecognized pride.

And so that injunction there, that plea to admit to your sins, I don't see how that's any different than opening yourself up to the revelation of something that's transcendent.

Because

You're only deeming yourself unworthy in relationship to at least an implicit ideal, because otherwise what are you unworthy in relationship to?

And if there's nothing worthy beyond that that could correct you, then there's no consideration of what constitutes unworthy at all.

And then you might also ask, well, if you're not unworthy, then why the hell are you suffering so stupidly?

I mean, that's the only hope you've got, in some sense, that you're doing something wrong because you're blind in some way you don't understand.

And if you could just lower yourself enough, that's what Jung said about modern people and God, is that modern people don't see God because they don't look low enough, which I think is a wonderful statement.

So, Jordan, is what you're saying that kind of the sense of an inner psychological fragmentation, a sense that one's somehow out of kilt with the realm of value,

brings with it the implication that there really is a moral universe, a world of value out there, which is discovered, not constructed.

Well, it's pretty rough on people if they have no notion of moral progress whatsoever.

I mean, then what do you do if everything around you is miserable and you're suffering?

It's like, well, there's no up.

Well, there's clearly a down because that's where you are.