Jordan Peterson

And that trope underlies like the evil scientist in popular entertainment, the idea of the intellect gone mad, the intellect that worships itself that then usurps and attempts to put itself in the highest place. And so there's an idea that this is Milton's idea that Lucifer, who's the spirit of the unbridled intellect, the light bringer,

is the spirit that was most finely made that went most dreadfully wrong. And so the psychological idea there is that there isn't anything more remarkable about human beings than their cognitive ability. But if it becomes master instead of serving something higher, then look the hell out. Now, there's an echo of that that's very, very deep. with regards to the maternal instinct.

is the spirit that was most finely made that went most dreadfully wrong. And so the psychological idea there is that there isn't anything more remarkable about human beings than their cognitive ability. But if it becomes master instead of serving something higher, then look the hell out. Now, there's an echo of that that's very, very deep. with regards to the maternal instinct.

is the spirit that was most finely made that went most dreadfully wrong. And so the psychological idea there is that there isn't anything more remarkable about human beings than their cognitive ability. But if it becomes master instead of serving something higher, then look the hell out. Now, there's an echo of that that's very, very deep. with regards to the maternal instinct.

And I think this is what's played out in the Genesis story of the consort between Eve and the serpent. What seems to me to happen is that Eve clutches the poisonous serpent to her breast. And so that's an overextension of that empathy that you described, which is the core element, let's say, of the maternal instinct, and really the instinct that the species itself depends on, right?

And I think this is what's played out in the Genesis story of the consort between Eve and the serpent. What seems to me to happen is that Eve clutches the poisonous serpent to her breast. And so that's an overextension of that empathy that you described, which is the core element, let's say, of the maternal instinct, and really the instinct that the species itself depends on, right?

And I think this is what's played out in the Genesis story of the consort between Eve and the serpent. What seems to me to happen is that Eve clutches the poisonous serpent to her breast. And so that's an overextension of that empathy that you described, which is the core element, let's say, of the maternal instinct, and really the instinct that the species itself depends on, right?

Human beings have the longest dependency period of any creature by a lot, and human infants are markedly helpless. And so that self... sacrificing compassion that's at the core of the maternal instinct is absolutely vital. But as Freud pointed out, if that goes wrong within families and overextends its domain,

Human beings have the longest dependency period of any creature by a lot, and human infants are markedly helpless. And so that self... sacrificing compassion that's at the core of the maternal instinct is absolutely vital. But as Freud pointed out, if that goes wrong within families and overextends its domain,

Human beings have the longest dependency period of any creature by a lot, and human infants are markedly helpless. And so that self... sacrificing compassion that's at the core of the maternal instinct is absolutely vital. But as Freud pointed out, if that goes wrong within families and overextends its domain,

so that, for example, that infant-mother bond isn't attenuated as the child develops, then there's nothing that's more devouring than the mother. That's the story of Hansel and Gretel, right? They go out into the forest, chased there in part by the fracturing of their family. and they find a gingerbread house, which is a little bit too good to be true, right?

so that, for example, that infant-mother bond isn't attenuated as the child develops, then there's nothing that's more devouring than the mother. That's the story of Hansel and Gretel, right? They go out into the forest, chased there in part by the fracturing of their family. and they find a gingerbread house, which is a little bit too good to be true, right?

so that, for example, that infant-mother bond isn't attenuated as the child develops, then there's nothing that's more devouring than the mother. That's the story of Hansel and Gretel, right? They go out into the forest, chased there in part by the fracturing of their family. and they find a gingerbread house, which is a little bit too good to be true, right?

It's not only a house, but it's made out of candy. And so maybe you might suspect that the jig is up when something's painted that beautifully on the outside. I'm oh so compassionate and embracing. And of course, inside there's a witch whose goal is to fatten up the children and to make them helpless so that she can eat them.

It's not only a house, but it's made out of candy. And so maybe you might suspect that the jig is up when something's painted that beautifully on the outside. I'm oh so compassionate and embracing. And of course, inside there's a witch whose goal is to fatten up the children and to make them helpless so that she can eat them.

It's not only a house, but it's made out of candy. And so maybe you might suspect that the jig is up when something's painted that beautifully on the outside. I'm oh so compassionate and embracing. And of course, inside there's a witch whose goal is to fatten up the children and to make them helpless so that she can eat them.

And so fairy tales are pretty vicious in that sort of representation, but that's also a portrayal of how all-devouring the maternal embrace can be if it doesn't, if it overextends its domain. Now, you know, it's not like men get off easy in that Genesis story, by the way, when Eve decides she's gonna put herself at the center of the moral universe because that's what she does.

And so fairy tales are pretty vicious in that sort of representation, but that's also a portrayal of how all-devouring the maternal embrace can be if it doesn't, if it overextends its domain. Now, you know, it's not like men get off easy in that Genesis story, by the way, when Eve decides she's gonna put herself at the center of the moral universe because that's what she does.

And so fairy tales are pretty vicious in that sort of representation, but that's also a portrayal of how all-devouring the maternal embrace can be if it doesn't, if it overextends its domain. Now, you know, it's not like men get off easy in that Genesis story, by the way, when Eve decides she's gonna put herself at the center of the moral universe because that's what she does.

She's tempted to become like a god because that's the temptation, and she clutches the serpent to her breast. Adam doesn't object, and he... and he goes along for the ride. And then later in this story, when God wants to walk with Adam so that they're working together, let's say, Adam is hiding behind a bush because he's realized that he's naked.