How to Become a Civilized Monster
Lessons from Dr. Jordan Peterson, the Jungian Perspective.
It is not every day you hear advice on becoming a monster; it is usually the other way around. “Be harmless,” they say. But how do you fight the monster that dwells in every mans’ heart without being one yourself? Jordan Peterson provides us with an answer.
“The answer is simple. You don’t,” he says “You become a monster by fighting a monster.”
A common misconception in our society today is that most people believe that harmlessness is synonymous with virtue. People think because someone is incapable of cruelty, he is more virtuous than someone who is. This is not true. Jordan Peterson likens the harmless to a rabbit.
He says, “You are like a rabbit… A rabbit is not virtuous, it’s harmless, it can do nothing, except maybe get eaten.”
“But If you’re a monster and you show restraint and not act monstrously, then you’re virtuous.”, he continues.
Morality is the constrained capability for mayhem and malevolence.
“It is not good to be moral if the reason your moral is that you cannot be otherwise,” — Jordan B. Peterson
