Becoming the Tension
When I first started reading Maps of Meaning, The Architecture of Belief by Dr. Jordan Peterson, I was overwhelmed with the density of the book. It was difficult to see where one topic ended and another began. I knew this book would require more than a quick read and I am glad that my decision to listen to several of his YouTube lectures paid off[1]. As I listened and watched him pace, talk, go on a divergent concept then come back to his main point, I thought, the man is brilliant. This stopped the prejudgment I had picked up by the time I read the introduction. Once my mindset changed, I was able to read Maps of Meaning with a more open mind to learn what this scholar and writer had to say. One other thing that helped me read and listen was his comment that no one had to believe what he does, but he hoped that they would suspend critical judgement and seek to continue to find a best way to decide for themselves, a worthy request in my estimation[2]. Even with these pieces, it wasn’t until I got into part of Chapter 5 on The Hostile Brothers did I perceived an ah ha moment.
Dr. Peterson was discussing the value of life, awareness of death, and the limitations of existence[3]. Throughout the book he referred to the need to bring order to chaos that comes with the unknown and many transitions of life. As someone moves from the known to the unknown, the knowledge available becomes limited, precisely because the person does not have the capacity to know all before it is experienced. Ideally, according to Peterson, the person could carefully plan how to get to the future state, then carry it out flawlessly[4]. Yet it doesn’t always work that way. In a short talk he gave he asked the question “Are you optimally situated between order and chaos. He holds that the brain can tell if a person is balanced within those two basic elements. The interesting part for me was when he spoke about the dopamine hit that the brain gets when novelty is introduced to it. It was a different application of dopamine that I had considered previously but it made sense. The hope that the novelty will bring something exciting or new keeps a person moving in the direction of the possible[5]. While the brain is somewhere between novelty and stability, sometimes things don’t go as planned and errors occur causing instability for the person. This can lead to major errors and the need to regroup to think and adjust. What was important is that the domain of the known and the domain of the unknown permanently coexist with humans. How they are regarded rather than if they exist leads to the tension between safety and danger. Those realities determine how someone behaves and attempts to navigate life with them. Hence my ah ha moment with Dr. Peterson took root. He wrote in terms of a line, which needs a beginning and an end to define it. So too, in order to experience value in life, there needs to be both good and evil. The tension between the two brings worth. More clearly, it isn’t possible to define good without the existence of evil[6].
What surprised me was his recommendation to learn from and follow the teachings of Jesus. The example he started with that made most sense to me was from John18:23; Christ said, Be ye therefore perfect, as you Father in heaven is perfect. He understood perfection by defining what it is not: greed, desire for constant material gain, or infliction of suffering just to suffer. Ultimately, in a sense he seemed to preach the Gospel without fully seeming to profess Jesus as Lord. His recommendations came from Matthew 22: 37–39, Love God with all their hearts, mind and actions; treating their fellow humans as if they were in fact treating themselves[7].
As I consider how Maps of Meaning might impact how I live and lead, my mind goes to our present day. It seems as though there is always a lot of evil in the world. So maybe as a Christian leader Dr. Peterson’s concept of the defining tension of a line is the opposite ends of it. So, I wonder, maybe the hope for our neighborhoods, states, countries and world is for Christians to become the catalyst for the tension. If we live our lives prayerfully seeking to follow the command of Jesus in Matthew 22:37-39 as fully as humanly possible could we be the antithesis of evil that would shed light into the world of another way to be human? The difficulty of course is twofold. First, all human, Christians included, are sinful so our examples won’t be perfect. Our desire and discipline to remain in relationship with Jesus will help temper that. Second, it is possible that the evil is so embedded that only by the grace of God will the light of Jesus even be recognized by those who seek to harm others for their own gain, no matter where in the world that is or what form the evil takes.
Whether Dr. Peterson is a Christian or not, he has stirred me to action and for that I thank God for his research and writing, and for Dr. Clark for recommending him. I invite all who are interested to join me in the journey to follow Jesus and quietly shine His light into our dark world.
[1] YouTube, “Lecture: 2017 Maps of Meaning01: context and Background”, 2:31:26
YouTube.com/watch?v=18Xc2_FtpHI. Accessed April 7, 2025.
[2] Jordan B. Peterson, Maps of Meaning, The Architecture of Belief, (New York, NY, Routledge, 1999), xx-xxi.
[3] Peterson, 454.
[4] Peterson, 19.
[5] Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long, The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race (Dallas, TX, BenBella Books, Inc., 2019),48-49.
[6] Peterson, 455.
[7] Peterson, 455.
About the Author
Diane Tuttle
12 responses to “Becoming the Tension”
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Hi Diane,
I appreciate your post.
Peterson argues that good and evil must coexist to bring value to life. How does this tension resonate with you?
Hi Shela, Thanks for the question. For years we learned in Sunday school to let Jesus’ light shine and not put it under a bushel basket. But I don’t think there was a concept of the evil as much as people would shining Jesus’ light would help them have a better life. it was llike a good, better, best – not good and evil. The idea of recognizing evil against the holy was what was articulated in a different way for me to hear it.
Hi Diane – you said, “in order to experience value in life, there needs to be both good and evil.” I am curious about this and as I read about this, I remembered I once heard a teaching that said that maybe God would have allowed Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil at some point (when they were ready), but they just did it out of turn. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Hi Christy, I have not heard that before. What I do know is that scripture has many times where God longs for humans to come back to God. Yet, in desiring our love, God doesn’t force it. Thus, options for sinfulness are always present. Each day, sometimes each moment we have the choice to live in relationship with God or turn away. The book of Job shows God testing him, my sense, though, is not that God is always testing us. Here is where my non-seminary educated MS might be limiting my understanding. But in seeing the evil, I think there is a greater appreciation for the good. Maybe this out of context example may say it better. Working out is important, exhausting and sometimes painful. If that was the only way someone moved and experienced then I am not sure anyone would want to ever rise in the mornings. Yet having experienced strenuous workouts, walking, reading a book, or weeding a garden become more pleasurable with the greater awareness that all movement isn’t painful. Not sure if that answered what you were asking.
Thanks Diane. How has your ‘aha’ moment from Chapter 5 shaped how you lead or interact with others, especially in situations where chaos and instability are present?
Hi Glyn, I think it is nearly impossible to lead without tensions. In my work world life is fragile and death or hospitalizations have happened enough that each day starts with a prayer. I think just being aware of it reminds me to be patient and faithful, both big tasks that I am sure aren’t always done perfectly. However, it does make me appreciate the sweetness of relationships and watching someone learn and grow even better.
Hi Diane, Thank you for the thoughtful blog. I am wondering if is an area in your life or leadership where you sense that Jesus is inviting you to enter and be the tension?
Hi Kari, Sometimes I think that IS the job of the CEO. It isn’t just about decision making, planning and implementing strategies. While those are important, what I have learned is that people watch what I do more than listen to what I say. It keeps me praying because I am far from perfect.
Hi Diane! Thank you for exposing the tension Peterson brings to light and the possibility of Christians to be that. How can we embrace this tension to effectuate a positive change in our communities?
Hi Daren, Thanks for reading the blog and your question. I think several things are necessary to embrace being Christ’s light in a dark world. The first thing is to stay in relationship with Jesus. After that, I think having a growth mindset is important. In addition, my natural bent is to be a servant leader, which in itself is valuable. However, my hope is that servant leadership there can be transformational leadership as well. I do think that the different forms of leadership can be practiced depending on the person leading, those being led and the context of the situations. In all of that as we are in relationship with Christ, the opportunities will come to us, whether we are looking for them or not.
I like so many things about this post Diane. Thank you. Especially the part about how we can begin to make meaningful maps in our current chaotic context.
You also highlighted the role of dopamine in seeking novelty. In what ways can this understanding be harnessed to encourage positive change and resilience in ourselves and others during such challenging times?
Hi Debbie, Thanks for reading it and the question. It is making me think. I think if we are intentional about a map of our lives that includes learning there can always be more to learn for future growth. Even though this is called a terminal degree, it isn’t termal growth and development. To me that is exciting. For others I think the same is true. Giving employees opportunities to grow in their careers, even if it means a future move, the time spent will be valuable for all. Sometimes during challenging times, finding something out of the fray is also helpful to quel the fight or flight instinct thus allowing an individual to focus on some of the more enjoyable topics at hand.