Narratives Encode Psychological Truths
Officially, Dr. Jordan Peterson is a psychologist, author, podcaster, online educator, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto. Unofficially, fans consider Peterson one of the greatest modern philosophers, although others would disagree, saying he has never claimed to be a philosopher. [1] Regardless, many would agree that Jordan Peterson is one of the most thought-provoking intellectuals of our day. Peterson has a large following, with 7.5 million YouTube subscribers, 8 million Instagram followers, and 150 million podcast downloads. Peterson has authored several books, including Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief [2], and has a highly viewed lecture series, The Psychological Significance of the Bible. [3] From Peterson’s perspective, meaning is the result of worthwhile ventures, even when they are difficult. We receive meaning when we do something important, we grow – even if at a slow pace, we courageously face challenges, and we help someone in a worthwhile way. Meaning is more than just happiness or pleasure, it motivates us to continue, even when life is hard.
Like most of Peterson’s work, these tend to be incredibly dense, but they can be summarized in this way: Life is difficult, and suffering is inevitable, but we can find meaning in life by taking responsibility and courageously facing these challenges.
Peterson unpacks this with many Biblical examples and shows how they are tied to this central theme. These narratives, Peterson argues, were developed over a long period of time and are more than merely stories, they are cognitive frameworks that help us make sense of our experiences. These “maps of meaning” tell us what to value in life and how to behave. Peterson draws on the work of Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, in that the representation of heroes generally follows a familiar pattern:
- The hero leaves their familiar world behind
- The hero faces trials and overcomes
- The hero brings this new victory or wisdom back to their home [4]
Peterson would argue that this pattern is followed because this is how we confront challenges in our personal lives as part of the shared human experience. We experience disruption, we enter chaos, and we act like a hero to overcome, and then we enter into a new self with this new knowledge or wisdom.
To Peterson, the Bible isn’t just a religious or historical text but contains symbolic narratives that contain the accumulated wisdom of generations. These narratives survive because they are congruent with the patterns of human experience and encode psychological truths.
An example of this is Peterson’s interpretation of Cain and Abel. Rather than a historical narrative of the first siblings on earth, Peterson extracts meaning from the story: resentment, comparison, and destruction from unchecked bitterness. Cain had a failure, and rather than courageously addressing his failure head-on, he compared himself to his brother and allowed resentment to set in, which eventually led to destruction. We can all relate to feeling like Cain at times. We face failure, feel like a situation is unfair, and question why God makes certain decisions. In these moments, we have a choice: we can take responsibility and try to improve, or we can blame, grow bitter, and let anger and destruction take over.
While I couldn’t follow the breadth of Peterson’s thought process, I found it to resonate deep within my soul in ways I don’t yet have words to explain.
References
[1] Woolfe, Sam. “What Makes Someone a Philosopher?” Medium, n.d. https://samwoolfe.medium.com/what-makes-someone-a-philosopher-bcd77cb4a846#:~:text=For%20instance%2C%20some%20fans%20of,philosophical%20ideas%20all%20the%20time.
[2] Peterson, Jordan B. Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief. New York: Routledge, 1999.
[3] Peterson, Jordan. “The Psychological Significance of the Bible.” 2017. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL22J3VaeABQD_IZs7y60I3lUrrFTzkpat.
[4] Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 3. ed., with Rev. The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell 17. Novato, Calif: New World Library, 2008.
About the Author
Christy
8 responses to “Narratives Encode Psychological Truths”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Christy, you are so right with your last paragraph. An amazing brain. Could you share one moment or idea that especially stirred something in you—and why you think it had such an impact, even if you’re still finding the words to explain it?
Hi Christy, Peterson hit his peak of popularity since I’ve been living overseas. Up until now, I only knew him in name, so I am glad to have this opportunity even though I found his works quite dense. I am curious where you see yourself currently on the hero’s journey and what in Peterson’s work that jumped out at you in relation to your own journey.
Hi Christy,
Based on this statement you wrote, ‘Life is difficult, and suffering is inevitable, but we can find meaning in life by taking responsibility and courageously facing these challenges’, my question is: How can the act of taking responsibility, despite inevitable suffering, become a universal path to discovering meaning in life, regardless of individual circumstances?
Christy,
As you reflect on your learnings from Peterson has something begun to jump out at you as a highlight? Would you pass this book on to others or encourage the video series?
Christy, I always appreciate your honest and thoughtful approach to writing. You said Peterson’s ideas connected with you, even if you’re unsure why. Do you think that deep feeling might be pointing to something bigger—like a spiritual meaning, not just a personal one?
Hey Christy, As you reflect upon Peterson this week you mentioned how we experience disruption, and chaos, with the end result being a new self and new new knowledge. Do you have a life experience this resonates with?
Hi Christy, Your concluding statement really resonated with me—there’s something about Peterson’s words that struck me deeply, even if I can’t fully explain why. I also really appreciated your summary of the text; it was both thoughtful and clear. As you continue on this journey, I’m curious—what gives you the deepest sense of meaning and sustains you when the path becomes difficult?
It will be interesting to see how Peterson’s work continues to unfold within your spirit, Christy.
Considering Peterson’s argument that narratives encode psychological truths, how do you see the role of storytelling in shaping cultural values and behaviors today? Are there contemporary stories or narratives that you believe effectively convey these psychological insights?