While listening to a Jordan Peterson podcast with Konstantin Kisin about the Counter-woke revolution, Jordan mentions how many of his clients and students come to him in search of a meaningful pathway forward in life. When he asks them “what do you want from your life?” and they answer “I don’t know”, he offers them the following advice:
Jordan starts out by saying the most important thing is that you don’t do nothing. If you’re struggling to find your purpose in life then perusing nothing is a terrible idea because hope comes from pursuit and without hope you’ll never get anywhere in life. He then suggest that looking at what other people do is a good place to start, if only for some inspiration.
You don’t have to do any or all of these things but they are a good place to start if you don’t yet know what you want from life.
If you’re failing on all 8 of those fronts you’re not depressed you just have a terrible life.
Most people do want to find an intimate partner, even if they think you don’t. There are exceptions such as radically creative genius such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Pablo Picasso who were so idiosyncratic that they can’t bind themselves to anybody but they were 1 in a billion. You’re probably not 1 in a billion.
Positive relationships with your parents, siblings, children, and friends etc.
Jordan says that without some kind of job or career people think you’re useless and they shun you.
This means having control over any addictions including drugs, alcohol, sex, and food. He points out that short term impulsive hedonic gratification doesn’t play out well accross time and tends to make you unpopular.
Give value to your town, city, or local community.
You’ll need to have a plan in place for ensuring the condition of your physical body and the well being of your mind.
Have something you can learn and get better at. This doesn’t have to be academic, a practical or creative pursuit will work just as well.
Don’t spend all your downtime on social media, find something that is more worthwhile to fill your time.
Jordan found that when students can answer all 8 questions the probability of them droping out in the first year decreases 50%.
Just thinking through, just developing a vision on these fronts is highly motivating, keeps anxiety at bay, unites people psychologically, and helps them to identify with the pathway forward.
The above content is taken from Jordan’s podcast on Counter-woke revolution between minutes 30:40 - 35:42