HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
HOW CAN WE FIX IT?
WE HOPE THAT THIS SERIES EACH
WEDNESDAY THIS MONTH ANSWERS
THOSE QUESTIONS.
JORDAN PETERSON IS A PROFESSOR
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO.
HE'S WRITTEN A LOT ABOUT THE
DECLINE OF MODERN MEN.
WE SPOKE TO HIM RECENTLY.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
WE'VE GOT A LONG LIST OF
STATISTICS THAT PAINT A PRETTY
CLEAR PICTURE THAT BOYS SEEM TO
BE FALLING BEHIND RELATIVE TO
GIRLS.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
>> I THINK THAT'S PARTLY A
CONSEQUENCE OF DIRECTIVE POLICY.
IT'S LINKED TO THE IDEA THAT
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH
MASCULINITY, SO THE EXPRESSION
OF MASCULINITY SHOULD BE LIMITED
IN ALL SORTS OF ARBITRARY WAYS.
THE FACT THAT KIDS CAN'T REALLY
PLAY AT SCHOOLS ANYMORE IS A
MANIFESTATION OF THAT.
THE FACT THAT MALE BEHAVIOR IS
OFTEN DIAGNOSED AS ATTENTION
DEFICIT DISORDER FOR EXAMPLE IS
A MANIFESTATION OF THAT.
THE ELIMINATION OF COMPETITION
AS A VALID FORM OF HUMAN
INTERACTION AND THE FAILURE TO
RECOGNIZE THAT COMPETITIVE
SPORTS, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE DEEPLY
COOPERATIVE IN THEIR FUNDAMENTAL
REGION AS LONG AS EVERYONE IS
PLAYING BY THE RULES, OBVIOUSLY.
SO THERE IS THAT.
THAT'S A LARGE PART OF IT.
>> Tucker: YOU SAYING THAT
THERE IS AN ORGANIZED ATTEMPT TO
DEEMPHASIZE MASCULINITY OR TO
PUNISH MASCULINITY.
WHY?
>> BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO MISTAKE
MASCULINE COMPETENCE FOR THE
TYRANNY THAT HYPOTHETICALLY
DRIVES THE PATRIARCHY.
IT'S PART OF AN IDEOLOGICAL
WORLDVIEW THAT SEES THE RISE OF
MANKIND AS THE OPPRESSION OF
WOMEN WHICH IS A DREADFUL WAY OF
LOOKING AT THE WORLD.
A PATHOLOGICAL WAY OF LOOKING AT
THE WORLD.
IT'S NOT LIKE MEN AND WOMEN
ALWAYS GET ALONG ANYMORE THAN
MEN AND MEN GET ALONG OR WOMEN
AND WOMEN FOR THAT MATTER.
FUNDAMENTALLY, HUMAN HISTORY IS
A COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISE AND MEN
AND WOMEN HAVE LIFTED THEMSELVES
OUT OF THE MIRE OVER MILLENNIA
IN THEIR COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR.
TO DESCRIBE THAT AS SENTRIES OF
THE OPPRESSION OF MEN -- OF
WOMEN BY MEN IS ABSOLUTELY
REPREHENSIBLE, IDEOLOGICAL
REWRITE OF HISTORY.
IT'S WHAT'S TAUGHT IN THE
HUMANITIES AND MUCH OF THE
SOCIAL SCIENCES AT UNIVERSITIES.
IT'S TAKEN AS A FACT.
>> Tucker: YOU'RE SAYING THIS
HAS BAD CONSEQUENCES.
>> HOW CAN YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT
THAT?
IF YOU ARE MADE OUT TO BE A
POTENTIAL MANIFESTATION OF RAPE
CULTURE, IF YOU'RE COMPETITIVE
DRIVE IS REGARDED AS PART OF A
TYRANNICAL IMPULSE, IT'S THE
HERITAGE TO WHICH YOU BELONG IS
REGARDED AS AN OPPRESSIVE
PATRIARCHY, THEN HOW IN THE
WORLD ARE YOU GOING TO STEP
FORWARD WITH CONFIDENCE AND
SHOULDER THAT BURDEN?
WHY WOULD YOU?
WHY WOULDN'T YOU JUST STEP ASIDE