{"id":104562,"date":"2023-05-26T16:36:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-26T20:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=104562"},"modified":"2023-06-07T11:26:31","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T15:26:31","slug":"jordan-peterson-resentment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/jordan-peterson-resentment\/","title":{"rendered":"Jordan Peterson: Resentment, Deceit, & Arrogance Are Avoidable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you grow more bitter the older you get? Do you justify bad behavior because life’s been hard on you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Jordan Peterson, resentment, deceit, and arrogance can easily develop when you travel through life and face its hardships. However, he urges you to resist them and maintain your character as you deal with life’s challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more to learn how to rise above suffering instead of letting it get the best of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Jordan Peterson on Resentment, Deceit, & Arrogance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Jordan Peterson, resentment, deceit, and arrogance aren’t the ways we should handle hardships, despite the temptation to go in that direction. He argues that we must all avoid slipping into immoral behavior due to frustration with life.<\/strong> If, instead, you choose courage and listen to your conscience<\/a>, you\u2019ll grow strong and able to navigate the trials of life. In contrast, acting immorally will lead you astray and distort your sense of right and wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To explain his position, Peterson contends that <\/strong>chaos and evil are intrinsic parts of reality\u2014therefore, we\u2019ll all encounter difficulty, misfortune, and suffering in life. And given that life is difficult and often unfair, it\u2019s all too easy to start cheating or cutting corners to get ahead. But though these immoral behaviors may yield short-term advantages,<\/strong> Peterson says that they\u2019ll distort your sense of what is right, good, and true<\/strong>. Over time, you can even change the structure of your brain<\/a> such that you lose the ability to act morally in any situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Peterson\u2019s point can apply to organizations as well as individuals. In Principles<\/em><\/a>, Ray Dalio<\/a> emphasizes the importance of \u201cextreme honesty\u201d<\/a> to maintaining trust and effectiveness within an organization. In contrast to the short-term benefits of lying and cheating, being extremely honest\u2014and extremely transparent\u2014can make an organization more trusting and efficient, because nobody has to worry about unspoken conflicts, hidden schemes, or other shady behavior.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of acting immorally when you get frustrated, accept that reality features both great good and evil<\/a>. Since you can\u2019t escape either, choose to cultivate gratitude<\/a> and courage<\/strong>. Thinking that you\u2019ll escape suffering is arrogant, whereas accepting the bad and giving thanks for the good is realistic and keeps you afloat. Gratitude and courage prevent you from feeling victimized by the world, and they give you the strength to take responsibility<\/a> and face up to the challenges in your life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Following from Peterson’s claim that you can distort your brain\u2019s ability to sense right and wrong, research also supports the inverse claim: Individuals who practiced gratitude were found to have stronger neural activity<\/a> in brain areas<\/a> associated with moral cognition and decision-making<\/a>. This suggests that by practicing gratitude<\/a> and courage, you can train yourself to make better, more ethical decisions.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Beyond Order<\/em> Rules<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Order<\/em> Rule 11 says this: Do not allow yourself to become resentful, deceitful, or arrogant. This rule can be grouped together with two other rules from Peterson’s book. Each one fits the theme of personal well-being. Let’s take a quick look at the two related rules:<\/p>\n\n\n\n