Career Highlights
University of Toronto psychology professor and practicing clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson has received far more media notoriety for his outspoken beliefs on the exercise of free speech and on conventional morality. His best-selling book 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos likewise propelled the professor to pop psychology fame, diminishing somewhat Peterson’s credibility as an expert in his field or as an astute academic in spite of the fact that he has in fact published hundreds of papers in peer-reviewed journals (“About Jordan Peterson,” 2019). Moreover, Peterson continues to garner considerable attention on the speaking circuit and retains his Professorial post at the reputable University of Toronto.

In 2018, Peterson released his second general audience publication: the book Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief. In this book, Peterson veers from the realm of pop psychology to tackle the philosophical conundrums he has concerned himself in more recent years in his career as a lecturer. Peterson also speaks and writes about the Bible as an instructional tool and espouses Biblical morality (“About Jordan Peterson,” 2019; Thagard, 2018). His tacit embrace of Islamophobia and insensitivity to political correctness as integral to directing civil public discourse in a divisive society has earned Peterson considerable criticism. In fact, Cambridge University rescinded an invitation extended to Peterson to receive a fellowship there (McQuigge, 2019). Furthermore, a New Zealand bookstore chain removed Peterson’s books from their shelves in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque bombings, referring to the author’s sympathy for Islamophobia (Shakeri, 2019). Ironically, Shakeri (2019) points out that the same bookstore in New Zealand continues to sell copies of Mein Kampf. Given his ability to masterfully manipulate minds through the conventional press, Peterson maintains a healthy social media following with half a million Instagram followers and a podcast garnering about a million listeners per episode (“About Jordan Peterson,” 2019). His career is currently characterized far more by his celebrity as a pop psychologist and self-proclaimed social commentary philosopher than by his role as clinical psychologist.

Traits, Behaviors, Styles

Jordan Peterson’s behaviors convey volumes about the leader’s traits and styles. For example, Peterson proudly poses with a fan wearing a T-short reading not only “I’m a Proud Islamaphobe,” but also listing a litany of supposedly Muslim-only crimes like “rape,” “pedophilia,” and “wife-beating,” (Shakeri, 2019, p. 1). The defiant look on Peterson’s face mirrors his opinion that gender-neutral language is an affront to civil rights (McQuigge, 2019). Peterson’s disregard for...…style creates follower attachments, allowing Peterson to control potential crisis situations and turn those setbacks into opportunities for personal gain.

Advice for Jordan Peterson

While it is difficult to offer advice to someone who has successfully navigated the intricacies of consumer trends, I would strongly advise Peterson to consider the logical fallacies in his arguments. As Thagard (2018) points out, Peterson’s fallacies could prove detrimental to his credibility as a psychology professor. I would also advise Peterson to consider the fact that social justice cannot be achieved via the antagonistic means he uses. If Peterson were as concerned about universal ethics as he was, then he would recognize the logical fallacies in his arguments against civil discourse and political correctness. Yet Peterson has thoroughly endeared himself with his fans and seems more interested in gaining momentum and feeding the industry he has created than he is in actually reaching any tangible social justice goals. Ultimately, Peterson needs little help in his career, for even if he were to lose his post with the University of Toronto, he would remain a successful writer, speaker, and public figure—albeit a negative leader who does little to promote civil rights, social justice, or freedom of speech.

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