Jordan Peterson on Why People Are So Unhappy 

Everyone: **speaks** Jordan Peterson: **thinks before speaking**

i heard this somewhere and it resonated with me.... "No one has hobbies anymore. People dont do things because they enjoy them; people are trying to turn everything they like into a "hustle", "grind" or business". There is something beautiful about doing something you love simply because you enjoy it. This seems to be disappearing.

As a man who used to struggle with depression these are the most helpful things I can think of: -Take Risks, don't let the fear of failure stop you from trying something new or something great -Do things that genuinely scare you or that you're afraid of (Even little things like climbing onto a roof and helping to put up Christmas lights if you're afraid of heights or saying something to the cute cashier girl other than "hi" and "thanks") -Pursue an ambitious goal, one that a lot of people don't believe you can achieve (It doesn't even matter if you fail this because no matter what the pursuit of an ambitious goal will make you a better person and give you fulfillment) With that being said, do your best to succeed -Have a passion, basically this means to find a hobby that you enjoy so much that you will spend hours and hours getting better at it -Study history, pick a role model, and then analyze the traits of your role model and list the reasons why you admire them. Then start to emulate these traits in your everyday life and eventually you will become your own role model. -Don't ever quit something just because it's hard (You can quit a crappy job if it's not the right fit for you, but never quit solely based on the fact that something is difficult). Embrace challenges and look for opportunities to improve yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. -Never put yourself down. Try not to think negative things about yourself and especially never say them out loud. You will think more highly of yourself when you say positive things about yourself, at the very least avoid putting yourself down on purpose. -Live purposefully. Have a direction for your life and if you don't already have one, make one. Decide what's most important to you and live accordingly. If you have a family or even a single loved one, your first priority (other than serving God if you're religious) should be to provide for them, to protect them, and to help them become the best version of themselves -Develop Integrity. I can't even explain how much this increases your self-respect. Be honest, be trustworthy, don't cheat (unless you're in a street fight) and live with honor. -Find a hobby that you're really passionate about and strive to become a master at it -Finally, probably the most important thing I can say is to think less about yourself. Think less about yourself but not less of yourself. In other words, think about other people before you think about yourself, especially your family and loved ones. If you're focused on helping them with their problems I can promise you that your problems will become less important and less troublesome. Look for opportunities to help others and make them feel better about themselves. Nothing lifts you out of depression better than helping someone out of theirs. I hope this helps. I realize that some people are genetically predisposed to having a harder time with depression, but I believe that there's nothing you can't overcome with a strong mindset. In addition, I strongly believe that going through depression and having such terrible lows actually gives you the capacity to feel even greater happiness and joy. The reason I say this is because when you feel genuine joy after being depressed for so long you can't help but feel grateful. The beauty of life is that we are meant to experience the full range of human emotions, from happiness to anger to jealousy to despair to joy. We couldn't feel genuine happiness if we never knew what it was like to be sad. If I could talk to whoever is reading this face-to-face, what I would say to you would be simple: don't quit. A quote from Winston Churchill kept me going in times when I thought I had nothing left, he said: "If you're going through Hell, keep going." Everything in life can be and is meant to be an opportunity to make yourself better, and depression is no exception. Keep fighting, all of you are descended from warriors no matter what culture or country you are from. You wouldn't be here today if it weren't for the conquering spirit of your ancestors. Live a life that would make them proud. While most of us will not fight in physical wars, no one is exempt from the battlefield of life. Depression can be a battle every single day, every single second in some cases. Keep fighting, it will only get better. And the more you fight, the more you will gain respect for yourself. I've conquered my depression. Every now and then it will start to try and creep back into my mind but I don't let it. I destroy those feelings with action. I go lift weights, I go running, I listen to metal music, whatever it takes for me to regain my confidence. You can conquer depression, no matter how severe it is. That doesn't mean you'll never have days where you feel down, but it does mean that you'll have the strength to push through and do what you need to do as a man regardless of how you're feeling. Stay strong, stay hard, and fight like dragons 🐉 You're going to be very glad you did.

People are unhappy because by the time they realize how short life really is, they've lived at least half of it.

"our society is philosophically unstable" you said it.

People are tired of running on the hamster wheel of life. Not making enough money, working too much, the fear of not having enough. I also agree it has to do with diet.

Happiness is not getting what you want,but being content with what you have.

It's because our society cares more about profitability over what is right.

Jordan peterson : *Beautifully answers Ethan's question* Ethan: "Watch out for that bread y'all"

"What's the price you pay for a high standard of living? Well, that's easy. You virtually always sacrifice the present for the future," Jordan Peterson. Keen observation.

Man, this hit home in so many ways... I am 38 and I don't think I will ever be happy. The last time I was genuinely happy for a prolonged period was 2005.

Being happy isn't supposed to be constant. Otherwise we'd all be walking around with big smiles all day and getting nowhere.

I agree with the food intake assessment. Even on a smaller level, when I eat healthy foods, I feel better mentally.

Maybe im unusual, but the happiest times of my life I was regularly helping other people. Making other people happy is rewarding. Focusing on your own hapinesses all the time seems to drain it.

I love how Jordan Peterson takes a few seconds to think before he speaks Thats soo Rare in 2020.

Here’s the Ethan who can talk to anybody regardless who they are and what they stand for. Ethan today just picks and pokes at everyone consistently. It’s Childish.

"You sacrifice the present for the future". This really sunk in when my husband died at the age of 49 and I felt like we had spent the better part of 20 years together working. If you don't buy into consumerism (no pun intended), you can live on less. Work less, live more.

Social media made me feel so worthless and alone.

Diet is a valid point! I’ve switched to a Paleo diet five years ago. I’ve since gotten off of 14 prescription medications, including 2 meds for ADHD, an anti-anxiety drug, an anti-depressant and a sleep medication. My brain is finally healed by removing grains and sugar. I now know how to behave. Fermented foods and probiotics are key components of mood and behavior. He’s 100% correct!!!

Amazing how this has aged. Ethan has totally become who Peterson is warning him about.

i know when I feel depressed. It's when I don't do anything new. I could be working out everyday,doing same routines,that just helps my mind feel calmer but If i don't learn something new everyday,go somewhere new,meet new people,make something,anxiety is telling me that I'm wasting time,not being able to enjoy music nor movies until I feel that I deserve it.

I miss my childhood, there was something real about it, I feel like these days everyone wants to be perfect inside and outside thanks to the excessive amount of social media that you can reach immediately. I spent my childhood actually being engaged in something and paying attention to the real world rather than stressing about pictures like people do today.

JP just speaks so much sense, explains complex matters into summaries that can be easily understood. He is an absolute genius as well as a decent person.

"I believe that individuals nowadays are probably more aware of their inner loneliness than has ever been true before in history" - Carl Rogers

This man kept me from driving off a cliff.

"We're the middle children of history, man - no purpose or place. We have no great war, no great depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives." Tyler Durden

We're so caught up in what's trending, looks and social status. As a society, we've lost sentiment. Little by little, person by person we can get it back. Just my take on the many reasons depression, anxiety and stress runs rampid. Peterson is an intellectual genius by the way. Love his content!

I like how he closed his eyes and inhaled, focusing, casting all his knowledge to answer this question. Like a magic man summoning an entity before reading tarot

4:40 Even when he's the smartest man in the room he still respects everything Ethan says and responds in a way that isn't condensending but of understanding and intellect. Bravo

Happiness is only achieved internally...too many people are focused on the external. Chase the dream (for yourself), not the competition (for others).

After my dad died in 2016, almost all of my anxiety and depression just went away. That situation was really shitty for a really long time, but after a couple years something inside me changed. I stopped taking things at face value and became happy to be alive. That alone has led me to have more, better and meaningful friendships and relationships and success at my job. I think it came from not wanting .y dads death to be meaningless. It's very motivating. I used to be so miserable but I'm at peace now.

Right on point yet again, Dr. Peterson. You're the best!

"Why People Are So Unhappy" - because they have been hypnotized into believing that happiness can be an achievable goal and a sustainable outcome. The pursuit of happiness is a contract with suffering.

Jordan Peterson thank you for your insight.

One of the most difficult undertakings I went through was managing better my sugar and carb intake resulting in a drastic reduction in sugars and carbs. It seemed a small change in my life but I instantly felt better health wise and mood wise. I learned about the hormone/sugar connection much later after managing my carbs.

Why society is so unhappy: Complexity of society No meaning of life Bread

- complexity/uncertainty of our world - being too busy - diet, too many carbs and sugar, gut health

I'm just discovering Jordan Peterson through the H3 podcast, and I could probably listen to him talk all day. I'm definitely going to look into him more now. He seems ridiculously intelligent. It's also interesting how there's hardly an "uhm", or, "like", or anything like that in his speech patterns.

like Henry Thoreau said, "Simplicity, Simplicity, simplicity."

This aged well

I find it relieving to realize what I have versus what I don’t. Be happy for “living”. my best friend died of cancer at 19 and I have been thankful just for the day.

People have lost the ability to be content.

Simplicity is one of the keys towards happiness.

Being constantly overwhelmed by the complexity of our world appears to be the new normal.

He speaks 100% truth. I live in Sweden and have like 90% others good job and good living standards. When I visit my home country in the Balkans who have a lot less they are all happier it seems. Never could explain it.

His answer is great, I mean he's so smart, really made me think

This is why fasting is so vital.

He wore that exact shirt when he said his famous... (I'm not doing it! and that's that!)

We live in a time where there isn't a reason to live given to us. In past times there was embedded reasons to live. In early times just living itself was difficult and people's reason to live was to just live. Then we have the colonization time where people were living to colonize the new world. Then there was the war age where people were thrown at war. Now a days there is no reason given to us, and we are free to find one ourselves. The problem with that is that we are also free to find the answer that we have no reason. Combine that with how hard it is to be successful. A post secondary education isn't the end all be all it used to be, and there are many people that just dig themselves a hole by chasing further education. Then we can look at the job market which is more competitive, and dangerous than ever. Entry level jobs treat their employees terrible because they know they can replace them in an instant, and higher jobs want 10 years of experience from an 18 year old. Finally we live in a time where it is super easy to view and follow the lives of successful people. We are flooded with the lives of people that have reached potential that we can never hope to reach. Combine all of these and you get a nice depression cocktail that most people are forced to drink.

I remember in one of his lectures, Dr. Peterson was telling his students how he approaches the matter of unhappiness/depression when it comes to his patients. He very simply enumerates it through a short series of questions: do you have a job? is the job meaningful or at least tolerable? do you have family and friends, and if you do, is your relationship with them good? is your health okay? do you have something meaningful and enjoyable you can do outside of work? do you refrain from abusing drugs or alcohol? And then tells them that if his patient's answer to all of those is "no," then you're basically in chaos/hell!

I think spending long periods on our phones and computers do not help at all either, esp re anxiety, we are in constant narrow focus as opposed to periphery vision, we need to be outside in nature more looking around not glued to a screen (she says on youtube : ) . Nature over technology is a must.

For me I've had many problems in life so far. When I think of what happened before I changed for the better, it was in the mind. Self esteem was my issue. I didn't think I was good enough even all the way back to elementary. Because of this I didn't want to try anything, I wanted to do just whatever I wanted with zero work because I thought I'd never amount to anything so I wasn't even going to try.....this was just part of me like my arm is part of me and I had to work to change it. Once I realized I am a fucking king I could start to Hone my skills but the most important thing was communication and attitude...I was able to communicate and sell myself.... and I'm telling you with a good / keeping humor as well; attitude, everything else has fallen into place. I'm way better off then I was, but not where I want to be. The difference is now I know for a fact where I'm going in life, because A I know who the fuck I am and what I'm capable of and B there is not a single thing in this FUCKING WORLD that is going to stop me, besides me, and I got that guy handled 💯💯💯 now just read that in 3rd person or referring to yourself. Believe it, but more importantly FEEL THAT SHIT GUYS!!!

To anybody feeling sad I encourage you to write down the things you’re grateful for. Don’t lie to yourself. It might look ridiculous, but I think it’s helped me and hopefully it will help you too

"We are walking oceans." I've often had this thought, but never expressed it as neatly as that.

Running on a treadmill to keep it going that part got me.

I like that JP stops and thinks before talking. I appreciate his taking the time to order his answer and thoughts.

You know how bugs get attracted to light and messes them up? We are experiencing the same with modern technology.

He's right about the diet i was suicidal for 10 years or so started when i first entered high school and only got worse as time went on im 24 now and iv'e just barely recovered,sometimes i feel like crying because of how much time i wasted hating everything in life but anyway i changed my diet to low carb no sugar and within six months i was able to overcome my depression by myself no therapy or anything like that ,diet change isn't a cure all but it's definitely something that will give you the push towards better mental health...also quit any drugs and alcohol use so you can clear your mind and liver of poisons.

"It could crash in a moment's notice." My man, the prophet, Jordan Peterson

I love how his suspicion is based on a hell of a lot of information

He’s so right about the microbiome effecting mood. Eat lots of fiber and fresh fruits and veggies because it feeds your “good” bacteria which will keep you thin and happy. It’s so much more than calories in calories out.

My opinion is that passivity creates unhappiness. Overall people that lack purpose also have a very high amount of passivity in their day to day life and live for little more than basic comfort which can cause depression.

As a working mom, this is so so hard to hear. I know it’s true but it’s easier to do the grind and not think about it. I think the diet reason is also a result of complexity of life. I know I’m not alone in eating away the dissatisfaction of life.

Think Ethan needs to clean his room.

I think the major driving force of happiness is having a purpose and working towards it by smart goal-setting. Many things in our current society are done for you and taken care of so that the life has become too easy in many regards. There is also more open ground for comparison between how well off are you compared to your friends, neighbours etc. This constant exposure to comparison (via social networks) can lead to very unhealthy consequences. I also think that people have too many options available to them and this makes navigating life too complicated. It has been backed by many studies that people with fewer choices are happier with whatever they choose.

When I entered college, I had no clue at what career I was going to earn a living, but I did have a powerful idea then: that I wanted to encounter God and find peace of mind. I am on social security now and never did earn more than a modest living. But I am happy to report that along the way, I did find God and peace of mind. Hasn't always been easy, but regrets are few.

I can relate to the feeling of life being pointless in relation to depression, my entire mentality is wrapped around the point that when you die you die, there's no after, there's no watching the world as a spirit, no sitting in a black vacuum talking to yourself, it just ends and nothing more. So what am I living for? Essentially just to survive and be happy? Well very few things make me truely happy and of those things that makes me happy I can't survive on. So life for me essentially boils down to working so I can buy what I need to survive, so that I can survive, to go to work and buy more things to survive and be slightly happy about it?...ultimately just so that a country and government have someone they can tax and make money from. Why is that a reason to live in reality? To have a "typical" life with a family? I'd love my family if I had one but when im dead and don't exist neither do they, its irrelevant, if anything its a distraction from the ultimate point that you are going to die and everything becomes meaningless at that point because even the memories you have are then gone. When you then add that you're last 20-30 years alive is a slow miserable decay where you can't do basic things in life just...why would anyone want to go through that? For me personally thats just a case of realisation in reality, you either know and accept it, or you don't to distract you how scared you are of the end and the survival instincts that kick in whenever most people think about death to avoid it. Either way we ultimately don't get a choice in having life, I do think we should be giving the choice (through a structured process of therapy, evaluations etc) to end our life in the most comfortable way possible when we choose to, not be told to just accept it and get on with it because government needs its money to keep the people who do want to survive alive.

"Directness of purpose, self reliance, simplicity of life."

People have become spoiled. For most of human history, if you had food, clothing, shelter, lived relatively long without a war or epidemic you were remarkably fortunate. Probably in the top 1%. Today everyone wants stuff. They want to be relevant, rich, successful, important, loved, powerful. If they don't get all of their desires, they are just miserable. Our world is now very comlex. Social dynamics are constantly changing. We are almost always playing catch up. We are all competing with the Jones'. We all want to look like, be like, live like celebrities. We are exposed to so much choice, so many ideas, so many possibilities, so many problems, that it becomes overwhelmeming. Children are often rather happy in general. Why? For them, life is simpler. At least from their perspective. In the end, I think it's all about perspective.

"... I think there's something wrong with what we're eating." Exactly!

when theyre unhappy with their life they used to disturb people that is satisfying themselves with happiness /pleasures and unhappy people dont like it, thank you for explaining well to people who barely needs it when they dont know they really do wrong, im a fan of psychology and studied more in life, and i myself has a mental issues which is my uncontrollable outbursts but now i can manage my emotions with thinkings

Dr. Peterson is so well rounded. His hypothesis on the role of the microbiome and mood is so intriguing 🤔.

I know this isn’t related to the video but we have basically the same name.

One of the things that makes me depressed is having to live with roommates which are oft times strangers. I have got a lot of abuse from room mates. All people deserve a home but a house that has to be shared with one or more strangers is not a home; especially these days where people are so egotistical.

I like it when he thinks a lot and then answers.

Happiness is when you can appreciate the little things. Like just being able to breathe itself is something to be joyful of.

Happiness - Find out what makes you happy and pursue it, find out what doesn't make you happy and avoid it

I just happened to watch this clip while eating a glaze donut...

super fascinating

Suffering is caused by wanting. The less you want, the happier you are

He’s so right about all this shit!

Thank you for this.

The eating idea Mr Peterson mentioned is really interesting. I’ve this far stayed away from Carbs for 3 and a half years to maintain my body and I can see quite a bit of truth in what he says.

That rare moment ethan temporarily transforms back to his human form

The less you know, the more happy you are. Our huge collective knowledge is killing us. I mean I’ve seen ignorant and indifferent people who are really happy in their own small bubble.

This man is brilliant - really understands basics of life and human challenge

That outlook is really prevalent “what’s the point” and it’s a wormhole that seems like the more you ask that question, the worse everything gets.

My life has dramatically improved once I started eating healthy. I also smoked mad weed and generally thought more about different concepts and ideas but I think eating healthy really improves your life and makes you think about things more clearly

Yes! I hope he talks about the dietary connections more! So needed.

We have the wrong expectations. We want to be happy all the time.

Aww I love Jordan thanks for having him on!

This was a damn good take. I think our society we know alot more than yesterday, we r moving so fast and everyday something changes. Thats great coz look at the amount of technological advancements we made in just the last like 10years But u know as he said people in countries that have high standards of living... are the unhappiest. That can be seen as us in this society like despite the differences we as a society have come so far. If we look at 19th century and now its such a big difference when you compare the common man then and now. I think its like the more you know the more stress we have... like a price we must pay i guess

"watch out for your bread yall"

Our society breeds insecurity, insecurity breeds unhappiness.

I can tell you that after i moved out of my Homeland (Bosnia) 6 years ago because of work opportunity in Germany, working a extremely stresfull dead end job as a male nurse in the Emergency Room that the job conditions, lack of free time and lack of touch with the nature is what makes people unhappy in the modernized World. I have never been so sick, sad, unhappy, pissed so often in my life than in the past 6 years since i came to Germany. Prior to Germany i had a cold maybe twice in 10 years, was way friendlier, more outgoing etc.. Now im sick like once a month or i sometimes cant work because of stress and anxiety caused by workload. I go every 2 years to my Homeland and my House in my small Village where i was born and where Grew up and go to my and my Grandfathers fields and mow the fckn grass with a scythe there.. I fkn love to cut our Grass with a Scythe, the smell of freshly mowed grass and carrying the cut grass to the Shed under the hot sun for days, feed Grandfathers Chicken, Sheeps and playing with the Dog. Its so good doing that, nothing to worry, feeling what home is, where you belong, being in the nature like 6-7 Hours a day and doing some kind of physical work... It just fullfills me doing a simple thing like Mowing Grass or Cutting Firewood...

Wow.. I have heard about the connection between the food intake and our moods but I hadn't further read on it. I have to. And the part where Peterson says that we are constantly worried if what we know now will be useful for the future because of the whole uncertainty regarding the future is so true.There are several opportunities..but it's complicated. I hadn't realized it until I heard that.But I am a victim to those thoughts and anxiety too.

Some people are so very poor that the only thing they have is money...

Could listen to Jordan Peterson speak ALL day. In fact….I will.

You're probably right about diet, I never thought of that. I'll post some other reasons, based on my observations. I think a lot of people are obsessed with chasing status and conspicuous consumption to impress people who really don't give a damn. They're more concerned about what, in their view, everyone else thinks they should be doing based on some profile dreamed up by some marketer far away. I never did that and never will, and am better off for it. A few examples are when I was working (retired now) I would often be asked why I don't buy a new car when the one I had worked just fine. I figured I would save my money and thus have the time and money to do some fun things. I was in my early forties and was taking up the fun sport of skydiving and had 2 guys ask me what someone my age was doing skydiving. To this day I don't know what my age has to do with how I'm affected by gravity or aerodynamics. I've lost count of how many times I've been asked why I don't do the "normal" things you're supposed to do. I'm 60 years old now and almost every day is an anniversary of something I've done. For example, lets look at today's date, Aug. 9, 2021. About this time in 1995 I was taking SCUBA dive training, which has taken me diving in many places in the world. On this date in 1999 I was in Budapest and decided to get on the overnight train into Romania for clear weather to see the solar eclipse on Aug. 11, and was successful. A year later in 2000 I was taking skydive training at this time. Only 3 days ago I was having fun mountain biking on trails, followed by zip lining. On Aug. 10 last year I was parasailing. On August 7, 2004 I went bungee jumping and on a balloon ride on that date in 2014. While not every day is exciting, I hope you get the picture. If you want to increase your happiness, do what YOU want and to HELL with what "everyone else" thinks.

Ethan now claiming Jordan is a gateway to the alt right and a transphobe.