Jordan Peterson
The Adventure of Truth
You know one of the things that
Revolutionary movements have to offer young people is a sense of romantic adventure
I mean, if you're working at 7-Eleven in a dead-end job
And you're offered an adventure, the chance to demonstrate
Dramatically for a messianic cause
Especially if you're young, that's gonna call to something deep inside you, and excite you
Because everyone needs a higher purpose
And that belonging can be addressed by romantically inclined ideologues, but there are better ways of addressing that longing
I believe there's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth
[Chorus]
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
There's a tremendous adventure in that
It's a demanding ethical, striving
And it's a form of responsibility to pay attention to what you say
And to only say things that you believe to be true
And there is insane adventure in that
Because you have no idea what's going to happen if you do that
You entice people into adopting ethical responsibility by pointing out to them
In story, and perhaps to the degree you're capable by example that there isn't anything more interesting or meaningful that they can possibly do
[Chorus]
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
I think that's part of the reason that my books and lectures have proved popular
I'm making a case for somethings I supposed, you might regard as obvious
At least reviewed from a certain perspective
When I was talking to large live audiences
I noted that one topic in particular would bring the audience to a dead silent pause constantly, and that was when I made a rhetorical case for the relationship between responsibility and meaning
You need a meaning in life
You need a purpose to sustain you through the catastrophe of life and the suffering of life
You need a meaning
It's not optional, and the deeper the meaning, the better
And it's definitely the case that people find that meaning primarily in the adoption of responsibility
And that case isn't made well in our culture, especially not to young people
There is a hunger, a mass hunger for that idea
It's better than happiness that meaning
It's deeper than happiness
Happiness is fleeting
(Happiness is fleeting and suffering requires a sustaining meaning)
[Chorus]
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
There's tremendous adventure in doing something like telling the truth (Telling the truth)
The meaning that comes along with the adoption of heavy responsibility that's
Sustaining through good times and bad
It's always the case that the best story wins