Re： Jordan Peterson. Does Being Anonymous Make You A Coward？
Episode Stats
Words per minute
136.2896
Harmful content
Misogyny
1
sentences flagged
Hate speech
1
sentences flagged
Summary
In order for us to truly have freedom of speech, truly have an open and honest discourse, we need anonymity. Otherwise there is always the risk of paying a very heavy price for criticizing the wrong individuals. You can't really be edgy if you're anonymous.
Transcript
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Greetings, Jordan Peterson. I have come to fact check you.
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Now, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about,
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he has made a few tweets basically calling anonymous commentators, anonymous posters, cowards.
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I understand that he is sick of anonymous individuals using their anonymity to insult others
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or to say things that are outrageous and edgy for the sake of it.
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But I would say that if you were to ask me the question,
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No, it doesn't. I think it makes you intelligent and prudent
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because it's not so fun to have your life destroyed.
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It's not so fun being cancelled as has happened to many individuals.
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And there is a price to be paid if you stray from the moral framework,
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which I have discussed at length in my podcast, which you can listen to.
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And yeah, you're all familiar with cancel culture.
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So it can be worth staying under the radar, living a normal life, having a normal job,
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so that you can support those who are public figures who can't get a normal job because, yeah,
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they have been cancelled because they say certain things, they express certain political opinions,
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which aren't within the aforementioned moral framework.
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Now, I've been cancelled for as long as I have been a public figure, basically.
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So, yeah, and my great crime, you ask, it's always quite hard to explain why you are cancelled,
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because it's such a sensible, centrist position.
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So, basically, what I have said is that I believe it's wrong for Europeans to be replaced in their own countries.
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Therefore, I am a right-wing extremist or whatever label they use.
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For me, there is actually a need to be a public figure because of my unique talents and everything like that.
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But you don't need to be a public figure to do good things.
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You can still be a good influence on the metapolitical struggle being anonymous,
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as long as you post good things and you lay out arguments in a coherent and appealing manner.
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So, I'd say it's quite unfair to label anonymous posters cowards.
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I could agree with Jordan Peterson that the individuals who use their anonymity to insult others,
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yeah, they could be called cowards, but to simply be prudent to stay under the radar for the sake of not being cancelled,
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Now, there is something to be said, though, about these individuals who view the very survival of European civilization.
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They view it as a joke, they view it as a hobby, as a distraction.
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Then, of course, they go online, post very controversial things just for the sake of it,
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because it's supposed to be edgy and controversial.
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They want the kick of being radical, pseudo-radical, pseudo-edgy.
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So, there is that danger, and I do believe that anonymity, it also causes a lot of damage,
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but in order for us to have a free discourse, and I'm hardly the first one who says this,
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in order for us to truly have freedom of speech, truly have an open and honest discourse,
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we need anonymity, because otherwise there is always the risk of paying a very heavy price for criticizing the wrong individuals.
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So, again, they say we have freedom of speech, which we don't in Europe, for example,
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we don't have freedom of speech in the same way as you have in the US.
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But even in the US, where you supposedly have freedom of speech, if you say the wrong thing,
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you will be cancelled, and yeah, I mean, it's worse than a prison sentence for many.
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In Sweden, you can go to prison for, you know, a thought crime for a few months,
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but if you're not cancelled, that might actually be a more lenient punishment in many ways.
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So, I would say that having the option to remain anonymous, it's a fundamental key to having a truly honest discussion.
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So, anyway, just a short check-in from this beautiful winter landscape with my thoughts to recap.
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You do absolutely not need to feel bad for staying anonymous.
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I think it's a good thing. I think it's good, intelligent, prudent to be anonymous.
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As long as you don't misuse that anonymity to behave in a dishonourable manner.
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So, don't post things that you don't really mean, don't insult people, just try to present your opinions in a normal way,
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like a normal person would, and all will be well.
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And I can say the following as well, that it's quite annoying as a public figure to have to deal with anonymous posters
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and posting a lot of truly, well, I will state this diplomatically, truly unintelligent things on your posts.
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Again, if you can express yourself as a normal person, it's good.
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If you can't handle that, then you shouldn't post at all.
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So, anyway, do stay anonymous if you want. Do support the guys and girls who are out in the open.
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And, yeah, view anonymity as a gift that you should use responsibly.
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If you happen to watch this, you need to dominate your inner chaos.
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I understand that your emotions, they run hot when you've had your fill of these guys who are anonymously criticizing you
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and, you know, comment disrespectful things towards you.
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I don't endorse this in the least. I think you should be respectful towards him.
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But, Jordan Pitchum, you can't let your emotions dictate a good policy for freedom of speech.
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Freedom of speech, you need to conquer your inner chaos.
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So, yeah, that being said, thank you all for watching XXO.