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Meaningful Nonsense

I am currently trying to finish listening to Jordan B Peterson's 12 Rules for Life. I started listening to the audiobook about 12 months ago and gave up as I found it a bit tedious to listen to. I don't know if it his voice or the constant to-ing and fro-ing between the rule or the point and the mythological, religious anecdotes and stories. And I understand that it is all relevant to the subject matter and the rules he is formulating, but it's all a bit long-winded. I have six kids, life is hectic, my brain frequently screams "Get to the point!", while listening to the book. I have been watching his lectures online and I think what is lacking in the audiobook, or what is not conveyed rather, is the passion of his convictions and ability to enter the magical state of flow in his process. This seems stultified in the structure of the book format, which is a shame, because he is a captivating speaker, who has propelled some radical commonsense thinking to the masses, in a climate of political correctness and age of the "snowflake", for want of a better term. Intellectual discourse trickling down to the masses and perhaps shifting the collective narrative towards positive outcomes, is welcomed in a time where anything and everything is divisive and polarising. He is a polarising figure I suppose, and he has a way with linguistic gymnastics and word salad, that can be a tad bit intimidating and perplexing, albeit a bit of a weapon of deflection on his part. Dancing around questions and ultimately ending up in the realm of not so straightforward answers, that sort of thing. Though he doesn't do it in a way a politician does it, it's more about him examining the question and coming up with an answer he deems adequate in his own mind.  And well, the journey to that answer can be convoluted. Anyway, you get my drift. I think perhaps an actual copy of the book to read may be more successful in keeping me interested. So I shall endeavour to acquire a copy. At any rate, pondering the thoughts of current thinkers got me thinking about my own thinking. Particularly how my tendency to topple straight into the negative narrative at a moments notice, has shaped my current mental state. I could dissect forever the reasons why I do it and end up in a metaphorical contortion of the snake eating its own tail, because ultimately that's where I would end up. Or I could go about ways of changing it for the better. So conscious choices to be more positive and less negative. Easier said than done, when you observe the basic structure of your life and think, "Well it's a bit shit isn't it?", so much for positivity, well done me.
But it is a mind muscle that's currently under construction. And attempts are being made at making it all a bit less shit. Hence distracting myself with intellectual nonsense and drivel, and trying to find something meaningful. Because if there is nothing meaningful, what's the point of all this life stuff? And that is where depression starts my friend. Loss of meaningful connection and interaction with the world, with people,with family and friends,and probably most importantly with yourself.



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