This week, I explain how to experience enthusiasm and joy and ways to orchestrate movement forward by way of positive emotion.
** Mondays of Meaning
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January 6th 2024 | Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
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Hello,
In this week’s edition, I explain how to experience enthusiasm and joy and ways to orchestrate movement forward by way of positive emotion. Then, I talk with Canadian member of Parliament Pierre Poilievre about his role as Leader of the Opposition and the year ahead. From the archives, I revisit a conversation with Dr. John Delony in which we further the topic of positive emotion.
Advice
Create And Move Toward A Goal To Experience Positive Emotion ([link removed])
There are different types of positive emotion, but enthusiasm and joy — not to be confused with satiation — are fully dependent on observing progression toward a valued goal. Separately, the feeling of satiation, or obtainment, occurs when you obtain something you want and feel satisfied. (Satiation involves a completely different neurochemical system.) But enthusiasm and joy, which are often associated with happiness, manifest themselves when you are moving toward a valued goal. Therefore, if you do not prioritize your goals, then you do not experience positive emotion.
In terms of forward movement, positive emotion is almost all its motivation because the embodied manifestation of positive emotion is movement toward a valued goal. That is the purpose of positive emotion; that is why you experience positive emotion. The emotional implication of being a creature that can move toward goals is positive emotion. If you lack a goal, you will not experience positive emotion. In like manner, if you are inclined to accomplish 10 tasks at once, you will accomplish none. Put another way, if you have 100 goals and cannot prioritize them, then every goal has 1% of the significance necessary to move you forward. To be maximally motivated, you must know the reason for your actions.
Consciousness is an incredibly narrow channel. Generally, we can only concentrate on one thing at a time — because we can only act out one thing at a time. This means that not only do you need to prioritize your perception, but you must also prioritize your actions. By doing so, you create a structure of priority, which is a structure of compared value.
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In the seventh episode of Dr. Jordan B. Peterson’s series, “The Gospels,” he and his companions examine Christ's encounters with power — from family resistance to religious persecution — they uncover a paradoxical message for our time: True authority cannot rest on mere rules or roles, but must emerge from the authentic integration of mercy and justice, power and sacrifice. Addressing Jesus’ encounters with the Pharisees, healing on the Sabbath, and the famous "render unto Caesar" moment, the group confronts an essential question: In a world of competing authorities, how do we distinguish between legitimate authority and tyranny? And when is it time to shake your fist and fight back? Their answer points to a path beyond both blind rebellion and mindless conformity — one that might illuminate our own culture's crisis of authority. Watch “Conflict With Authority,” available only on DailyWire+.
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** Article Spotlight
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On Depression And Anxiety: How Micro Goals Facilitate Positive Emotion
If you break down a person’s goals into different domains, you can establish micro goals. Then, as people observe themselves moving positively toward the accomplishment of micro goals, their positive emotion systems start to turn back on.
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** On The Podcast
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Canada's Next Prime Minister | Pierre Poilievre | EP 511
In this episode, I am joined by Canadian member of Parliament Pierre Poilievre (and likely the next Prime Minister). We discuss his role as Leader of the Opposition, the untapped energy sector, the real reason Canadians cannot afford homes, how Justin Trudeau has walked the country off a cliff, and what will likely play out in 2025 leading up to the much-needed election.
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** From The Archives
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What Do You Actually Want? | With Dr. John Delony
Two years ago, I engaged in a discussion with Dr. John Delony, who is a bestselling author, mental health expert, and host of The Dr. John Delony Show. This portion of our conversation further discusses a vision as generating positive emotion. You must first ask yourself: What do I want? Asking the question “What do you want?” can propel people into immobility because it is essentially the same as asking, “How do you want your entire life to go?” So, you can ask yourself micro questions in order to create a vision. Notably, your answers set a precondition for failure, and some people avoid asking for fear of failure. But you cannot take aim if you do not know what you want, and you will not experience positive emotion without movement forward. In John’s words, “That’s the driver, not the finish line.”
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Thank you for reading,
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
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