To Compare And Contrast

 I am increasingly noting striking similarities--and at least one contrast--between the thinking of Jordan Peterson and Eric Hoffer.

These quotes are from American Iconoclast. by Tom Shactman on Eric Hoffer: Peterson believes humans are born sinful, and on Page 200, Shactman writes this of Hoffer: "Only such compassion can count what the 'enormities of Lenin, Stalin and Hitler' have taught us, 'that man is the origin of all evil.'"

Jordan Peterson's has two great faults, though he is a wise, good. Seminal and brilliant thinker. First, as a super-genius with an IQ of 150, Peterson advocates that there is a natural elite that rise to the top of any hierarchy, based on high intelligence, conscientiousness, and hard work

Peterson also over-emphasizes the value of hierarchies. He insists that they are inevitable, and he is correct, but if the masses would individual-live and individuate, their tolerance of hierarchies would make them more virtuous, and existent but limited, to maximize individuals' needs for space, room, liberty and elbow room to do their own thing.

Shactman is describing Hoffer in the eyes of George Will on Pages 199 and 200: "Opining that Hoffer had been one the 'most sensible voices' of the 1960s--though Will added that this was not saying much--the columnist judged him as 'charismatic,' and, adopting Hoffer's contention that talent was a species of vigor, contended that Hoffer had become more vigorous with age . . ."

Hoffer the deep conservative was recognized by Will as such and has been largely forgotten in recent years because Progressive intellectuals wanted him marginalized and forgotten for his fierce, persistent opposition to them and their elitist, tyrannical ambitions. Hoffer was charismatic, but what intrigued me the most here was Hoffer's definition of talent as a species of vigor. By interpreting this phrase, I conclude that Hoffer thought that the range of difference in talent and its potential for great creativity, in the person of average ability versus the Mensa IQ types like Jordan Peterson, is significant but not definitive. Even very average people, at 96% if their potential, can achieve fabulous creative, wonderous, original products of lasting, useful value for all humanity for all time. By my concluding that this is axiomatic for Hoffer, and myself, then for any human being, whether average or exceptionally, naturally intelligent, in performance is a matter of degree, and the blessings of self-realization are available to all that chase after it, thus talent is a species of vigor. 

Jordan Peterson has more of the traditional view that only the elite, superior few can really achieve artistic and original works of art and thought. I believe Jordan is mistaken here.

Let me quote Shactman further on the bottom of Page 201: "In Hoffer's final decade he produced the most profound analysis of the basis of conservativism. It was a natural force, he wrote, the counterpoint to an 'innate anarchy' that got loose at various points in history . . ."

Peterson wrote one book on chaos, the need to self-correct and self-discipline the self, the moral requirement for every person, to gain control of the instinct and passion-driven, out of control self. This year he went and made a counterargument, that order in one's life or in society can lead to tyranny. From Buddhism, Peterson seems to have some point about the best, most moderate life being a balance between Yin and chaos and Yang and order in one's life. 

Peterson is a moderate like I am, and Hoffer is too. Hoffer writes about the inner anarchy at work in our lives personally and in society, and the need for law and order, implicitly in our personal lives, and explicitly in communities to make life livable. Hoffer is a democrat, but he wants law and order too.

He, Peterson and I do think alike in some ways.