Kobus Cilliers | On 22, Dec 2019

Darrell Mann

In a polarized world, there aren’t many more polarizing figures at the moment than Jordan Peterson, the man responsible for the publishing phenomena that is, ‘Twelve Rules For Life’. Peterson was born in Canada in June 1962. Which puts him right on the cusp between Baby Boomer and Generation X. It is difficult to sit on that cusp, however, and it doesn’t take long to work out which side of the fence Peterson fell. In both his words and actions, he bears all the characteristics of the Moralistic Boomer.

Look at the attendees at any of his usually sold-out speeches, and at the subscribers to his YouTube channel, however, and you won’t find many Boomers turning up. Ditto Generation X Nomads. Rather, the large majority of the audience are Generation Y Millennials. And the majority of that majority are white males. Usually wearing lobster t-shirts, in honour of Peterson’s Rule One: ‘Stand Up Straight With your Shoulders Back’.

This is not to say that Peterson is worshipped by all Millennials. His outspoken reputation and frequent mis-interpretation by the media as ‘alt-right’ means that many people are put off before they get anywhere close to actually reading the 12 Rules book. But he’s undoubtedly hit a nerve with un-heroic-feeling Hero males. A segment of the population that increasingly see themselves not living up to their Heroic aspirations and expectations. That much of what Peterson says is pure (bible-mangling) garbage is irrelevant. He’s the mentor many uncertain, unfocused Heroes have been looking for. He brings apparent clarity in a world of confusion, and his smart-to-dumb ratio is marginally better than the majority of his public-figure contemporaries. And that seems to be good enough. Get yourself a ‘Professor’ title and speak in an authoritarian manner and the Millennials will lap it up. They want mentors, and they see the Baby Boomers as much better candidates than anyone from Generation X. Like lots of things in life, the alternating generations in the Strauss/Howe model tend to make great allies. Peterson and Millennials in that context makes for the perfect match…