Jordan Peterson: 'The pursuit of happiness is a pointless goal' | Global | The Guardian

Jordan Peterson: 'The pursuit of happiness is a pointless goal' | Global | The Guardian

Tim Lott speaks to Jordan Peterson: "'It's all very well to think the meaning of life is happiness, but what happens when you're unhappy? Happiness is a great side effect. When it comes, accept it gratefully. But it's fleeting and unpredictable. It's not something to aim at - because it's not an aim. And if happiness is the purpose of life, what happens when you're unhappy? Then you're a failure. And perhaps a suicidal failure. Happiness is like cotton candy. It's just not going to do the job.'

"But how do we build meaning? By putting it before expediency. Which is quite close to simply 'acting right'. Peterson believes that everyone is born with an instinct for ethics and meaning. It is also a matter of responsibility - you need to have the courage to voluntarily shoulder the great burden of being in order to move towards that meaning. This is what the biblical stories tell us. The great world stories have a moral purpose - they teach us how to pursue meaning over narrow self-interest. Whether it's Pinocchio, The Lion King, Harry Potter or the Bible, they are all saying the same thing - take the highest path, pick up the heaviest rock and you will have the hope of being psychologically reborn despite the inevitable suffering that life brings."