Good news! You can tick Jordan Peterson trying to convince Richard Dawkins of the existence of dragons off your WTF bingo card
Canadian psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan B. Peterson pulled off a minor coup by persuading evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins to film a discussion for his YouTube channel.
Far from being a meeting of honed academic minds the conversation was characterised by frustration on both sides, and bizarre statements – largely from Peterson – who occasionally seemed to think he was delivering a lecture.
One topic under discussion was worthy of a Trump ‘weave’ and it has to be seen to be believed …like dragons.
“Is fire a predator?”
“No”
“Well it’s complicated”You will not believe it but we have discovered Richard Dawkins’ purpose in life and it is “pointless debates with Jordan Peterson” pic.twitter.com/84nXaMRETK
— chekhov’s gundam (@js_thrill) October 27, 2024
“How many dragons have you overcome in your life?”
“I’m not interested in dragons. I’m interested in reality.”
“Okay, so I read a book a while back that described the biological reality of the dragon. Say ‘Oh, well there’s no such thing as a dragon.’ Okay – is there such a thing as a predator?”
“Of course.”
“Well, that’s a meta category. What’s the category of predator? Bear. Eagle. If you’re a primate – fire. Is fire a predator?”
“No.”
“Well, it’s complicated, because a fire kills you.”
Let’s take a look at what people made of it.
1.
It's like a parody of public intellectuals in the podcast era.
Imagine you heard these people having this argument in a pub.
You'd take their drinks away. https://t.co/i6Se1VGyXK— Danny Wallace (@dannywallace) October 28, 2024
2.
I cannot express how annoying I find that this video exists, that these people talk and are filmed, that people are exposed to it at any given time, in any given place on their pocket omnidevice.
— Borns (@Ggyk48787) October 27, 2024
3.
The whole clip is batshit but what’s most unsettling of all is that once you realise Jordan Peterson has Saul Goodman’s voice you can’t unhear it anymore. https://t.co/8qpNUajtWZ
— Jamie Smart (@jamiesmart) October 28, 2024
4.
JP: “Ah, but what about football boots? They can hurt you. Are football boots therefore not predators?”
RD: “Are they Adidas?”
JP: “No. They are Hi-Tec.”
RD: “Well then [chuckles]. They cannot be Predators!”
JP cries into Russell Brand’s arms. “Hang on! A predator!”
— Grumpelstiltskin (@MaxwellShabbsby) October 28, 2024
5.
"It's complicated because a fire kills you" is so funny man
— Wishlist Three Bulky Bears on Steam! (@SpaceDoddyssey) October 27, 2024
6.
JBP seeming more and more like RKF Jr in appearance and level of making sense
— Auron Savant (@orhunaa) October 28, 2024
7.
I've never listened to Jordan Peterson… this is genuinely bonkers. That people like this are given any respect or a platform is the curse of SM. How is he so confidently so wrong? Who is the child just dispassionately owning him? https://t.co/2oUgG2heEj
— Moot (@CinziaYates) October 28, 2024
8.
The term "educated beyond their ability to reason," could have been coined with Peterson in mind.
— ScottLB (@scottelbee) October 28, 2024
9.
Dawkins tried to distance himself from people who thinks a man can be a woman to end up with people that thinks fire is a predator and a lion is a dragon
— Pablo Ibañez (@_pabloi) October 27, 2024
10.
Peterson: Mr Tickle is real. He has long arms, he’s orange-
Dawkins: he’s completely amoral
Peterson: the Mister Men exist outside of so-called “normal” morality
Dawkins: no they don’t, Mister Men are quantifiably good! We must agree on that.
Peterson: no
— Jonathan (@readonlymike) October 28, 2024
11.
It's like a lost Monty Python skit!
— Upon Pillars Of Dust (@PillarsOfDust) October 28, 2024
12.
"Is falling down an open mineshaft a predator?"
"No"
"Well it's complicated because falling down an open mineshaft kills you."— Nick Capehorn (@NickCapehorn83) October 28, 2024
13.
Richard Dawkins realising I real time that siding with the transphobes and bigots he now has to hang out with the dumbest people on the planet. https://t.co/fSNKG3cCbz
— Hamish Steele is @ MCM London Comic Con October (@hamishsteele) October 28, 2024
14.
never thought i'd find myself rooting for richard dawkins yet here we are
— gormengusto (@gormengusto) October 28, 2024
15.
Is slipping in a bathtub a predator?
No.
Well, it's complicated. Because slipping in a bathtub can kill you.
— Brian H+egg+knee (@HeagneyBrian) October 28, 2024
16.
If God isn't real, then how has Richard Dawkins ended up in his own perfectly Twilight-Zone-crafted ironic Hell? https://t.co/ioWPLjsh6n
— Chris Farnell (@thebrainofchris) October 28, 2024
17.
If dragons don't exist, how do you explain this?
Answer: You can't because they obviously do. https://t.co/SZDkXEUaEs pic.twitter.com/PqWIcJEL60
— Gareth P Jones (@jonesgarethp) October 28, 2024
This summed up Peterson’s argument.
But you see, dragons are real, if by dragon you mean “lions and things like that”
— chekhov’s gundam (@js_thrill) October 27, 2024
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