- How can you not realize the internal inconsistency in all those views?
There may be no inconsistency. Adopting ideas selectively is not a sign of cognitive dissonance or intellectual clumsiness.
I admire Peterson's (early?) lectures on YouTube. They showed me the road of life a little better. "Find meaning in your life". "Things won't come to you - you have to work for them". "Be the best version of yourself". "Make the best version of your opponents point of view - and then argue against it". Great ideas - not simply in the sense of splendidness but also in grandure.
That I admire those ideas doesn't mean I accept everything the man says. I had my doubts about the gender pronouns. I was somewhat willing to go along with the idea because I respected the man's psychological perspective on things that seemed, until then, covered in mist. I wanted to know how life works, and he gave that to me, so I reluctantly followed his other ideas.
It doesn't make me a social darwinist, or a conservative, or a misogynist. I think it just makes me a clueless yet curious young man with no authority figure to provide the necessary knowledge.
I think life is beautiful, and I even get to enjoy the idea sometimes. Depression is a bitch; otherwise, I think I would've enjoyed being kind to people far more often. Or maybe not, 'cause maybe my desire to be kind is fueled by the misery I feel and 'cause I don't wanna see people around me frown like I do. The dark well, and so on. Still, I think life is beautiful and is worth enjoying. I think people need to be more open about their feelings, especially to each other, and I think people need to stop worrying about being inadequate so damn often. We're all just walking each other home.
- So there needs to be an alternative perspective that can get people out of that depressing nihilism without all of Peterson's baggage.