What happened to Jordan Peterson? I used to really admire him before he became obsessed with being "anti-woke".
Last Updated: 28.06.2025 10:06
But while Peterson did make some very good points (points that I still think need to be discussed), he really got his traction from selling disaffected young men an easier, simpler definition of masculinity, and one that made them feel better about themselves.
The problem for Peterson is that other people figured out his model. Along come folks like Andrew Tate, who offer even simpler, easier, more readily digestible redefinitions of masculinity. For all his many problems, Peterson actually made people do a little bit of thinking, but Andrew Tate makes no such demands on his audience.
Jordan Peterson made a name for himself with a book and YouTube videos pointing out some of the challenges associated with male identity in the 21st century. His content ranged from good insight to stuff that we academics label “not even wrong.“
So while it was rational (although socially destructive) for Peterson to ramp up his “anti-woke” messaging, he was fighting a losing battle.