Published on October 4, 2024, 12:34 am

In a flurry of quiet zeal, Dr. Jordan B. Peterson concludes the second episode of his new series, “The Trap of Catastrophizing,” as part of “Depression & Anxiety” segment with reflections on personal freedom.

As is typical for him, Peterson communicates in the manner of an existentialist. He argues that a defined scope of available options shields against being overwhelmed by chaos whilst concurrently forming a rational structure that bears an apt degree of decision-making capabilities. This means that one’s optimal scenario is where you are free to make decisions at the level which you are able.

Shifting gears, Peterson begins the third episode titled “Exposure Therapy,” segueing from discussions centering on negative emotions to those concentrating on positive ones. He discusses mitigation of damaging emotions and also provoking positive ones. Peterson illustrates that when someone starts progressing towards even minuscule goals—micro goals—that ultimately contribute to more significant life objectives, every step forward instigates an activation of the positive emotion system. According to him, our brain takes cognizance of our industriousness and rewards us with a surge of uplifting emotions.

However, as Peterson elucidates clearly, this is not merely a hypothesis but rather an established fact in neuroscience – yet delivered without complex jargon that might result in disengaging his audience. In this informational series, he encapsulates viewers by efficiently expressing scientifically accurate facts which are easy-to-comprehend—an ability seemingly refined during the creation of his 2018 book “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos.”

Peterson’s inaugural work “Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief,” released in 1999 covered behavioral psychology, medical general psychology and cognitive psychology fields over its 564 pages was expectedly well-received in scholarly circles. However, two decades later on penning “12 Rules for Life,” he underlines exactly 12 pragmatic rules for living productively. One rule, “Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world,” serves as a reminder why we might require perspective shift—a technique applied within Peterson’s “Depression & Anxiety” series to help people reframe disorders that they internalize.

Providing an instance of a micro goal (with stress on ‘micro’) that can easily reignite the positive emotion system, Peterson suggests: “This month I am going to clean up my room. Step one, tidy up your sock drawer.” After sorting out numerous pairs of socks and resisting the urge to hold onto them all, progress is evident.

Peterson details neurochemical influence on the brain and then complying with his own credo —“Tell the truth—or, at least, don’t lie”— sanctions no minced words by echoing that growth is always favorable because stagnation or demise are the alternatives. But he meets viewers where they stand by empathizing that even organizing socks in a drawer “is tougher than it seems.”

The merit of this episode goes beyond exploration of exposure therapy’s underlying principles. Linking exposure with anxiety, we encounter fear. Voluntary confrontation with challenges forms the base for exposure therapy. Through one case study shared by Peterson, a woman debilitated by an anxiety disorder manages to overcome her terror—interestingly enough; fear was the root cause for her affliction.

While engagement in exposure therapy should be careful and measured—it works “because it’s thinking, they realize they were not as fearful as initially thought,” endorses Peterson further adding there exists negligible difference between learning and exposure therapy.

Rather than just communicating information in his series, Peterson makes it approachable while avoiding any air of pretentiousness.He does not posture himself as some lofty therapist but instead connects meaningfully with viewers as though lending an empathetic ear across a table.

Concluding his views on overcoming one’s fears through repeated confrontation or ‘exposure’, Peterson sums up: “You think it’s trivial,” he states, adding, “No, it’s not. It’s encountering death and humiliation and inadequacy in the face of these things—and you’re training to surmount them.”