The Vulnerable Narcissism of Men's Rights Activism
New research shows that narcissism is a common trait in anti-porn movements, and the “eye test” suggests it might drive men’s rights activism as well
Of all the figures to arise from the chaotic muck of social media, Jordan Peterson seemed the least likely. The quirky, nasal-voiced former psychologist and psychology professor from Canada burst on the world scene seemingly out of nowhere.
He’s slightly arrogant, a bit too confident for his unimpressive and unassuming look. His style is modest, and his thin build borders on the impotent at best and the infirm at worst.
But, once he opens his mouth, listeners are immediately stricken by the mismatch between his appearance and his persona. Brooding maxims pour out of a tiny man with a tiny voice, and your mind can’t help but perk up and take notice.
There’s a living inferno inside of Peterson, a potent mixture of rage and sadness that he communicates with a ferocity few can match.
And it’s precisely this mixture that draws people to him. Peterson’s supporters praise his veracity. They revere the man for his willingness to speak uncomfortable truths.
At his best, Jordan Peterson is calm, collected, self-assured, and pointed. He was at his best during an interview with Britain’s Channel 4 News. He comes off as calm, respectful, sensible, and composed as host Cathy Newman continually tries to corner him and misinterprets what he’s saying in such a way that tries to make him look bad.
At his worst, he’s a flagrantly offensive bully who lies to his most devout supporters while seeking conflict for kicks, stirring up controversy to further his sociopolitical worldview.
In some ways, Peterson is like Canada’s answer to America’s Donald Trump — rude, unapologetic, and antagonistic toward liberals, feminists, and anyone else with a progressive social outlook; both men are weapons against perceived injustice.
Rise to Anti-Stardom
Trump and Peterson were catapulted into newfound political celebrity anti-stardom at about the same time, with Trump announcing his bid for the presidency in 2015 and Peterson going to war against CB-16, a bill that solidified the rights of transgender people into Canadian law.
CB-16, also known as Bill C-16, is a Canadian federal law that was passed in 2017. The law amends the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to add gender identity and gender expression as protected grounds of discrimination.
This means that individuals in Canada who identify as transgender or non-binary are now protected from discrimination under Canadian law. This includes protection from discrimination in areas such as employment, housing, and access to services, as well as protection from hate speech and hate crimes.
Peterson believed that the bill “compelled speech,” forcing a university professor at the time to use the preferred pronouns of trans people.
In a video, Peterson told people that they’d be arrested for refusing to use someone’s pronouns and, in a dramatic fashion typical of Peterson (and worthy of Greek drama), worried that he’d be arrested:
“I think that some of the things that I say in my lectures now might be illegal. I think that they might even be sufficient for me to be brought before the Ontario Human Rights Commission under their amended hate speech laws.”
To date, not a single person has been arrested for “using the wrong pronouns,” as Peterson predicted. CB-16 merely added a hate speech provision that allowed for harsher sentencing but was not an arrestable (or civil) offense in its own right.