When, when we were young
We had no history, so nothing to lose
Meant we could choose, choose what we wanted then
Without any fear or thought of revenge
Meant we could choose, choose what we wanted then
Without any fear or thought of revenge
➨Swans
It's often claimed that Twitter is not real life.
To a certain extent, that's true. On Twitter (or any social media platform) we present the side of us that we consider our best. A thoughtful, amusing side with the correct views and a killer taste in pop culture.
But the ugly, hate filled, nihilistic side that we find all too often in real life is on Twitter as well.
And all too often, the boundaries between the two sides are blurred.
Because the ugly side, if it has the right viewpoints, can be accepted.
***
On Sunday 16th February, while scrolling through the various posts about Love Island/X Factor presenter Caroline Flack taking her own life, I came across an article, written by Douglas Murray about the renowned Canadian psychologist and best selling author Jordan Peterson. In it, Murray discusses the recent video posted by Peterson's daughter Mikhaila:
She revealed that her father...was in intensive care in Russia after being hospitalised following a severe dependence on benzodiazepines – a class of anti-anxiety pills.
'He nearly died several times,' she says solemnly in the clip that has been viewed more than 2.4 million times. 'He almost died from what the medical system did to him in the West.' Explaining why he was in Russia, not exactly a free society, Mikhaila Peterson says: 'The doctors here aren't influenced by the pharmaceutical companies.
They don't believe in treating symptoms caused by medications, by adding in more medications and have the guts to medically detox someone from benzodiazepines.
Of course, for the Canadian psychologist's family, the notion that he's been left with 'neurological damage', as Mikhaila says, is a tragedy."
Reading that, I couldn't help but reflect on how Peterson could have taken the same approach taken by Flack.
And, honestly, who would blame him?
***
A massively misunderstood, misinterpreted and misquoted figure, he has helped imbue meaning into the lives of people crying out for a sense of direction, be they male, female, liberal, conservative, whatever. He's also been a relentless champion of freedom of speech, coming to prominence for openly stating that he would not be obeying Bill C-16, a Canadian human rights legislation that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression. While the bill covers the government and industries like banks or airlines, it also extends hate speech provisions under the law to transgender people.
"I've studied authoritarianism for a very long time - for 40 years - and they're started by people's attempts to control the ideological and linguistic territory," Peterson told the BBC in 2016. "There's no way I'm going to use words made up by people who are doing that - not a chance."
Whether or not you agree with this stance or any of his viewpoints, the fact that he has helped change so many lives for the better (as well as beginning the public debate about the state of free speech in the 21st century) is something to be celebrated.
In a place like Belfast, where suicides are at an all time high - more people are being diagnosed with some form of mental illness and our recent conflict is used to wield control and stifle discussions (be those of republicans, loyalists or security forces) - we need the likes of Peterson. Someone who understands that history and life are messy, but is prepared to accept these contradictions by contributing something positive to the world, therefore finding meaning in chaos.
***
Those vilifying Peterson while crying crocodile tears over Flack should be ashamed of themselves.
They won't be, however.
Why?
Because Peterson is an old white male. A part of the patriarchy.
Whereas Flack (a young, conventionally attractive woman) was a reflection of what people wanted from celebrity culture at one point before the tide turned. Someone who lived out vicarious fantasies about instant fame, instant status, instant wealth and sleeping with younger hook-ups. Someone who was once celebrated for doing so quickly saw that her lifestyle was no longer en vogue.
Becoming someone for people to hate.
Someone to turn their frustrations onto whenever the contradictions of the world ate away at them.
Of course, there has always been a gladiatorial element to celebrity status (and the advent of reality TV and social media has exacerbated these facets). But there is something undeniably ugly and primeval about how the mob mentality can suddenly sway public opinion. Just ask Bill Clinton, Jeremy Corbyn or Jolene Bunting.
***
This leads me to the following thought.
People aren't that serious about tackling suicide.
That suicide is, merely, the final act in the wheel of fortune that is public life. An act which allows people (who were, at one point, gleefully getting stuck into said public figure) to show how solemn and reflective they are when such news is delivered.
You want proof of this? Look at how Peterson's situation has been covered on places like Twitter (i.e. with utter glee). Yet there have been numerous testimonies as to how his work has saved the lives of young, directionless men.
Whereas The Sun has, reportedly, been deleting negative articles about Flack from their website. Because such articles helped contribute to the nihilistic mob mentality that, arguably, drove her to take her own life.
Yet similar articles and think pieces about Peterson remain online.
The double standards are sickening.
Just like real life.
⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland.
This is a thoughtful article Christopher, and I concur on the hypocrisy of media too. For example, the Guardian (typically) tried to sympathise with similar sentiments over this girls (Flack) suicide, and then Michael Goves wife tweeted a paragraph from an article that mentioned Gove sticking his penis inside her (as a Daily Mail writer) was more gross than David Cameron sticking his penis inside a dead pig (as part of some initiation ritual for a University Soc).
ReplyDeleteI don’t use social media (at all) beyond the basics of what is needed for my job (to skim potential financial news) but I understand that for some (or most it seems for youngsters) it’s a very real realm, so simply switching off the phone for a week is not a realistic option for them.
Social media and interconnectedness could have been a net beneficial addition to our societies, it’s clear now it’s a curse, from the private and personal perspective as we see with people like Flack, or the public and legal perspective as we see with Harry Miller.
If it’s merely enabling something latent within us that simply wasn’t apparent with prior forms of interaction between people (written letters or face to face speaking), I’m not sure how to counter it on a societal basis.
Thanks for writing this Christopher. Some compassion and calmness beyond the headlines and gloating elsewhere. The Pensive Quill is always a good destination!
ReplyDeleteJordan Peterson deserves respect for having refused to say something he cannot believe to be true and for bringing philosophy to many people in need of it. For me he has always been one of those rare public figures who offer freedom in some form.
Caroline Flack I knew very little about. I think it is possible for a very successful person to find themselves in a life they spent a lot of time and effort to achieve and then realise it is not the life they want and they can’t see a way back. Suicide is always a mystery. Her family and friends will spend the rest of their lives trying to deal with it.
Years ago I knew someone who had been there at the founding of The Samaritans in London in 1953. He used to say that a person was most at risk of suicide when their sense of connection to others was at it’s weakest. This could be in relation to any crisis they may be going through or just their day to day life experience and their perception of themselves. It could only be a very short space of time that would change everything. There is that saying ‘It happened very slowly and then it happened very quickly’.
A very timely piece Christopher. In the case of Peterson he is the quarry of a PC Woke witch hunt which does not want any ideas out there other than their own. It was like Roger Scruton, they tried the same on him with their fabrications and smears, all manufactured to drive his ideas out of public discourse. As you suggest we don't have to agree with Scruton or Peterson in our objection to PC Woke mobs. When they attack the right of those people to freedom to express, they also attack our right to freedom to hear.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what was going on in Flacks life other than it was constantly talked about in the media. I think there is a need for a certain robustness because the mob scenting weakness will go into a feeding frenzy. Vulnerability is a great appetiser for their hunger. At the same time I am wary of the demand for more kindness to be shown in public discourse as often I think this type of thing becomes weaponised in the battle by the mob to kill off dissent. Even the mildest form of criticism will be met with "That is very unkind to me. You have to stop saying it."
Victims, rescuers and oppressors ... escapist social media platforms and the populist press all facilitate, promote and maintain the 'drama triangle'. You don't need to be a genius to see that these places tend to be 'hot zones', hot zones generating more heat than light. Those who choose to support and partake in these forms of media, those who seek recognition and validation there, do so at their own risk.
ReplyDeleteAs Peterson might say, or indeed has said, there's a constant tension ongoing between the forces of chaos and the forces of order. The final descent into chaos ends in the implosion that is suicide. In 2018 6,582 humans in the UK suicided. This figure represents 11.2 per 100,000 of population.
Vulnerable people ought exercise caution before diving into the cauldron of self-promotion that is social media. They'd be better advised exercising more restraint and as Peterson suggests 'cleaning up their room'. (Though it seems Peterson himself was too preoccupied advising us on 'rules for life' when he'd have been better off healing himself, 'standing up straight' and without the support his chemical crutches.
When you condition a society to be callous, selfish and self promoting, its inevitable that folk will become victims of social media pressure when things don't go well for them. Personally I blame the ever dependence on the state for fighting ones battles to be a main cause of folk giving up I.e we need to learn from the old ways; standing up for oneself.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough on social media recently I challenged critics of Peterson to provide evidence of the misogynist, rascist or right wing bile they were accusing him of saying. Not a single one could, in fact they just trotted out the same old mantra of saying 'he's the darling of the right wing'.
ReplyDeleteI have read a fair bit of his work and he seems to be wanting to improve peoples lives. Astonishing that some much vitriol is sent his way.