My brother is becoming a nihilist
Although raised religious home, my older adult brother recently decided to become an atheist, and a skeptic of anything that isn't able to be physically proven by science. He is convinced that all religious people are poor critical thinkers, and all religion through history has just been a tool to oppress others. He is an intelligent and successful computer programmer, with a large family and several children. He spends all of his free time playing video or board games. He is quite low in agreeableness, and quite high in openness. He is convinced that in the next few decades AI will change the world, and science will "cure" old age and death. I shared with him how important it seems (to me) that society is moored to a strong moral foundation, to prevent the drift that can result in nihilistic self destruction and crimes against humanity. He just boiled down his philosophy for world peace to people have to "respect that which deserves respect." I have challenged how subjective that is, like Auschwitz guards could claim they followed that perfectly, but regardless, he just intends to follow the majority morality, as he believes they are usually right and humane. He admits he doesn't believe there is any purpose or meaning to life. Where do you START with someone like that, to help them see how disastrously risky that could be for individuals and society? Or, is he just doomed to eventually encounter extreme suffering, and then realize he should abandon his nihilism? His philosophy seems to be growing in popularity. Thank you Dr. Peterson, I am so pleased to see you active and involved again, your work is a blessing in my life.
PTSD/Anxiety
I have been dealing with PTSD for decades. (A mass shooting as a teen) The anxiety over the last four years is getting to be too much for me. I’ve been to several psychologists and psychiatrists and all I’ve been left with is an addiction to clonazepam. The American mental health system is terrible. It takes 3-4 months to get an initial appointment and then you find out what you’re getting, after a year, you may or may not know by then if there’s going to be any progress. As my life is crumbling around me, how do I find a good dr? Where can I go? I feel like I’m running out of time.
Personality traits and autism/adhd
Personality traits is a subject that you often discuss (very interesting!), but you seldom talk about autism/adhd etc. My question is about the connection between the two, since it seems as though for example autistic persons are very low in openess. How are personality traits and autism/adhd conditions related?
Brains that can't write
I have purchased the self authoring suite and have yet to start it. I shrink back from being judged, even by myself. I have been told to journal my entire Christian life (converted at 23) but I refuse to do that too. Can one think without writing? Is this a dragon I must slay?