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00:00:00
[Music]00:00:23
that's a hell of a welcome for someone00:00:26
who's gonna talk about the Bible so I00:00:34
thought I would get farther than through00:00:36
Genesis by by this point but I'm not00:00:39
unhappy about the pace either I've00:00:41
learned a tremendous amount and so00:00:43
hopefully what we'll do today is finish00:00:45
Genesis completely and then I think I'll00:00:50
try to start up with Exodus in May00:00:53
depending on what happens next year I00:00:56
have a busy travel schedule and but I00:00:58
would really like to do it I really like00:00:59
the Exodus story and I understand it00:01:01
very well a lot of the stories in00:01:03
Genesis especially after the first few00:01:06
stories say up to the Tower of Babel I00:01:08
had to do a tremendous amount of00:01:09
learning about which is really good but00:01:11
I do know the Exodus story so I'm really00:01:13
looking forward to that so so let's dive00:01:17
right into it and see how far we can get00:01:19
today so we'll review first so Joseph's00:01:24
father is Jacob and Jacob is the00:01:27
patriarch of Israel essentially that the00:01:30
father of the twelve tribes and we might00:01:35
remember that he had a very morally00:01:45
ambivalent pathway through life and it's00:01:49
one of the things that I think so00:01:50
interesting about the stories in the in00:01:52
the Old Testament is that these so00:01:57
called patriarchal figures are very00:01:59
realistic and it's something that I was00:02:03
also being struck by that accounts in00:02:05
the New Testament that way there's lots00:02:07
of things that Christ does that you'd00:02:10
think would have been edited out over00:02:12
time and sanitized but they're not and00:02:14
that the Old Testament is definitely not00:02:15
a book that's been sanitized and that's00:02:17
it quite interesting that that's the case00:02:19
so you sort of see people with all their00:02:22
flaws and I've been trying to also00:02:26
derive some general conclusions about00:02:29
them the moral of the story of the00:02:32
Genesis stories and because these00:02:35
stories are fundamentally moral and00:02:37
moral as far as I'm concerned has to do00:02:39
with action right because moral00:02:42
decisions are the decisions that you00:02:43
make when you're structuring action when00:02:45
you decide to do one thing or another00:02:47
generally you want to do things that are00:02:50
the best things that you can think of to00:02:52
do and hence good but sometimes you also00:02:56
want to do things that are they're worse00:02:57
things you can do you know because00:02:58
you're angry or resentful or bitter and00:03:01
so the moral decisions that you make00:03:03
that govern your actions are really the00:03:06
most important decisions that you make00:03:07
in your life and it's not that easy to00:03:09
figure out how to make moral decisions00:03:12
we don't have an unerring technology for00:03:16
that the same way as we do for say00:03:18
making decisions about empirical reality00:03:20
which in some ways seem a lot simpler00:03:24
partly because we can work collectively00:03:26
at it partly because we have a rigorous00:03:28
methodology for deciding what's true and00:03:30
what's not so one of the things that's00:03:34
really struck me like it's an00:03:35
overarching theme I would say that the00:03:37
emerges out of Genesis especially after00:03:39
the really ancient stories say00:03:43
especially after the stories of Cain and00:03:47
Abel and Noah and the Tower of Babel00:03:51
when you get to the accounts of the00:03:56
historically or historically real people00:04:00
one injunction seems to be get the hell00:04:04
out there and do something you know one00:04:07
of the major themes for all of the00:04:09
patriarchs that we've talked about00:04:12
Abraham say Jacob and Joseph is move out00:04:18
into the world regardless of the00:04:20
circumstances at hand now that's in in00:04:24
in the Old Testament stories that's00:04:25
basically portrayed as harkening to the00:04:29
voice of God something like that maybe00:04:30
you could think about00:04:31
his destiny or a psychological calling00:04:33
and the funny thing too is is that it's00:04:37
not that these people have an easy time00:04:39
of it when they heed that call so what's00:04:42
what's fascinating is that they often00:04:45
run into extreme difficulties right away00:04:47
and I think that's very interesting00:04:49
first of all because life is obviously00:04:52
full of extreme difficulties and second00:04:55
it's another example of the failure to00:04:57
sugarcoat things which is one of the00:05:00
things I think makes a mockery of anti00:05:03
religious theories that are even quite00:05:04
sophisticated say like Freud's because00:05:07
Freud thought of religion as a and it00:05:10
was a wish fulfillment essentially and00:05:12
and also Marx who thought about religion00:05:15
as the opiate of the masses it's if00:05:18
those were true it seems to me that00:05:20
there'd be a lot more wish and a lot00:05:23
less reality a lot less stark harsh00:05:25
reality you know in the first thing that00:05:27
Abraham encounters is a famine and then00:05:32
he has to hide his wife and then he he00:05:35
basically journeys into a tyranny so00:05:38
that's about as bad as it gets in some00:05:40
ways and those themes recur continually00:05:43
and no one ever lives where they're00:05:45
supposed to live they'll even live in00:05:46
Canaan and not the promised land and so00:05:49
it's a pretty rough it's a pretty rough00:05:51
series of stories but the fundamental00:05:54
idea is something like there's no time00:05:58
for sitting around there's time to go00:06:00
out into the world and engage and then00:06:02
there's there's hints about the proper00:06:05
and improper ways of engaging right so00:06:07
clearly the improper way to engage is I00:06:10
think most clearly delineated in the00:06:12
Cain and Abel story and with Cain00:06:16
exemplifying the inappropriate way to00:06:19
engage with the world and that's to00:06:21
engage with the world in a bitter00:06:25
jealous and resentful manner now one of00:06:28
the things that I really like about the00:06:30
Cain and Abel story and that theme00:06:31
recurs continually with the with the00:06:34
duality of the brothers right there's00:06:35
there's constant conflict between a00:06:38
perspective that's essentially like00:06:40
Cain's and and the and the opposite00:06:42
perspective which all which I'll get to00:06:44
in a minute00:06:45
but Caine sees that the world is a very00:06:49
tragic place and that the rewards are00:06:52
distributed unfairly and that there are00:06:55
people who do better and people who do00:06:57
worse and as a consequence of that he00:06:59
becomes bitter and resentful and curses00:07:02
God and then he becomes homicidal00:07:05
fratricidal which is even worse than he00:07:07
destroys his own ideal then his00:07:09
descendants basically become genocide or00:07:11
something like that so that seems to be00:07:15
the wrong way to go about things you00:07:17
know unless your goal is to make things00:07:19
worse like it's not like it has a00:07:23
limited number of things has nothing to00:07:26
object to he's got plenty to object to00:07:28
his situation actually is bad he's00:07:30
overshadowed terribly by his brother who00:07:32
everyone loves who does extraordinarily00:07:34
well and who's good at everything and00:07:37
the story is a bit of nivel inton for00:07:40
Keynes failure although a fair bit of00:07:42
its laid at his own feet00:07:44
but he's definitely failing and so you00:07:46
can understand why he would have this00:07:48
terrible attitude00:07:50
but the problem is all it does is make00:07:51
it worse so it doesn't seem to be one of00:07:55
the things I've also learned as a00:07:56
psychologist sort of pondering these00:07:58
sorts of things it's often a lot easier00:08:00
to identify what you shouldn't do than00:08:02
what you should do like it's I think00:08:04
evil is easier to identify than good I00:08:07
think good is trickier but evil stands00:08:10
out to some degree and then at least you00:08:12
can say if you're trying to get as far00:08:13
away from that as possible we could even00:08:15
say just for practical reasons so your00:08:17
life doesn't become hell and your family00:08:19
life doesn't become hell at least you00:08:21
could get as far away from that as00:08:22
possible even if you weren't able to00:08:25
conjure up what would constitute the00:08:28
good as a name you could at least avoid00:08:29
those sorts of pitfalls and I do also00:08:33
think that its pitfalls like that that00:08:34
really threaten our society right now00:08:36
you know that I see a tremendous rise in00:08:39
resentment fueling almost all of the00:08:42
political polarization that's taking00:08:44
place and seems unfortunate given that00:08:46
by and by large everyone on the planet00:08:48
is richer than they've ever been00:08:50
now that doesn't mean there's no00:08:52
disparity there's but there's always00:08:54
disparity anyways Jacob of course Jacob00:08:57
on00:08:58
see so and so the and Jacob ends up with00:09:02
with with Isaac's blessing and so that's00:09:06
that's a moral catastrophe and then he00:09:10
has to run because his brother wants to00:09:12
kill him00:09:13
and so that's the fratricidal motif00:09:16
again I like that too I think that's00:09:18
real really realistic you know one of00:09:20
the things that Freud noted constantly00:09:22
and this is where Freud really is a00:09:24
genius is that the most intense hatreds00:09:28
and also sometimes the most intense love00:09:30
is within families you know and in the00:09:33
Freudian world of psychopathology it's00:09:37
all it's all inside the family and in00:09:41
fact the pathology in the Freudian world00:09:43
is actually the fact that it's all00:09:45
inside the family because people who get00:09:48
tangled up in the Freudian familial00:09:49
nightmare which is roughly eatable in00:09:52
structure can only conceptualize the00:09:55
world in terms of their familial00:09:56
relationships they've been so damaged by00:09:58
the enmeshment and the trauma and the00:10:00
deceit and the betrayal and the blurred00:10:02
lines and all of that that they just00:10:05
can't expand past the family and go out00:10:08
in the world so the idea that brothers00:10:11
can be at each other's throats I think00:10:14
is that's a very powerful idea and it's00:10:18
not something that people like to think00:10:19
about so so Jacob has to leave and it's00:10:22
not surprising because I mean what he00:10:25
did was pretty reprehensible he betrayed00:10:26
his brother but nonetheless he's the00:10:28
person who dreams of the ladder that00:10:30
unites heaven and earth and that's a00:10:35
very perverse thing you know what but00:10:37
one of the things I think it does is00:10:38
give in some sense it gives hope to00:10:40
everyone because it isn't you know if00:10:44
only the good guys win we're really in00:10:45
trouble right because it's not that easy00:10:48
to be a good guy it's it's it's really00:10:50
not that easy and most people are pretty00:10:52
keenly aware of all the ways that they00:10:54
fall short even of their own ideals and00:10:57
so if there was no hope except for the00:11:01
good guys almost all of us would be lost00:11:03
and so that's one of the things I really00:11:06
liked and was more surprised about with00:11:08
the Old Testament stories is that these00:11:10
people are a very complex00:11:12
and they make very major moral errors by00:11:16
anyone's standard and yet if and yet the00:11:19
overall message is still hopeful and the00:11:22
the message that runs contrary to the00:11:24
message of evil say that message of good00:11:27
is something like well there's a lot of00:11:29
emphasis on faith right and the that's a00:11:33
tough one because cynics people who are00:11:38
cynical about religious structures like00:11:40
to think of faith as the willingness to00:11:43
demolish your intellect in the service00:11:45
of superstition and well there's there's00:11:50
something to be said for that00:11:51
perspective but not a lot because the00:11:55
reality is much more sophisticated part00:11:57
of the faith that's that that is being00:12:01
insisted upon in the old testament is00:12:03
something like and I'm speaking00:12:05
psychologically here again that it's00:12:08
useful to pause it a high high good and00:12:11
to aim at it so and I really think00:12:13
that's practically useful to the00:12:15
research we've done with the Future00:12:17
authoring program for example indicates00:12:18
pretty clearly that if you get people to00:12:20
conceptualize an ideal and a balanced00:12:23
ideal you know so what do you want for00:12:25
your family what do you want for your00:12:26
career what do you want for your00:12:27
education what do you want for your00:12:29
character development how are you going00:12:31
to use your time outside of work how are00:12:35
you going to structure your use of drugs00:12:37
and alcohol in places where you might00:12:38
get impulsive how can you avoid falling00:12:40
into a horrible pit if you really think00:12:42
that through and you come up with an00:12:44
integrated ideal and you you put it00:12:46
above you as something to reach for00:12:48
then you're more committed to the world00:12:52
in a positive way and you're less00:12:55
tormented by anxiety and uncertainty and00:12:58
so and that makes sense right because00:13:01
here you are alive and everything and so00:13:04
unless you were capable if you're not00:13:06
capable of manifesting some positive00:13:08
relationship with the fact of your being00:13:10
then how could that be anything other00:13:13
than hellish because you it would just00:13:16
be anxiety provoking and terrible00:13:17
because you're vulnerable and there'd be00:13:19
nothing useful or worthwhile to do well00:13:21
that's just not I just can't see that as00:13:24
a winning strategy for anyone you can00:13:26
make a rational case for adopting that00:13:29
strategy in that you know you can say00:13:32
well there's no evidence for for a00:13:34
transcendent morality or for an ultimate00:13:36
meaning there's no hard empirical00:13:37
evidence but it seems to me that there's00:13:41
existential evidence as well that has to00:13:43
be taken into account00:13:45
and of course psych psychologists have00:13:47
talked about this a lot Carl Rogers for00:13:50
example in Hume for that matter Freud00:13:52
for that matter most of the great00:13:53
psychologists have pointed out that you00:13:55
know you can derive reasonable00:13:58
information that's that's solid from00:14:00
your own experience especially if you00:14:01
also talk to other people and you can00:14:03
kind of see in your own life when you're00:14:05
on a productive path that sort of in00:14:08
Nobles and enlightens you or a00:14:10
destructive path and I think it's kind00:14:13
of useful to think that maybe the00:14:15
dichotomy between those two paths might00:14:17
be real you know and and because that00:14:22
also allows you to give credence to your00:14:24
intuitions about that sort of thing but00:14:27
I don't anyways I don't think it's00:14:29
unreasonable to posit that since you're00:14:30
alive adopting the highest possible00:14:34
regard for the fact that you're alive00:14:36
and that you're surrounded by other00:14:38
creatures that are alive I just can't00:14:40
see how that can possibly be construed00:14:42
as a losing strategy and so that's the00:14:44
first thing so that's something like00:14:45
faith right it's faith it's not it's not00:14:48
only faith in your being but it's faith00:14:50
in being as such and the faith would be00:14:52
something like if you could orient your00:14:55
being properly then maybe that would00:14:57
orient you with being as such and you00:15:01
never know like I mean it might be true00:15:04
there's no reason to assume that it00:15:06
wouldn't be true I mean even if you just00:15:08
take a strict biological perspective on00:15:10
this and think about us as the product00:15:12
of three and a half billion years of00:15:14
evolution I mean we have struggled over00:15:17
all those billions of years to be alive00:15:20
and to match ourselves with reality and00:15:22
so because one of the things I've often00:15:25
wondered is you know life is definitely00:15:27
difficult there's no doubt about that00:15:29
and that's unfair and there's inequality00:15:30
and all of those things and people are00:15:32
subject to all sorts of terrible things00:15:34
but I also wonder if you weren't00:15:37
actively striving to make things00:15:40
worse just how much better could they be00:15:43
you know because people are very they00:15:48
like houses that are divided amongst00:15:50
themselves they're pointing in six00:15:52
different directions at the same time00:15:53
they're working at cross-purposes to00:15:56
themselves because of bitterness or00:15:57
began and resentment and on what00:16:00
unprocessed memories and childhood00:16:03
hatreds and unexamined assumptions all00:16:06
sorts of things and you you just gotta00:16:08
wonder if you could push that aside and00:16:11
or int yourself properly and then the00:16:13
other thing that of course is stressed00:16:16
very heavily in the Old Testament and of00:16:17
course that goes through the entire00:16:19
biblical corpus is that it's not only00:16:23
enough to establish a positive00:16:25
relationship with being which I think is00:16:26
the essential it's a good description of00:16:29
faith you have to make that decision00:16:31
right because being is very ambivalent00:16:33
and you can make the case that maybe00:16:36
it's something that should have never00:16:37
happened00:16:38
but that doesn't seem to be productive00:16:40
to me and faith seems to be I'm going to00:16:43
act as if being is ultimately00:16:45
justifiable and that if I partake in it00:16:48
properly I will improve it rather than00:16:50
making it worse so I think that's the00:16:52
statement of faith and then what seems00:16:55
to go along with that is something like00:16:57
truth in conception and action you know00:17:01
even people like Jacob who are pretty00:17:04
damn morally ambivalent to begin with00:17:06
get hammered a lot by what they go00:17:08
through and what seems to happen is that00:17:10
they're hammered into some sort of00:17:12
ethical shape right so by the mid point00:17:15
of their life's journey there are people00:17:17
who are solidly planted who you can00:17:19
trust and who don't betray being or00:17:23
themselves or their fellow man and so00:17:25
it's an interesting I mean it seems00:17:30
reasonable to me to first assume that00:17:33
you have to establish a relationship00:17:35
with something that's transcendent it00:17:37
might even be just the future version of00:17:39
you but and then second that you have to00:17:43
align yourself with reality in a00:17:45
truthful manner and that that's your00:17:47
best bet and00:17:52
the biblical stories are actually quite00:17:54
realistic about that too because they00:17:55
don't really say that if you do that00:17:58
you're going to be instantly transported00:18:00
to the promised land00:18:01
like even Moses as we'll find out in the00:18:03
Exodus stories he never makes it to the00:18:05
Promised Land and so it's not like00:18:07
you're offered instantaneous final00:18:11
Redemption if you move out forthrightly00:18:13
into the world establish a faithful00:18:16
relationship with being an attempt to00:18:19
conduct yourself with integrity but it's00:18:22
your best bet and it might be good00:18:24
enough and even if it's not good enough00:18:26
it's really preferable to the00:18:29
alternative which seems to be something00:18:31
closely akin to hell both personal and00:18:34
social so Joseph's father is Jacob later00:18:41
Israel he who wrestles with God and00:18:44
we've talked about that a little bit00:18:46
it's sort of implicit and what I've been00:18:48
saying is that I think we all do that to00:18:50
some degree we wrestle with reality00:18:53
itself that's for sure not only the00:18:56
reality we understand but the reality we00:18:58
don't understand which is sort of a00:18:59
transcendent reality and then maybe00:19:01
whatever reality is outside of that you00:19:04
know because the classic judeo-christian00:19:05
conception of God is that there's time00:19:07
and space and of course there's lots of00:19:10
things about what exists in time and00:19:12
space that we're completely ignorant of00:19:14
and that's transcendent in that sense00:19:16
but then there's an idea that there's a00:19:18
realm outside of that which is a well00:19:21
it's an interesting idea it's a very00:19:22
sophisticated idea I think rather than a00:19:24
simple idea it's it's difficult to know00:19:28
what to make of it but it doesn't really00:19:30
matter because I think regardless of00:19:33
what your attitude is towards those00:19:36
sorts of things intellectually you still00:19:38
end up in the same position as Jacob for00:19:41
all intents and purposes practically00:19:43
speaking because I don't think that00:19:45
there's anyone who at some point in00:19:47
their life or perhaps even everyday00:19:49
doesn't at some level wrestle with God00:19:51
and you could just call it well the00:19:53
nature of reality I suppose if you want00:19:56
to be say reductionistic about it but I00:19:58
don't think it makes any difference it's00:20:00
still something you're stuck with and00:20:02
it's not only the nature of reality00:20:05
itself that you00:20:06
have to struggle with but it's also the00:20:07
nature of your moral relationship to it00:20:09
your behavioral relationship to it so00:20:11
that's how you should perceive it and00:20:13
how you should conduct yourself and then00:20:15
whether or not the the advantages of00:20:18
doing it properly are worth the00:20:20
difficulty and the disadvantages so that00:20:23
seems to me just a straight existential00:20:24
statement then you know Jacob gets00:20:27
damaged by his wrestling which is also00:20:29
very realistic so anyways he also ends00:20:34
up his father of Joseph who's the00:20:36
favorite son son who's born in his old00:20:38
age to his favorite wife and that's who00:20:41
we're gonna talk about to you today so00:20:42
you remember so Jacob is the forefather00:20:47
of the twelve tribes of Israel and00:20:49
there's his his wives and this son and00:20:53
the offspring that resulted those are00:20:56
all the sons there's a daughter named00:20:58
Dinah as well and rachel is the woman he00:21:00
really loved and the first son he had00:21:03
with Rachel was Joseph and that was when00:21:05
he was older and so that's in some sense00:21:07
why Joseph is his favorite so this is00:21:12
the beginning of the story of Joseph now00:21:15
Israel Jacob loved Joseph more than all00:21:17
his children because he was the son of00:21:18
his old age and he made him a coat of00:21:20
many colors and there's a lot packed00:21:23
into those two sentences you know the00:21:26
first is that now Israel loved Joseph00:21:28
more than all his other children that's00:21:31
probably not so good one of the things00:21:33
we've seen in the stories that have00:21:35
preceded this is that whenever there's00:21:37
marked preference on the part of parents00:21:39
for one child over the other and in with00:21:42
with with with Jacob and Esau it was00:21:46
Rachel was Jacob was Rachel's favorite00:21:50
and ISA was Isaac's fav00:21:56
that didn't work out so well that put a00:21:58
real twist in the entire structure of00:22:00
the family and so there's a warning00:22:02
there right off the bat you might say00:22:05
well you can't help having a preference00:22:06
for one child or for another but I don't00:22:09
know if that's true and it's certainly00:22:10
something that you should be very00:22:11
cautious about because it doesn't seem00:22:13
to work out very well because he was the00:22:15
son of his old age fair enough and he00:22:17
made him a coat of many colors that's a00:22:20
very interesting image that coat of many00:22:22
colors that that idea and so I'm gonna00:22:25
delve into that idea because it sets the00:22:27
stage like it says what sort of person00:22:29
Joseph is he's favored he's younger he's00:22:32
favored but he also has this particular00:22:34
garment that characterizes him you know00:22:37
and one of the things I've really00:22:39
learned from analyzing women's dreams in00:22:41
particular is that women very frequently00:22:43
in my experience very frequently dream00:22:45
of clothing as a role and so if you're00:22:48
interpreting women's dreams then if they00:22:50
put on the shoes of their grandmother00:22:52
for example then you understand very00:22:55
rapidly that the dream is trying to make00:22:58
an association between their own00:22:59
behavior and something that's00:23:00
characteristic of either the state of00:23:03
being a grandmother or the particular00:23:04
grandmother and it makes sense right00:23:07
because clothing protects but it also00:23:09
signifies a role and it's interesting in00:23:13
in the Old Testament stories often if00:23:16
someone is going to act deceitfully they00:23:17
change their they change their outfit00:23:20
and that's kind of what you do when you00:23:21
act deceitfully right you dress up like00:23:24
someone else you present yourself like00:23:26
someone else so anyways back to the coat00:23:29
of many colors well for something to be00:23:35
many colored it sort of spans the entire00:23:39
gamut of possibility and so there's a00:23:41
hint there that if you want to be a00:23:43
full-fledged person that you have to00:23:49
manifest a very large number of traits00:23:52
and so I want to go into that idea a bit00:23:54
the first thing I want to talk about is00:23:56
some of the things that we've learned00:23:58
about what happens to you when you go to00:24:00
a new environment now there's this idea00:24:03
in very deep idea in clinical psychology00:24:06
a fundamental idea which is that if00:24:09
someone's a just about something what you do is you00:24:11
and it's getting in their way you take00:24:15
what they're anxious about and you00:24:16
define it because that already delimits00:24:18
it right because one of the problems00:24:19
with being anxious about something is00:24:21
you won't speak of it00:24:22
it's like Voldemort and then if you00:24:24
don't speak of it you it's way bigger00:24:26
than it should be as soon as you start00:24:27
talking about it you cut it down to size00:24:29
and so and it it's for a bunch of00:24:32
reasons it's because you're not as00:24:33
afraid you're not as afraid of as many00:24:35
things as you think and you're braver00:24:37
than you know and more and more capable00:24:40
so as soon as you're brave enough to00:24:42
start talking about what you're afraid00:24:44
of then you see that there's more to you00:24:45
than you thought and that there's less00:24:47
to the problem than you thought and then00:24:50
you can decompose it further into00:24:51
smaller problems and then you can figure00:24:53
out how to approach those smaller00:24:54
problems and so and then it doesn't seem00:24:57
to me to be that you get less frightened00:24:59
it seems to be that you get more00:25:01
courageous which is way better than00:25:02
being less frightened because there's00:25:04
lots of things to be frightened about so00:25:05
if you're courageous that that really00:25:07
does the trick now the question is what00:25:09
happens if you like let's say that00:25:12
you're very socially inept and you don't00:25:15
know how to introduce yourself or to00:25:17
make any establish the initial parts of00:25:19
a relationship with anyone and so then00:25:21
you start putting yourself in situations00:25:23
where you're required to do that and so00:25:26
then the question is how is it00:25:28
technically that you transform you say00:25:31
well you learn well we want to be more00:25:33
specific about that what does it mean00:25:35
that you learned well if you're dealing00:25:37
with someone who's particularly socially00:25:39
inept and you're doing psychotherapy00:25:41
with them you might teach them how to00:25:42
shake someone's hand properly and say00:25:44
their name and remember the other00:25:46
person's name and so you just practice00:25:48
that with them so that they have the00:25:49
motoric routine down so that form of00:25:53
knowledge is built right into your body00:25:54
it's like look at the person put out00:25:56
your hand shake it don't not like a dead00:25:59
halibut but you know with a reasonable00:26:02
grip say your name don't mumble it look00:26:05
look at them so that they can hear you00:26:06
and then when they say their name try to00:26:08
remember it and that's then so you can00:26:11
practice that with people and so then00:26:12
they develop something that's motoric00:26:14
right it's embedded right in their body00:26:16
and so and then you can say to them well00:26:19
the other thing you can do is when you00:26:21
start a conversation is00:26:23
don't sit there thinking about what00:26:24
you're gonna say next because then you00:26:26
won't be paying attention to the person00:26:28
and you'll make a fool out of yourself00:26:29
because you'll manifest non sequiturs00:26:34
right because you'll get out it's like00:26:35
if you're dancing and all you're paying00:26:37
attention to is where your feet are and00:26:39
you're gonna step on the other person00:26:40
all the time so you want to pay00:26:41
attention to the other person and then00:26:43
whatever automatized social knowledge00:26:46
you have will come to the forefront so00:26:48
it's a good thing to know if you're00:26:49
socially anxious right if you're00:26:51
socially anxious one of the things you00:26:53
should do is pay way more attention to00:26:55
the person you're talking to rather than00:26:57
less and you should pay as little00:26:59
attention as possible to yourself so if00:27:01
you feel yourself falling in because00:27:03
you're anxious then what you do is you00:27:05
push your attention out and pay00:27:06
attention to the person because to the00:27:08
degree that you've been socialized then00:27:09
all your automatic responses will kick00:27:11
in so but anyway so you go out into the00:27:14
social world and you learn to shake00:27:16
someone's hand and you learn how to00:27:17
listen to them and ask them questions00:27:19
because that's the next thing because00:27:21
people love you can't just ask them00:27:23
random questions obviously but if they00:27:26
start talking to you and you don't00:27:27
understand something about what they're00:27:29
saying or maybe something they said is00:27:31
interesting and you ask them a question00:27:32
they're pretty damn happy about that00:27:34
because it means you're actually paying00:27:35
attention to them and people actually00:27:37
love to be paid attention to because it00:27:39
hardly ever happens so they really00:27:42
really like it and so okay so so what's00:27:45
happening well first of all your00:27:47
mastering them automated motor movements00:27:50
right where to point your eyes where to00:27:52
put your hands how to move your lips00:27:54
like really embodied knowledge it's a00:27:56
special kind of memory and you're00:27:59
practicing them so that's building new00:28:01
skills for you and then by listening to00:28:04
the person and watching yourself00:28:06
interact you're also generating new new00:28:10
abstract information that enables you to00:28:12
conceptualize the world in a different00:28:13
way so if you go out to ten you go out00:28:16
and talk to ten different people or 5000:28:19
different people then you get to listen00:28:21
to what those 50 people said you get to00:28:23
watch how they're how they express00:28:25
themselves and you gather a corpus of00:28:28
knowledge that changes the way you00:28:29
perceive that broadens you as a social00:28:31
agent okay so that's two forms of00:28:34
knowledge but then there's a third one00:28:35
which is real00:28:36
interesting which is that you know you00:28:38
have a lot of biological potential and00:28:41
it's hard to know what potential is but00:28:43
part of it is that you're capable of00:28:46
generating proteins that you haven't00:28:49
been generating so you should get right00:28:50
on that by the way so but what the way00:28:53
that works in part is that if you put00:28:55
yourself in a radically new situation00:28:57
then your brain that there are genetic00:29:00
switches that turn on because of the00:29:02
demands of the new situation that code00:29:05
for new proteins so it's as if you have00:29:08
latent software that would be one way of00:29:11
thinking about that will only be turned00:29:13
on if you go into the situation where00:29:15
that's necessary and so then you might00:29:17
think well if that's the case how much00:29:20
of you could be turned on if you went a00:29:22
whole bunch of different places and00:29:23
that's a really really that's a profound00:29:26
question because one of the deep answers00:29:29
to how you should get your life together00:29:32
is you should go a very large number of00:29:35
places and turn yourself on and I want00:29:40
to walk through that a little bit00:29:41
because there's a very rich symbolic00:29:43
world that expresses that so now the00:29:48
idea about having a coat of many colors00:29:50
would be that the person who is the00:29:54
appropriate leader because remember or00:29:57
the proper person which would be the00:29:58
same thing one of the things that these00:30:00
old stories are trying to express and to00:30:03
figure out is how is it that you should00:30:05
act which is the same as what00:30:07
constitutes the ideal those are the same00:30:10
question and the hand here with Joseph00:30:13
is well you should wear a coat of many00:30:15
colors which means that you should be00:30:16
able to go have a drink in the pub with00:30:18
the guys who are you know drywalling00:30:21
your your house and you should be able00:30:23
to have a sophisticated conversation00:30:25
with someone who's more educated in an00:30:28
abstract way and that maybe you should00:30:29
be equally comfortable in both00:30:30
situations right because you might think00:30:33
well there's more one of the indications00:30:36
that there's more to you is that you can00:30:38
be put more places and function properly00:30:42
and that would be a good thing to aim at00:30:44
because here's the other issue is that00:30:47
you know perfectly well that the fun00:30:50
the mental tragedies of life and your00:30:52
exposure to malevolence in the course of00:30:54
that life so those being the worst00:30:56
things there's not a lot you can do to00:30:58
to alter that fundamentally because00:31:01
their conditions of existence you're00:31:03
going to be subject to your00:31:05
vulnerability and you're going to be00:31:06
subject to malevolence that's that and00:31:09
you can't hide from it because it00:31:11
actually makes it worse so you're stuck00:31:13
with it so then the question is well00:31:15
what are your options and one option is00:31:17
to curse the structure of being for00:31:19
being malevolent and tragic and fair00:31:21
enough and now there is to make yourself00:31:23
so damn differentiated and dynamic and00:31:27
able that you're more than a match for00:31:31
that now that's not an easy thing but00:31:34
doesn't matter because like what what's00:31:36
the alternative00:31:37
there's no good alternative and that's00:31:39
also worth knowing so you see these00:31:45
ideas expressed in the strangest places00:31:47
and so we've talked a little bit I think00:31:50
in this video series about Pinocchio but00:31:53
if we haven't it doesn't matter00:31:55
you see there's Jiminy Cricket at the00:31:58
opening of the Pinocchio movie pointing00:32:03
to a star which is roughly the nativity00:32:05
star for all intents and purposes and00:32:06
it's a it's a symbolic indicator of00:32:10
something Dimond like and pure right00:32:14
glimmering in the darkness that's00:32:17
transcendent and above the horizon upon00:32:19
which to fix your eyes and so that's the00:32:22
thing is you need that technically and00:32:24
the reason you need that is because we00:32:27
know enough about psychology now to know00:32:29
that almost all of the positive emotion00:32:31
that you're going to experience in your00:32:32
life and positive emotion is analgesic00:32:35
by the way right it actually quells pain00:32:36
so it's not just positive it also gets00:32:38
rid of negative which is a big plus00:32:40
almost all the positive emotion that00:32:42
you're going to feel you're going to00:32:44
feel in relationship to a goal because00:32:47
you feel positive emotion as you00:32:49
approach a goal and so if you want to00:32:51
feel positive emotion then you need a00:32:53
goal and then you might think well if00:32:55
you want to maximize that positive00:32:57
emotion which is enthusiasm and also00:32:59
what pulls you out into the world as00:33:00
well as feeling good then you need the00:33:03
possible goal well not because that's00:33:06
gonna engage the largest segments of00:33:11
your being like if your goal is too00:33:13
narrow then a bunch of you isn't gonna00:33:15
be on board for it you know if the goal00:33:17
is well-developed and multifaceted then00:33:19
all of you can partake in that even your00:33:21
negative elements even your anger and00:33:23
and your fear can get on board with that00:33:25
let's say so you need a goal man that's00:33:28
worthy you've got us thank you good you00:33:30
need a goal that justifies the tragedy00:33:32
and malevolence of life that seems to be00:33:35
the bottom line now maybe you think well00:33:37
there's no goal that can do that it's00:33:39
like well there are still better and00:33:44
worse goals so and I'm not convinced00:33:47
that there are no goals that can do that00:33:49
I think that's an open question you'd00:33:52
never know that until you pursued the00:33:54
proper goal long enough to find out who00:33:56
you would be as a consequence of00:33:59
pursuing it so that's also your destiny00:34:01
or your existential voyage right it's00:34:03
also not something that anyone else can00:34:05
do for you someone can say get your act00:34:07
together for Christ's sake and get it00:34:09
get get at it that's that'll make the00:34:12
world unfold best for you but there's no00:34:15
way you can know that without doing it00:34:17
so and unless you think you've done a00:34:22
particularly stellar job of that then00:34:24
you have no reason to doubt its00:34:26
potential validity so plus like crickets00:34:30
are telling you this and so you know00:34:33
they're a very reliable source okay so00:34:36
you see the star the star recurs as a00:34:39
motif in Pinocchio and one of the more00:34:41
interesting elements of it here is that00:34:43
when Geppetto wants to transform his00:34:46
puppet the marionette who's being played00:34:48
by forces that operate behind the scenes00:34:51
which is a really good definition of the00:34:53
persona from a union perspective right00:34:55
and also something indicative of00:34:58
something like an ideological or00:34:59
conceptual possession Geppetto who's a00:35:03
good guy is positive father figure Reid00:35:06
lifts his even though he's a patriarchal00:35:08
figure right and a very competent one he00:35:11
still even lifts his eyes up to00:35:12
something that transcends his mode of00:35:14
being positive as it is and wishes that00:35:17
his creation would undertake the kind of00:35:21
transformation that would make it00:35:23
autonomous and fully functional as a00:35:26
moral agent no strings right so that's00:35:28
very interesting I think Solzhenitsyn00:35:31
said the salvation of mankind lies only00:35:33
in making everything the concern of all00:35:36
that's a pretty decent star-like goal I00:35:40
would say and so what happens in the00:35:43
Pinocchio story is that because and I00:35:46
think this is a symbolic representative00:35:48
of what I just described you that00:35:49
happens at a genetic level if you put00:35:51
yourself in new situations so Geppetto00:35:55
is roughly culture in the Pinocchio00:35:57
story right he's he's a craftsman he's00:36:00
he's a and and he makes Pinocchio so00:36:03
he's he's who's his son he's the00:36:07
socializing agent and he aims for00:36:12
something above mere socialization which00:36:15
is I think part of the mysterious00:36:16
element of human beings you know in our00:36:18
scientific models we basically have00:36:20
socialization and biology but there's00:36:22
always a third element in mythological00:36:24
stories which is whatever you might00:36:26
construe as the spontaneous action of00:36:29
consciousness that's associated with00:36:31
freewill and you know that's just00:36:33
basically being conceptualized in00:36:35
religious terms as something akin to the00:36:36
soul now we don't have a category for00:36:39
that scientifically because what we try00:36:41
to do scientifically is to reduce00:36:43
everything either to socialization or to00:36:45
biology but it isn't clear to me that00:36:48
that's it's perfectly reasonable from00:36:51
the perspective of practicality at a00:36:53
scientific level you don't want to00:36:55
multiply explanatory principles beyond00:36:57
necessity but there's many things that00:36:59
that doesn't come to terms with such as00:37:01
the fact that we all treat each other as00:37:03
autonomous beings with freewill and that00:37:05
that seems to work and that if we stop00:37:07
doing that then things go to hell very00:37:08
very rapidly so and the mere fact that00:37:11
we have been able to conceptualize what00:37:13
that conscious freewill might be00:37:16
metaphysically or physically doesn't00:37:18
mean it doesn't exist it just means that00:37:20
we don't understand it I mean what it00:37:22
was only in the last 15 years that we00:37:24
discovered that 95 percent of the00:37:26
universe was made out of some kind of00:37:27
matter that we can't even00:37:30
whose properties we can't even imagine00:37:32
except that it seems to have mass so00:37:36
anyways what happens is when Geppetto00:37:38
reach lifts his eyes up to the star he00:37:42
so it's society aligning itself with the00:37:45
proper goal with regards to individual00:37:48
development right so so the instead of00:37:51
society being at odds with the00:37:52
individual they line up and then what00:37:54
happens is nature comes onboard and00:37:56
that's the blue fairy in the in the00:37:58
Pinocchio story and that seems to me to00:38:00
be a symbolic representation of what00:38:02
happens biologically when when you set00:38:05
the goal properly get your culture00:38:08
behind you and move into the world it's00:38:09
that there's a biological transformation00:38:12
that occurs as a consequence of that00:38:14
which means that a bunch of you that00:38:15
hasn't been turned on turns on and I00:38:19
guess one question would be is what00:38:21
would you be like if you turned on00:38:23
everything inside of you that could be00:38:24
turned on well that's a good goal that's00:38:27
a good thing to find out so now I'm00:38:33
going to introduce a couple of other00:38:34
ideas so there's this idea in union00:38:37
psychology called the circumambulation00:38:39
and you only had this idea that you had00:38:42
a potential future self which would be00:38:45
in potential everything that you could00:38:47
be and that it manifests itself moment00:38:50
to moment in your present life by making00:38:53
you interested in things and the things00:38:56
that you're interested in are the things00:38:57
that would guide you along the path that00:38:59
would lead you to maximal development00:39:01
now it sounds of like a metaphysical00:39:04
idea or a or a mystical idea even but00:39:07
but it's not it's it's not it's a really00:39:10
profoundly biological idea the idea is00:39:12
something like well you're set up so00:39:15
that you're automatically interested in00:39:16
those things that was fully expand you00:39:19
as a well adapted creature well like00:39:22
there's nothing radical about that idea00:39:24
how else what else could possibly be the00:39:27
case unless there's something00:39:28
fundamentally flawed about you that is00:39:31
what the the situation would be it's00:39:33
kind of interesting to think about how00:39:35
that would be manifest moment to moment00:39:36
but the idea is something like well your00:39:39
interest is captured by those things00:39:40
that lead you down the path of00:39:43
development00:39:44
well that better be the case okay so00:39:46
that's fine and so there's some utility00:39:48
in pursuing those things that you're00:39:50
interested in that's the call to00:39:51
adventure let's say so and the call to00:39:54
adventure takes you all sorts of places00:39:56
now the problem with the call to00:39:57
adventure is like what the hell do you00:39:59
know you might be interested in things00:40:01
that are kind of warped and bent and00:40:03
often it's the case that when new parts00:40:07
of people manifest themselves and grip00:40:09
their interest say they do it very badly00:40:12
and shoddily and so you stumble around00:40:15
like an idiot when you try to do00:40:16
something new that's where the fool is00:40:18
the precursor to the savior from the00:40:20
from the symbolic perspectives because00:40:22
you have to be a fool before you can be00:40:24
a master and if you're not willing to be00:40:25
a fool then you can't be a master so so00:40:29
you're gonna it's it's an error mmm00:40:31
error ridden process and that's also00:40:33
laid out in the Old Testament stories00:40:35
because the first thing that happens to00:40:36
all these patriarchal figures when God00:40:39
kicks them out of their father's house00:40:40
when they're like 84 is that they they00:40:44
run into all sorts of trouble and some00:40:46
of its social and some of its natural00:40:48
and some of it's a consequence of their00:40:49
own moral inadequacy so they're fools00:40:52
and but but the thing that's so00:40:54
interesting is that despite the fact00:40:56
that they're fools they're still00:40:57
supposed to go on the adventure and that00:41:00
they're capable of learning enough as a00:41:02
consequence of moving forward on the00:41:03
adventure so that they straighten00:41:05
themselves out across time and so it's00:41:08
something like this so this00:41:09
circumambulation that young talked about00:41:11
was this continual will return to this00:41:14
this continual circling in some sense of00:41:16
who you could be you might notice for00:41:19
example that there are themes in your00:41:20
life you know when you go back across00:41:22
your experiences you see you kind of00:41:24
have your typical experience that sort00:41:26
of repeats itself and there might be00:41:28
variation on it like a musical theme but00:41:30
it's it's like you're circling yourself00:41:33
and getting closer to yourself as you00:41:35
move across time00:41:37
that's the circumambulation now you00:41:39
remember that for a second as well go00:41:40
back to it okay so imagine that00:41:42
something glimmers before you it's an00:41:44
interest that's dawning and you decide00:41:47
well first of all you're paralyzed you00:41:49
think well how do I know if I should00:41:50
pursue that it's probably a stupid idea00:41:52
and the proper response to that is00:41:54
you're right it probably is a stupid00:41:56
idea because almost all00:41:57
all ideas are stupid and so the00:42:00
probability that as you move forward on00:42:03
your adventure that you're gonna get it00:42:04
right the first time is zero it's just00:42:07
not gonna happen00:42:08
and so then you might think well maybe00:42:10
I'll just wait around until I get the00:42:12
right idea00:42:13
and which people do right so they're00:42:15
like 40 year old thirteen year olds00:42:17
which is not a good idea so they wait00:42:20
around until it's Waiting for Godot00:42:22
until they finally got it right but the00:42:24
problem is you're too stupid to know00:42:26
when you've got it right so waiting00:42:27
around isn't gonna help00:42:29
because even if it the perfect00:42:31
opportunity manifested itself to you in00:42:33
your incomplete form the probability00:42:36
that you would recognize it as the00:42:37
perfect opportunity is zero you might00:42:39
even think it's the worst possible idea00:42:42
that you've ever heard of anywhere00:42:43
highly likely highly likely so so you00:42:47
had there's niches nature called data00:42:49
will will - stupidity which I really00:42:52
liked so because he thought of stupidity00:42:54
as being it you know it's it's you have00:42:57
to take it into account fundamentally00:42:59
and work with it and so and so you can00:43:02
take these tentative steps on your00:43:05
pathway to destiny and you can assume00:43:08
that you're gonna do it badly and that's00:43:10
really useful because you don't have to00:43:12
beat yourself up it's pretty easy to do00:43:13
it badly but the thing is it's way00:43:16
better to do it badly than not to do it00:43:18
at all and that's the continual message00:43:20
that echoes through these historical00:43:23
stories in Genesis it's like these are00:43:25
flawed people they should have got the00:43:27
hell out of their house way before they00:43:29
did and they go out and they stumble00:43:32
around in tyranny and famine and self00:43:35
betrayal and and violence and but it's a00:43:39
hell of a lot better than just rotting00:43:41
away at home and that's the that's great00:43:43
so that's good and so why is that well00:43:46
okay so you you start your path and you00:43:48
think that you're heading you know00:43:49
towards your star and so you go in that00:43:52
direction and then because you're here00:43:56
the world looks a particular way but00:43:58
then when you move here the world looks00:44:01
different and you're different as a00:44:03
consequence of having made that voyage00:44:05
and so what that means is that now that00:44:07
thing that glimmers in front of you is00:44:09
going to have shifted00:44:10
location because you weren't very good00:44:13
at specifying it to begin with and now00:44:15
that you're a little sharper and more00:44:17
focused than you were it's it's going to00:44:20
reveal itself with more accuracy to you00:44:22
and so then you have to take you know00:44:27
it's almost like 180 degree reversal but00:44:30
it isn't because you know you've00:44:32
I mean you've gone this far and that's a00:44:36
long ways to get that far but that's a00:44:40
lot farther than you would be if you00:44:43
just stayed where you were waiting and00:44:45
so it doesn't matter that you overshoot00:44:48
continually because as you overshoot00:44:52
even if you don't learn what you should00:44:55
have done you're going to continually00:44:56
learn what you shouldn't keep doing and00:44:59
if you learn enough about what you00:45:02
shouldn't keep doing then that's00:45:04
tantamount at some point to learning at00:45:06
the same time what you should be doing00:45:08
so it's okay so it's like this now00:45:14
what's cool about it though I think is00:45:16
that as you progress the degree of00:45:19
overshooting starts to decline right and00:45:22
that we know that there's nothing00:45:23
hypothetical about that as you learn a00:45:25
new skill like even to play it play a00:45:27
song on the piano for example you over00:45:29
shoot madly you're making all sorts of00:45:31
mistakes to begin with and then the00:45:33
mistakes they disappear there's a great00:45:39
TED talk I think it was about this guy00:45:42
set up a really advanced computational00:45:45
recording system in his home and00:45:47
recorded every single utterance his00:45:49
young child made while learning to speak00:45:52
and then he put together the child's00:45:55
attempts to say certain phonemes and put00:45:59
them in the list and you can hear the00:46:00
child deviating madly to begin with and00:46:03
then after hundreds and hundreds of00:46:05
repetitions just zeroing right in on the00:46:07
exact phoneme so you know I you might00:46:11
not know this but when kids babble00:46:12
because they start babbling when they're00:46:14
quite young they babble every human00:46:16
phoneme including all sorts of phonemes00:46:18
that adults can't say and then they they00:46:21
die into their language so that after00:46:24
they learn say English then there's all00:46:27
sorts of phonemes they can no longer00:46:28
hear or pronounce but to begin with it's00:46:30
all there00:46:31
which is really quite interesting but so00:46:32
they zip as they learn a particular00:46:35
language they zero in on the proper way00:46:37
to pronounce that and their errors00:46:40
minimize and every time you learn00:46:42
something that's how it is and that's00:46:43
really useful to know too because it00:46:45
means that it's okay to wander around00:46:46
stupidly before you fix your destination00:46:50
now you see that echoed in exodus right00:46:52
because what happens is that the00:46:54
Egyptians or the Hebrews escaped a00:46:57
tyranny which is kind of whatever you do00:46:59
personally and psychologically when you00:47:02
escape from your previous set of00:47:04
stupidly held and ignorant and stubborn00:47:07
axioms it's like away from that tyranny00:47:09
it's like great I freed myself from that00:47:11
well then what well you think well now00:47:14
I'm on the way it's no you're not now00:47:15
you're in the desert where you wander00:47:18
around stupidly you know and worship the00:47:20
wrong things until you finally organize00:47:23
yourself morally again and head in the00:47:26
proper direction so that's worth knowing00:47:27
too because you think well I got rid of00:47:31
a lot of things baggage excess baggage00:47:33
that I didn't need in my life and now00:47:35
everything's okay it's like no it's not00:47:37
you've got rid of a whole set of00:47:38
scaffolds that were keeping you in place00:47:40
even though they were pathological now00:47:43
you have nothing and nothing actually00:47:45
turns out to be better than something00:47:47
pathological but you're still stuck with00:47:50
the problem of nothing and and that's00:47:52
well that's exactly why exodus is00:47:54
structured the way that it is it's that00:47:56
you escape from eternity its terrain00:47:58
we're no longer slaves yeah well now00:48:00
you're nihilistic and lost it's not00:48:02
necessarily an improvement but it is but00:48:06
it is the pre see it's also useful to00:48:08
know that because you can also be00:48:10
deluded into the idea that imagine that00:48:13
you're trying to become enlightened00:48:14
which might mean to turn all those parts00:48:16
of you on that could be turned on you00:48:18
think well that's just a linear pathway00:48:19
uphill you know it's just from one00:48:22
success to another it's no it's not it's00:48:24
like here you are and you're not doing00:48:25
too badly and the first step is a00:48:27
complete bloody catastrophe it's worse00:48:29
and then maybe you can pull yourself00:48:31
together and you hit a new plateau and00:48:34
then that crumbles and shakes and bang00:48:36
it's worse again and so00:48:38
because part of the reason that people00:48:39
don't become enlightened is because it's00:48:41
punctuated by intermittent deserts00:48:44
essentially by intermittent catastrophes00:48:47
and if you don't know that well then00:48:48
you're basically screwed because you go00:48:51
ahead on your movement forward and you00:48:53
collapse and you think well that didn't00:48:54
work I collapsed it's like no that's par00:48:57
for the course it's not indication that00:49:00
you failed it's just indication that00:49:02
it's really hard and that when you learn00:49:04
something you also unlearn something and00:49:06
the thing you unlearned is probably00:49:08
useful and unlearning it actually is00:49:09
painful00:49:10
you know let's say if you have to get00:49:11
out of a bad relationship it's like not00:49:13
every not any real there isn't any00:49:16
relationship that's a hundred percent00:49:17
bad and so when you jump out of it well00:49:20
maybe you're in better shape but you're00:49:22
still lonesome and disoriented and you00:49:24
don't know what your past was and you00:49:25
don't know what your present is and you00:49:26
don't know what your future is it's00:49:28
that's not that's why people stay with00:49:31
the devil they know instead of you know00:49:33
looking for the devil they don't know so00:49:36
so anyways the fact that you're full of00:49:40
faults doesn't mean you have to stop and00:49:43
thank God for that that's a really00:49:45
useful thing and the fact that you're00:49:48
full of faults doesn't mean that you00:49:50
can't learn and so you can pause it an00:49:52
ideal and you're gonna be wrong about it00:49:55
but it doesn't matter because what00:49:56
you're right about is positing the ideal00:49:58
moving towards it if the actual ideal00:50:01
isn't conceptualize perfectly well first00:50:05
surprise surprise cuz like what are you00:50:07
going to do that's perfect so it doesn't00:50:10
matter that it's imperfect imperfect it00:50:12
just matters that you do it and that you00:50:13
move forward so that's really that's00:50:15
really positive news as far as I'm00:50:17
concerned because you can actually do00:50:19
that right you can do it badly anyone00:50:21
can do that so that's that's useful okay00:50:25
so like if you were an efficient person00:50:27
you would have just done that but you're00:50:29
not but who cares you know you still end00:50:32
up in the in the same place and maybe00:50:34
the trip is even more interesting who00:50:36
knows probably two interesting young I00:50:40
began to understand that the goal of00:50:42
psychic development by which he means00:50:44
psychological development or spiritual00:50:46
development is the self there's no00:50:50
linear evolution00:50:52
there's only a circumambulation of the00:50:54
self a getting closer it's like it's00:50:55
like you're spiraling into something00:50:58
something like that and the thing that00:51:00
you're spiraling into recedes as you00:51:02
move towards it and gets more and more00:51:05
sophisticated and well developed as you00:51:08
move towards it because you're not gonna00:51:09
run out of goals right no matter how00:51:11
much you have your act together00:51:12
there's probably undoubtedly 3000:51:15
dimensions along which you could get00:51:18
your act together a lot more so and some00:51:20
of those aren't even conceivable to you00:51:22
when you're in your initial on carved00:51:25
state let's say uniform development00:51:28
exists at most at the beginning later00:51:30
everything points towards the center00:51:32
this insight gave me stability and00:51:34
gradually my inner peace returned so00:51:41
this is fun on the left there that's the short00:51:44
Cathedral that's the one that has the00:51:45
maze in it that I told you about they00:51:48
actually light that up with lasers now00:51:50
and so that's it lit up with lasers and00:51:53
so so they're turning it into a00:51:55
Cathedral of light which i think is00:51:57
really fascinating and it's a it's a00:51:59
continuation of the same idea right00:52:01
because the stained glass windows were00:52:03
obviously I wouldn't call them primitive00:52:05
attempts to do that I mean stained glass00:52:07
windows are pretty impressive you know00:52:09
buddy it's an elaboration of the same00:52:11
thing so now you can go to that00:52:13
Cathedral they light up the whole town00:52:14
like that which is really something and00:52:16
so there and there's how the cathedral00:52:18
is built it's a cross and remember the00:52:21
cross is an X that marks the center of00:52:24
the world and the cross is the place00:52:25
where each individual is and I think00:52:27
that's the fundamental message of00:52:29
Christianity is the cross marks the00:52:32
place where every single individual is00:52:33
and it's a tragic place that consists of00:52:37
suffering and exposure to malevolence00:52:39
and that the only way to come to terms00:52:41
with it is to accept it and that seems00:52:44
to me I don't see anything metaphysical00:52:47
about that statement whatsoever it's00:52:48
like well x marks the spot00:52:50
fair enough you're in a spot you're00:52:53
right in the center of your world it's00:52:55
right in the center of the world as far00:52:56
as you're concerned and the same with00:52:58
the rest of us it's characterized by00:53:00
suffering and exposure to malevolence00:53:02
there's no doubt about that what are you00:53:04
gonna do about that00:53:05
bitter resentful hateful all that does00:53:08
is make it worse so you have to accept00:53:11
it now that's not an easy thing because00:53:13
that's actually I would say a heroic00:53:14
task to voluntarily accept the00:53:16
conditions of your own existence and00:53:18
that happens out the cross so that's00:53:21
fine and that's associated with light00:53:23
well that's good that that's associated00:53:25
with light you wouldn't want that to be00:53:26
associated with darkness that would be a00:53:28
bad thing so and so there's the there's00:53:37
the the labyrinth that was built in 128000:53:43
and so the idea is you walk in here it's00:53:47
the same idea as that star sequence of00:53:50
slides that I just showed you so here's00:53:52
the ideas that north south west and east00:53:56
so that's the whole world laid out in00:53:59
two dimensions and so the question is00:54:01
how do you get to the center now we00:54:02
already know what the center is the00:54:03
center is the center of the cross that's00:54:06
the place of maximal suffering you could00:54:08
say maximal malevolence as well but it's00:54:11
also the place where that's transcendent00:54:13
so how do you get there well the answer00:54:15
is well you don't just stand on the00:54:17
outside looking in00:54:19
that's not gonna help so and you can't00:54:22
just run right to the center even if00:54:25
you're in California and so you have to00:54:30
walk in here and then you see you go00:54:33
like this and you go to every single00:54:37
place every single place on that on that00:54:41
little cosmos and then once you've gone00:54:44
to every single place and expanded00:54:46
yourself as a consequence of going north00:54:47
and west and east and south then there's00:54:50
enough of you so that you're at so that00:54:52
you can tolerate being first of all that00:54:54
you could figure out where the center is00:54:55
but also that you can tolerate being at00:54:57
the center and so that's what that00:55:00
represents that's pretty and look I mean00:55:03
let's make no mistake about it hey00:55:05
people were pretty damn serious about00:55:07
those ideas like that's a that's quite00:55:09
the piece of work for people in the 12th00:55:11
century00:55:12
you know those some of those damn00:55:13
cathedrals took 300 years to build we00:55:16
don't build anything that takes 30000:55:17
years00:55:19
people were putting a lot of effort into00:55:20
whatever these things meant you know and00:55:24
if you think they meant bearded man in00:55:25
the sky then you know it's hard to it's00:55:29
hard to account for the kind of00:55:32
motivation that would produce these00:55:34
buildings with that kind of paucity of00:55:37
conceptualization you know the towns and00:55:40
and it was certainly the case in charge00:55:42
is that they groaned under the tax00:55:45
burden that was required to produce00:55:47
these now you might think well that's00:55:49
partly tyrannical and no doubt that's00:55:51
the case but but that's not the whole00:55:55
story the whole story is that the people00:55:57
who produce those buildings they thought00:55:59
about every bit of it it's nothing's00:56:03
accidental and they're trying to portray00:56:05
something just like that window is00:56:07
trying to portray something that's the00:56:08
same thing as this it's the center from00:56:11
which all things manifest themselves you00:56:14
see it that's Christ there and being portrayed00:56:17
as as that center or the center within00:56:20
him something like that very much like00:56:21
the chakras and in in yogic practice00:56:26
same basic idea it's the opening up of00:56:29
the internal structure and and and its00:56:32
proper realization so there are people00:56:38
walking the labyrinth so that's the coat00:56:45
of many colors right that's that's this00:56:47
differentiated mode of being that00:56:49
enables you to be competent and at home00:56:52
in the widest possible number of places00:56:55
and that that's a real differentiation00:56:58
of your personality it's a breaking00:57:00
through the boundaries of your00:57:02
personality including the ones that you00:57:04
impose on yourself to become someone00:57:09
who's useful wherever they're put and00:57:10
that's really relevant to this story of00:57:13
Joseph - because one of the things that00:57:16
happens to Joseph is that well a lot of00:57:18
bad things happen to him because he's00:57:21
the favorite of his father his brothers00:57:23
hate him and so the first they're gonna00:57:25
throw him in a pit I think they do throw00:57:27
him in a pit then they sell them to be a00:57:29
slave then he ends up in we'll go00:57:32
through the story00:57:33
he ends up some places where you00:57:35
probably wouldn't want to go prison00:57:36
being one of them but it doesn't matter00:57:41
because even when they put him in prison00:57:43
he's actually not imprisoned he just00:57:46
figures out how to make the prison work00:57:47
way better and then he's in control of00:57:49
the prison and it really it's an00:57:52
interesting I had this friend you know00:57:55
and he was very smart but very cynical00:57:58
and he wasn't employed very well and he00:58:01
got a little older and he should have00:58:04
given his level of intelligence and00:58:06
employability and so he had to take jobs00:58:08
that weren't very intellectually00:58:10
challenging you know and one of the00:58:12
things I tried to convince him of was00:58:14
that even if he worked he wanted to work00:58:17
behind the parts department in an00:58:18
automotive store because he liked cars00:58:20
but it was beneath him you know because00:58:22
it was sort of a as far as he was00:58:25
concerned it was a he was too smart for00:58:27
a job like that which actually turned00:58:29
out not to be true he wasn't smart00:58:31
enough for a job like that or he wasn't00:58:32
wise enough but you know what one of the00:58:34
things I tried to tell him was then00:58:35
you're looking at the situation wrong00:58:38
because even in a simple job so-called00:58:41
simple job like let's say dishwashing in00:58:43
a restaurant which I did an awful lot of00:58:45
it's not that simple you're dealing with00:58:48
a lot of other people very fast staff00:58:50
changeover you're feeding people you're00:58:52
helping them have a celebration you're00:58:54
helping them take a break like you can00:58:58
do it really well and then the kitchen00:59:00
can operate properly and then people can00:59:02
come out to the restaurant it's not a00:59:03
bloody catastrophe and like your even00:59:06
when you're doing something that's a00:59:07
menial job so to speak like dishwashing00:59:10
there are ways of doing it really badly00:59:12
resentfully and horribly and doing it00:59:15
really well and as soon as you do it00:59:17
really well it's not a menial job00:59:18
anymore00:59:19
it immediately transforms no I mean you00:59:22
can be around people who won't let that00:59:23
happen and you should go get another job00:59:26
if that's the case but if you do it00:59:28
properly then it's not menial at all and00:59:30
that's also a good way out of resentment00:59:35
you think well I've just got this you00:59:37
know two-bit job it's like yeah what if00:59:38
you did it as well as you possibly could00:59:40
you know what would happen well the00:59:42
first thing that would happen is you'd00:59:43
get a lot smarter that's for sure and00:59:46
that that's hardly00:59:47
a negative thing okay so that's the coat00:59:52
of many colors so it's an intimation of00:59:55
what Joseph is like and what we're00:59:57
seeing with all of these patriarchal00:59:58
figures is the continual realization of01:00:01
the ideal person right you could think01:00:04
about it as successive approximations of01:00:07
the ideal person and the story is01:00:09
exploring all sorts of different01:00:11
possibilities including ones that are01:00:13
very violent and catastrophic and01:00:15
malevolent it's trying to cover the01:00:17
entire territory and to focus in on01:00:20
what's the proper way through the maze01:00:23
the maze of life the labyrinth and the01:00:27
hint here is that while you should be01:00:28
multi-dimensional these are the01:00:31
generations of Jacob Joseph being 1701:00:33
years old was feeding the flock with his01:00:34
brethren and the lad was with his sons01:00:36
of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah01:00:38
his father's wives and Joseph brought01:00:40
unto his father their evil report well01:00:45
we already know that Joseph is Jacob's01:00:47
favorite so that doesn't make him very01:00:49
popular among his brothers he's younger01:00:52
and now we also find out that he's been01:00:54
set up more or less as you might say a01:00:58
snitch because that's what this phrase01:01:00
means is that he goes out and watches01:01:02
his older brothers and if they do01:01:03
something they shouldn't do then he01:01:04
comes trotting back to Jacob and reports01:01:08
well that's not gonna make you popular01:01:10
so and you would say well is that01:01:12
Joseph's problem or jacob's problem and01:01:18
I would say and this is something I01:01:19
learned from reading dealing to is that01:01:20
that's a conspiratorial problem right is01:01:23
it's the parents at fault but so is the01:01:26
child who agrees to do that they've01:01:29
they've got a little cabal going and you01:01:33
might say well it's only the parents01:01:35
fault but the son will be taking01:01:37
advantage of every advantage that offers01:01:40
him because he could say no to I won't01:01:42
do that so anyway so Joseph is the01:01:47
favorite he's a bit of a teacher's pet01:01:49
that's what it looks like now Israel01:01:53
loved Joseph more than all his colors01:01:54
because he was the son of his old age01:01:55
and he made him a coat of many colors01:01:57
and when his brethren saw that their01:02:00
father loved him more than01:02:01
all his brethren they hated him and01:02:02
could not speak peaceably unto him so01:02:04
let's say you have a child or number of01:02:07
children and one of them is your01:02:08
favorite how should you treat that child01:02:10
well it isn't obvious that you do them01:02:13
any favors by overtly making them your01:02:15
favorite right I mean first of all maybe01:02:18
you don't challenge them as much as you01:02:20
should and second of all you definitely01:02:22
set up a Cain and Abel like scenario in01:02:25
the household and that or maybe it's an01:02:27
eatable situation too because you happen01:02:29
to love your child more than you love01:02:30
your your spouse which is that's not a01:02:33
recipe for familial harmony so it seems01:02:37
to be a bad idea okay so now we have two01:02:40
reasons that Joseph is not liked by his01:02:43
brothers is one is well he's a bit of a01:02:46
Rat Fink and the other is that he's the01:02:49
peas the favorite and he's playing that01:02:51
to the hilt by the looks of things and01:02:52
when his brethren saw that their father01:02:54
loved him more than all his brethren01:02:56
then all his brethren they hated him and01:02:58
could not speak peaceably unto him okay01:03:02
and Joseph dreamed a dream and he told01:03:04
it to his brethren and they hated him01:03:06
the more he said unto them hear I pray01:03:10
you this dream which I have dreamed for01:03:12
behold we were binding wheat sheaves in01:03:14
the field and lo my sheaf arose and01:03:17
behold your sheaves stood round about01:03:19
and bowed to my sheaf and his and01:03:25
remember he's yeah the young one right01:03:27
and and also the daughter of the01:03:29
favorite wife which is another thing01:03:31
that's or the son of the favorite wife01:03:32
which is another thing not really01:03:33
working in his favor and his brethren01:03:35
said to him shalt thou indeed reign over01:03:38
us or shalt thou indeed have dominion01:03:39
over us and they hated them yet the more01:03:42
for his dreams and for his words well01:03:44
there there's a shock you know that01:03:46
makes perfect sense so and it gets worse01:03:48
so you see here well there's the wheat01:03:50
sheaves bowing there and and then you01:03:54
see this what's going on here well01:03:56
that's not the end of his let's call it01:03:58
grandiosity and there's an idea to in in01:04:02
the Old Testament especially in the01:04:04
stories of Joseph that if God sends you01:04:05
a dream twice he really means it and so01:04:08
I don't know if that's true although I01:04:09
do know that people have repeating01:04:11
dreams it might be true that the a dream01:04:14
you have twice is really trying to punch01:04:17
something home you know it's certainly01:04:18
the case that recurrent nightmares are01:04:21
meaningful and that recurrent nightmares01:04:23
are associated quite tightly with01:04:26
decreased states of mental health and01:04:28
that if you can treat the nightmare01:04:30
which is often quite easy by the way01:04:32
then the some of the mental health01:04:35
problems will decrease so repeated01:04:38
dreams seem to be important anyways he01:04:40
dreamed yet another dream and told it to01:04:42
his brethren and said behold I've had01:04:44
another dream and be and behold the Sun01:04:47
and the moon and the Eleven stars bowed01:04:48
to me and he told it to his father and01:04:52
to his brothers and his father rebuked01:04:54
him and said unto you unto Him what is01:04:55
this dream that thou has dreamed shall I01:04:57
in my and your mother and your brothers01:05:00
indeed come to bow down ourselves to01:05:02
thee to the earth and his brethren01:05:05
envied him but his father observed to01:05:08
saying well what the hell do you make of01:05:11
something like that right if someone01:05:12
tells you that it's like are they01:05:15
responsible for their dreams01:05:17
we don't really seem we don't really01:05:19
hold ourselves responsible for for the01:05:22
dreams we have at night and what do you01:05:24
make of a dream is like one of the01:05:26
things that Jung pointed out this is01:05:27
where he differed from Freud01:05:28
substantially as Freud tended to think01:05:31
that the dream hid its meaning because01:05:34
its contents weren't acceptable to the01:05:36
conscious mind and Jung said no no you01:05:39
don't understand that's not what happens01:05:41
what happens is the dream is doing the01:05:43
best it can to express something that01:05:45
the person doesn't yet really know and01:05:47
Jung thought about the dream as a01:05:49
manifestation of nature it wasn't01:05:51
associated with the ego at all it was01:05:53
just like you have a dream and there are01:05:55
things happening and it the same way01:05:57
that when you walk into a dinner party01:05:58
there are things happening there you01:06:00
know it's not the dream isn't something01:06:03
that's subject to your capacity for01:06:05
manipulation it's something that happens01:06:07
to you not something that you do and so01:06:09
so if someone has a dream like that well01:06:11
you've got three options you can just01:06:13
discount dreams altogether which is what01:06:16
people in the modern world tend to do01:06:18
which is a very bad idea because there01:06:21
are thoughts and you shouldn't discount01:06:22
them you know I mean and they're hardly01:06:25
random as some neuroscientists claim01:06:26
that's01:06:27
absolutely cockeyed theory that random01:06:30
he like television snow on a TV set if01:06:33
it was random so so one is while you01:06:36
just discount dreams the other is that01:06:38
you consider the person a liar and a01:06:40
braggart and a narcissist and the third01:06:42
is well what's the third it's like he01:06:46
dreamt that the Sun and the moon and the01:06:48
stars bowed down to him you might think01:06:52
about that two or three times so but01:06:54
it's not necessarily something that's01:06:56
going to make you happy and his brethren01:06:58
went to feed their father's flock and01:07:00
shechem so they took off and Israel said01:07:02
unto Joseph do you not thy brethren feed01:07:04
the flock and Shechem come and I will01:07:06
send thee unto Him and he said him and01:07:08
he said to him here here am I and when01:07:12
they saw him afar off even before he01:07:15
came near unto them they conspired01:07:16
against him to slay him rough people01:07:20
back then right this is this sort of01:07:22
thing is happening quite frequently and01:07:26
they said to one another behold the01:07:29
dreamer cometh come now therefore let us01:07:32
slay him cast him into some pit and we01:07:35
will say some evil beast hath devoured01:07:37
him and we shall see what becomes of his01:07:39
dreams so there's an echo of the Cain01:07:41
and Abel story there obviously you know01:07:43
I mean it's not quite as clear because01:07:47
in the Cain and Abel story Abel is01:07:49
clearly just doing well and here you01:07:51
can't quite get a handle on Joseph's01:07:54
character you can't tell if he is01:07:55
actually the elect or if he's just a01:07:57
spoiled brat with delusions of grandeur01:07:59
you know and but it doesn't matter01:08:02
because his brothers are so irritated at01:08:05
his the fact that he's favored and01:08:07
perhaps even the fact that he might be01:08:10
someone destined for for something01:08:14
special that they find it perfectly01:08:16
reasonable to destroy that and it's so01:08:20
hard so interesting how often that motif01:08:24
of pulling down an ideal manifests01:08:26
itself in these old stories right it's01:08:28
it's the pattern is established in the01:08:31
Cain and Abel story it just repeats and01:08:32
repeats and repeats and I think that's01:08:34
dead true I think it just repeats all01:08:36
the time so that people are annoyed01:08:38
about how tragic their lives are01:08:41
annoyed that they're subject to01:08:42
malevolence and they're annoyed that01:08:44
they're not doing as well as other01:08:46
people are doing and that makes them01:08:49
that puts them exactly into this state01:08:50
of mind01:08:51
now maybe with modern people if you're01:08:54
gonna kill someone because you're01:08:56
resentful as a modern person you don't01:08:57
generally slay them and throw them into01:08:59
a pit you know what you do is you just01:09:01
kill them slowly over a few decades and01:09:03
it isn't obvious to me that that's any01:09:06
better so I've seen plenty of married01:09:10
couples who were in that situation it's01:09:12
like it's like yeah well there is this01:09:16
mitch hedberg he used to complain about01:09:18
turtlenecks hey so it was like being01:09:20
strangled by a really weak it's01:09:25
probably really politically incorrect01:09:27
jokes but it's a funny joke so and then01:09:32
you see you see relationships that are01:09:36
like that it's like each person has01:09:37
their hands around the neck of the other01:09:39
person but they don't have enough01:09:40
courage to actually to squeeze they just01:09:43
put enough pressure on just cut the01:09:45
circulation off a tiny bit so the person01:09:48
just gets like they die over a 30-year01:09:51
period something like that so yeah and01:09:56
you all laugh because you know it's true01:09:57
that's why and we will say some evil01:10:02
beast half devoured him which would be01:10:04
true actually it would be the evil beast01:10:06
that's inside the brothers and we shall01:10:09
see what will become of his dreams01:10:11
haha that's a that's interesting too01:10:13
because so they want to spite themselves01:10:17
because maybe Joseph is something01:10:19
special and then they want to spite01:10:20
their father which is probably not the01:10:24
wisest idea because they owe him some01:10:26
gratitude I mean maybe he's acting like01:10:28
a pain in the neck there's some evidence01:10:29
for that but this is a little bit harsh01:10:31
but they also want to spite God just01:10:34
like Cain did because that's what it01:10:36
means we shall see what will become of01:10:39
his dreams right because then as soon as01:10:41
you're in some sense trying to fight01:10:44
against the intuition of someone the01:10:46
natural intuition of someone you set01:10:48
yourself up against the structure of01:10:50
being itself and so pretty bad01:10:54
and Ruben heard it and he delivered them01:10:56
out of their hands and said no let us01:10:58
not kill him and Ruben said unto them01:11:00
shed no blood but cast him into this pit01:11:02
that's in the wilderness01:11:03
it's like Rubens the good guy in this01:11:05
story yeah and and there's no water in01:11:09
the pit by the way inlay no hand upon01:11:11
him that he might rid him out of their01:11:13
hands to deliver him to his father again01:11:16
hmm01:11:17
so Ruben was actually trying to save him01:11:20
said he might rid him out of their hands01:11:23
to deliver him to his father again and01:11:24
it came to pass when Joseph came unto01:11:27
his brethren that they stripped him of01:11:28
his coat his coat of many colors that01:11:31
was on him and they took him and cast01:11:34
him into a pit and the pit was empty and01:11:35
there was no water in it and then they01:11:42
sat down to eat bread and lifted up01:11:43
their eyes and looked and behold a01:11:45
company of Ishmaelites come came from01:11:46
Gilead with their camels bearing spices01:11:49
and balm and myrrh going to carry it01:11:51
down to Egypt and Judah said unto his01:11:53
brethren how does it profit us if we01:11:56
kill our brother and conceal his blood01:11:57
so he's the practical guy here's what01:12:01
why would we kill him when we can sell01:12:03
him it's like come let us sell him to01:12:06
the Ishmaelites and let not our hand be01:12:08
upon him for he is our brother in our01:12:09
flesh and his brethren were content then01:12:13
there passed by Midianites merchantman01:12:15
and they drew and lifted up joseph out01:12:16
of the pit and sold joseph to the01:12:18
Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver it's01:12:21
a amount that echoes through into the01:12:24
future and they brought Joseph into01:12:26
Egypt I'm never really sure how these01:12:28
slavery stories work it's like so it's01:12:31
two 2,500 3,000 years ago and I decided01:12:33
I'm gonna sell you to the Ishmaelites01:12:34
and that just works out they I get the01:12:37
money you get to be a slave and they01:12:38
take you away I don't really understand01:12:40
how that works I can't figure out how01:12:42
people weren't just selling each other01:12:43
all the time01:12:44
but maybe if your family you can do it01:12:52
so they're they sold him and Reuben01:12:58
returned to the pit and behold Joseph01:12:59
was not there and Reuben rent his01:13:01
clothes so Reubens very upset about this01:13:03
and he returned unto his brothers and01:13:05
said the child is not and I where shall01:13:07
I go01:13:08
and they conspired they took Joseph's01:13:10
coat and killed a kid of the goats and01:13:12
dipped the coat in the blood that's01:13:14
interesting too because blood is01:13:16
actually another color right so he's got01:13:18
this coat of many colors and blood is01:13:21
definitely a color and so this is the01:13:24
addition in some sense of the color of01:13:26
blood to Joseph's coat and I would say01:13:28
it's probably a necessary color because01:13:32
I don't think that you're serious enough01:13:33
till your coat has been dipped in blood01:13:35
that can happen in many ways and they01:13:38
sent the coat of many colors and they01:13:40
brought it to their father and said so01:13:43
they lied to him it's very very nasty01:13:45
business this they they sell his son to01:13:48
slavery they claim that he's dead they01:13:50
lied to him they they put him into an01:13:53
extreme state of grief there's a lot of01:13:56
hatred underneath that right tremendous01:13:58
amount of hatred for Joseph and also for01:14:01
Jacob this we have found know now01:14:05
whether it be thy sons coat or not and01:14:07
he knew it he said it's my son's coat01:14:09
and evil beast has devoured him Joseph01:14:13
is without doubt rent in pieces and01:14:15
Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth01:14:17
on his loins and mourned for many days01:14:18
and all his sons and daughters rose up01:14:20
to comfort him but he refused to be01:14:22
comforted and he said I'll go down unto01:14:24
my grave mourning my son does his father01:14:28
wept for him so that's Jacob collapsing01:14:34
at the news and the Midianites sold01:14:42
Joseph into Egypt unto Potiphar an01:14:44
officer of Pharaohs and captain of the01:14:46
guard and Joseph was brought down to01:14:47
Egypt and port afar an officer of01:14:49
Pharaoh captain of the guard and01:14:51
Egyptian bought him of the hands of the01:14:53
Ishmaelites which had brought him down01:14:54
thither so now he's a slave so now you'd01:14:59
think well that would be this is a man01:15:02
who has a lot of reason to be irritated01:15:04
at the structure of reality right he's01:15:07
gone from being the favorite to being01:15:09
betrayed by all of his brothers that's01:15:11
pretty rough and then he's being01:15:14
transformed into a slave and now he's01:15:15
being he's being sold to work as a slave01:15:18
so you'd think that that would corrupt01:15:20
his character because01:15:21
you know one of the things I think this01:15:23
is the case anyways I think people are01:15:25
always looking for an excuse to have01:15:27
their character corrupted because if01:15:29
your character is corrupted then you get01:15:30
to lie and you get to cheat you get to01:15:32
steal and you get to betray and you get01:15:33
to act resentfully and you get to do01:15:35
nothing and that's all easy it's easier01:15:38
to lie than to tell the truth it's01:15:39
easier to do nothing than to do01:15:40
something so there's always part of you01:15:42
thinking well I need a justification for01:15:45
being useless and horrible because01:15:47
that'd be a lot less work and so then if01:15:51
something terrible comes along you think01:15:53
AHA that's just exactly the excuse that01:15:56
I was waiting for and then out all that01:15:58
comes you know Solzhenitsyn when he was01:16:02
in the concentration camps in Russia01:16:04
watching how people behaved you know he01:16:08
said that there were people that were01:16:09
put in the camps who immediately became01:16:11
trustees or guards and they were even01:16:13
more vicious than the people who had01:16:15
been hired as guards and his idea was01:16:17
that they had collected all that he01:16:20
called it foul Ness if I remember01:16:24
correctly around them in normal life but01:16:27
they didn't have the opportunity to01:16:28
express it but as soon as you gave them01:16:30
the opportunity it was like there it was01:16:32
right away and so so one of the messages01:16:37
that seems to echo through these old01:16:39
testament stories is that just because01:16:42
something terrible happens to you01:16:44
doesn't mean that you get to be that you01:16:47
get to wander off the path and make01:16:49
things worse and maybe it doesn't matter01:16:52
how terrible it is that what happens to01:16:55
you that's a tough call you know because01:16:57
you see people now and then in life who01:16:59
they've really got it rough man like 5001:17:02
bad things are happening to them at the01:17:03
same time and you think oh it's no01:17:05
wonder if you were bitter and resentful01:17:06
and hostile be like yeah no wonder but01:17:09
then you meet people and Solzhenitsyn01:17:11
again talked about this in the Gulag01:17:12
Archipelago he said he met lots of01:17:14
people in the North Lodz01:17:15
he met enough people to impress him in01:17:18
the concentration camp system who didn't01:17:20
allow their misfortunes to corrupt them01:17:22
and that's something because maybe the01:17:25
only real misfortune is to become01:17:27
corrupted that's a really useful thing01:17:30
to think you know maybe the rest of it01:17:32
maybe the rest of it is trivial in01:17:35
comparison I know that's a rough thing because you01:17:37
can be in very harsh circumstances but I01:17:39
do think there's something to that and01:17:41
the Lord was with Joseph and he was a01:17:43
prosperous man and he was in the house01:17:45
of his master the Egyptian and his01:17:47
master saw that the Lord was with him01:17:48
and that Lord made all that he did to01:17:50
prosper in his hand so that's an echo of01:17:52
the idea that we encountered earlier01:17:53
about walking with God right so Adam01:17:56
walked with God before he ate the fruit01:17:58
with Eve and then he wouldn't walk with01:18:00
God and then Noah walked with God and01:18:02
Abraham walked with God and so the idea01:18:04
is well that's that alignment with the01:18:06
highest ideal I think it's something01:18:08
like that and you know we could think01:18:10
about that as a metaphysical claim as01:18:12
well but I don't think it is I mean I've01:18:16
got thousands of letters now in the last01:18:19
year from people who have told me that01:18:22
they were in a pit that's exactly right01:18:26
and that they decided that they were01:18:28
going to try to put their lives together01:18:31
and that it worked and so that's really01:18:36
something you know when they write01:18:37
surprised it's like well I decided that01:18:39
I was gonna work hard at what I was01:18:41
doing and I wasn't gonna lie any more01:18:43
than absolutely necessary I thought I'd01:18:44
give it a try for a few months you know01:18:46
and all sorts of good things started to01:18:48
happen to me it's like maybe that's how01:18:51
the world works now obviously it doesn't01:18:53
work like that all the time right01:18:55
because you can get sliced off at the01:18:57
knees I mean there's an arbitrary01:18:58
element to existence that that you can't01:19:01
wish away but that doesn't mean that01:19:04
there are it doesn't mean that there01:19:08
aren't bad strategies and good01:19:10
strategies and so I do think that one of01:19:14
the most fundamental existential01:19:15
questions is like if things aren't going01:19:18
well for you and your life is are you01:19:20
absolutely certain that you're doing01:19:21
absolutely everything you can to put01:19:23
things in order because if you're not01:19:25
then you shouldn't complain because you01:19:27
don't know to what degree you're01:19:28
actually contributing or even causing01:19:31
the circumstance now that's a very01:19:33
annoying thing to think and I'm not01:19:34
trying to blame the victim01:19:36
you know I know that people end up with01:19:37
lung cancer because they were exposed to01:19:39
asbestos you know and I'm not trying to01:19:41
although I also know too that if you01:19:43
have lung cancer because you've been01:19:45
exposed to asbestos that can be a01:19:47
tragedy or it can be hell and to some01:19:49
degree that depends on how you conduct yourself01:19:51
so I mean I know that's pretty gloomy01:19:53
possibilities right but so anyway so01:19:57
Joseph is a slave but it turns out that01:19:59
he's uh he hasn't sacrificed the01:20:03
integrity of his character and so it01:20:04
turns out that being it turns out that01:20:07
he's not a slave it's just that everyone01:20:09
around him thinks he's a slave but he's01:20:11
not so that's pretty interesting he was01:20:16
a goodly person and well favored well so01:20:18
he's a good guy and he's an impressive01:20:20
specimen as well this is pretty01:20:23
interesting given the current political01:20:25
climate I would say and it came to pass01:20:27
after these things that his master's01:20:29
wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and she01:20:32
said lie with me that means that01:20:35
actually has two meanings right but he01:20:38
refused and said unto his master's wife01:20:45
behold my master does not know what's01:20:49
with me in the house and he's committed01:20:50
all that he has to my hand there's no01:20:55
one greater in this house than I neither01:20:58
hath he kept back anything for me but01:21:00
you because you are his wife how then01:21:02
can I do this great wickedness01:21:04
wickedness and sin against God and it01:21:10
came to pass as she spake to Joseph day01:21:12
by day that he hearkened not unto her to01:21:14
lie by her or be with her it's being01:21:16
sexually harassed Joseph and it came to01:21:19
pass well its rounds right I mean look01:21:22
look at the painting and it came to pass01:21:31
about this time that Joseph went into01:21:33
the house to do his business and there01:21:34
was none of the men of the house there01:21:36
with in and she caught him by his01:21:38
garment saying lie with me and he left01:21:41
his garment in her hand and fled and got01:21:43
him out so that's so kind of01:21:46
embarrassing for poor Joseph I would say01:21:48
and a bit on the suspicious side and it01:21:51
came to pass when she saw that he had01:21:53
left his garment in her hand and was01:21:54
fled forth that she called unto the men01:21:57
of her house and spake unto them see see01:21:59
he hath brought in a Hebrew to mark us01:22:01
he came in unto01:22:02
you lie with me and I cried with a loud01:22:04
voice so what is it hell hath no fury01:22:09
like a woman scorned that's the proper01:22:12
commentary on that and it came to pass01:22:14
when he heard that I lifted up my voice01:22:16
and cried that he left his garment with01:22:17
me and fled and got himself out and it01:22:21
came to pass when his master heard the01:22:22
words of his wife so that's the farro01:22:24
which she spake unto him saying after01:22:26
this manner did thy servant to me his01:22:29
wrath was kindled and joseph's master01:22:31
took him and put him in prison a place01:22:33
where the Kings prisoners were was were01:22:35
bound and he was there in the prison01:22:37
well that sort of sucks it's like first01:22:41
his brothers betray him and throw him in01:22:43
a pit and then he gets made a slave01:22:45
which is probably better than being in01:22:46
the pit and then he becomes sort of like01:22:49
King slaves so that's working out pretty01:22:50
well and now someone lies about him he01:22:52
gets betrayed again and now it's into01:22:54
the prison with him and so it's this01:22:55
it's this again right it's the same01:22:57
thing it's Sisyphus up with the rock and01:23:01
then down and it's order chaos order01:23:04
chaos and then you have to think well01:23:07
are you the order or you the chaos or01:23:09
you the thing that's moving between them01:23:11
because that's the right thing to be01:23:13
because otherwise you're just order and01:23:15
that's a really bad idea or you're just01:23:17
chaos and that's a really bad idea you01:23:19
can be the thing that's dynamically01:23:21
mediating between them and that's what01:23:24
he's doing but the Lord was with Joseph01:23:27
and showed him mercy and gave him favor01:23:29
in the sight of the keeper of the prison01:23:31
that's no easy thing to do I would think01:23:34
you know it's like you're thrown in01:23:35
prison and now the jailer likes you now01:23:38
how exactly are you going to manage that01:23:40
it's a good thing to think about because01:23:42
you might think well if you were really01:23:44
in dire straits how is it that you01:23:45
should conduct yourself so that you have01:23:47
the highest probability of having things01:23:49
work out and it's not saying well Joseph01:23:52
took over the thumbscrew you know and01:23:55
started using that on the other01:23:56
prisoners that that's not the indication01:23:58
here at all it's that he's doing01:24:00
something he's acting like a person who01:24:03
isn't a prisoner even though he's in the01:24:06
prison just like he was acting like01:24:07
someone who wasn't a slave when he was a01:24:09
slave and so01:24:15
it makes you wonder who you can be01:24:18
despite the fact that other people think01:24:20
that you're whatever you appear to be01:24:22
and the keeper of the prison committed01:24:24
to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that01:24:26
were in the prison and whatsoever they01:24:28
did there he was the doer of it the01:24:30
keeper of the prison looked not to01:24:31
anything that was under his hand because01:24:33
the Lord was with him and that which he01:24:34
did the Lord made it to prosper so it's01:24:40
a repeat its a repeat of exactly what01:24:42
happened when he was the slave of the01:24:45
Pharaoh except it's one rung deeper into01:24:47
hell so to speak right so it's slave01:24:49
Pharaoh and here it's prisoner jail01:24:51
master but it doesn't matter the same01:24:53
thing happens so now Joseph is01:24:55
imprisonment the Pharaoh has a fit one01:24:57
day of peak and throws the chief of his01:25:00
Butler's into prison and the chief of01:25:01
his Baker's and they have a dream01:25:04
each of them and Joseph interprets the01:25:08
dreams seems to be something that he can01:25:10
do and he tells the butler that his01:25:15
dream means that the Pharaoh was going01:25:18
to forgive him and put him back in his01:25:19
position and he tells the baker that the01:25:22
Pharaoh isn't going to forgive him and01:25:24
that he's going to take off his head and01:25:26
hang him in a tree which was rather01:25:29
rough dream but that is what huh that's01:25:31
what happens so anyways that the Baker01:25:33
or the butler goes free and Joseph says01:25:35
look you know maybe you could just keep01:25:37
in mind the fact that I did you a bit of01:25:41
a favor here and told you something that01:25:42
was accurate but the chief didn't really01:25:45
remember once he once he was freed01:25:48
interpreting dreams in prison and so now01:25:55
the Pharaoh has a dream and he actually01:25:58
has two dreams so it's another one of01:26:00
those doubled motifs so the ideas these01:26:03
are really important dreams because they01:26:04
came in a pair and behold there came out01:26:07
of the river seven well-favored kind and01:26:10
fat flesh so cattle and they fed the men01:26:14
Oh meadow and behold seven other cattle01:26:17
came up after the Mount of the river01:26:19
ill-favored and lean fleshed starving01:26:22
and stood by the other cows on the brink01:26:24
of the river and the ill-favored and01:26:26
lean flesh01:26:27
I did eat up the seven well-favored and01:26:30
fat so Pharaoh awoke hey fair enough01:26:34
it's pretty nasty dream and then he has01:26:37
another dream to hit it home and he01:26:41
slept and dreamt the second time and01:26:42
behold seven years of corn came up upon01:26:45
one stalk rankin good and behold seven01:26:48
thin ears and blasted with the east wind01:26:50
sprung up after them and the seven thin01:26:52
ears devoured the seven rank and full01:26:54
ears and Pharaoh awoke and beheld it was01:26:57
a dream and then it says a little later01:26:59
and for that the dream was doubled unto01:27:01
Pharaoh twice it is because the thing is01:27:03
established by God and God will shortly01:27:05
bring it to pass it's interesting you01:27:07
know because one of the better theories01:27:09
about dreams is that they're part of the01:27:12
way that the right and left hemisphere01:27:14
communicate or maybe the nonverbal part01:27:16
of the brain communicates with the01:27:17
verbal brand verbal part of the brain01:27:19
and so the nonverbal part of the brain01:27:23
which is less differentiated and thinks01:27:26
more globally is looking for patterns01:27:27
and anomalies in the world things that01:27:30
don't fit well with the current way of01:27:33
conceptualizing the world things that01:27:35
make you anxious and uncertain and those01:27:37
are things you haven't mastered right so01:27:39
they don't fit well into your01:27:40
conceptualization of the world by01:27:42
definition because if you had mastered01:27:44
them they wouldn't make you anxious01:27:45
nervous and so the the nonverbal parts01:27:49
of your brain are like an alarm system01:27:50
they're looking around for places where01:27:52
you're probably wrong and then they put01:27:55
those in images and try to conceptualize01:27:57
them so that you can update your model01:28:00
of reality to take them into account but01:28:02
that also produces a fair bit of01:28:03
negative emotion especially at night and01:28:06
so so we know that we know if you01:28:12
deprive people of dreams that they go01:28:14
insane very rapidly animals as well01:28:16
necessary part of mental equilibrium the01:28:19
way you do that with rats in case you01:28:21
want to know is that you've got rats01:28:23
that you want to drive insane this is01:28:24
how you do it01:28:25
so you put the rat on a like a pedestal01:28:29
that's pretty small and then when you01:28:31
fall it's surrounded by water and then01:28:33
when he falls asleep his nose hits the01:28:35
water then he wakes up and so you can01:28:37
deprive the rat of sleep and that01:28:39
doesn't the rats don't respond to01:28:41
very well after some period of time so01:28:44
that's one of the ways that that's been01:28:47
discovered but anyways the dream does01:28:49
seem to be an update mechanism and so if01:28:52
if you have a very powerful dream like a01:28:54
nightmare especially if it's repeating01:28:56
it's like something is trying to hammer01:28:58
on the door that needs to be let in and01:29:01
often you don't know how to let it in01:29:02
that's that's a problem so but then01:29:07
Pharaoh sent and called Joseph because01:29:09
he had talked to his his Butler and they01:29:12
brought him hastily out of the dungeon01:29:13
and Joseph shaved himself and changed01:29:15
his clothes and came in unto Pharaoh I01:29:18
guess he didn't want a shark Pharaoh01:29:20
with how people dressed in the prison01:29:21
and Pharaoh said unto Joseph I've01:29:23
dreamed a dream and there's none that01:29:25
can interpret it I've heard say of thee01:29:26
that you could understand a dream to01:29:28
interpret it and Joseph said it's not me01:29:30
God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace01:29:34
it's so Jacob isn't taking credit for01:29:37
his ability to interpret dreams which01:29:39
also indicates quite interestingly01:29:40
there's there's nothing that despite the01:29:44
fact that he's successful incompetent01:29:45
he's not narcissistic like if he happens01:29:48
to have this gift he regards it as a01:29:50
gift and not as something that you know01:29:52
renounced his favor it's just something01:29:54
that he happens to be able to do and so01:29:56
that's that's a hallmark of someone01:29:58
who's got a pretty well put-together01:30:00
personality as far as I'm concerned01:30:02
because you know people have gifts that01:30:06
they didn't really earn those would be01:30:08
your talents your intelligence your good01:30:10
looks if you happen to have good looks01:30:11
etc and they're not there's no sense01:30:15
being all puffed up about that because01:30:17
it's it's great it's luck of the draw01:30:19
though and the proper attitude is to01:30:22
note that it's luck of the draw to be01:30:23
grateful for it it's quite a fine01:30:31
painting that one behold there come01:30:37
seven years of great plenty throughout01:30:38
the island of Egypt and then there shall01:30:40
arise after them seven years of famine01:30:42
and all the plenty shall be forgotten01:30:43
and the famine shall consume the land01:30:45
and the Plenty shall not be known in the01:30:47
land by reason of that famine following01:30:49
issue for it shall be very Grievous so01:30:54
now we01:30:55
to that Jacob he can interpret dreams01:30:57
but he's also the sort of person who can01:30:58
look into the future and think this is01:31:01
sort of what Adam was called on to do01:31:03
when he got kicked out of the garden of01:31:05
paradise is you're going to be able to01:31:07
conceptualize that even if things are01:31:09
going well now that that doesn't mean01:31:11
that they're going to go well into the01:31:12
future and so he's the aunt and not the01:31:16
grasshopper right in the grasshopper and01:31:18
the ant story it's like everything's01:31:19
good but you should wake the hell up and01:31:22
you should test to see how things can go01:31:24
wrong and you can see if your systems01:31:26
can survive them things going wrong and01:31:30
which is something that I think we could01:31:32
all hearken to because I think we do a01:31:34
very bad job in the modern world of01:31:36
testing to see if our systems can go01:31:37
wrong okay so the Pharaoh was pretty01:31:43
impressed by this dream interpretation01:31:45
and pretty worried about it and I guess01:31:46
he's a reasonable person despite the01:31:48
fact that he put Joseph in jail I guess01:31:50
he didn't have much choice now therefore01:31:53
let Pharaoh look for a man dis discreet01:31:56
and wise and set him over the land of01:31:58
Egypt let Pharaoh do this and let him01:32:00
appoint officers over the land this is01:32:01
what Joseph is saying and take up the01:32:03
fifth part of the land of Egypt in the01:32:06
seven plenteous years and let them01:32:11
gather all the food of those good years01:32:12
that come and lay up corn under the hand01:32:14
of Pharaoh and let them keep food in the01:32:15
cities and just like that Joseph is01:32:20
restored to his position so Pharaoh said01:32:24
unto Joseph I am Pharaoh and without01:32:26
thee shall no man lift up his hand or01:32:28
foot in all of the land of Egypt and so01:32:30
he comes out of the prison and he really01:32:34
in some sense as far as I'm concerned he01:32:37
actually occupies a position that's01:32:38
higher than the position of the Pharaoh01:32:40
depends on how you look at it because01:32:41
the Pharaoh has relegated himself to01:32:43
ceremonial status right Joseph has all01:32:46
the responsibilities makes all the01:32:47
decisions so de-facto he's the pharaoh01:32:50
he doesn't get the glory precisely01:32:53
although he's not doing too bad for01:32:54
himself not there's a lesson in that too01:32:56
I wrote these rules for Quora a long01:33:00
time ago and one of them I've written01:33:02
them into this some of them into this01:33:04
book you guys got a pamphlet about today01:33:06
one of the rules that I didn't write01:33:07
about was01:33:09
um note that responsive note that01:33:12
opportunity lurks where responsibility01:33:14
has been abdicated which is really01:33:16
interesting I think I mean I've seen01:33:18
people in their jobs they say things01:33:20
like well my the guy I work with doesn't01:33:22
do any work it's like well you could do01:33:25
it I mean I know there's limits to that01:33:27
but one of the things you can do at work01:33:30
is make yourself indispensable I mean01:33:32
you might get the cane types against you01:33:34
if you do that but there's something to01:33:36
be said for being indispensable because01:33:38
when people start to be dispensed with01:33:41
you probably won't be one of them or01:33:43
even if you are then the fact that01:33:45
you're indispensable just means you can01:33:47
go somewhere else and be indispensable01:33:48
there and that's just as useful so it's01:33:53
very very difficult to permanently put01:33:56
down someone who's really good at doing01:33:59
things because they can just go off and01:34:01
do them somewhere else and one of the01:34:03
ways that you get like that is to take01:34:05
responsibility when someone else is01:34:08
failing to do so and you think well I01:34:10
shouldn't have to do that that's one way01:34:11
of thinking about it another way of01:34:13
thinking about it is oh good I get to do01:34:15
that and the seven years of plenty estas01:34:19
that was in the land of Egypt were ended01:34:21
and the seven years of dearth began to01:34:22
come according as joseph has said and01:34:26
the dearth was in all the lands well01:34:29
that's an archetypal story right in the01:34:33
archetypal story it's the business cycle01:34:34
story it's a little harsher when you're01:34:37
starving obviously but that's not the01:34:39
point the point is is that sometimes01:34:42
things are getting good and sometimes01:34:43
things are getting bad and that's you01:34:46
can be sure that that's the case that's01:34:48
gonna happen to you and so the wise01:34:50
person takes stock of the fact that01:34:53
things are going to get bad is this is01:34:55
the same thing that happens with Noah01:34:57
it's like assume the flood cuz it's01:35:00
gonna happen and you think well it's a01:35:03
hell of a world that has floods it's01:35:04
like not if you have a boat right it it01:35:08
helps a lot if you if there's a flood01:35:09
and you have a boat it's like you can01:35:11
float on the flood and then it's not01:35:13
such a problem and so if you refuse to01:35:18
look not the fact that things are going01:35:21
to be going downhill bad01:35:23
and that you're going to be in a pit at01:35:25
some point you and your family perhaps01:35:27
then when it happens it will be as bad01:35:31
as it possibly can be but if you're01:35:34
awake and alert to that possibility then01:35:38
you can mitigate it and the dearth was01:35:44
in all the lands but in the land of01:35:45
Egypt there was bread and when the land01:35:49
of Egypt was famished the people cried01:35:50
to Pharaoh for bread and Pharaoh said01:35:52
unto the Egyptians go to Joseph what he01:35:54
says to you to do you do that and the01:35:57
famine was all over the face of the01:35:59
earth and Joe Joseph opened up the01:36:00
storehouses and sold to the Egyptians01:36:02
and the famine waxed sore in the land of01:36:05
Egypt and all the countries came into01:36:06
Egypt to buy to Joseph to buy corn01:36:10
because the famine was sore in all the01:36:12
lands now when Jacob saw that there was01:36:16
corn in Egypt Jacob said unto his sons01:36:19
why are you standing around looking at01:36:21
each other01:36:22
he said I've heard that there's corn in01:36:24
Egypt get down there and buy from by for01:36:28
us so that we may live and not die it's01:36:30
a pretty straightforward advice that and01:36:33
Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy01:36:35
corn in Egypt but Benjamin Joseph's01:36:38
brother so that's the youngest one right01:36:40
the only one left it's the one that was01:36:42
younger than Joseph the only youngest01:36:44
one and also rachel's other son but Jeb01:36:47
Benjamin Joseph's brother Jacob didn't01:36:49
send because he was worried that01:36:52
something bad would happen to him which01:36:55
kind of indicates to me that maybe Jacob01:36:57
was a bit suspicious about what had01:36:59
happened to Joseph the last time he sent01:37:01
all the brothers on a adventure and01:37:05
Joseph was the governor over all the01:37:07
land and and he it was that sold to all01:37:10
the people of the land and Joseph's01:37:11
brothers came and bowed down themselves01:37:13
before him with their faces to the earth01:37:15
well there's the dream now the thing is01:37:19
too is that one question you have in01:37:23
your life is who should you bow down to01:37:24
and you might say no one that's not01:37:28
exactly the right answer because that01:37:29
means that you don't have an ideal01:37:31
because you bow down to your ideal01:37:32
that's what makes it an ideal and if you01:37:34
don't have an ideal then what the hell01:37:35
are you01:37:36
do so you have to bow down to something01:37:38
and so what happens here is well01:37:40
the brothers are bowing down to the01:37:43
person who's so bloody resilient and01:37:45
competent that they can take themselves01:37:46
out of a prison and become the ruler of01:37:48
the land that happened to vaclav havel01:37:50
right in czechoslovakia it also happened01:37:52
to Mandela in South Africa like these01:37:56
things actually happen it's really01:37:58
something01:37:59
so you god only knows what you might01:38:01
learn in prison so so they bow down to01:38:08
Joseph and properly so you know he's he01:38:10
is even without his coat he's still the01:38:13
person with the coat of many colors and01:38:15
Joseph saw his brothers and he knew them01:38:17
but he made them so strange unto them01:38:19
it's a number of years have passed and01:38:21
he spoke roughly unto them and he said01:38:22
unto them where do you come from and01:38:24
they said from the land of Canaan to buy01:38:27
food and Joseph knew whose brothers were01:38:29
but they didn't know who he was and they01:38:34
came back to Jacob their father and told01:38:36
him all that befell him and said the man01:38:39
whose Lord of the country spoke roughly01:38:40
to us and took us for spies01:38:42
and we said to him where were true men01:38:46
honest men we're not spies we be twelve01:38:48
brothers sons of our fathers one is not01:38:51
and the youngest is this day with our01:38:53
Father in the land of Canaan and the man01:38:57
said here's how I'll know that you're01:38:59
honest men leave one of the brothers01:39:01
here with me and take some food for the01:39:04
famine of your households and be gone01:39:05
and then bring your youngest brother to01:39:07
me then I'll know that you're not spies01:39:10
but that you're honest men and I'll01:39:12
deliver the other brother and he shall01:39:14
trade in the land so you don't have to01:39:17
starve to death and it came to pass as01:39:19
they emptied their sacks that behold01:39:20
every man's bundle of money was in his01:39:23
sock and when both they and their father01:39:25
saw the bundles of money they were01:39:26
afraid so01:39:27
they had bought food from Joseph and he01:39:30
gave them the food and then he put all01:39:31
their money back and their socks which I01:39:34
could imagine would worry them to some01:39:35
degree and Jacob said me you have01:39:39
already believed of my children Joseph01:39:41
is not as Simeon is not now you'll take01:39:42
Benjamin Benjamin away all these things01:39:45
are against me and Reuben spake unto his01:39:48
father saying slay my two sons if01:39:50
bring him not to thee deliver him into01:39:51
my hand and I will bring him to the01:39:53
again and he and he said no my son shall01:39:57
not go down with you for his brother is01:39:59
dead and he's left alone if mischief01:40:00
befall him by the way in the which you01:40:03
shall go then you shall bring down my01:40:05
great gray hairs with sorrow to the01:40:07
grave now there's a hint see what01:40:10
happens in the last part of the Jacob01:40:12
storage the Joseph's story is and this01:40:14
is associated with the idea of putting01:40:17
your house in order your individual01:40:18
house in order and then putting your01:40:20
family's house in order let's say01:40:21
reversed a little bit in this story01:40:23
because Joseph puts himself together and01:40:25
then he puts the state of Egypt in order01:40:28
which is really quite interesting01:40:30
because Egypt is the canonical tyranny01:40:32
right in the Old Testament and so the01:40:34
idea is very very clear here that the01:40:37
person who wears the coat of many colors01:40:39
can put the tyranny right and then the01:40:42
next extension is well he has to put his01:40:44
family right now you know generally the01:40:46
progression would be put yourself right01:40:47
then put your family right then put the01:40:49
state right something like that it01:40:50
doesn't really hit if you can do it in a01:40:52
different order that's probably ok too01:40:53
but so so that's what happens at the end01:40:57
of the story is that you know Joseph is01:41:01
doing pretty damn well and so is the01:41:03
state that he serves but that isn't good01:41:05
enough for him he wants his family to be01:41:07
functional and put together properly01:41:10
even though they did terrible things to01:41:13
him and that's very interesting because01:41:16
once someone does terrible things to you01:41:18
then the logical thing or a logical01:41:21
thing to think is well go to hell in a01:41:23
handbasket you know like you deserve01:41:25
exactly what you get but it's not a very01:41:32
productive attitude especially if you're01:41:34
around people that you have to be around01:41:36
you know so like if it's your family and01:41:40
you go have a family dinner and one of01:41:42
you punches the other and then the other01:41:44
punches you back and then that's like01:41:45
the family dinner for the next thirty01:41:47
years it doesn't seem to be very01:41:49
productive even if you're the person who01:41:50
happened to get in the last blow because01:41:53
you're gonna have to put up with them at01:41:54
minimum it might be nice to just let01:41:57
what you can go go and work to make01:42:00
towards making things better01:42:03
have to get rid of the idea of revenge01:42:04
and resentment and all those things that01:42:06
you carry along but but it's probably01:42:13
better to think about how your family01:42:14
could be if it was really functioning01:42:16
well and then just a money Ringley at01:42:19
that no no that's not easy I mean people01:42:22
are very screw in there's no end to the01:42:26
depths of Pathology within families but01:42:28
of course this story states that very01:42:31
clearly I mean they tried to kill him01:42:34
they've sold him into slavery it's it's01:42:37
a pathological family let's put it that01:42:39
way and but Joseph's attitude is well we01:42:43
got to set this right not least because01:42:46
of his father but it isn't only because01:42:47
of his father as you see and as the01:42:49
story unfolds and the famine was sore in01:42:51
the land and it came to pass when they01:42:53
had eaten up the corn which they had01:42:55
brought out of Egypt their father said01:42:56
unto them go again and buy us a little01:42:59
food and Judah spake unto him saying the01:43:03
man did solemnly protest unto us you not01:43:05
see you will not see my face except your01:43:07
brother be with you they can't go back01:43:08
to Egypt without Benjamin and they said01:43:12
the man asked us straightly of our state01:43:15
and of her kindred saying is your father01:43:16
yet alive have you another brother and01:43:18
we told him according to the tenor of01:43:20
those words could we know that he would01:43:23
say bring your brother down and Judah01:43:25
said unto Israel his father send the01:43:27
loud with me and will arise and go that01:43:29
we may live and not die both we and vow01:43:31
and also our little ones I will be01:43:33
surety for him my hand shall they'll01:43:36
require him if I bring him not unto thee01:43:38
and set them before thee then let me01:43:40
bear the blame forever well so Judah who01:43:45
played a pretty dismal role in the01:43:47
original selling Joseph into slavery01:43:51
seems to obviously have learned01:43:53
something by this point since he's01:43:55
willing to put himself on the line you01:43:57
know to take responsibility for the01:43:59
situation and to put himself on the line01:44:01
and to stand in for Benjamin so he's01:44:03
making himself into a sacrificial object01:44:06
of sorts and so the game that01:44:12
Joseph's playing cuz he's sort of01:44:13
teasing his brothers but he's also01:44:15
testing them the game that he's playing01:44:17
is tuefel is one is have you bloody well01:44:19
learned anything or are you just as01:44:21
corrupt and useless as you were before01:44:22
that's game number one in game number01:44:24
two is maybe if I poke and prod you and01:44:27
put you into a relatively difficult and01:44:29
mysterious situation I can get you to01:44:31
clue the hell in and the Dorp some01:44:34
responsibilities and we can move this01:44:35
whole mess forward and so that seems to01:44:38
be happening so Judah is taking01:44:40
responsibility and Reuben did that as01:44:42
well and the men took presence and they01:44:44
took double money in their hand and01:44:45
Benjamin and rose up and went down to01:44:47
Egypt and stood before Joseph and when01:44:50
Joseph saw Benjamin with them he said to01:44:52
the ruler of his house bring these men01:44:53
home and slay and make ready food for01:44:57
these men shall dine with me at noon and01:44:58
the men man did as Joseph bade and the01:45:00
man brought the men into Joseph's house01:45:03
and when Joseph came home they brought01:45:05
him the presents which was in their hand01:45:06
and bowed themselves again to him to the01:45:10
earth and he asked them of their welfare01:45:13
and said is your father well the old man01:45:14
of whom you spake is whom you spake is01:45:17
he yet alive and they answered thy01:45:19
servant our Father is in good health01:45:21
he's yet alive and they bowed down their01:45:23
heads and made obeisance and he lifted01:45:29
up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin01:45:31
his mother's son and said is this your01:45:34
younger brother of whom you spake unto01:45:36
me and he said God be gracious unto thee01:45:38
my son and Joseph made haste for his01:45:42
bowels did yearn upon his brother and he01:45:44
saw it where to weep and he entered into01:45:47
his chamber and wept there and he washed01:45:48
his face and went out and refrained01:45:50
himself and said set on the bread and01:45:52
they sat before them now he plays01:45:55
another trick on his brother so he has01:45:57
them all sit at the table but he lines01:45:58
them up according to age and so he's01:46:01
trying to what is he trying to do start01:46:05
to freak them out fundamentally and so01:46:08
it and he manages that because they have01:46:10
no idea how in the world they could01:46:11
possibly he could possibly pull01:46:13
something like that off they think it's01:46:14
magic and the men marvelled at one01:46:17
another and he took and sent messes unto01:46:20
them from before him but Benjamin's mess01:46:22
was five times as much as any of theirs01:46:24
so what's he doing01:46:26
well he's testing his brothers again the01:46:28
fact that when he was the child Joseph01:46:32
that he got more meant that his brothers01:46:35
got terribly jealous and then murderous01:46:37
right and so now he's doing the same01:46:39
thing with Benjamin he's thinking okay01:46:40
well I'll give this kid more mm-hmm01:46:43
then he is share you know what how these01:46:48
reprobates behave and see if they've01:46:50
learned anything and so and he commanded01:46:54
the steward of his house saying fill the01:46:56
men's sock with food as much as they can01:46:57
carry and put every money man's money in01:46:59
the sock as well and put my cup the01:47:02
silver cup in the sacks mouth of the01:47:03
youngest and his corn money and the01:47:07
steward did according to the word that01:47:08
Joseph had spoken as soon as the morning01:47:10
was light the men were sent away along01:47:12
with their transportation the cup is01:47:19
found in Benjamin's sack well so01:47:20
Benjamin is kind of young and Joseph01:47:27
sends out people to find out where the01:47:29
cup has gone and they find it in01:47:30
Benjamin's in Benjamin's sock and01:47:33
they're very upset about this they said01:47:37
that a harsh punishment would befall01:47:39
whoever had the cup in his sock they01:47:42
rent their clothes and laid it every man01:47:43
his house and returned to this city and01:47:45
Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's01:47:47
house for he was they yet there and they01:47:49
fell before him on the ground01:47:50
very unhappy and apologetic and Joseph01:47:53
said unto them what deed is this that01:47:55
you have done ha ha ha don't you know01:47:58
that a man like I can certainly divine I01:48:01
know what's going on and Judah said what01:48:04
shall we say what shall we speak or how01:48:06
can we possibly clear ourselves God01:48:08
found out the iniquity of thy servants01:48:10
behold we are your servants both we and01:48:12
also he with whom the cup is found and01:48:16
he said God forbid that I should do so01:48:19
but the man in whose cup and whose hand01:48:23
the cup has found he shall be my servant01:48:25
and as for you get you up in peace to01:48:27
your father it's the discovery of the01:48:32
cup01:48:38
Judis says now therefore when I come to01:48:41
this servant thy father my father and01:48:43
the loud be not with us and seeing that01:48:45
his life is bound up in the lads life it01:48:47
shall come to pass when he sees that the01:48:49
lad is not with us that he will die and01:48:52
the servants shall bring down the gray01:48:54
hairs of thy servant or father with01:48:56
sorrow to the grave for thy servant01:48:58
became surety for the lad unto my father01:49:00
saying if I bring him not unto thee then01:49:03
I shall bear the blame to my father01:49:04
forever now therefore I pray thee let me01:49:08
stay instead of the lad and let the lad01:49:11
go with his brothers for how shall I go01:49:13
up to my brother and the loud be not01:49:15
with me01:49:16
lest peradventure I shall see the evil01:49:19
that will come on my father ok so what's01:49:22
happened well they learned a lesson01:49:23
so now Judah again is willing to stand01:49:28
in the place of Benjamin and become a01:49:30
slave himself and so now Joseph has01:49:34
determined that his brothers have01:49:37
developed their character to the point01:49:39
where reconciliation might be possible01:49:42
you know it says you should forgive and01:49:45
forget01:49:46
but the conditions for that are quite01:49:49
are quite specific you know if you're if01:49:53
you have a dispute with someone and01:49:55
they've wronged you in some sense and01:49:57
they apologize the question is what's01:50:00
the apology well it's a it's layout of a01:50:03
rationale it's something like as far as01:50:06
I can tell here's the reasons I did this01:50:07
horrible thing and here's what I've01:50:10
learned from it01:50:11
and here's what I'm gonna do to try not01:50:13
to do it again and would you give me01:50:15
another crack at it that's the proper01:50:18
repentance right and then you forgive01:50:20
because you're an idiot too and you'll01:50:22
probably do something stupid and maybe01:50:24
you'd like the same kind of break at01:50:25
some point and and besides if we all01:50:28
held each other completely to account at01:50:30
all possible times for everything then01:50:32
it'd just be hopeless because there01:50:34
would be no room for error01:50:35
so the forgiveness which Joseph is01:50:40
showing is wise forgiveness he's not01:50:42
gonna put himself out on the line for01:50:44
people who haven't learned so that the01:50:46
same stupid thing can happen again so01:50:47
that they can continue to spread misery01:50:49
wherever they go01:50:50
oh he's gonna find out if they've clued01:50:51
in a little bit and then if so then they01:50:54
can move on with putting a family01:50:56
together and so that breaks him up he01:50:59
says Joseph could not refrain himself01:51:01
before all of them that stood by him and01:51:03
he cried and then he said get every man01:51:07
away from me so all the people except01:51:12
for Joseph's brother left and there01:51:14
stood no man with him well Joseph made01:51:15
himself known unto his brothers and01:51:19
Joseph said I'm Joseph is my father01:51:21
still alive and his brothers could not01:51:24
answer for they were troubled at his01:51:25
presence it's like yeah understatement01:51:33
of the decade there mmm01:51:35
when Joseph said unto his brothers come01:51:37
nearer to me I pray you and they came01:51:39
nearer and he said I am Joseph your01:51:41
brother who you sold into Egypt but01:51:43
don't be grieved or angry with yourself01:51:45
that you sold me hither for God did send01:51:47
me before you to preserve life so now it01:51:51
was not you that sent me here but God01:51:53
and he's made me a father to Pharaoh and01:51:55
Lord of all his house and a ruler01:51:57
throughout all the land of Egypt01:51:59
hurry and go to my father and say unto01:52:01
Him thus say thy son Joseph God has made01:52:05
me Lord of all GE gypped come down unto01:52:07
me and Terry nod and thou shalt dwell in01:52:13
the land of Goshen and thou shalt be01:52:14
near unto me thou and thy children and01:52:16
their children's children and thy flocks01:52:17
and they herds and all that thou hast01:52:18
and I there I will nourish you for yet01:52:22
there are five years of famine lest thou01:52:24
and I household and all that thou hast01:52:26
come to poverty so that's the other01:52:28
thing that another bit of a hint it's a01:52:31
bread hint here who's the what's the01:52:38
most reliable source of bread well it01:52:41
isn't bread itself it's whatever it is01:52:42
that gives rise to bread and that's what01:52:45
Joseph is in this story he's the force01:52:47
that gives ride rise to nourishment01:52:50
that's an Joseph is often considered a01:52:53
type of Christ which means like a01:52:55
precursor in some sense that's that's01:52:57
one way of thinking about it and you can01:52:58
see that echoed right there it's like01:53:00
well what do you store up01:53:03
for famine you stir up character that's01:53:07
the best way through now that doesn't01:53:10
mean you don't also store up bread andd01:53:14
they went out of Egypt and came into the01:53:16
land of Canaan unto Jacob and told him01:53:18
Josephus is still alive and he's01:53:20
governor and Jacob's heart fainted for01:53:22
he didn't believe them they told him all01:53:24
the words of Joseph which he said to01:53:25
them and when he saw all the wagons01:53:27
which Joseph had sent to carry him the01:53:29
spirit of Jacob their father revived and01:53:30
Israel said it is enough Joseph my son01:53:33
is yet alive I will go and see him01:53:35
before I die and Israel took his journey01:53:38
with all that he had and came to01:53:39
Beersheba and offered sacrifices unto01:53:41
the God of his father Isaac and God01:53:43
spake unto Israel in the visions of the01:53:45
night and said Jacob and he said here am01:53:48
i he said I am God the God of thy father01:53:50
don't fear to go to eat down into Egypt01:53:53
for I will make you a great nation there01:53:55
and so that's how they Israelites end up01:53:58
in Egypt I will go down with the into01:54:01
Egypt and I will also surely bring the01:54:02
up again and Jacob shall put his hand01:54:05
upon thy eyes die dies and Jacob rose up01:54:07
from Beersheba and the sons of Israel01:54:09
carried Jacob their father and their01:54:10
little ones and their wives in the01:54:11
wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry01:54:13
him so the families now all united in01:54:16
the proper state of being that joseph01:54:18
has arranged and they took their cattle01:54:21
and their goods it's so interesting too01:54:23
because of course Joseph isn't even he's01:54:25
a foreigner as well as being a former01:54:28
slave and prisoner foreigner slave and01:54:31
prisoner and yet he ends up ruling Egypt01:54:33
sure surely because of the force of his01:54:36
character and competence and that's01:54:38
really something to think about and they01:54:41
took their cattle because that story01:54:43
there is that there isn't anything01:54:44
stronger than that doesn't matter what01:54:46
the circumstances are that there isn't a01:54:48
force that's more powerful than that and01:54:51
I don't think that that's naive in fact01:54:56
I think it's the exact opposite of naive01:54:58
no matter where you are you can01:55:00
generally make things better if that's01:55:02
what you want to do and unless you're01:55:05
inside in that place that's really hell01:55:06
itself not usually is something that01:55:11
elevates you and elevates the people01:55:12
around you and you can do that wherever01:55:15
you are because there isn't a place that01:55:17
sews01:55:18
all that you can't do that that's the01:55:19
message of the prison and they took01:55:21
their cattle and their goods which they01:55:23
had gotten in the land of Canaan and01:55:24
came into Egypt Jacob and all his seed01:55:27
with him and he sent Judah before him01:55:32
unto Joseph to direct his face unto01:55:33
Gorshin and they came into the land of01:55:35
gaussian and Joseph made ready his01:55:37
chariot and went to meet Israel his01:55:38
father and presented himself to him and01:55:41
fell on his neck and wept on his neck a01:55:43
good while and Israel said I can now die01:55:46
because I've seen your face because01:55:49
you're still alive01:55:51
and Pharaoh spake unto Joseph saying thy01:55:55
father and thy brethren are come unto01:55:57
thee and the land of Egypt is before01:55:59
thee and the best of the land your01:56:00
father and brothers can dwell in the01:56:02
land of gaash and let them dwell and if01:56:04
there now know any man of activity among01:56:06
them then make them rulers over my01:56:08
cattle gives them a job and Joseph01:56:10
brought in Jacob is farther and set him01:56:12
before Pharaoh and Jacob blessed Pharaoh01:56:15
that's a very interesting little turn of01:56:17
events because you'd expect the opposite01:56:19
under those circumstances so it appears01:56:24
that Jacob was a man of relatively great01:56:27
self possession because that's not it01:56:29
you wouldn't bless Queen Elizabeth in01:56:31
all likelihood su had a lot of gall and01:56:35
pharaoh said unto Jacob how old are you01:56:37
and Jacob said I'm a hundred and thirty01:56:39
years whew and evil have been the days01:56:42
of the years of my life and I've not01:56:44
attained unto the days of the years of01:56:45
my love the life of my fathers in the01:56:48
days of their pilgrimage Jacob blessed01:56:50
the Pharaoh and went out from before01:56:51
Pharaoh and Israel dwelt in the land of01:56:54
Egypt in the country of Gaussian and01:56:55
grew and multiplied exceedingly and01:56:59
Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 1701:57:01
years so the whole age of Jacob was 14701:57:04
years and the time drew nigh that Israel01:57:08
must die and he called his son Joseph01:57:09
and said unto Him if I have now found01:57:12
grace in it in thy sight put I pray thee01:57:15
the hand under my thigh and deal kindly01:57:17
and truly with me bury me not I pray01:57:20
thee in Egypt but I will lie with my01:57:22
fathers and thou shall carry me out of01:57:25
Egypt and bury me in their burying place01:57:27
and Joseph said I will do as you have01:57:30
said01:57:31
and it came to pass after these things01:57:34
that one told Joseph behold thy father01:57:36
is sick and he took with him his two01:57:38
sons Manasseh and Ephraim and one told01:57:40
Jacob and said behold thy son and one01:57:43
told Jacob and said behold thy son01:57:45
Joseph cometh unto thee and his real01:57:48
strength in himself and sat upon the bed01:57:49
and he Israel said unto Joseph I'd not01:57:52
thought to see your face and lo God also01:57:56
showed me your children and Joseph01:57:59
brought them out from between his knees01:58:00
and bowed himself with his face to the01:58:02
earth and Joseph took them both Ephraim01:58:04
in his right hand towards Israel's left01:58:06
hand and menace' and his left hand01:58:08
toward Israel's right hand and brought01:58:09
them near unto Him and Israel stretched01:58:12
out his right hand and laid it upon01:58:13
ephram's head who was the younger and01:58:15
his left hand upon manases head guiding01:58:18
his hands purposefully for manna so was01:58:20
the firstborn and when Joseph saw that01:58:22
his father laid his right hand on the01:58:24
head of Ephraim it displeased him and he01:58:26
held up his father's hand to remove it01:58:27
from Ephraim's head unto manases head01:58:30
and joseph said unto his father not not01:58:33
so my father for this is the firstborn01:58:35
put the right hand upon his head head01:58:37
and his father refused and said I know01:58:39
it my son I know it he shall also become01:58:42
a people and he shall also be great but01:58:44
truly his younger brother shall be01:58:46
greater than he and his seed shall01:58:48
become a multitude of Nations another01:58:50
repeat of the same thing that happens01:58:52
continually it says when when God wants01:58:55
to intervene in human affairs what he01:58:57
does is invert tradition it's something01:58:59
like that and so that's a sign that that01:59:02
there's something new and special going01:59:04
on and that gives precedence to the01:59:05
younger child rather than the older01:59:07
child precedents to what is new rather01:59:09
than what's traditional of course01:59:11
sometimes that's necessary because01:59:12
tradition is insufficient and sometimes01:59:15
something new has to come into being in01:59:17
order to update it and Jacob called01:59:19
together his sons and said gather01:59:21
together so that I can tell you that01:59:23
which shall befall you in the last days01:59:25
gather yourself together and here you01:59:28
sons of Jacob and hearken unto Israel01:59:29
your father Reuben I'm not going to go01:59:32
through all 12 of these Reuben thou art01:59:34
my firstborn my might and the beginning01:59:36
of my strength the excellency of dignity01:59:39
and the excellency of power now the01:59:43
stories01:59:44
interesting here because Jacob blesses01:59:48
Joseph's sons before he blesses his own01:59:50
sons and so what he's doing is placing01:59:55
the rights of the firstborn into the01:59:57
sons of his favorite son and then he02:00:00
goes to his sons and so that has02:00:02
implications for the way the biblical02:00:05
stories lay themselves out from02:00:06
thenceforward the excellency of dignity02:00:11
and the excellency of power unstable as02:00:13
water thou shalt not excel because thou02:00:15
wentest up to thy father's bed then02:00:17
defiled it he went up to my couch you02:00:20
may remember that Reuben slept with his02:00:22
father's cucum concubine Simeon and Levi02:00:27
are brethren instruments of cruelty are02:00:29
in their habitations stop painting there02:00:33
what happened with Simeon and Levi was02:00:35
that somebody lay with their sister02:00:41
Dinah and then offered to marry her and02:00:44
then head and then became circumcised02:00:48
because that was part of the deal and02:00:49
then held her older men circumcised and02:00:50
then Simeon and Levi went in when they02:00:52
were recovering and killed them all and02:00:55
then Jacob and all his people had to02:00:58
leave because all that irritated their02:01:00
relatives so see me Simeon and Levi are02:01:07
brethren instruments of Cruelty are in02:01:09
their habitations o my soul come not02:01:11
thou into their secret unto their02:01:13
assembly mine honor be not thou United02:01:15
for in their anger they slew a man and02:01:17
in their self self will they dig down a02:01:19
wall cursed be their anger for it was02:01:21
fierce and their route for it was cruel02:01:23
I will divide them in Jacob and scatter02:01:25
them in Israel Judah thou art he whom my02:01:29
brethren shall praise thy hand shall be02:01:30
in the neck of mine enemies thy father's02:01:33
children shall bow down before thee02:01:34
Judah is a lion's whelp from the prey my02:01:38
son thou art gone up he stooped down he02:01:41
couched as a lion and as an old lion who02:01:43
shall rouse him up the scepter shall not02:01:46
depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from02:01:48
between his feet until shiloh come and02:01:50
unto him shall the gathering of the02:01:52
people be Joseph02:01:56
a fruitful bough even a fruitful bough02:01:59
by a well whose branch has run over the02:02:01
wall the archers have sorely grieved him02:02:03
and shot at him and hated him but his02:02:05
bull abode in strength and the arms of02:02:08
his hands were made strong by the hands02:02:09
of the mighty God of Jacob for thence is02:02:12
the shepherd the stone of Israel even by02:02:17
the god of life farther who shall help02:02:19
thee and by their almighty he shall02:02:20
bless thee with the blessings of heavens02:02:22
above blessings of the deep that lieth02:02:24
under blessings of the beasts breasts02:02:26
and of the womb the blessings of thy02:02:28
father have prevailed above the02:02:30
blessings of my progenitors unto the02:02:31
utmost bound of the everlasting hills02:02:33
they shall be on the head of Joseph and02:02:36
on the crown of the head of him that was02:02:38
separate from his brethren all these are02:02:41
the twelve tribes of Israel and this is02:02:44
it that their father spake unto them and02:02:45
blessed them everyone according to his02:02:47
blessing he blessed them so that what we02:02:49
see here is an echo in some sense of02:02:53
what happens in the Mesopotamian02:02:54
creation story wind in the Mesopotamian02:02:59
creation story is the dragon of chaos02:03:01
timeout and her consort AB su freshwater02:03:08
and saltwater respectively and their02:03:10
mingled together and and that02:03:13
combination of chaos and order gives02:03:14
rise to the first Assembly of the02:03:17
ancient gods and then the ancient gods02:03:19
kill app soo casually and foolishly and02:03:23
enraged time at with their foolishness02:03:26
and ignorance and she comes back with a02:03:29
vengeance in the meantime and then she02:03:33
produces this huge army of monsters and02:03:35
puts King knew the worst of the monsters02:03:37
at its head and then decides she's going02:03:38
to take out her creation and so that's a02:03:41
little warning from 3,000 years ago02:03:43
about foolishly undermining your02:03:46
tradition so anyways the gods in their02:03:51
frenzy go out and try to fight against02:03:53
timeout and they come back with her02:03:55
tails between their legs continually but02:03:58
then a new God appears on the scene and02:03:59
that's Marduk he's got eyes all the way02:04:01
around his head and he can speak words02:04:03
of magic and they know that there's02:04:07
something new about this newest God it02:04:10
his capacity for vision in this capacity02:04:12
for articulate speech and so they say02:04:15
well why don't you go out and try to02:04:16
deal with the chaos and mardik says yeah02:04:19
ok no problem but here's the deal you02:04:22
elect me talk God and now I determine02:04:25
the destiny of the world and so they're02:04:27
desperate because like timeout is coming02:04:30
to get them that's chaos with the worst02:04:31
of all possible monsters they're02:04:33
probably thinking he's not gonna win02:04:34
anyways and so they agree and out he02:04:38
goes and he confronts time out who's the02:04:40
goddess of chaos he cuts her into pieces02:04:42
and he makes the world out of her pieces02:04:45
and one of his name's is he who makes02:04:47
ingenious things out of the combat with02:04:49
taya math which is so interesting that's02:04:52
such a remarkable that's a remarkable02:04:56
bit of nomenclature so who's should be02:04:58
at the pinnacle the force that sees and02:05:02
speaks and goes out to confront chaos02:05:04
voluntarily you know how many years it02:05:07
took people to figure that out that's02:05:09
like the pinnacle discovery of humanity02:05:12
that's what that is02:05:13
it's echoed here you know you see Simeon02:05:16
and Levi they're too angry the other02:05:18
brothers they all have flaws and faults02:05:20
of various sorts and so they're not02:05:22
elevated to the highest place but Joseph02:05:25
because he has his coat of many colors02:05:27
and because he lands on his feet no02:05:28
matter where he goes and because he's02:05:30
not resentful and bitter and malevolent02:05:33
and genocide 'el and and he's not02:05:36
shaking his fist at the sky or yelling02:05:39
at God because of Trump let's say then02:05:42
he's the he's the right he's the right02:05:45
representative of the 12 tribes and so02:05:48
that's brilliant it's a brilliant story02:05:52
all these are the twelve tribes of02:05:54
Israel and this is it that their fathers02:05:56
spake unto them and blessed them every02:05:58
one according to his blessing he blessed02:05:59
them and when Jacob had made an end of02:06:02
commanding his son so it's the last02:06:04
thing he does to state he knows that02:06:07
these are the twelve tribes that will02:06:12
progress into the future of this people02:06:14
and now he's trying it the last thing he02:06:16
does is to try to hierarchically02:06:18
organized their relative virtues as an02:06:21
indication of what has been learned02:06:24
and when jacob has made an end of02:06:26
commanding his sons he gathered up his02:06:28
feet into the bed and yielded up the02:06:30
ghost and was gathered unto his people02:06:31
and joseph fell upon his father's face02:06:34
and wept upon him and kissed him and02:06:35
Joseph commanded his servants to the02:06:37
physicians to embalm his father and the02:06:40
physicians embalmed Israel when the days02:06:43
of his mourning were passed Joseph spake02:06:45
unto the house of Pharaoh saying if now02:06:47
I have found grace in your eyes speak I02:06:51
pray you in the ears of Pharaoh saying02:06:52
my father made me swear saying lo I die02:06:55
in my grave which I have digged for me02:06:57
in the land of Canaan there shalt thou02:06:59
bury me now therefore let me go up I02:07:02
pray thee and bury my father and I will02:07:03
come again and Pharaoh said go up and02:07:05
bury thy father according as he made02:07:08
thee swear for his sons carried him into02:07:11
the land of Canaan and buried him in the02:07:12
cave of the field of Machpelah which02:07:15
Abraham bought with the field for a02:07:16
possession of the burying place of02:07:18
Ephraim the head02:07:19
before Mamre and Joseph returned unto02:07:22
Egypt he and his brethren and all that02:07:24
went up to him and that all and all that02:07:28
went up with him to burry his father02:07:29
after he is buried after he had buried02:07:31
his father and when Joseph's brethren02:07:33
saw that their father was dead they said02:07:37
Joseph will now hate us and will02:07:40
certainly pay back to us all the evil02:07:43
which we did unto him and they sent a02:07:45
messenger saying my father did command02:07:48
before he died saying for shall ye say02:07:51
unto Joseph forgive I pray thee now the02:07:53
trespass of thy brethren and their sin02:07:55
pretty snively really for they did unto02:07:57
the evil and now we pray they forgive02:07:59
the trespass of the servants of the God02:08:01
of thy father and Joseph wept when they02:08:04
spake unto him and his brethren also02:08:06
went and fell down before his face and02:08:08
they said Behold we be thy servants and02:08:11
Joseph said unto them fear not for am I02:08:15
in the place of God but as for you you02:08:18
thought evil against me but God meant it02:08:20
unto good to bring to pass as it is this02:08:23
day to save much people alive now02:08:29
therefore fear ye not I will nourish you02:08:30
and your little ones any comfort of them02:08:32
and spake kindly unto them02:08:39
so the the idea there is that there is02:08:47
no evil so evil that good cannot triumph02:08:50
over it and Joseph dwelt in Egypt he and02:08:55
his father's house and Joseph lived 11002:08:57
years and Joseph saw ephram's children02:09:00
of the third generation the children02:09:01
also of marker the son of menace' were02:09:04
brought up upon Joseph's knees and02:09:07
Joseph said unto his brethren I die and02:09:10
God will surely visit you and bring you02:09:12
out of this land unto the land where he02:09:14
swear to Abraham to Isaac and Jacob and02:09:16
Joseph took an oath of the children of02:09:19
Israel saying God will surely visit you02:09:20
and show and you shall carry my bones02:09:22
from hence02:09:23
so Joseph died being a hundred and ten02:09:25
years old and they embalmed him and he02:09:29
was put into a coffin in Egypt and02:09:32
that's Genesis so02:09:52
so thank you all for persevering02:10:15
[Music]02:10:24
thank you thank you well this has been02:10:27
very worthwhile as far as I'm concerned02:10:29
I learned an awful lot and so I'm very02:10:31
much looking forward to continuing with02:10:33
it and thank you all very much for your02:10:35
support and your rapt attention and your02:10:37
seriousness in this endeavor and your02:10:39
care and all of that it's really being a02:10:42
privilege to be able to do this it's a02:10:44
completely surreal thing to manage and02:10:48
so far you know I think about five02:10:51
million people have watched it so that02:10:53
seems to be a very good thing02:11:05
okay so I'm gonna ask the questioners if02:11:09
you've asked a question in the last02:11:11
three sessions please don't ask a02:11:14
question today because I I never get02:11:16
through everyone and so I'd like to have02:11:19
some questions from people that I02:11:20
haven't answered questions from before02:11:22
if that's okay hi professor Peterson02:11:26
just a 2-second thank you very much from02:11:29
my community in the Jewish community so02:11:31
many people have been inspired you by02:11:32
you to be better people and I wouldn't02:11:34
be able to speak to you without saying02:11:35
that so thank you very much a couple of02:11:39
things the first thing I wanted to do is02:11:40
make a quick comment that you might find02:11:42
interesting that in the Jewish02:11:43
astrological calendar we read the02:11:46
'really cycle of the the five books of02:11:47
Moses and it just so happens that we are02:11:49
reading this part of the of the Torah02:11:51
story school and synchronistic yeah02:11:55
which brings me into a question I want02:11:57
to ask you about which is one question02:11:59
with two parts about your knowledge of02:12:01
Hebrew because if you look at the Torah02:12:04
scrolls that you find in a synagogue02:12:06
there are no vowels there are no02:12:08
sentences there it is it is chaos chaos02:12:11
and order is trying to be bought into it02:12:13
I'm wondering how knowledge of you02:12:15
knowledgeable are you of the Hebrew02:12:16
which has many layers of I'm staggering02:12:20
the ignorant of it so you know I read a02:12:23
lot of commentaries right I'm trying to02:12:26
zero in on the like with each of the02:12:29
phrases that we went through today I02:12:31
probably looked at ten different02:12:32
commentaries and so and then I have this02:12:35
underlying psychoanalytic knowledge that02:12:38
it's sort of like if you have a bunch of02:12:42
different templates to look at things02:12:44
through and then something shines02:12:46
through all those templates at the same02:12:48
time that's very unlikely and so then02:12:50
you can you know a coincidence is one02:12:55
thing but five coincidences that's no02:12:57
longer a coincidence that's something02:12:59
else and so I think I'm hoping that02:13:01
despite the fact that there's many many02:13:03
things that I don't know that there's02:13:05
enough things that I do know to kind of02:13:07
weave my way through this with some02:13:09
degree of utility if not certainty yeah02:13:13
cuz I just which is the second part02:13:14
which I guess maybe you don't know but02:13:16
the the majestic the Jewish oral stories02:13:18
that date back almost02:13:19
as long as these stories which fill in a02:13:21
lot of mind-blowing ly crazy random so02:13:25
many details about these stories and I02:13:26
was just wondering if you had02:13:27
encountered any of them before I've02:13:28
encountered some of them but again it's02:13:30
it's well as you know it's a very very02:13:33
rich tradition and so I haven't02:13:36
encountered enough of it02:13:38
were you thinking of anything in02:13:40
specific specifically in relationship to02:13:42
this story not in particular I actually02:13:44
forgot it I was I was intending to bring02:13:46
you a book of majestic story that's a02:13:49
hell of a thing to say now to say that02:13:55
but yeah maybe for the exodus version02:13:58
I'll bring you this all right all right02:13:59
that would be good yeah okay02:14:03
hi dr. Peterson I would just like to ask02:14:07
you to please talk about what you called02:14:09
a psychic death also known as an ego02:14:11
death okay sorry say that again would02:14:15
you please talk about what you refer to02:14:17
as a psychic death also called an ego02:14:19
death that's what happens when someone02:14:23
who loves you betrays you right so02:14:27
imagine that like the world is02:14:30
complicated beyond comprehension02:14:32
right and you only see a very little bit02:14:34
of it and the way you structure your02:14:36
understanding is you make assumptions02:14:38
about things and they're simplifying02:14:40
assumptions so if you trust someone you02:14:43
reduce their complexity massively right02:14:46
because like let's say we were married02:14:48
then there's a whole bunch of ways that02:14:51
you're going to act that are going to be02:14:52
simpler okay so then I can tolerate02:14:56
being around you in some sense because02:14:58
you're not everything at once02:15:02
now those simplifying structures are02:15:06
hierarchically assembled and some of02:15:09
them are far more important than others02:15:11
Trust is one of them especially trust in02:15:13
loved ones family members which is why02:15:15
betrayal by a family member is really02:15:17
catastrophic because it you know it02:15:19
destabilizes your past right all the02:15:21
memories you have it destabilizes your02:15:23
present it destabilizes your future it02:15:25
shakes your faith in human beings02:15:27
including yourself and everything02:15:29
collapses and that's an ego death02:15:32
and so now underneath the ego as far as02:15:36
Jung was concerned was another structure02:15:38
that he called the self and the self is02:15:40
the thing that remains constant across02:15:42
ego deaths but it's it's deeper and less02:15:48
personal02:15:49
it's archetypal and it's the thing that02:15:52
the Eagle collapses into when it02:15:54
collapses and then that rebuilds the ego02:15:56
something like that across time but02:15:59
that's when an ego death is now there's02:16:02
variants of that because you can have a02:16:04
voluntary or involuntary ego death and a02:16:07
voluntary ego death is when you learn a02:16:09
bunch and you're willing to let go so02:16:11
that would be your own emulation it's02:16:14
like you're lighting you're a Phoenix02:16:15
and your lighting yourself on fire02:16:17
that's a much better idea even though it02:16:19
can still be really harsh the02:16:22
involuntary ego deaths they're really02:16:24
hard on people people will do almost02:16:25
anything to stop that from happening02:16:27
which is partly why they fight to02:16:30
maintain their group fostered axiomatic02:16:35
simplifications it's not surprising02:16:37
because it's very you'd lose your like02:16:40
that ego death is a journey into the02:16:42
underworld or it's a collapse into chaos02:16:44
and that's not so bad if you do it02:16:46
purposefully but in the Pinocchio story02:16:48
for example that's exemplified by02:16:50
Pinocchio going down to the depths to02:16:52
rescue his father from the whale now he02:16:53
does that voluntarily but a damn near02:16:55
kills it right I mean first of all he02:16:57
hardly gets out of the whale second he02:17:00
actually drowns and dies but he comes02:17:02
back to life so even if you do it02:17:04
voluntarily it's still life it's just02:17:09
better than doing it involuntarily02:17:10
which is the other alternative so that's02:17:12
what it is you bet hello Doctor Buddhism02:17:22
so I've been listening to back to all of02:17:26
these biblical lectures for the second02:17:27
time now and I wanted to show you an02:17:30
observation I came upon because I was02:17:32
trying to find a question that you02:17:33
haven't been asked before which is02:17:35
harder than doing my ryerson exams02:17:37
that's for sure02:17:39
so so I've noticed I think you're02:17:42
getting funnier oh yes oh no I think02:17:46
Michael Coren said that this week I02:17:48
think but the word he used was bizarre I02:17:50
think actually I'm feeling better so02:17:53
that's I actually have a sense of humor02:17:55
it's it's hard to believe that but so it02:17:58
sort of comes back when I'm not feeling02:17:59
like I'm going to die at any moment so02:18:01
yeah I basically noticed one you're02:18:05
making more attempts at jokes so that's02:18:06
great thank you thank you too those02:18:16
jokes are landing more often all right02:18:18
but then there's this third element02:18:20
which I think was what Steve Martin quit02:18:23
because of which is that I think the02:18:25
audience is anticipating jokes more and02:18:27
they're actually you know I've noticed02:18:29
people laughing more at things that02:18:31
aren't intending to be jokes so I was02:18:33
just wondering what you make of that and02:18:35
they're intended I'm hoping they're02:18:37
intended just because I keep a straight02:18:39
face doesn't mean they're not intended02:18:41
to be jokes so yeah no it's good look02:18:44
one of the things is like it's and I try02:18:46
to keep this and the wild goal probably02:18:49
about five years ago that even when02:18:51
you're dealing with really serious02:18:52
matters that if you're not handling it02:18:54
with a light touch you're not an expert02:18:56
at it you know what a master out it and02:18:58
you think well there are some things02:18:59
that are so deep and dark that you can't02:19:01
handle it with a light touch and that's02:19:04
actually not true you can that doesn't02:19:07
mean you make light of them it doesn't02:19:09
mean anything like that it's that you02:19:10
don't it's minimal necessary force it's02:19:14
something like that you don't hit it any02:19:15
harder than you have to and it's a it's02:19:18
an art when you're discussing serious02:19:20
matters and so well one of the up shots02:19:23
of that is that because we're discussing02:19:26
serious Madison because serious matters02:19:27
are being discussed in the ultra large02:19:29
right now it would be really good if02:19:30
everybody could keep their sense of02:19:32
humor you know and I see positive signs02:19:34
of that like there's a lot of satirical02:19:36
activity on the net you know and that02:19:38
could easily catalyze into horror mob02:19:41
but it isn't it is it is you know that's02:19:44
happening to some degree but a lot of02:19:45
its satire in comedy and as long as we02:19:48
can keep a sense of humor about this02:19:50
then I think well02:19:53
we're not as close to disaster as we02:19:55
might be and so what one of the things02:19:57
that I have found rather ominous is that02:19:59
there are comedians first of all being02:20:01
persecuted for under free speech02:20:04
restriction legislation which i think is02:20:06
absolutely appalling but also that there02:20:08
are comedians now who won't perform on02:20:10
university campuses John Cleese won't02:20:14
Seinfeld that's like well you know how02:20:16
offensive he is it's no wonder that I02:20:18
mean he's like the straightest nicest02:20:21
comedian you could possibly imagine he02:20:23
won't perform on college campuses I02:20:25
think louis c.k won't perform on or02:20:26
anywhere else but it's a bad sign but no02:20:32
humor humor is good and it's interesting02:20:35
because I've been kind of watching how02:20:37
I'm represented on the web weirdly02:20:40
enough and there's all these memes that02:20:42
have emerged I don't know thousands of02:20:44
the bloody things and most of them are02:20:47
comical and that's good like people are02:20:50
are there hat there whatever it is that02:20:54
they're doing I don't know what the hell02:20:55
it is but it's being done with a02:20:57
relatively light touch and that's really02:20:59
really good that's how it should be you got to have02:21:01
a sense of humor I mean it's one of the02:21:03
things that makes life bearable so or02:21:06
maybe even better than bearable so you02:21:09
bet02:21:15
hello dr. Peterson just want to say what02:21:20
a great lecture series and this is02:21:23
lesson this year so merry Christmas to02:21:26
you and your family thank you thank you02:21:31
don't get too enthusiastic about that I02:21:35
wrote you an essay of a question and02:21:37
then I used the lecture of the essay02:21:40
writing guide on it's like 2:30 to02:21:42
narrow it down to just a few pages a few02:21:45
lines and then during this at this02:21:48
particular lecture like the zig zag02:21:50
slide manifest again and I thought I02:21:52
basically just had all my questions02:21:56
answered so basically I just I want to02:22:00
ask the idea of your you've made a02:22:07
lecture that was on YouTube many years02:22:10
ago and you keep referring to Cain and02:22:13
Abel and the the death of Abel by Cain02:22:16
and the curse in it and I think well02:22:19
that that was the that was a single02:22:21
brother two brothers conflict but but02:22:25
here we have in the sense of Jacob the02:22:28
twelve there was one who was one who's02:22:31
good one who was an able archetype and02:22:34
there were twelve eleven that came after02:22:36
him so that I don't know maybe there's02:22:40
something about the division or no02:22:44
that's a good observation I didn't02:22:45
thought about that02:22:46
yeah well I mean there's a bit of02:22:49
variability because Reuben and Reuben02:22:51
isn't quite as bad as the rest but yeah02:22:52
I would say it's probably easier for the02:22:54
Cain side to multiply luckily it's not02:22:57
as powerful because it doesn't do02:23:00
anything like it yes yes and you know02:23:06
you know there's young was often02:23:08
included accused of manichaean isn't I'm02:23:13
not pronouncing that properly but there02:23:14
was a there was a variant of Christian02:23:16
dogma that held that good and evil were02:23:18
separate metaphysical realities and that02:23:20
they were battling for the for02:23:23
governance of the cosmos something like02:23:25
that but they both had an independent02:23:27
and the classical Christian idea which02:23:30
one out over that was that no that good02:23:32
was real but evil was the absence of02:23:34
good now that produced all sorts of the02:23:36
absence of good produces all sorts of02:23:38
consequences and it is interesting to02:23:40
read young because he does get kind of02:23:43
Manichean in his discussions and I think02:23:45
it was partly because he was so02:23:46
concerned about what happened in Nazi02:23:48
Germany and then with cold war02:23:50
afterwards you know because evil seemed02:23:52
to be a palpable force but I don't think02:23:56
that it's as powerful as good but I do02:23:59
think it's easier for it to multiply02:24:01
because it's what's easier path it's02:24:04
easy to be resentful and hostile and02:24:07
bitter and and do nothing that's easy02:24:09
it's horrible and it's hard on people02:24:12
but it doesn't require a tremendous02:24:13
amount of faith or effort so maybe that02:24:16
is why it's multiplied in the final02:24:18
story in Genesis yeah and I've been02:24:20
reading ahead and for my own based on02:24:23
the interest of the president presented02:24:26
stories and I I keyed in on a few other02:24:29
books and chapters in the Bible like02:24:31
first Corinthians 13 which is the love02:24:33
chapter and that cycles through the idea02:24:37
of I can have all things in life02:24:39
knowledge power but it's all passing and02:24:44
now and forever our hope faith hope and02:24:47
love and and of course love triumphs02:24:50
over all yeah well the love issue see02:24:52
I've been saying I thought a lot about02:24:54
the relationship between love and truth02:24:56
because I've thought and talked a lot02:24:58
more about truth and I think partly02:25:00
that's because love is a word that you02:25:02
can hardly even say because it's been so02:25:04
it's like it's being dragged behind a02:25:07
car through mud puddles it's something02:25:09
like that but so sorry let me just02:25:11
finish it lab rating this idea but I02:25:13
think that the the love idea is02:25:16
associated with for me at least with02:25:19
what I discussed at the beginning of02:25:20
this lecture with regards to faith I02:25:23
think you have to make a decision about02:25:25
what your attitude towards being is02:25:28
going to be and the proper attitude in02:25:31
my estimation is that you're working for02:25:33
its betterment you know and so maybe02:25:36
maybe you have the same attitude towards02:25:38
being as you do02:25:39
towards someone that you love like a son02:25:42
or a daughter or wife that you want02:25:44
things to be better and that so that's02:25:47
your aim so the aim is basically the aim02:25:50
is motivated by love you want things to02:25:54
be better because I think that's a good02:25:55
definition of love like if you really02:25:57
care for someone you can tell because02:25:59
you want things to be better for them02:26:02
and then I think truth is nested inside02:26:04
that because I think that truth is the02:26:06
best servant of love it's something like02:26:08
that so I've been struggling with an02:26:16
idea recently that I was thinking maybe02:26:18
you'd be able to help me out with02:26:19
basically in a recent interview you02:26:22
talked about how myth is meant to02:26:24
reconcile inherent contradictions in02:26:27
reality right but but I'm sort of stuck02:26:31
between two mythological or02:26:34
psychoanalytic ideas that I think are02:26:36
both really important but they seem to02:26:39
have a inherent contradiction within02:26:40
them that I've been trying to figure out02:26:42
so on one hand you have this idea that02:26:44
there's times in your life where you02:26:46
have to identify things in yourself that02:26:47
are insufficient or there's a problem02:26:50
somehow that you have to kind of have a02:26:53
controlled burn or like a Phoenix like02:26:55
transformation where you discard part of02:26:58
yourself that doesn't fit or is not02:27:00
working but then on the other hand you02:27:03
have talked about this this Union idea02:27:05
where as you become really when you get02:27:08
older you mature by reincorporating02:27:12
things about yourself that you lost when02:27:14
you were younger or that you know you're02:27:16
trying to integrate your shadow or02:27:18
you're trying to find parts of your02:27:19
personality that that maybe you've been02:27:22
rejecting and trying to figure out how02:27:23
to bring them into into the folder in02:27:25
the hole so he's got this quote that I02:27:27
really like which is I'd rather behold02:27:30
and good right right so so on one hand02:27:33
you may identify something as a problem02:27:35
and you want to get rid of it or burn it02:27:37
off but then on the other hand it seems02:27:40
like the the path to being stronger is02:27:44
to figure out how to put everything02:27:46
together so there's that there's a one02:27:49
of the things Jung wrote about in his02:27:51
works on alchemy was02:27:53
an explanation of the prime alchemical02:27:56
dictum which was solve a coagula which02:27:59
meant dissolve and integrate right so so02:28:03
imagine this imagine that imagine you02:28:06
had a fairly hostile father who was not02:28:10
very well controlled in his aggression02:28:13
decent person other than that but let's02:28:15
say that and so your reaction is I'm02:28:18
never going to be aggressive and so02:28:20
you've built a like a moral structure02:28:22
that's part of your personality and02:28:26
there's possibility floating around02:28:29
outside of that did you you've denied an02:28:31
ethical you've denied any ethical what02:28:36
would you say you've stripped the idea02:28:39
of aggression of any ethical utility02:28:41
whatsoever okay so what happens this02:28:43
burns off and then that comes back up02:28:46
now you still have to integrate it so02:28:48
it's associated in some sense with02:28:50
Nietzsche's ideas morality as cowardice02:28:53
because one of nature's most trenchant02:28:56
critiques of traditional morality let's02:29:00
say is that most of what passes for02:29:03
morality isn't morality it's just02:29:05
cowardice it's not that I'm a good02:29:07
person and I don't hurt you it's that02:29:09
I'm afraid to hurt you and because I02:29:11
don't want to admit that I'm afraid to02:29:12
hurt you and then I say I'm moral02:29:14
because then I can mask my essential02:29:17
fear and cowardice in a guise of02:29:19
morality and that happens far more often02:29:22
than you would think because harmless02:29:24
and moral are by no means the same thing02:29:26
so some of what you're burning off you02:29:29
can sit and this is where Freud was such02:29:31
a genius I think is because he02:29:33
concentrated on aggression and sexuality02:29:35
which are perhaps the two most difficult02:29:37
parts of a personality to integrate said02:29:39
that the the hyper simp02:29:48
fied morality stops you from tapping02:29:52
into deeper recesses of your psyche and02:29:55
it's partly because there are primal02:29:57
forces it's not surprising that you02:29:59
don't want to have anything to do with02:30:01
them that you stay away from situations02:30:03
where they might make themselves02:30:04
manifest but the problem is by denying02:30:06
the worst in yourself in that manner02:30:08
suppressing it you preclude the02:30:10
possibility of the best because no one02:30:13
can be a good person without integrating02:30:14
their capacity for aggression because02:30:17
without that capacity of a progression02:30:19
you cannot say no because no means if02:30:23
you really say it no means there isn't02:30:25
anything that you can do to me that will02:30:28
make me change my mind or or conversely02:30:31
it means I will play for higher stakes02:30:33
than you will and unless you've got your02:30:37
aggression integrated there isn't a02:30:39
chance you can say that and if you did02:30:41
no one would take you seriously because02:30:43
they'd know it was just a show so one of02:30:47
the most useful things that Jung did I02:30:49
think was to work on this idea of the02:30:51
integration of the shadow because he was02:30:52
really interested in the idea of evil02:30:54
right especially working with trying to02:30:56
parcel out what happened in Nazi Germany02:30:59
and during the Second World War02:31:01
what do you do with the part of you02:31:02
that's aggressive and and potentially02:31:04
malevolent do you just crush it that's02:31:06
the super-ego response in some sense do02:31:08
you just put it behind you so to speak02:31:10
is that a possibility or do you admit to02:31:13
its existence and bring it into the game02:31:15
and that's see for Freud in some sense02:31:20
morality was super-ego clamping down on02:31:22
the it'd and they were fundamentally02:31:25
opposed both young and Piaget had a02:31:27
different idea and I think they were02:31:29
right it's like no no you invite the bad02:31:31
guys out to play and so you're an02:31:35
aggressive hockey player but it's02:31:38
disciplined aggression that makes you02:31:40
gives you access to the whole source of02:31:43
energy you wouldn't otherwise have and02:31:45
then with regards to sexuality it's like02:31:46
well untrammeled promiscuity doesn't02:31:49
constitute a virtue but neither does02:31:52
unavoidable virginity right in fact I02:31:55
think that's worse because it also masks02:31:58
itself with virtue it's like well you02:32:00
should be able to02:32:02
you should be able to do things that you02:32:05
wouldn't do that's that's like the02:32:07
definition of a genuinely moral person02:32:10
they could do it but they don't and that02:32:14
that's not cowardice and so that's you02:32:17
burn off the things that get in the way02:32:19
of that integration so when you say02:32:22
dissolve and integrate it'd be a good02:32:24
way to sort of bring the two ideas02:32:26
together that the burning off and the02:32:28
difficult process is necessary because02:32:31
the elements of yourself are structured02:32:34
together in a rigid way that is not02:32:36
working properly and that's what happens02:32:38
to Geppetto in the belly of the whale02:32:40
he's so caught in his presuppositions02:32:43
that he can't escape right and so02:32:45
Pinocchio represents the new force so02:32:47
it's very interesting so when you watch02:32:49
Pinocchio try to rescue him the first02:32:51
thing Geppetto does is confuse Pinocchio02:32:53
with a fish because he wants something02:32:55
to eat but Pinocchio is better than02:32:57
something to eat because he could rescue02:32:58
him so he doesn't need to eat and then02:33:00
Pinocchio wants to make a fire in02:33:02
Geppetto objects because he's gonna burn02:33:04
up all the furniture it's like we don't02:33:06
need the damn furniture if we're getting02:33:08
out of the whale you know and so so02:33:10
Geppetto and and he's old so that that02:33:12
that's that that's the rigid structure02:33:14
that's the old year that has to die off02:33:16
before the new year can be born it's a02:33:18
forest fire that allows for new growth02:33:20
and and that's how those things are put02:33:22
together and to see and it's useful to02:33:24
know too because if you burn something02:33:26
off you might think well there's nothing02:33:28
left it's like that's not true if it's02:33:30
dead wood then you have room for new02:33:32
growth and you want to be doing that on02:33:34
a fairly regular basis that's the that's02:33:37
that's the snake that sheds its skin and02:33:40
transforms itself right that's that's02:33:42
the death and resurrection from a02:33:45
psychological perspective it's exactly02:33:46
the same idea now we don't know the02:33:48
upper limit to that right because we02:33:50
don't know what a person would be like02:33:51
if they let everything that they could02:33:53
let go let go and only let in what was02:33:58
seemly let's say but you can see that's02:34:02
funny we don't know that to some degree02:34:03
you can see people vary from you can see02:34:07
people start to do that without that's02:34:10
not an rare experience02:34:13
and people improve very rapidly they can02:34:16
improve their lives very rapidly a lot02:34:18
of its low-hanging fruit like if you02:34:20
just stop doing really stupid things02:34:22
that you know are stupid your life02:34:24
improves a lot so and it frees you up it02:34:28
also means there's a there's an element02:34:30
there that's also associated with pride02:34:32
because people tend to take pride in who02:34:35
they are and that's a bad idea because02:34:37
that stops you from becoming who you02:34:40
could be because if you're proud of who02:34:42
you are you won't let that go when it's02:34:44
necessary you won't step away from it02:34:46
you know and then you end up being your02:34:48
own parody something like that that's02:34:51
also a very bad idea you want to be02:34:53
continually stepping away from your02:34:55
previous self and so big and I guess02:34:58
part of that too is that you you have to02:35:00
decide you know are you are you order or02:35:03
you chaos or you the process that02:35:05
mediates between them and if you're the02:35:07
process that mediates between them you02:35:08
you are the thing that transforms and02:35:11
that's the right attitude for human02:35:13
being because that's what we are we're02:35:16
the thing that voluntarily confronts02:35:18
chaos and transforms that's what we are02:35:21
and so for better or worse you know02:35:24
that's our deepest biological essence02:35:27
you might say and so you can let things02:35:29
go if you know that there's more growth02:35:31
to come so02:35:41
one more thank you for your time and02:35:45
thank you for spending time with us hey02:35:47
my pleasure so if I could since we are02:35:51
at the end of Genesis I like the02:35:53
opportunity to challenge or at least02:35:55
have you take another look at your02:35:57
position you've held with regards to02:36:00
Cain's reflection on the murder of evil02:36:02
I bring this up because it's actually a02:36:05
part of Genesis that has bothered me for02:36:06
a while and it's not like because not as02:36:09
straightforward as its presented usually02:36:11
and it's really I've been wrestling with02:36:13
it so in this series as well as in a02:36:16
couple of your maps of meaning lectures02:36:18
you summarized that something to the02:36:20
effect of Cain coming to the conclusion02:36:22
that what he did leads to a punishment02:36:24
which is more than he believes he can02:36:26
face which I believe to be born out of a02:36:28
natural reading of a specific02:36:30
translation choices incorrectly made or02:36:33
enter a innocently made by editors just02:36:36
for readability sake so in Genesis 4:1302:36:39
Cain does not say my punishment is02:36:42
greater than I can bear he actually says02:36:45
he meets my sin is greater than I can02:36:49
bear which is this a.m. which is to say02:36:52
it's not his past actions we just say02:36:55
it's not his past sections its futures02:36:57
consequences which it's just past action02:37:00
it's not his future consequences which02:37:01
he regrets for him to say our own02:37:03
iniquity or sin that is too much for him02:37:06
to bear as a reflection on the reality02:37:08
of his corruption and not a plea of02:37:10
Mercy to the deity to spare him mmm okay02:37:12
well that's that seems to be a deeper02:37:14
interpretation I would say and I think02:37:17
it's more that's the same line of02:37:19
reasoning that Dostoevsky pursued in02:37:22
crime and punishment right because in02:37:24
crime and punishment Raskolnikov gets02:37:26
away with murder and then he cannot02:37:28
stand it he cannot stand that he did it02:37:30
because he's no longer the same person02:37:31
but even more he cannot stand that he02:37:34
got away with it02:37:35
so that's more in keeping with with that02:37:38
interpretation so this also is reflected02:37:41
in the falling verse and 4:14 where he02:37:43
states the consequences of his actions02:37:45
mainly that God's presence will hot be02:37:47
hidden from him and that he will be02:37:49
killed the verse opens was the word hane02:37:51
which means indeed more or less02:37:53
and to note the sense of acceptance and02:37:56
not a complaint it is the difference02:37:58
between saying oh no well God now hide02:38:01
his face from me and will I be hunted02:38:02
versus of course God will hide his face02:38:04
for me and I will be hunted and killed02:38:06
which I've been wrestling with and I've02:38:09
taken a way to possibly mean that there02:38:11
are sins that we can do that will just02:38:15
push us too far well okay there there02:38:17
there are well okay so one of the well02:38:21
one of the things that you see in02:38:23
post-traumatic post-traumatic stress02:38:25
disorder situations for example is that02:38:27
people view themselves doing something02:38:30
so terrible they don't know how to put02:38:33
it right so that and so you could say02:38:35
under those circumstances the face of02:38:37
God is hidden from them because they02:38:39
cannot they cannot atone for it they02:38:43
can't reconcile themselves to it it's02:38:45
there all the time and they can't see02:38:47
anything good beyond it it's hell02:38:49
essentially and so I mean sometimes when02:38:52
you're working with people with02:38:53
post-traumatic stress disorder you know02:38:55
you you kind of in initiate them into a02:38:58
philosophy of good and evil so that they02:39:00
can see when Joseph talks to his02:39:03
brothers and they've got all this guilt02:39:05
right and and he doesn't want them to02:39:07
have more guilt than necessary to fix02:39:09
themselves because it just burdens them02:39:12
otherwise he says look don't forget yeah02:39:14
yeah it was you but it's also God's02:39:16
doing and I had a client once who who02:39:19
had obsessive-compulsive disorder and02:39:21
he's a very smart guy he also happened02:39:24
to work in a radioactive lab that had a02:39:26
lot of radioactive materials which02:39:28
wasn't the best place for someone with02:39:30
OCD and he was worried that he would02:39:33
make some mistake this is very common02:39:35
with OCD that would result in someone's02:39:37
suffering which you will you'll do that02:39:40
and it wasn't until I could get him to02:39:43
conceptualize himself and his life in02:39:45
part as a force of nature that he was02:39:49
able to reconcile himself to the02:39:51
possibility that an error on his part02:39:53
would produce catastrophic consequences02:39:56
but people often find themselves in02:39:59
situations where they just they cannot02:40:01
reconcile themselves to what they've02:40:02
done and that it makes sense to me that02:40:04
that the interpretation that you're02:40:06
describing that02:40:07
that makes them that makes plenty of02:40:10
sense from a psychological perspective02:40:12
there are sins that will push us like02:40:15
just beyond our limit that are too far02:40:17
but there are also no consequences to02:40:21
our actions that are devoid of a truth02:40:22
we can accept and learn from and this is02:40:25
what I've kind of dealt out of this bit02:40:27
with Cain and Abel so if this is the02:40:29
case why then does it take us so long02:40:31
and with so much self - now before we02:40:33
accept personal responsibility when02:40:36
faced with tragedy especially when it's02:40:37
self inflicted well I I don't think you02:40:44
want to underestimate the contribution02:40:47
of just sheer difficulty like you know02:40:51
let's say you you you you're grieving02:40:56
because someone close to you died it's02:40:59
like well it isn't just that you've lost02:41:01
them although that's a big part of it02:41:02
it's that you have to rebuild yourself02:41:05
and it's really hard to do that so and02:41:08
it is sort of proportional to the02:41:10
significance of your error so if you02:41:13
commit an error and then you recognize02:41:14
that it's an error if it's a sort of02:41:16
surface error it's like well you can02:41:18
just touch up the paint but sometimes02:41:21
the whole under structure is just rotten02:41:24
and then you don't know what to do and02:41:29
then so that's one problems just sheerDescription:
Watch Exodus available exclusively on DailyWire+: https://www.dailywire.com/show/exodus?cid=exodus&mid=na&xid=0 This lecture closes the 2017 lecture series, and the book of Genesis. In it, I present the story of Joseph who, as the wearer of the coat of many colors, is profoundly adaptable, courageous, adaptable, merciful and just. Even in slavery -- even in prison -- he comes out triumphant, because of the strength of his character and his wisdom. Betrayed by his brothers, he acts to strengthen his family; unjustly accused by the Pharaoh's wife, he maintains his faith. --- SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL --- Direct Support: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/donate Merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/jordanbpeterson --- BOOKS --- 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/12-rules-for-life/ Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/maps-of-meaning/ --- LINKS --- Website: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/ 12 Rules for Life Tour: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/events/ Blog: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/blog/ Podcast: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/podcast/ Reading List: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/great-books/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/unsupportedbrowser Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unsupportedbrowser --- PRODUCTS --- Personality Course: https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/personality Self Authoring Suite: https://selfauthoring.com/ Understand Myself personality test: https://understandmyself.com/ Merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/jordanbpeterson
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