Jordan Peterson discusses the importance of growth within martial arts with Joe Rogan

Jordan Peterson is known as a psychology professor, so it was interesting to hear his insight into the world of martial arts and fighting when he sat down with podcast host, Joe Rogan. During this conversation, the pair analyzed why and how viewers perceived winners in a combat area.

According to Joe Rogan, fans reacted differently to seeing a sports team lose compared to a fighter because the physical consequences were greater if you lost a fight. Rogan said, “To lose a basketball game sucks but it’s not even close to losing a fight, there’s no comparison”. After this statement, Peterson went on to explain his own take on why people rooted for martial artists, which was down to the idea of growth within a fragile setting.

Peterson said, “The great athlete and person is not only exceptionally skilled but is trying to expand their skills at all times. The attempt to expand their skills at all times is even more important than the fact they’re great to begin with because the trajectory is so important. People like to watch a perfect athletic performance that is pushed into the domain of new risk”

Earlier on in the conversation, the pair also applied this logic to kids in martial arts, with Peterson saying “When you say to your kid, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose – it matters how you play the game, what you’re saying is don’t forget kid, what you’re trying to do is well in life. You need to practice these strategies in a specific game. And you never want to compromise your ability to do well at life for the sake of winning a single game”

More on this conversation can be seen in the clip below. In short, what they’re both saying is that martial arts can help teach kids and adults how to handle adversity and grow as a result – which is what the audience likes to see.