[September 20, 2025] This morning, in the early hours as I prepare for the last day of honoring our Vietnam Veterans, I watched a clip of Dr. Jordan Peterson discussing the virtue of being a monster. I thought to myself, how appropriate his comments were, because that is what our heroes from that war created, virtuous men who could fight an enemy of freedom and still return home and be responsible, good men.
Part of the development of a good man in combat, particularly in his spiritual growth, is to recognize that there is evil in his heart. And then for that man to wrestle with that and to purposefully admit that exists and make it a part of him, a controlled part of his psyche. Most would say that this man should throw off or cast away that part of himself. Peterson says to transmute this evil into something good and useful.
You can see people who have done this, and those who have not. Those incapable of making that evil a part of themselves are naïve and weak. Most of us can tell those who have not done so. And because they are gullible, they are also resentful, as well, because they get taken advantage of. Those combat veterans have managed to come to grips with their evil. They can acknowledge that they are dangerous in a physical kind of way.
They are dangerous, but they don’t have to use it because their presence radiates implicit potential for havoc. And this is necessary. It’s one of the things that gives people self-respect.
If you’re harmless, you’re not virtuous; you’re just harmless. You are like a rabbit. A rabbit is just a rabbit, which cannot do anything except get eaten. The rabbit cannot be virtuous.
“If you are a monster and you don’t act monstrously, then you’re virtuous.” – Dr. Jordan Peterson
Of course, you still have to be a monster. We see this often in movies where the main character has some inner strength but is also deeply flawed and hurt. This main character has evil in him. He can do things that most of us would never think to do. He breaks rules all the time. He is not obedient but has a good reason to break the rules. If he couldn’t break the rules, he couldn’t attain the highest goal of manhood.
Dr. Peterson instructs us on the mythological nature of this idea. The hero has to be a monster. But, a controlled monster.
This is what we see in our military heroes. Their stories follow a familiar pattern. If they are going to be good soldiers, they have to want to win the fight (the battle). To win, they have to want to hurt other people, not for the sake of hurting them. That is what makes them different from someone evil, but they have to have that capacity. They have to develop those skills and mental development.
That is the virtue of being a monster.
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Please read my books:
Gen. Satterfield is over the target and bombing the heck out of the crazies that we see every single day. Be the monster to keep them out.
DR. PETERSON IS A GENIUS
What a great way to define virtuous.
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“If you are a monster and you don’t act monstrously, then you’re virtuous.” – Dr. Jordan Peterson
mainer, this is why I keep returning to these pages. I get more information than in a normal read on “leadership,” than just about anywhere. Yeah, I know that I might be preaching to the crowd here, because most are long-time readers of his blog. But I do enjoy nearly every article, even sometimes when I don’t understand them. Usually, they are clear and can be practically applied in my life. Why? Because they give me an understanding of the world that I would not normally have.
Be a controlled monster.
Good luck today at your last day commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
“A Special Invitation to Thank Vietnam Veterans”
https://www.theleadermaker.com/a-special-invitation-to-thank-vietnam-veterans/
Through Gen. Satterfield, I learned to appreciate Dr. Jordan Peterson. And, Gen. S. admits to being heavily influenced by this great man. Since the early days of Gen. S. writing in his responsibility/leadership blog, I’ve listened to many of Dr. P’s YouTube videos and read two of his books. I’m much better for it. But his ideas are not always easy to grasp. But if you keep at it, read more, think a lot more, then you will begin to understand that happiness is not your goal in life. But to be satisfied with you life is what matters and that can only be achieved through adopting responsibility, the max you can handle.
Winston, powerful comment and indeed correct. We all must do so. In his book “55 Rules for a Good Life,” Gen. Satterfield lays out some ancient truths, mostly wrapped up in modern lexicon and military advice seen from the point of view of the battlefield. But we often forget the second part of the book title, “Pursuing Truth and Responsibility.” See what I mean? Get your copy and you will thank me after you read it.
https://www.amazon.com/55-Rules-Good-Life-Responsibility/dp/1737915529/
Doug and Winston, spot on. Thank you. I was thinking the same. Adopt more responsibility and you will become a fuller man (or woman). Most of these comments are directed at men but also apply to women. We have a kind of different inner strength.
… anytime, Lady Hawk. We’re here for you too. Be virtuous.
Wow, excellent points, all.