From: jimruttshow8596
Hanzi Freinacht, a philosopher and writer known for developing ideas around political metamodernism, introduces his new book, 12 Commandments for Extraordinary People to master ordinary lives [01:37:40]. This work serves as a direct response to and engagement with Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules books [02:01:45].
Philosophical Foundations: Beyond Postmodernism
Freinacht’s academic and philosophical background was rooted in a highly postmodern sociological setting [02:24:45]. This environment fostered critical perspectives on societal power relations, the role of language, the social construction of reality, and how knowledge is subject to power dynamics [02:28:45]. While valuing the moral sensibilities and critical elements of postmodernism, Freinacht sought to move beyond mere critique [02:59:45].
His journey led him to integral theory and developmental psychology, which provided pieces of a puzzle for a “next step” [03:20:45]. He found a sense of “home” upon discovering the term metamodernism, which emerged from cultural theorists analyzing contemporary arts, architecture, and pop culture [03:35:45]. Freinacht’s aim was to combine the cultural analysis sensibilities of postmodernism with the spiritual and developmental perspectives to construct something after postmodern deconstruction [04:02:45]. This involves keeping the critical elements while using them to create visions, fostering a developmental view of progress. For societies to be sane, sustainable, and capable of survival, they must become better at supporting the inner growth of human beings, including their personalities, relationships, goals, values, and institutions [04:32:45].
Metamodernism vs. Peterson’s Conservatism
Freinacht observed that the mainstream response to postmodernism, heavily influenced by Jordan Peterson, did not align with metamodernism [06:06:45]. Peterson’s political philosophy, formalized as conservatism, primarily reflects classical liberalism and conservatism [06:21:45]. This approach, according to Freinacht, represents a “step back,” a “regression backwards” to modern values like responsibility and individualism, rather than a “step forward” with progressive content [06:46:45]. The critique of postmodernism was timely and useful, but Peterson’s work lacked the moral sensibilities gained from postmodernism [08:16:45].
The 12 Commandments book is a direct response to Peterson on the “game board” of individual self-help [09:27:45]. While there is significant overlap in thinking, the underlying sentimentality, aesthetics, and the imagined “form of life” are completely different [10:06:45]. Freinacht’s vision is “somewhat more laid back,” “more hopeful,” and simultaneously “more secular and skeptical” and “more deeply spiritual or religious” [10:37:45].
The Purpose of Metamodern Self-Help
Freinacht’s book is particularly aimed at the “liminal web” and “Game B community” – groups of “radical social changers” [01:24:45]. He observes “mad potentials,” talent, creativity, idealism, and dynamic intellectual and spiritual culture within these communities [13:52:45]. However, he also notes failing relationships, projects, and crashing lives [14:14:45]. The book seeks to provide a “handbook for sanity” [13:33:45] and an “embodied life philosophy” that is congruent with “being crazy” or “radical” and “thinking outside of the box” [14:45:45]. The goal is to cultivate “sober radical people” or “sober crazy people” [14:56:45].
The idea is that if individuals improve their subjective states, they become more socially resilient, respond more productively and energetically to challenges, are less likely to overreact, and are less susceptible to “crazy schemes” or conspiracy theories [38:27:45]. By feeling better, people are more likely to adopt “more laid back, sensible religions” [40:22:45]. The book argues that “all your activity, all your fervent striving,” might be detrimental if not properly grounded [39:44:45].
Core Metamodern Self-Help Commandments
1. Live in a Mess Moderately
This commandment directly counters Peterson’s advice to “clean up your room” [40:50:45]. Freinacht asserts that one does not owe a neat home or a perfectly ordered life to society to contribute valuably [41:00:45]. He presents evidence that intelligent people tend to be messier [41:25:45]. The danger of Peterson’s stance is that it can lead to “judgmentalism” [41:42:45].
A core argument is against “individualist reductionism,” where social issues are reframed as individual responsibilities [43:03:45]. While personal responsibility for one’s response is important, fundamental societal problems require collective action and change, not just individual self-improvement [43:30:45].
2. Hump Like a Beast
This commandment focuses on “cosmo-eroticism,” a term referring to the capacity to love and feel alive in the world [44:02:45]. It’s about reconnecting to and through our bodies, as animal creatures, and overcoming inhibitions [45:11:45]. The core idea is to get through traumas and emotional blockages that cause one to “live life on mute” [46:05:45]. By addressing unhealed issues and confronting difficult emotions, individuals can unlock their sense of aliveness, even in challenging moments [47:49:45]. This process of facing pain, resolving troubles, and letting go leads to greater free flow, allowing for clearer thought, assertive action, and passionate living by nurturing the “inner child” [48:04:45].
3. Live Sincerely Ironically
This commandment encapsulates the metamodern philosophy of oscillating between seemingly opposite stances [50:36:45]. Irony, or humor, involves holding two stances at once, viewing reality as hypothetical or in superposition [51:01:45]. It means maintaining skepticism and awareness that one’s beliefs, statements, and relationships might not be entirely correct or turn out as expected [51:38:45]. Without irony, one is stuck in a postmodern position of never being caught, of being a “Houdini” [52:03:45], which can lead to having “nothing to live for, nothing to believe in” [52:25:45].
However, if skepticism is applied universally, it must also be skeptical of itself, allowing for sincerity and authenticity [52:40:45]. Conversely, true sincerity requires an ironic stance to “turn every stone” and consider the possibility of being wrong [53:10:45]. Without this self-skepticism, sincerity becomes “hysterical” [53:15:45], as seen in true believers who form cults [54:41:45]. Ironic sincerity is thus presented as “just real sincerity,” and “sincerity without irony is just not real sincerity” [55:29:45]. This stance allows for greater authenticity and expression, akin to a “well-defended country” having more peace [58:29:45].
4. Quit
This commandment emphasizes the largely “underemphasized” skill of quitting [01:01:04]. While “soldiering on” and “never giving up” are often touted culturally, quitting is crucial for freedom [01:01:14]. The ability to quit a job, relationship, or habit signifies choice and allows one to apply oneself with greater energy to chosen endeavors [01:01:59]. Quitting can be scary and difficult, requiring courage, but practicing it with “little things” builds the skill set to navigate the landscape of leaving things behind [01:03:10]. This ultimately frees time and energy for new opportunities more optimized for one’s future self [01:03:29].
5. Do the Walk of Shame
This “Walk of Shame” is a private journey through one’s “gallery of shameful memories” [01:05:16]. Shame is identified as a highly inhibitory emotion that “locks you down,” “paralyzes your body,” and “makes your mind just go blank” [01:05:44]. The practice involves taking an inventory of these shameful memories and “feeling through the shame” until it is processed and leaves the body [01:06:48]. Freinacht notes that many things we are ashamed of, particularly from youth, may have “no reason to be ashamed” [01:07:48]. Reexamining these memories allows for new perspectives and a release of their inhibitory power [01:08:23].
6. Sacrifice Immortality
This commandment addresses the “fear of death” and other fears that inhibit living a full life [01:11:01]. Freinacht argues that fear of death is deeply ingrained due to universal stages of human psychological and cultural development, particularly the historical influence of religions with concepts of hell and eternal damnation tied to guilt [01:14:50]. Even in a secular age, a “lingering part” of this fear persists due to the mind’s ability to regress and its inherent uncertainty about reality [01:16:17].
Another aspect discussed is the “slave morality,” or the “fear of envy,” which can lead people to be ashamed of their strengths, virtues, and talents [01:12:41].
Freinacht introduces “reverse death therapy” [01:17:09], which involves systematically stripping away one’s successes, gifts, and all the good things that have happened in life to see what remains [01:17:51].
7. Heal with Justice
This commandment represents a crucial turning point in the book’s arc, linking inner work to social justice [01:18:20]. Once free from personal shame, guilt, fears, and inhibitions, and having quit detrimental relationships, one can become a “Righteous Rebel” [01:19:05]. The core idea is that “justice heals your life” [01:19:35]. Justice here means “wholeness” and that “social relations are put into proportion” [01:19:51].
The goal is to align words, actions, perceptions, and emotions, first within oneself (congruence) and then in “transpersonal space” or “the in-betweenness of us” [01:20:41]. Fighting for justice means working to ensure that narratives align with what people are actually doing, what is actually perceived, and how it makes people feel [01:21:26]. The world is full of “disalignments” or “cracks in social reality” [01:21:42].
The book suggests that true social justice activism flows from a genuine “compass of Justice” rooted in internal congruence [01:24:10]. The main problem with much social justice today is its “hypocritical” nature [01:25:21]. The need is for “non-hypocritical social justice from within which then flows out into different projects in the world” [01:26:07]. As a practical “tell” for injustice, Freinacht points out that people using excessive adjectives when discussing their actions or situations might be attempting to hide something or skew the narrative [01:26:33].
8. Burn Your Maps
“Maps” refer to one’s fundamental worldview or cognitive schema [01:28:45]. Freinacht argues that people often have very limited maps, and they live their entire lives and frame their “heroic story” within the confines of this background map [01:30:54]. The commandment encourages challenging these maps, understanding that clinging to an outdated or inaccurate map can lead to “doing harm” and a “high price” in one’s life [01:31:20].
Having worked through personal issues like shame and fear, and cutting ties with limiting relationships, one gains “inner spaciousness” or “inner peace” to hold their map “less hysterically” [01:32:06]. This enables one to sincerely ironically imagine and inhabit “other possible worlds” [01:32:20]. The goal is a continuous process of being open to new realities, being surprised by different perspectives, and actively working to improve or even “burn” one’s current worldview [01:32:51]. It acknowledges that even one’s conception of justice can be limited and needs to evolve [01:33:32]. Humans tend to believe their current map is the “best possible map,” an “optical illusion” that self-confirms [01:34:26]. The practice of burning maps can feel “great” as it opens up a “whole new reality” [01:35:54].
9. Kill Your Guru and Find Your Others
This commandment targets the “guru game,” where individuals uncritically follow a single authority figure [01:36:33]. Freinacht criticizes the sheer amount of time people spend consuming content from a single “guru” [01:37:40], suggesting this often stems from being “guru enthralled” [01:37:55]. While gurus can be intelligent and offer insights, it is generally more productive to “triangulate different perspectives” [01:38:08] and eventually “grow out of it” [01:38:22].
He connects guru-following to what Jungians call the “Golden Shadow” or “slave morality” [01:38:37]: an inner strength or potential that one is anxious to act upon. Following a guru becomes a “pseudo participation” [01:39:26], an adult version of “believing in Santa Claus,” where one imagines that getting closer to the guru will bring them closer to their true self or dreams [01:39:40].
Instead of gurus, the commandment advocates for finding “others” who can “play laterally” and be part of a “team” [01:41:04]. Unlike gurus who “sell themselves,” friends must be “created” and their relationships maintained through mutual understanding of strengths and weaknesses [01:42:16]. This collaborative approach leads to “exponentially more powerful” results as it leverages diverse skill sets [01:42:29].
10. Play for Forgiveness
This final commandment emphasizes that the ultimate goal of an “accomplished life” is to “forgive the world for not being perfect” [01:46:34]. This isn’t about immediately forgiving someone who is actively harming you; rather, it implies a process of self-work, fighting for justice, and even quitting difficult situations first [01:45:39]. “Play for forgiveness” suggests a journey towards a state where past grievances no longer hold a “grip on your soul” and “resentment” no longer “poison[s] your mind” [01:46:22].
Forgiveness, unlike a binary “yes/no,” is broken down into sub-steps [01:49:19]. This can begin with forgiving oneself for a situation, then the situation itself for its complications, honest mistakes made by others, and eventually, even actions done with malice [01:49:22]. The highest step is to realize that “there is nothing to forgive,” seeing a “primordial wholeness” where events unfold in a “meaningless Universe” [01:50:04].
This concept is akin to “reverse Christianity,” where instead of God forgiving sins, humanity should “forgive God” or the “imperfections of reality” [01:47:49]. The more one can forgive this totality, the greater “peace of mind” one achieves [01:48:15]. This ultimate goal frees actions from resentment, allowing them to stem “more from care and love or or search for truth” [01:48:33]. It’s a “struggle of the soul to come home to this world,” realizing that one is “locked out of your life to the degree that you have not forgiven reality” [01:51:01]. The commandments offer a “horizon to conquer” and a path to truly live one’s life by achieving forgiveness [01:51:55].