The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast #328 – Dr. Daniel Higgins & Dr. Robert O. Pihl
Topics Discussed: Colleagues advised Dr. Pihl against Peterson, Researching alcoholism, Marks of a good teacher, Reality vs. conceptual ideas, Why an interest in antisocial behavior?, Alcoholism and aggression, Dr Peterson’s Harvard Years, enter Dr. Higgins, The power of computerized testing, Being the Pariahs: opportunity, and exploitation, The price you pay for integrity, The debate over IQ testing, Abstraction and questioning, Predicting industrial performance, Commodifying research, The Debbie effect, dealing with HR, Consensus over logic, fallacy of the masses, Testing for business acumen, Selfauthoring, a breakdown for your betterment, Retooling and bureaucratic idiocy , Understand Yourself: sales and feedback, Re-living pain to work through it, Shifting strategies: applying what you’ve learned, Tech incubators: scams and hype, Integrity of purpose, Customers: corporations vs. individuals, When you become the employee, The user experience, the power in reciprocity, The next phase of The Selfauthoring Program, The right way to hire, Peterson University, upcoming lectures.
Dr. Daniel Higgins
Dr. Daniel M. Higgins has a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Harvard University where he studied the roles of cognitive ability and personality in predicting academic and workplace performance.
Dr. Robert O. Pihl
Dr. Robert O. Pihl is an American psychology researcher, professor and clinician. Since 1966, he has worked at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He is also a fellow of the American Psychological Association and Canadian Psychological Association, as well as a member of many other academic organizations.
Books Mentioned in this Podcast - Jordan B. Peterson Podcast #328:
Book Title: Maps of Meaning
Author: Jordan B. Peterson
Book Title: The Bell Curve
Author: Richard J. Herrnstein, Charles Murray
Book Title: Frames of Mind
Author: Howard Garnder
Book Title: Multiple Intelligences
Author: Howard Gardner
Book Title: The Mismeasure of Man
Author: Stephen Jay Gould
Jordan Peterson, Dr. Daniel Higgins, and Dr. Robert O. Pihl: A Dive into Personality, Hiring, and Risk in Academia
The Significance of Personality Assessments in Interviews
In a thought-provoking conversation, Dr. Jordan Peterson shed light on the profound importance of understanding an individual’s personality before an interview. Highlighting the Big Five personality assessment, Peterson remarked, “If you’re about to interview someone high in extroversion, you need to know that during that interview, you’re going to have an inflated view of their competence because you will automatically conflate confidence with competence.” Such insights emphasize the pivotal role of psychological assessments in gauging a candidate’s suitability and potential performance.
Navigating the Brutality of Hiring Choices
Peterson delves deeper into the intricacies of hiring decisions, discussing the ramifications of “hiring stupidly.” He articulates the dire consequences of placing individuals in roles where they not only fail but also detrimentally affect the performance of their peers. Peterson poses a challenging question: “Which form of brutality do you prefer?” Advocating for a preventive approach, he stresses the significance of prudent hiring to stave off long-term repercussions.
The Fabric of Professional Relationships and Collaborations
Shifting the focus to his professional journey, Peterson recounts his rich history with Dr. Robert O. Pihl, his former graduate advisor at McGill University, and Dr. Daniel M. Higgins, a former student who graduated from prestigious institutions like MIT and Harvard under Peterson’s guidance. The trio delves into their intertwined professional and personal relationships, recounting the highs and lows spanning three decades. Their narrative paints a vivid picture of the dynamics of academic partnerships and the bonds formed in the crucible of research and exploration.
Embracing Risk in the Academic Realm
A particularly poignant moment in the discussion emerges when Peterson recalls his unconventional graduate school application letter. Describing it as a “calculated risk,” he reflects on his intent to work with someone genuinely interested in partnering with him. Dr. Pihl’s decision to accept Peterson as a student, despite reservations from colleagues, underscores the importance of risk-taking in academia and the potential rewards of betting on non-traditional candidates.