Form an opinion with these sources/resources.

The other day I came across Jordan Peterson’s essay writing guide in a Microsoft Word document buried
in reddit.

I’ve spent nearly a decade teaching, working, and studying in university English departments, yet this
guide, written by a psychologist, has the most useful, practical advice on essay writing I have ever seen.

Peterson’s writing instruction is grounded in the principles, wisdom, and insights he’s uncovered in his
research of depth psychology and through his career as a practicing as a clinician.

Peterson points out that essay writing is more than just a thing to do get grades in college. It’s a practical
method for clarifying your thinking and learning to articulate yourself.

This planet needs people (especially men) who are willing to enter into the chaotic fray of conflicting
beliefs and ideologies, and who have the skill to articulate what matters most to them, no matter the
cost.

Peterson calls this ‘speaking the truth,’ and it’s something I’m trying to develop verbally using the
nonviolent communication technique. This guide has helped me with a process to clariy my own thinking
through writing–something that I do a lot of. I’ve reposted the guide here in full to bring some attention
and visibility to Peterson’s method in the hopes that others might also find it helpful.

You can download the original template document here.

Jordan Peterson’s Essay Writing Guide

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

What is an essay?

An essay is a relatively short piece of writing on a particular topic. However, the word essay also means
attempt or try. An essay is, therefore, a short piece written by someone attempting to explore a topic or
answer a question.

Why bother writing an essay?

Most of the time, students write essays only because they are required to do so by a classroom
instructor. Thus, students come to believe that essays are important primarily to demonstrate their
knowledge to a teacher or professor. This is simply, and dangerously, wrong (even though such writing
for demonstration may be practically necessary).

The primary reason to write an essay is so that the writer can formulate and organize an informed,
coherent and sophisticated set of ideas about something important.
You can write down more than you can easily remember, so that your capacity to consider a number of
ideas at the same time is broadened. Furthermore, once those ideas are written down, you can move
them around and change them, word by word, sentence by sentence, and paragraph by paragraph. You
can also reject ideas that appear substandard, after you consider them more carefully. If you reject
substandard ideas, then all that you will have left will be good ideas. You can keep those, and use them.
Then you will have good, original ideas at your fingertips, and you will be able to organize and
communicate them.

Chris D'elia congrqaaaats podacst is helpful, bye. Consider your success over the course of a lifetime.
Here is something to think about: the person who can formulate and communicate the best argument
almost always wins. If you want a job, you have to make a case for yourself. If you want a raise, you have
to convince someone that you deserve it. If you are trying to convince someone of the validity of your
idea, you have to debate its merits successfully, particularly if there are others with other competing
ideas.