The Importance of Aim: A Dr. Jordan B. Peterson Commentary

Three points: hand to release, nose to string and string to mouth. The hunter gently drops his arm to align his eye through the peep sight and directs his aim about six inches to the right of the base of the neck. This elk could help feed his family for a whole year. Sweat breaks from the corner of his eyebrow into his eye and he feels nothing - even one blink could ruin an opportunity of a lifetime. He waits for the perfect moment for the animal to turn it’s body east. Broadside is what we want. The hunter takes a deep breath in and on the exhale he softly pulls his index finger back. Direct hit on the lungs, perfect shot. The elk is stunned, but seconds later, stops in it’s tracks and falls to the ground.

When we think of an arrow, we realize that it has two ends similar to a line. On one end is the fletching, this stabilizes the arrow as it shoots through the air. It usually involves three fletchings and you can swap them out, depending on the goal. Smaller and more narrow fletchings will make the arrow go faster and bigger more wider fletchings will do the opposite. One the other end of the fletching is what I call the business end. This is the tip of the arrow and it’s sole purpose is to inflict as much damage on the target as possible - for animals, the purpose is to dispose of the animal in the fastest, most humane way. Given the shot placement and hunter’s experience of course. Like fletchings, you can swap out the tip of the arrow based on the intention of the individual. For a beginner or for someone looking for some target practice, the tip of the arrow is usually inhabited by field tips. These field tips, though very sharp, can be easily replaced and isn’t too much of a financial burden to do so. As an individual gains experience and is getting ready to go out on the field, the tip of the arrow is replaced with something more sharp and can usually be compared to the end of a knife.

I believe we are all made for a purpose. However, finding out what that purpose is could seem very difficult and nearly impossible. Since the beginning of time, men have been aiming creatures. Looking back at our analogy of the hunter, a hunters aim needs to be precise or else it comes with consequences. In the earlier days of man, if a hunters aim was not precise enough, it could mean starvation for him and his family. When it comes to finding out what our purpose is in this world, consequences could also arise if our aim is not precise enough.

Our purpose in this life should not be taken lightly and there is a lot of weight behind the word purpose. If we look back at the etymology of the word purpose, purpose derives from the Anglo-French word purpos meaning to have “intention or aim”. When we have a better understanding of that word means, the questions that should follow are, “What exactly are my intentions? Where exactly am I aiming at?”

To quote Dr. Jordan Peterson, “The things you see in the world are profoundly determined by your aims in the world.” (12 Rules for Life Lecture, Thousand Oaks).

In order to have a more precise picture of what our aims should be in this world, we need to be able to orient ourselves and aim at the highest good. But what exactly is that highest good? In the most simplest description, good is the opposite of evil and Dr. Peterson describes evil as, “the conscious desire to produce suffering where suffering is not necessary.” In other words, evil is to self consciously exploit the vulnerability of an individual and to elevate their suffering. We need to take a look at the word purpose selfishly for just one second here. Evil’s purpose is to selfishly exploit one’s suffering when suffering is not valued. However, to aim at the highest good selfishly is to have value in the suffering. When we aim at the highest good, we naturally want what’s good for you. Here is where being selfish can actually be a selfless act. Because when we work towards what is good for us the individual, then we long for what’s good for our family and when we long what’s good for our family, then when we desire what’s good for our society. We won’t necessarily know what that good is at every moment, however we can orient, or aim, ourselves towards that highest good so that’s the state we desire to be in.

When our desire is pointed and aimed at the highest good, a sense of meaning can be established. This sense of meaning can transcend all aspects of life and can even give appreciation and value to suffering. Let’s look back at our hunter. Once his three anchor points are established, his aim needs to be precise or else he misses the target. The accuracy needs to be so finely tuned so that everything else around it becomes fuzzy and incoherent. The same thing goes for our aims in life. Life is filled with uncertainty and malevolence and if our aims are too broad, life can be deeply complicated. Our aims should be so precise that everything but that highest good can be seen and with this new found sense of perspective, our experiences, lessons and sufferings in life can be given value.

Maybe this life is not about finding purpose. Maybe this life is about orienting and aiming everything in our being towards that highest good so that everything life throws at us has purpose and meaning.

So grab your bow and make sure you have the correct fletchings and tips. Establish your anchor points and keep that arm steady. Be so precise in your aim so that you don’t miss your target.

Your life depends on it.