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Maps of Meaning
Title: Maps of Meaning Author: Jordan B. Peterson Published: New York: Routledge, 1999 This book has deepened my perception of myths, archetypes, dreams, and ultimately how I understand myself and those around me. It presented a new perspective on how I look at fear and the unknown. Peterson presents his book as a process of discovery. Through personal revelations, thoughts, dreams, and even a letter to his Dad, he takes us on a journey of discovery. “Our most fundamental maps of meaning – maps which have a narrative structure – portray the motivational value of our current state, conceived of in contrast to a hypothetical ideal, accompanied by plans of action, which are our pragmatic notions about how to get what we want.”[1] We have where we are, where we want to go, and how we plan to get there. Whether we realize it or not we have maps that we use every day. The comfortable map of what we know versus that which is not on our map, the unknown. This unknown is the chaos that surrounds us. Fear is not conditioned; security is unlearned, in the presence of particular things or contexts, as a consequence of violation of…