The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast 166. Writer of Braveheart | Randall Wallace
May 6, 2021
Randall Wallace, an accomplished author and screenwriter known for Braveheart, shares fascinating insights from his diverse career. He discusses the profound impact of storytelling and biblical narratives on creativity. The conversation touches on his emotional journey through depression and the significance of sacrifice in art. Wallace also shares plans for an action film about the Pope, revealing how personal experiences and moral dilemmas shape his work. Additionally, he reflects on the intrinsic human hunger for beauty and truth as essential to overcoming life's challenges.
02:26:43
Pope Movie Idea
- Randall Wallace had an idea for a movie about the Pope while in Rome.
- His sons joked about the Pope being like Batman, escaping through tunnels.
Weight of Papacy
- Randall Wallace reflects on the weight of being the Holy Father.
- He questions the crushing weight, humility, and representation of God on Earth.
Friend's Catholic Guilt
- Randall Wallace discusses a friend's struggle with Catholic guilt and communion.
- His friend feels unworthy due to living in sin, despite Wallace's Protestant view on grace.
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Intro
00:00 • 5min
Navigating Success in Filmmaking
04:42 • 15min
The Power of Narrative: Meaning through Storytelling
19:43 • 26min
The Complexities of Religion and Fear in Human Experience
45:15 • 2min
The Transformative Power of Sacrifice and Art
47:44 • 21min
The Spiritual Sanctuary of Cathedrals
01:08:59 • 8min
The Essential Hunger for Beauty and Truth
01:16:52 • 3min
Choosing Life: A Journey of Faith and Invention
01:19:37 • 5min
From Tennessee Roots to LA Dreams
01:24:31 • 17min
Exploring Musical Influences and Lyrical Brilliance
01:41:10 • 2min
From Struggles to Storytelling
01:43:32 • 24min
Finding Meaning in Darkness: A Personal Journey through Depression
02:07:10 • 3min
Creative Leaps: Fears and Faith
02:10:04 • 16min
The Cutting of the Forest
Sometimes translated as The Wood-Felling
Leo Tolstoy
This novella is one of Tolstoy's early works, written during his time as a young artillery officer.
It distinguishes between different types of soldiers and reflects his experiences in the military.
The story is part of Tolstoy's early literary career, which often explored themes of war and human nature.
Beyond Order
12 More Rules For Life
Jordan B Peterson
In this sequel to '12 Rules for Life', Jordan B. Peterson presents twelve additional rules to guide readers through the complexities of modern life.
The book emphasizes the need to balance chaos and order, warning against the dangers of too much security and the tendency towards tyranny.
Peterson draws on psychology, philosophy, theology, and mythology to provide strategies for finding meaning and purpose, even in times of powerlessness.
Written during a period of personal and global turmoil, including health issues and the COVID-19 pandemic, the book offers a rich and deep exploration of how to navigate life's challenges.
The War of Art
Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Steven Pressfield
In 'The War of Art', Steven Pressfield identifies the internal force of 'Resistance' that hinders creative endeavors.
The book is divided into three sections: 'Resistance: Defining the Enemy', 'Combating Resistance: Turning Pro', and a final section that discusses the role of the muses and the battle between the Self and the Ego. Pressfield provides practical advice on recognizing and overcoming resistance, emphasizing the importance of professionalism, discipline, and continuous work in achieving creative success.
Maps of Meaning
The Architecture of Belief
Jordan B Peterson
In 'Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief', Jordan Peterson synthesizes insights from neuropsychology, cognitive science, and Jungian approaches to mythology and narrative.
The book examines why people from different cultures and eras have formulated myths and stories with similar structures, and how these myths reflect fundamental aspects of human cognition and morality.
Peterson argues that the human mind categorizes the world into known and unknown territories, and that myths and religious stories represent the eternal struggle between order and chaos.
He also discusses the role of heroic figures in bridging these two realms and the importance of confronting the unknown to achieve personal and societal growth.
The book is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary work that aims to make the wisdom of myth accessible to the modern mind.
Harry Potter Series
A Series of Seven Fantasy Novels
J.K. Rowling
The Harry Potter series chronicles the adventures of Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers his magical heritage on his eleventh birthday.
Along with his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry navigates the magical world, attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and confronts the dark wizard Lord Voldemort.
The series spans seven years, each book set over the course of one school year, culminating in a final battle against Voldemort in the seventh book.
The series explores themes of friendship, courage, and the struggle between good and evil, set against a richly detailed magical backdrop.
Sources of the Self
Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor's Sources of the Self is a comprehensive exploration of the development of the self in Western thought.
The book traces the evolution of self-understanding from ancient Greece to the modern era, examining how different philosophical and religious traditions have shaped our conceptions of identity.
Taylor argues that the modern self is characterized by a unique sense of autonomy and individuality, but also by a profound sense of alienation and fragmentation.
He explores the implications of these developments for our understanding of ethics, politics, and religion.
The book is highly influential in the fields of philosophy, sociology, and religious studies.
It's a challenging but rewarding read for anyone interested in the history of ideas and the nature of the self.
The Exorcist
William Peter Blatty
The Exorcist, written by William Peter Blatty, tells the story of Regan MacNeil, a 12-year-old girl who becomes possessed by an evil spirit.
Her mother, Chris MacNeil, a successful actress, seeks help from two priests: Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit priest and psychiatrist struggling with his faith, and Father Lankester Merrin, an elderly priest with experience in exorcisms.
The novel explores themes of faith, redemption, and the battle between good and evil as the priests perform an exorcism to save Regan.
The story is intense and graphic, delving into the psychological and supernatural aspects of the possession and the exorcism process.
It was inspired by a real-life case of demonic possession in the 1940s and has become a classic in the horror genre.
12 Rules for Life
An Antidote to Chaos
Jordan B Peterson
In this book, Jordan B. Peterson offers twelve profound and practical rules for living a meaningful life.
He argues that happiness is a fleeting and unpredictable goal, and instead, people should seek meaning as a defense against the suffering inherent in life.
The book is divided into chapters, each representing one of the twelve rules, such as 'Stand up straight with your shoulders back,' 'Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping,' and 'Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient).
' Peterson draws on examples from his clinical practice, personal life, cutting-edge psychology, philosophy, and ancient myths to provide a guide for personal improvement and coping with adversity.
The Brothers Karamazov
Larissa Volokhonsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Richard Pevear
Set in 19th-century Russia, 'The Brothers Karamazov' is a novel that delves into the lives of the Karamazov family, focusing on the three brothers—Dmitri, Ivan, and Alyosha—and their complex relationships with their father, Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov.
The novel is a murder mystery, a courtroom drama, and an exploration of erotic rivalry, faith, doubt, and reason.
It examines the human psyche, moral dilemmas, and the search for meaning in a world fraught with suffering and uncertainty.
The story revolves around the murder of Fyodor Pavlovich and the subsequent trial of Dmitri, accused of the crime, while exploring deeper themes of Russian life, social and spiritual striving, and the clash between faith and reason.
The Bible
Various Authors
The Bible is a comprehensive collection of texts that form the central religious text of Christianity and Judaism.
It is divided into the Old Testament, which includes books such as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and others that narrate the creation of the world, the history of the Israelites, and the prophetic messages.
The New Testament focuses on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, along with the early Christian church and its spread.
The Bible contains a wide range of genres, including historical narratives, poetry, wisdom literature, prophetic writings, and epistles.
Nineteen Eighty-Four
George Orwell
Published in 1949, 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' is a cautionary tale set in a future where the world is divided into three totalitarian super-states: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia.
The novel follows Winston Smith, a minor functionary in the Ministry of Truth in Oceania, who begins to question the all-pervasive authority of the Party and its leader, Big Brother.
Winston's rebellion, fueled by his forbidden love affair with Julia and his interest in the mysterious Brotherhood, ultimately leads to his capture and brutal reeducation by the Thought Police.
The novel explores themes of mass surveillance, censorship, and the manipulation of truth, serving as a powerful warning about the dangers of unaccountable governments and the erosion of individual freedom and dignity.
Randall Wallace, graduate of Duke University, is an American NYT bestselling author of seven novels, as well as a screenwriter (TV and film), director, producer, songwriter, holder of a black belt in karate, and founder of Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity. He is perhaps best known for writing the historical drama Braveheart (1995), which earned him a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay and an Academy Award nomination in the same category, but has since directed The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), We Were Soldiers (2002), Secretariat (2010) and Heaven Is for Real (2014). Mr. Wallace also penned the lyrics to the acclaimed hymn Mansions of the Lord (music by Nick Glennie-Smith), featured in the soundtrack of When We Were Soldiers and performed as the recessional for President Ronald Reagan's funeral.
Mr. Wallace and I discussed the power of art, music and story, his unlikely stint writing songs for an animal band, the profound influence of Biblical stories on his work and thought, the experience of depression, the necessity and significance of sacrifice, the general development of his career as a successful Hollywood writer and director, and his upcoming action movie about the Pope.
This episode was recorded on March 9th, 2021.