I think you are spot on, although Peterson is the king of creating an intellectual sounding framework to justify his emotional beliefs. That’s why so many of his statements counter-act each other or otherwise don’t hold up to scrutiny, but it is why he appeals to those kinds of guys. Their wounds and insecurities become a kind of holy crusade, which feels good, rather than something that indicates you need to work on yourself beyond standing up straight and cleaning your room (which feels bad).

Yes, that guy who didn’t read the article was a real piece of work.