| Human Profile | |
| Name: | Jordan Bernt Peterson |
| Birthday: | June 12, 1962 (age 63 years), Born in Edmonton, Canada |
| Education: | Grande Prairie Regional College (Student), political science and English literature University of Alberta (BA), political science University of Alberta (BA), psychology McGill University (PhD), clinical psychology |
| Subscribers: | 8.84M |
| Views: | 1,011,869,513 |
| YouTube Revenue: | $1M - $7.1M |
| Videos: | 1493 |
| Channel Created: | March 2013 |
Overview
Jordan Bernt Peterson is a Canadian psychologist, author, and public speaker recognized for his integration of psychology, mythology, religion, and philosophy in his academic work and bestselling books, and for his prominent public commentary on free speech and political correctness.
Latest News (Dec 31, 2025): Within the past seven days, Jordan B. Peterson's YouTube channels featured new content, including a video titled "Jordan Peterson: "How to Handle Tough Situations in Life"" uploaded on December 25, 2025, and a compilation of past moments, "Surrounded in 2025 was full of major moments! Here's one of your favorites with Jordan Peterson!", posted on December 28, 2025.
Early Life and Education
Jordan Bernt Peterson was born on June 12, 1962, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and grew up in the small town of Fairview. He is the eldest of three children born to Walter Peterson, a school teacher, and Beverley Peterson, a librarian. His middle name, Bernt, is of Norwegian origin, inherited from his great-grandfather.
After graduating from Fairview High School in 1979, Peterson attended Grande Prairie Regional College to study political science and English literature. He later transferred to the University of Alberta, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1982, followed by a B.A. in psychology in 1984. His academic journey then took him to McGill University in Montreal, where he earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 1991. He remained at McGill as a post-doctoral fellow until 1993.
Academic and Clinical Career
From 1993 to 1998, Jordan Bernt Peterson served as an assistant and then an associate professor of psychology at Harvard University. During his time at Harvard, his lectures gained a notable following among students. His research focused on areas such as familial alcoholism, aggression, and antisocial behavior.
In 1998, Peterson returned to Canada and became a full professor at the University of Toronto. His areas of study and research include abnormal, social, and personality psychology, with a particular interest in the psychology of religious and ideological belief.
In 1999, he published his first book, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief, a work that took him over a decade to write. This book explores how people construct meaning, drawing from mythology, religion, literature, and philosophy, and laid the groundwork for many of his future lectures. Alongside his academic duties, Peterson maintained a clinical practice, seeing about 20 clients per week before putting it on hold in 2017. In late 2021, he retired from his position at the University of Toronto, becoming a professor emeritus.
Rise to Public Prominence
Jordan Bernt Peterson’s public profile rose significantly in 2016. He began uploading recordings of his university lectures to his YouTube channel, which he had registered in 2013. However, it was a series of videos he released in September 2016 that garnered widespread attention.
In this series, titled “Professor against political correctness,” Peterson voiced his opposition to Bill C-16, a Canadian government bill that added “gender identity or expression” as a prohibited ground of discrimination. Peterson argued that the bill could compel speech, specifically the use of preferred gender pronouns, which he characterized as an infringement on free speech.
His stance sparked a major controversy, attracting significant media coverage and leading to protests at the University of Toronto. The debate surrounding his views on Bill C-16 propelled him into the international spotlight. His YouTube channel experienced rapid growth, gaining millions of subscribers and views as his lectures and public debates on a range of topics became widely shared.
Major Works and Public Profile
Following his rise to prominence, Jordan Bernt Peterson expanded his public work beyond academia. In 2018, he published his second book, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. The book offers life advice and ethical principles and became an international bestseller, selling millions of copies worldwide. To promote the book, Peterson embarked on a world tour, speaking to large audiences in sold-out venues.
He hosts The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, where he engages in long-form interviews and lectures on topics including psychology, philosophy, mythology, and cultural issues.
In 2021, Peterson released a follow-up book, Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life, which offers further principles for navigating the complexities of life. He also continues to engage in public speaking tours, including the “We Who Wrestle With God” tour, which explores the psychological significance of biblical stories.
Personal Life
Jordan Bernt Peterson married Tammy Roberts in 1989. The couple has two children, a daughter named Mikhaila and a son named Julian.
In recent years, Peterson has experienced significant health challenges. In 2019 and 2020, he sought treatment for a severe dependence on benzodiazepines. More recently, he has been treated for Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), which his daughter stated was due to mold exposure, leading to hospitalization for pneumonia and sepsis.