The Psychology Behind "Nice Guys Finish Last" | Keith Campbell | EP 480

Foundations of the West is out now on DailyWire+

Keith Campbell’s course on Peterson Academy

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down with author, researcher, and professor of psychology at the University of Georgia, Dr. Keith Campbell. They delve deep into the weeds of narcissism, exposing the “good guy” fallacy; why alpha males attract more women; the axis of introversion, extroversion, and neuroticism as it applies to personality disorders; and the obsession with self-esteem which only fosters misery.

W. Keith Campbell, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Georgia, is the author of more than 200 scientific papers and several books, including “The New Science of Narcissism” and “Professor OCEAN: A small tale of personality’s Big Five.” His work on personality has appeared across print media and he has made numerous media appearances, from the “Today Show” to the “Joe Rogan Experience.” He wrote the popular TED-Ed lesson on narcissism and writes a Substack called “Explorations in Personality.” He holds a BA from the University of California at Berkeley, a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and did his postdoctoral work at Case Western Reserve University. He lives in Athens, Georgia, with his wife and daughters.

This episode was recorded on September 4th, 2024

Unlock the adfree experience of The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast and dive into exclusive bonus content on DailyWire+. Start watching now

- Sponsors -

Today’s Sponsors

PreBorn!Help save 11,000 babies from abortion

Balance of NatureGet 35% off Your Order of Fruits & Veggies + FREE Fiber & Spice Supplements. Use promo code Jordan at checkout

HallowGet 3 months free at

- Links -

For Keith Campbell:

- Chapters -

(0:00) Coming up

(0:24) Intro

(4:04) Social personality psychology: narcissism and the self

(12:33) Psychopathology and emotional regulation: short-term vs. long-term

(18:10) Reputation: dominance vs. prestige, Frans de Waal

(21:23) The use of mimicry by narcissists to ascend the hierarchy

(23:37) The short-term reality of alpha positioning

(25:52) How the hierarchy crumbles — and how to stabilize it

(29:35) “Basking in reflected glory”

(34:24) How extroversion and introversion apply to narcissism

(37:08) Cortical maturation and prolonged infancy

(43:13) Andrew Tate: Are caricatured role models necessary?

(47:40) Socialization in male groups

(49:25) The sexual revolution has encouraged Dark- Tetrad short-term mating strategies

(58:53) Almost all losers will attempt to pass themselves off as “nice guys”

(1:02:53) Social media creates chaos — psychopaths like chaos

(1:08:42) Behavior regulation worsens with anonymity

(1:10:35) Ego built the internet, attention-seeking narcissism steers it

(1:11:42) If you ran a classroom by the rules of the internet…

(1:15:11) Social media is about the moment, “it has no goal”

(1:16:51) 30k students have enrolled in Peterson Academy

(1:28:45) The two types of narcissism: grandiose and vulnerable

(1:30:37) The fundamental axis of narcissism: neuroticism and introversion/extroversion

(1:32:41) Personality disorders come from extreme and inflexible narcissism

(1:34:32) The four key traits to look out for

(1:38:03) Self-esteem is fostering “fragile narcissism”

// COURSES //

Discovering Personality

Self Authoring Suite

Understand Myself (personality test)

// BOOKS //

Beyond Order12 More Rules for Life

12 Rules for LifeAn Antidote to Chaos

Maps of MeaningThe Architecture of Belief

#JordanPeterson #JordanBPeterson #DrJordanPeterson #DrJordanBPeterson #DailyWirePlus