On Sunday I set off to work five minutes earlier than normal. Everything felt under control. I was putting into practice Jordan Peterson’s advice – confront things before they confront you.

According to Peterson, this is an ancient bit of wisdom (which is borne out in modern psychology) that has cropped up and been realised in stories for as far back as we can look. It’s basically a hero narrative. The hero, in order to be a hero, must confront his fear before it confronts him. The result is something highly beneficial: treasure in tangible or mental form. He often cites Bilbo Baggins as a quintessential hero of this sort.

It’s a simple truth, really. In fact, most of what Peterson says seems simple and obvious once he says it. Anyhow, it’s a great piece of advice to put into practice. I have a better working day when I confront Smaug head on.