Peterson continues to sound pessimistic about the likelihood of actually helping people. His point here, though, is that part of seeking to help someone is being realistic; being naïve isn’t actually kind or helpful. Realism means recognizing that you probably don’t know someone’s full story, just the angle they’ve told you. According to Peterson, it also means that, in the majority of cases, the person you’re seeking to help isn’t a purely innocent victim of their circumstances, regardless of what they claim, and probably could have taken
some positive steps on their own. In such cases, then, there’s a good chance the intended helper will be dragged into a difficult situation more than the other person will be helped.