Controversial Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson offered up some life advice to TVNZ1 Breakfast host Hayley Holt as she interviewed him on the show today.

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Peterson is in the country to promote his new book, 12 Rules For Life.

He told TVNZ1’s Breakfast presenter Hayley Holt, who's 38 with no children, that having a career is less important than having a family.

"Most young women are taught badly that the most important thing that they’ll do in their life is their career and that’s simply not true, it’s not true for most people and it’s certainly not true for most women,” Peterson said.

Holt replies: "I certainly wasn’t taught that myself. I feel like I’m doing quite well in my career, but I still have pressures. People who are saying, 'when are you actually going to succeed properly by having a baby?' I kind of find that slightly offensive."

Peterson then asks how old Holt is.

"I’m 38, I feel like I’ve got through my early thirties almost luckily when I look at what my friends have to deal with, with their children, I almost feel a little bit blessed, what do you say to that?" she replies.

Peterson says there is something to be said about developing a close knit intimate community around you.

"I would say that it starts to get pretty lonesome after 45 if you don’t have a family," he says.

"It’s easy to consider the utility of an intense career and you have a very high quality career too," he tells Holt.