Table of Contents
Here are the summaries of the rules in 12 Rules For Life, a book by Jordan Peterson that calls on everyone to carry the burden of personal responsibility, and to face chaos forthrightly in a world that is becoming increasingly nihilistic and careless.
Peterson’s remedy to this emergent leviathan of chaos that especially preys upon young men who have not been properly initiated into the real world is to return to tradition, to capture the gold that is contained within the underworld, and to bring it forward. In other words, to espouse common sense ideas about how to live one’s life that have stood the test of time. In this sense, there is nothing original in Peterson’s thesis. His originality is found in the arguments he makes to support these prescriptions. .
To tell the truth, is not only a moral obligation, it is the only way we avoid physical and psychological disintegration. To fulfil our potential is not a choice that may or may not improve our lives, it is the only way forward if we are to avoid a hellish existence. To allow freedom of expression and experimentality is not a matter of preference, but a fundamental cornerstone on which society functions.
Peterson supports these arguments with findings in neuroscience, psychoanalysis, history, biology and mythology. The cultural attack on dominance hierarchies, free speech, and capitalism is met with a series of counter punches that insist that dominance hierarchies are ubiquitous in nature, and not the result of an oppressive patriarchy. To compel speech in any form is analogous to totalitarian dictatorship, not liberal democracies. And without capitalism, many things we take for granted such as our health, safety, and freedom would be jeopardized.
Below are brief chapter summaries.
Rule 1: Stand Up Straight with Your Shoulders Back
Lobsters are like us. They share and compete for territory with other lobsters. They need an appropriate place to hunt and they want to feel secure. Many creatures compete for dominance and status – including birds and chickens. Those who find themselves at the bottom of the hierarchy are last to eat and first to die when disaster strikes.
Rule 2: Treat Yourself Like Someone You Are Responsible For Helping
Dialysis is painful to go through. People get it because they don’t take their medication. There are some good reasons for this. These people might be depressed or alone, but they also tend to treat their pets better than they treat themselves. And that’s terrible. The origins of this tragedy might be found in the story of Adam and Eve.
Rule 3: Make Friends with People who Want the Best or You
Don’t maintain friendships that are bad for you out of a sense of loyalty. And It’s hard to make friends with people who want what’s best for you- associating with people who are closer to the ideal puts pressure on you, but it’s what you should do.
Rule 4: Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today
It’s better to be big fish in small pond rather than small fish in big pond. No matter who you are, there is always someone better than you. Don’t be too self-critical. There are many games you can play, and you don’t have to stay stuck in a game you’re clearly losing.
Rule 5: Do Not Let Your Children Do Anything That Makes You Dislike Them
It’s not strange that misbehaving children exist, or that some misbehaving adults exist. It’s stranger that anyone at all is civilized, calm, and well-adjusted rather than being barbaric, drug addicted, and chronically anxious. It’s easy to lose focus and it’s easy to not discipline your children.
Rule 6: Set Your Own House in Order Before You Criticize The World
Leo Tolstoy also reasoned that life was meaningless. His rational knowledge led him to deny life – while faith led him to deny reason. The latter was more difficult. He could not escape these thoughts, but was able to identify four ways of dealing with them.
Rule 7: Pursue What is Meaningful, not What is Expedient
Recognize that you have a shadow – a dark, evil side. Know that you are either working towards the betterment of mankind, or its destruction. You have either placed “good” at the top of your moral hierarchy, or “evil”. You have chosen either Cain or Abel, Thor or Loki, Batman or The Joker, Christ or Satan.
Rule 8: Tell the Truth (or at Least Don’t Lie)
Lies lead to disintegration, corruption, and malevolence. If your life is not what you want it to be, then reject feelings of weakness, confusion. Refuse to believe in ideologies, and don’t wallow in nihilism.
Rule 9: Assume that the Person You Are Listening to Might Know Something You Don’t
If you listen, you can tune into the sounding board of the crowd. People will react to you and inform you when you’re wrong. You can choose to get upset and rebel against them, but it’s not wise to make that your default mode of action. You gain nothing from doing so.
Rule 10: Be Precise in Your Speech
Rule 11: Do Not Bother Children When They are Skateboarding
The spirit that tries to stop boys from becoming men is an enemy of both sexes – it will object to little girls who want to try something brave. It is destructive and decadent, it is overprotective, and no one who wants to truly better the world should manifest this spirit.
Rule 12 – Pet a Cat when you Encounter One on the Street
People cooperate in groups to gain security, safety, and company. And competition within the group promotes personal growth and status. The size of the group matters, though.
A book that contains wisdom for all ages, and the lessons within it are worth re-reading, as many of them happen to be of the eternally recurring yet avoidable kind. 12 Rules for Life will make you wiser.
If you are interested in reading books about unmasking human nature, consider reading The Dichotomy of the Self, a book that explores the great psychoanalytic and philosophical ideas of our time, and what they can reveal to us about the nature of the self.