12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson (January 2019)
Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules For Life has one of those titles that gives you exactly what it promises – twelve rules for successfully navigating the long and winding road of life. He explains each rule with a meandering essay that touches on topics and experiences both germane and tangential to the idea being described. The result is a wide-ranging and insightful work full of wisdom about how to face and overcome life’s many challenges.
It took a relatively long time but I eventually narrowed down Peterson’s thoughts into a handful of themes. I’ll cover these thoughts over the next few weeks. To start, however, I thought I would do the most logical thing whenever a ‘list’ book comes around – I’ll review the twelve rules, assess how well I’m following each one, and include any extra comments. Today’s post will cover the rules I’m currently following.
Before I start, I should note a hypothetical concern – does this mean I agree with all of the rules? The short answer is yes, and I’m trying to live by them. The long answer is similar – yes, but…
I’ll explain the difference in an upcoming post (1).
OK – without further ado, then, here we go…
The rules I already follow...
Rule #1 – stand up straight with your shoulders back
I made a conscious effort a few years ago to improve my posture. I knew it had worked when people I hadn’t seen in a while would ask me if I’d gotten taller. I would say no (because I hadn’t) but the mouth speaking those very words was definitely a little higher off the ground than in the past.
Rule #4 – compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today
I think I might actually follow this one a little too well – I’m at the point of feeling physical discomfort when I’m being compared to someone else and that response can’t possibly be good for my health.
Rule #7 – pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)
The parentheses do it here – I’m not sure if I’m quite at the point of always pursuing the meaningful (what is meaningful about TOA?) but I’m sure no one will confuse me with the sort of person who pursues the expedient.
Rule #8 – tell the truth – or, at least, don’t lie
I do actually lie quite a bit (the April Fool’s Day post wasn’t complete nonsense) but these lies are generally kind of obvious and have that playful quality I’ve mentioned in several other contexts. For the most part, my perception is that no one considers me a liar.
Rule #10 – be precise in your speech
This one might be challenging to consistently live up to but given that most people seem to understand me the first time I speak, I think I’m doing a good job. I’m also rarely involved in misunderstandings, which I see as good evidence for this rule.
Rule #11 – do not bother children when they are skateboarding
Easy – I ignore children anyway. This is also a good rule to follow, unless you personally know the child.
