12 Rules for Life

12 Rules for Life – Jordan B. Peterson

Clinical psychologist and professor Jordan B. Peterson became widely known through his lectures and online videos, in which he discussed psychology, mythology, religion, personal responsibility and the search for meaning. In 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, he distills his ideas into twelve principles for living a more ordered and meaningful life.

Peterson argues that life inevitably involves suffering and chaos, and that the best way to confront them is by taking responsibility, pursuing meaning and telling the truth. Each chapter is built around a rule, ranging from the practical to the symbolic. He advises readers to stand up straight with their shoulders back, to treat themselves as they would someone they are responsible for helping, to choose friends who want the best for them, and to compare themselves with who they were yesterday rather than with others. Other rules concern raising children, putting one’s own house in order before criticizing the world, pursuing what is meaningful rather than what is expedient, telling the truth, listening carefully, speaking precisely, letting children take healthy risks, and appreciating small moments of goodness.

To illustrate his rules, Peterson draws on evolutionary biology, neuroscience, clinical cases, personal stories, philosophy, literature and religious texts, especially the Bible, ranging widely across disciplines.

The book became an international bestseller and has been praised by many readers for its encouragement of personal responsibility. Peterson and some of his views are also the subject of significant controversy and criticism, and readers may wish to consider a range of perspectives. 12 Rules for Life is a wide-ranging, discussion-provoking read.