“12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos” — Dr. Jordan B. Peterson (2018)

Adam Reynolds
Sep 7, 2018 · 2 min read

“12 Rules for Life: An Andidote to Chaos” encapsulates the core principles Peterson discusses in his online lectures. Taking away some of the book’s key pieces of guidance towards living a more meaningful life, can be put into the following categories:

Healthy Soul

  1. Want what will make my life better
  2. Do not betray my soul
  3. Apprehend my personal truth
  4. Do not tell lies or do what I despise
  5. Use my body only in service of my soul

Relationships

  1. Stop casting pearls among swine
  2. Bargain as hard on your part as the other party does on theirs
  3. Make friendships with people who support your upward aim
  4. Review your resentment and either stop whining or speak up

Aims and action in the world

  1. Have goals within meta-goals to provide a structure for action
  2. Set ambitions to do with character and ability, not status and power
  3. Find work that challenges you and renders you productive and helpful
  4. Don’t make half-hearted sacrifices

Process of becoming

  1. Don’t sacrifice what I could be for what I am
  2. Have faith that my being can be corrected by becoming
  3. Allow the world and my spirit to unfold as they will
  4. Proper being is a process not a state; always place my becoming above my current being