12 Rules for Life
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Jordan B. Peterson: 12 Rules for Life
The 12 Rules of Life is a guide for anyone who craves for order, stability and a higher sense of purpose in life.
RULE 1: Stand up straight with your shoulders back.
Your posture can determine your societal status. If you appear to look weak, tired, or sloppy, you’ll be seen and treated as such. You’ll most likely be exploited, mistreated, or ripped off. Appear confident and you’ll be treated as a winner.
It’ll boost your morale make you feel less anxious about how you may appear to others.
RULE 2: Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.
Fact: People are better at filling and properly administering prescription medication to their pets than to themselves.
You are important to other people, as much as to yourself. Consider the people who might depend on you, this might be your friends, family, employees, and even your pet(s). Because you have people who depend on you, you are, therefore, expected to take care of, help, and be good to yourself.
You should do this the same way you would take care of, help, and be good to someone you love and value.
RULE 3: Make friends with people who want the best for you.
Don’t befriend someone because you think you can change his/her life. You might think you’re a strong, generous, well-put-together person who wants to do the right thing but you’ll end up doing more harm to yourself. Make friends with people who are already where you want to be.
That way you’ll learn from their mistake, have more clarity as to the needs and actuality of your goals and career trajectory.
RULE 4: Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.
When we compare ourselves to people who’ve excelled in a certain field or area of expertise. It does little good to us and often leaves us with the feeling of incompetence. Rather, we should compare our performance and effectiveness today to that of yesterday and always strive for perfection.
By comparing yourself today to who you were yesterday you are actively practicing a growth mindset.
RULE 5: Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.
Set clear rules for your children so they can be guided and know what’s the right thing to do and when. Most importantly, you don’t have to force them into doing things they don’t understand. Take time to make them understand why these rules are important and just how beneficial the rules are and would be to them.
RULE 6: Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.
Before blaming the world for why it is what it is today ask yourself how you’ve contribute to it being a better place. If you cannot make your household clean, then don’t blame the community for being filthy. Always look within yourself before judging others for what they are.
RULE 7: Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient).
Pursuing things that give us more meaning provides us with a sense of fulfillment and higher purpose. Do things that make you feel good and elevated. The sense of fulfillment you feel when the tree you planted five years ago is now home to over a hundred birds or a shade for the community.
That’s the kind of feeling you should strive towards. It makes your life worth living.
RULE 8: Tell the truth—or, at least, don’t lie.
We’ve all lied at least once in our lives and have felt guilt for doing so. The problem with telling lies is how quickly it becomes a habit. It’s so easy to get out of a difficult situation with just a lie but the effects can be exponential. A single lie can make you lose your job, friends or break your relationship with loved ones. Tell the truth always and don’t speak when you’re not sure.
RULE 9: Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t.
Rarely is listening done these days. If you’re going to listen to someone, at least listen attentively. Everyone needs to be heard and it’s how we think. Listening effectively, allows the person speaking to open up and express his/her thinking process, which can lead to some of the most amazing and oddly interesting conversations.
RULE 10: Be precise in your speech.
Goals, when clarified become more attainable. Problems, when specified become easier to deal with. Being precise in your speech makes you sound less phony, more trustworthy, and honest. When engaged in or starting a conversation, try narrowing it down to a specific topic as it brings up unique insights. Rather than a general topic that might seem mundane and uninteresting to talk about.
RULE 11: Do not bother children when they are skateboarding.
Danger is part of growing. Falling is not always as awful it sounds, sometimes it might just be an opportunity for us to progress into more resilient beings. There’s always a risk involved in growth and the path to mastery in any area of expertise is never safe as there will be hurdles and stumbling blocks. Let people be who they are, don’t try to change them. If there’s anyone you should change the most, it’s YOU.
RULE 12: Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.
Take advantage of the little opportunities you find anywhere and everywhere. Life is tough and that’s just how it is for everyone. Accept that suffering is an undeniable part of reality and life. Make the most of the happiness found in doing the little things.
