Undoubtedly, if there is a book I have extremely enjoyed reading is Jordan Peterson, 12 Rules For Life. This book is a monument to better living and a guide to alleviate human suffering and an antidote to chaos. Indeed the author deserves an award for his insightful view of the world. As a continuation of his predecessors, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Fredrich Nietzsche, and B. F. Skinner, Jordan Peterson has formulated his philosophy of embracing human suffering and accepting it as part of life. ‘To live is to suffer.’ He talks about this in detail.
This concept that the author stipulates, ‘To live is to suffer,’ is profound and makes great sense. Pain and suffering are the ingredients of human nature, even the body itself as Nietzsche says is designed for suffering from the mouth through the gut system, as once we eat food and become full after some time, we become hungry and we need to eat again. To get the food we need is hard work. Once we accept suffering as part of life, our lives become easier and bearable. The more we deny its existence, the more we perish in pain and anguish. Everything we want and need in life, we have to work for it. Nothing comes easy, even the mere act of breathing takes work and effort. Suffering is part of human life, it is like growing old. We can’t escape away from it.
From the Christian creation theory, Adam was banished from the Garden of Aden for going contrary to God’s wish, therefore, ever since then man has continued suffering. Pain is part of us, we can’t get out of it. It is the mother of chaos in this world. To live a fulfilling life, we need to turn this chaos into order. How do we achieve this feat, Jordan Peterson tries to guide us below:
An Outline of Jodan Peterson, 12 Rules of Life; An Antidote to Chaos
Rule 1: Stand up Straight with your Shoulders Back
One of the things that elucidate confidence is your body posture and stance. The way you walk says so much about you; your self-esteem and the confidence you have in the world. Jordan Peterson has emphasized this in great detail by giving an analogy of lobsters and how similar we are to them in their hierarchy of needs and survival. For instance, he cites how when two lobsters get into a fight arising from territory or mating, the one that loses, ‘becomes unwilling to fight further, even against another, previously defeated opponent. A vanquished competitor loses confidence, sometimes for days. Sometimes the defeat can have even more severe consequences. If a dominant lobster is badly defeated, its brain basically dissolves. Then it grows a new subordinate brain – one more appropriate to its new, lowly position.’
This is the same case that applies to us humans, we act like crustaceans when we do not get what we want. For instance, when we get a rejection from a potential career, a business deal gone sour or the woman we want no longer values us, we grow numb and desolate. All these experiences of rejection and hurt affect us profoundly to the level of hurting our self-esteem. We tend to have low self-esteem, which consequently affects our confidence in the world. Eventually, we become weak, confused and in chaos.
What is the best remedy for this? It is to stand straight with our shoulders back. What does this mean? It means ‘to accept the terrible responsibility of life, with eyes wide open.’ It means consciously deciding to transform the chaos in our lives into habitable order. Do not shy away from defeat. Accept it, embrace failure, rejection and pain. Stand straight with your shoulders back and avoid drooping and hunching. Speak your mind, and put your desires forward as if you had a right towards them. ‘Walk tall and gaze forthrightly ahead. Dare to be dangerous.’
Rule 2: Treat Yourself Like Someone you are Responsible for Helping
One of the things Jordan Peterson discusses in this chapter in detail is the Bible, he talks about the life of Adam and Eve in the creation theory following the Western religion. He illustrates the life of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Aden. Adam was created and given dominion over the earth by God, but after some time He noticed that Adam was bored and lonely, therefore, he decided to create a helper from his rib, Eve
Adam and Eve were happy, and God was pleased with himself. He gave them instructions to do anything they pleased apart from eating the fruit from the Apple tree. This they successfully did until one day the Snake came and cunningly convinced Eve to partake of the fruit which she did. After the deed, she took it to Adam and convinced him to equally eat it. After much deliberation, thinking to himself that he loved Eve and she would not do anything to hurt him, he ate the fruit. Immediately, both gained foresight and knowledge of their surroundings and themselves. They realized they were naked and hid behind the bushes when God came to talk to them. Upon realizing they had taken the forbidden fruit, God banished them from the Garden of Aden and punished them individually by the woman feeling pain when giving birth and the man working hard daily to make a living.
It was after this deed that chaos was born into the world. Ever since humans have been struggling to return to order. What is chaos? According to the author, ‘It is the domain of ignorance itself. It’s unexplored territory. Chaos is what extends, eternally and without limit, beyond the boundaries of all states, all ideas and all disciples.’ Now since we live in a world full of chaos, we should try to elevate it to order. How do we do that? By treating yourself like someone you are responsible for helping by considering what is good for you. Respect yourself enough to always choose yourself, and be the first in everything, after all, you are the most important person in this world. Consider the future and think how it will be if you took good care of yourself, and make good decisions that will benefit you.
Determine where you are going. Have a sense of direction and vision for your life. Be your own best friend. Do not do anything to compromise your core values. ‘Atone for your sinful nature, and replace shame and self-consciousness with the natural pride and forthright confidence of someone who has learned once again to walk with God in the garden of Aden.’
The other 10 rules of Jordan Peterson
Rule 3/Make friends with people who want the best for you
Rule 4/Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today
Rule 5/Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them
Rule 6/Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world
Rule 7/Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)
Rule 8/Tell the truth –or, at least, don’t lie
Rule 9/Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t
Rule 10/Be precise in your speech
Rule11/Do not bother children when they are skateboarding
Rule 12/Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street
It is of utmost importance to recognize that your life matters. It’s the jewel that must be protected at all costs. Your worth cannot be sold or bought off. Your happiness and what you want should be the core driver of your life. Do not relent in your desires and goals because of what other people think. Live your life to the fullest with the consciousness that nothing is permanent and that pain and suffering will always be present in all the affairs that you undertake. You are not hurt-proof. You are not immune to suffering. You are not indestructible, feel all the hurts and pains and cope with them. Know how to survive amidst the chaos and disorder of the world. Be kind and true to yourself. Take all the necessary measures needed to improve your life. It won’t be easy, it has never been easy that is why so many people’s lives are in disorder and utter chaos. Learn to work on yourself. Take responsibility for your life!