Motivation
Beyond Order:
12 More Rules for Life
By Jordan B. Peterson
Foreword: Peterson's new book, Beyond Order, is a continuation of
his previous book, 12 Rules for Life, presenting an
additional 12 rules based on the same framework.
However, it takes a different approach from the first
book, which analyzed the effects of too much chaos
and offered ways to manage them.
Essentially, the two books serve as counterbalances to
one another. "Pathologies of chaos" vs "pathologies of
order" is how Peterson described his two books,
wherein the first will appeal more to conservative types.
In contrast, the second will appeal more to liberal types.
"12 rules for life" started by explaining how too much
chaos can lead to problems and how to solve them. On
the other hand, Beyond Order emphasizes what is
opposed to - too much Order: how to deal with it and
who can help.
Peterson describes the universe as "explored territory",
where things that occur can, in many cases, be
predicted. But, on the other hand, unpredictability,
novelty, and disruption are the hallmarks of chaos.
Therefore, when there is too much Order - for example,
in totalitarianism - it is necessary to find renewal by
moving beyond Order.
Main points:
1. Rule 1: Don't denigrate social institutions or creative
achievements carelessly.
2. Rule 2: Think about who you could be and then aim
single-mindedly for that.
3. Rule 3: Keep unwanted things out of the fog.
4.
Rule
4:
Recognize that
opportunity lurks where
responsibility has been abdicated.
5. Rule 5: You should not do what you hate.
6. Rule 6: Abandon ideology.
7. Rule 7: You should do your best in at least one area
and see what happens.
8. Rule 8: Make sure that at least one room in your home
as beautiful as possible.
9. Rule 9: Whenever you feel upset by old memories,
write them down carefully and completely.
10.
Rule
10:
Work
hard
to
keep
your
relationship
romantic.
11.
Rule
11:
Don't
become
resentful,
deceitful,
arrogant.
12. Rule 12: Be grateful despite your suffering
relationships can make you happy.
or
1. Rule 1: Don't denigrate social institutions or
creative achievements carelessly
Communicating with others is essential to maintaining an organized mind.
The purpose of discussing the past is to clarify our stories and avoid stress
over trivial issues. Defining our present and future (and why) helps us figure
out where we are and where we're going. The process of talking through
this all equals organizing, and others' judgments and reactions help with it.
We outsource the problem of sanity. People remain mentally healthy not
merely because of the integrity of their minds, but because they are
constantly being reminded how to think, act, and speak by those around
them.
Peterson also begins his psychological assessment by examining a
patient's "social worlds." Are they well educated? How do they spend their
free time? What plans do they have? Is there a health issue or economic
problem? How many family members and friends do they have? Does the
relationship exist? Careers? The psychologist considers that the client is
not adequately embedded in the world if too many of the questions are
negative.
A good solution to a problem involving suffering must be repeatable,
without deterioration across repetitions – iterable, in a word – across
people and across time.
The condition of the world and the negative aspects of humanity left a
Peterson's patient paralyzed for months. Yet, despite not being a
productive member of society, she felt moral superiority. According to
Peterson, a beginner should accept their place in the hierarchy and walk
before running.
Conservative and creative transformations both have their benefits and
drawbacks. Different backgrounds, political opinions, and personality types
complement and maintain balance (In particular, when the ratio is too
skewed in one way).
Stories provide us with a broad template. They outline a pattern specific
enough to be of tremendous value, if we can imitate it, but general enough
to apply even to new situations. In stories, we capture observations of the
ideal personality.
Even if you understand the rules and the necessity for social institutions
and how they prevent chaos from taking over but believe that an exception
is necessary (and think you can make a sound judgment about that), you
serve the spirit of the law rather than the law itself. Morally, that's a good
thing to do. However, if you disregard the value and necessity of rules
(Order) and disregard them carelessly, you destroy tradition and stability,
which will have consequences.
2. Rule 2: Think about who you could be and
then aim single-mindedly for that
What makes you think you are who you are? You are more complex than
anything else in existence, more complicated than anyone else. You are
which will have consequences.
further confused by your ignorance and confusion over who you are and
what you could be. A person is more than something they are. There is a
limit to what you can understand about what you are becoming - and that
limit also extends beyond your understanding.
Every person has the sense that there is more to them than they have
allowed themselves to see. Health problems, misfortunes, and the general
tragedies and mishaps of life often obscure that potential. However, it is
also
possible
to
hide
behind
an
unwillingness
to
make
full
use
of the
opportunities that life offers - which is facilitated by grievous errors of all
types, including failures of discipline, faith, imagination, and commitment.
How did you come to be here? Who would you be if everything is possible
for you?
How does Peterson answer the question of "who are you?"? There is a
force within each of us that, when faced with the unknown, understands
the nature of evil and turns chaos into Order (or reduces Order to chaos if
the pendulum swings too far in that way). According to him, this is essential for human survival, but it isn't easy to
comprehend. Through stories, we learn what we strive for - in terms of
values and goals.
Everyone
needs
to
have
a
story to
help
them
move
from
chaos
to
a
framework that will help them structure their actions and perceptions. A
better beginning and an even better ending are essential for every story.
Peterson suggests that we get our stories straight - our past, present, and
future. To reach our goals, we need a plan to take us from where we are to
where we want to be. Chaos, uncertainty, and unpredictability will drown
us if we don't act now. The path "constitutes the very border between order
and chaos which, when traversed, restores the balance between the two."
Would it make sense to change plans or paths? To ensure you aren't just
giving up, try looking for challenges and difficulty on the new approach to
make sure that's not what you are doing. It is safe to assume that you are
not deluding yourself if you answered yes to the question.
3. Rule 3: Keep unwanted things out of the fog
Life is what repeats, and it's worth getting what repeats right.
Everyday events are essential, and any minor problem should be addressed
as soon as possible. The majority of people avoid discussions or arguments
over minor, trivial things. This, however, is unhealthy since they repeat
again and again, and at some point, it won't just be a little problem
anymore.
Hiding your emotions and motivational states is a result of hiding your
inattention to them, as well as the fact that you refuse to say anything
about them, either to yourself or to anyone else. There is always an
underlying problem behind every emotion or anxiety we experience.
If you walk through the fog without seeing the possible dangers and
obstacles (and opportunities too!), you will certainly fall into their snares.
Furthermore, you won't have the energy to simultaneously handle all of
these issues, as they will grow in the darkness until they overwhelm you.
Therefore, it is much better to face things on time and resolve them.
4. Rule 4: Recognize that opportunity lurks
where responsibility has been abdicated
A person's most significant accomplishments and their most valued
achievements typically include the things they struggled to achieve.
where responsibility has been abdicated
It appears that the meaning that most effectively sustains life is found in
the adoption of responsibility.
This means that to attain meaning, some difficulty is necessary.
You must sacrifice something of your manifold potential in exchange for
something real in life. Aim at something. Discipline yourself. Or suffer the
consequences. And what is that consequence? All the suffering of life, with
none of the meaning. Is there a better description of hell?
Rather than just preparing for the present, people plan for the future. We
treat those potential future states as if they were already real. Future
events are likely to manifest in the here and now, which encourages us to
take actions that would otherwise seem wasteful or unproductive. When
we pursue worthwhile goals, we experience positive emotions.
This
implies
something
crucial:
no
happiness
in
the
absence
of
responsibility.
Meaning
comes
to
you
in
direct
proportion
to
the
intensity
of
your
commitment to responsibility. Your inactivity is because you do nothing to
improve the situation. As a result, you minimize unnecessary suffering.
Taking action and speaking up for those around you inspires others. As
long as you control your own or another's malice, you are preventing it from
spreading.
Abdication of responsibility is often expressed in disenchantment and
disappointment. However, whenever your annoyances, irritations, or
frustrations are presented to you, you can change them and take
responsibility for doing so.
5. Rule 5: You should not do what you hate
A simple task that has no real purpose can destroy your motivation and
demoralize you. What is the reason? Because we are motivated to do things
because we feel they are important and valuable - and they are worth
sacrificing for. We are harming ourselves when we have to do something
stupid or pointless, contrary to this.
People often act despite their conscience […], and hell tends to arrive step
by step, one betrayal after another. […] If you do not object when the
transgressions against your conscience are minor, why presume that you
will not wilfully participate when the transgressions get truly out of hand?
There is no doubt that the road to hell, personally and socially, is paved not
so much with good intentions as with the adoption of attitudes and
undertaking actions that inescapably disturb your conscience.
6. Rule 6: Abandon ideology
Creating an ideology or an "ism" is a relatively straightforward process. For
instance, the economy, the rich, or oppressors are all concepts that vastly
simplify complex phenomena. The ideology starts by bringing together a
6. Rule 6: Abandon ideology
few abstractions whose low-resolution representations hide a great deal of
the world.
Afterward, the pieces are referred to as problematic and villains are
designated. After that, several causal powers are assigned that explain
these problems, and a theory appears that describes real-life phenomena
within the parameters set by this new school of thought. As a result, the
propaganda phase begins: everyone who refuses to acknowledge and use
this new system of thought is demonized and excluded.
Beware of intellectuals who make a monotheism out of their theories of
motivation. In more technical terms, Beware of blanket univariate (single
variable) causes for diverse, complex problems. […] The attraction of doing
so is, however, obvious: simplicity, ease, and the illusion of mastery […] and,
let us not forget, the frequent discovery of a villain, or set of villains, upon
which the hidden motivations for the ideology can be vented.
Fighting patriarchy, reducing oppression, promoting equality, transforming
capitalism, saving the environment, eliminating competitiveness,
downsizing government, or running every organization like a business is
impossible. A concept of such a low resolution is simply unacceptable.
7. Rule 7: You should do your best in at least one
area and see what happens
Aiming for something is a part of maturation and is necessary for growth
and improvement. Unless you have a goal or direction, every little thing will
bring you down, and you won't know where to turn or what to do.
area and see what happens
Through his clinical practice experience, Peterson claims that people
committed to their work are more likely to succeed. Studying, working,
having a relationship, etc., all require a commitment to some extent.
Although not perfect, committing to some degree is better than not
committing at all and making sacrifices.
There are many things to which we could commit ourselves. Given the
plethora of alternatives, it is possible to make a case for any given
commitment's arbitrary and meaningless nature. It is not possible to make
a similar case for commitment: The person who does not choose is lost. A
person is better off becoming something than remaining nothing but
becoming something. Although becoming something is accompanied by
fundamental limitations and disappointments, we still do it. Cynics despair
that there are bad decisions everywhere. Taking no action is the worst
decision you can make.
8. Rule 8: Make sure that at least one room in
your home as beautiful as possible
Beautiful things are not easy to make, but Peterson argues that they are
worth the effort. When you start with one beautiful thing in your life, you
can expand it to other beautiful things, and that is the reconnection when
you were a child, and you could see the true beauty and majesty of the
Beings around you.
It can be overwhelming to open ourselves up to the beauty in the world
that we as adults have painted over with simplicity. In not doing so,
however […] we lose track of the grandeur and the awe the untrammelled
world is constantly capable of producing, and reduce our lives to bleak
necessity.
There
are
sayings
in
many cultures that warn
against
standing
out.
Creativity is a risky endeavor, and it is very likely to fail -- but it is essential
for change and transformation. "We need the new, merely to maintain our
position."
It is beauty that leads you back to what you have lost. When you see
beauty, you are reminded what will never be cynical. Beautiful things
straighten your aim with their beckoning. The beauty of life reminds you
that we all have worth, no matter how small. Life is filled with many things
worth living: love, play, courage, gratitude, work, friendship, truth, grace,
hope, virtue, and responsibility. However, beauty is one of the greatest.
9. Rule 9: Whenever you feel upset by old
memories, write them down carefully and
completely
It's important to understand who we are and where we are going to have a
sense of direction in the world. Additionally, knowing our past experiences
is crucial - if you're unaware of your past, how can you understand where
you are today? By the time we're done, we'll have created a map that will
guide us around.
We make the world what it is, from the many things we perceive it could be.
Doing so is perhaps the primary fact of our Being, and perhaps of Being
itself. We face many prospects […] and by choosing one pathway rather
than another, we reduce that multitude to the singular actuality of reality.
In doing so, we bring the world from becoming into Being.
Our profession is cartography, making maps; our profession is geography,
studying the land structure. In more specific and precise terms, we are
charters of courses, sailors, and explorers. The stories we tell are born of
places, of positions we occupied at the time they began. We must learn
from the past's pitfalls to prevent the former and not repeat the latter.
Clearly understanding where we are now, where we've come from, and
what's next is essential. The causal analysis must be undertaken: we must
know what happened, why it happened, and how it happened.
When our past has not been adequately addressed, and there are still
unresolved
issues,
it
hurts
the
present.
Whenever
we
refuse
to
acknowledge our mistakes, our surroundings expand into the unknown
and become predatory.
10. Rule 10: Work hard to keep your relationship
romantic
It's essential to think about the whole relationship when maintaining
romance. To realize this strategy, you will need to negotiate well, which
means knowing what you want and discussing it. However, sharing your
desires openly can be challenging, even if you know what you want since
you are opening yourself up to failure or ridicule. So people sometimes keep
their wishes quiet and vague.
"There are three states of social being: tyranny (you follow my orders),
slavery (I do what you want), or negotiation." Tyranny is evil for the slaves
and bad for the tyrants (cynicism, cruelty, anger, etc.). Moreover, slavery is
not
good
either,
since
a
slave
is
miserable,
resentful,
and
angry.
Relationships can only be resolved through negotiation (a problematic
undertaking).
11. Rule 11: Don't become resentful, deceitful,
or arrogant
Peterson describes the case of a patient whose family had spent their lives
trying to protect him from everything harmful and evil. However, as a
result, she was unprepared for the general harshness of life and could not
cope. After exploring those things that she had been avoiding, she came to
a solution that worked for her.
What causes people to become resentful? "You are resentful because of
the absolute unknown and its terrors, because nature conspires against
you, because you are a victim of the tyrannical element of culture, and
because of the malevolence of yourself and other individuals."
A person's "fundamental instinct that guides them through life's
difficulties" is corrupted and distorted by self-deception. When people are
truthful, they can rely on their instincts and guide, but they cannot trust
their judgment when they lie to themselves.
The best attitude to the horror of existence is to believe that you, society,
and the world are sufficient to justify life. The alternative to resentment,
deceit, and arrogance is the assumption that we are interconnected and
interdependent. Faith in yourself, in your fellow humans, and in the
structure of existence itself entails the conviction that you possess the
ability to overcome reality and to make your life the best that it can be.
Having sufficient nobility, grandeur, and intrinsic meaning in your life may
allow you to tolerate the harmful elements of existence without
transforming everything around you into something resembling hell.
12. Rule 12: Be grateful despite your suffering
allow you to tolerate the harmful elements of existence without
transforming everything around you into something resembling hell.
Even though I regard the inevitability of suffering and its exaggeration by
malevolence as unshakable existential truths, I believe even more deeply
that people can transcend their suffering, psychologically and practically,
and to constrain their malevolence, as well as the evils that characterize
the social and the natural worlds.
As Peterson explains, some individuals face suffering courageously and
make a difference amid that suffering. Therefore, he asserts that optimism
is better than pessimism; he finds optimism more reliable. Of course,
keeping a positive attitude in the face of darkness is not easy. Still, if
someone looks at darkness and remains optimistic (instead of cynical),
then that's something else entirely.
It is also possible to be grateful in similar ways: even though life can be
demanding and full of suffering, you have made a conscious effort to see
the good in yourself and the world. Thus, gratitude is not about suffering
but rather about being thankful for the opportunity and possibility that
exist.
Conclusion
Peterson's first book, 12 Rules for Life and Beyond Order, act like Yin and
Yang, respectively. In a chaotic world, the 12 Rules for Life emphasize the
importance of Order. Beyond Order, on the other hand, argues that a bit of
chaos is necessary for innovation and positive change. However, the Left
must recognize that our social institutions are tried and tested. In contrast,
the Right must accept that creative change and innovation are vital in an
environment ripe with chaos.