Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life
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- Create Date：2021-06-08 06:52:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jordan B. Peterson
- ISBN：0593453085
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Summary
The companion volume to 12 Rules for Life offers further guidance on the perilous path of modern life。
In 12 Rules for Life， clinical psychologist and celebrated professor at Harvard and the University of Toronto Dr。 Jordan B。 Peterson helped millions of readers impose order on the chaos of their lives。 Now， in this bold sequel， Peterson delivers twelve more lifesaving principles for resisting the exhausting toll that our desire to order the world inevitably takes。
In a time when the human will increasingly imposes itself over every sphere of life--from our social structures to our emotional states--Peterson warns that too much security is dangerous。 What's more， he offers strategies for overcoming the cultural， scientific， and psychological forces causing us to tend toward tyranny， and teaches us how to rely instead on our instinct to find meaning and purpose， even--and especially--when we find ourselves powerless。
While chaos， in excess， threatens us with instability and anxiety， unchecked order can petrify us into submission。 Beyond Order provides a call to balance these two fundamental principles of reality itself， and guides us along the straight and narrow path that divides them。
In 12 Rules for Life， clinical psychologist and celebrated professor at Harvard and the University of Toronto Dr。 Jordan B。 Peterson helped millions of readers impose order on the chaos of their lives。 Now， in this bold sequel， Peterson delivers twelve more lifesaving principles for resisting the exhausting toll that our desire to order the world inevitably takes。
In a time when the human will increasingly imposes itself over every sphere of life--from our social structures to our emotional states--Peterson warns that too much security is dangerous。 What's more， he offers strategies for overcoming the cultural， scientific， and psychological forces causing us to tend toward tyranny， and teaches us how to rely instead on our instinct to find meaning and purpose， even--and especially--when we find ourselves powerless。
While chaos， in excess， threatens us with instability and anxiety， unchecked order can petrify us into submission。 Beyond Order provides a call to balance these two fundamental principles of reality itself， and guides us along the straight and narrow path that divides them。
Reviews
Ben Jones
，
Balance between Order and Chaos is an important part of mythology and also an important part of life。 In Peterson's 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos， he offered clear/potent advice for those overwhelmed by Chaos that needed to return more towards Order。 In Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life， his advice is not nearly as clear or potent。 The natural assumption would be that this book is a companion to its predecessor and is designed to aid those who are bogged down by too much Order and n Balance between Order and Chaos is an important part of mythology and also an important part of life。 In Peterson's 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos， he offered clear/potent advice for those overwhelmed by Chaos that needed to return more towards Order。 In Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life， his advice is not nearly as clear or potent。 The natural assumption would be that this book is a companion to its predecessor and is designed to aid those who are bogged down by too much Order and need to embrace more Chaos; but instead; this book only weakly covers embracing more Chaos and instead regularly rehashes/builds upon old advice centered around Order from the previous book （most evident in rules such as "Imagine who you could be and then aim single-mindedly at that"， "Notice that opportunity lurks where responsibility has been abdicated"， "Abandon ideology" and "Work as hard as you possibly can on at least one thing and see what happens。"）。1-10 Takeaways:1） From the rule "Do not carelessly denigrate social institutions or creative achievement": Those with a more Liberal disposition seek novelty and embrace reform; so， they are inclined to denigrate social institutions that are still needed。 Those with a more Conservative disposition seek to uphold tradition and reject reform; so， they tend to denigrate creative achievement that could offer valuable reform to existing social institutions。 Both of these dispositions/perspectives are needed and a growing/steady society knows to ebb and flow between the two。2） From the rule "Imagine who you could be and then aim single-mindedly at that": The allure of youth is infinite possibility。 The noble path from childhood to adulthood is sacrificing the majority of possibilities and choosing responsibility in a defined field。 Choosing responsibility in a defined field will limit you but it will also form you and your identity （infinite possibility is nebulous）。 Peter Pan's rejections of defined responsibility kept him from the noble adult life。 "Going through the keyhole allows you to go through the other side。"3） From the rule "Notice that opportunity lurks where responsibility has been abdicated": If something is in Chaos， your decision to put that thing into a state of Order will make up valuable。 4） From the rule "Abandon ideology": Viewing the world through the lens of a specific ideology oversimplifies complex problems that requires nuance all while promoting dogma/tribalism。 Beware of becoming an ideologue。1_10 Questions:1） 。。。more
Emma Megan
，
I've waited a year or so for "Beyond Order" and listened to a few podcasts and YouTube videos of Jordan Peterson before actually reading the book。 Thus， when I dug into it， I was already familiarized with some of the topics discussed。 This book is not so different from the previous one， "12 Rules for Life。" J。 P。 uses ancient and real-life stories and fairy tales to highlight both ideas that life consists of suffering and that the world is filled with acts of brutality。 In this book， Peterson en I've waited a year or so for "Beyond Order" and listened to a few podcasts and YouTube videos of Jordan Peterson before actually reading the book。 Thus， when I dug into it， I was already familiarized with some of the topics discussed。 This book is not so different from the previous one， "12 Rules for Life。" J。 P。 uses ancient and real-life stories and fairy tales to highlight both ideas that life consists of suffering and that the world is filled with acts of brutality。 In this book， Peterson encourages his readers always to confront their problems voluntarily， take responsibility for their lives， have clear goals， focus on one thing until is perfected， etc。"Beyond Order" by Jordan Peterson contains many valuable lessons that will change your perspective of life。 I highlighted many sentences， took lots of notes， and found many that can be used as quotes。 This book didn't disappoint me， but I rather listen to J。 P。 talking than reading him。 。。。more
Joseph
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Very readable and with in-depth discussion points。 There are a few rules where I don't really follow。 Maybe I was just speed reading it through Very readable and with in-depth discussion points。 There are a few rules where I don't really follow。 Maybe I was just speed reading it through 。。。more
John J。
，
Fantastic。 I needed to absorb this book so I uncharacteristically took my time to fully understand and learn。 I’m glad I did so。 JP is a learned and experienced professional with an unwavering approach to taking responsibility for our actions and accepting the we can change our lives。 That we are not victims unless we choose to make ourselves so。 It is understandable that the “always offended” would attempt to vilify him， since he shoots howitzer-sized holes in their attempt at logic。 And， not s Fantastic。 I needed to absorb this book so I uncharacteristically took my time to fully understand and learn。 I’m glad I did so。 JP is a learned and experienced professional with an unwavering approach to taking responsibility for our actions and accepting the we can change our lives。 That we are not victims unless we choose to make ourselves so。 It is understandable that the “always offended” would attempt to vilify him， since he shoots howitzer-sized holes in their attempt at logic。 And， not surprisingly， those of us who embrace personal responsibility are far happier， far more successful， and better citizens than the eternal victims。 Thank you Doctor Peterson 。。。more
Blake Jones
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Not as good as the first book but still great！
W W
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Wise and compassionate - tackling the biggest questions we must content with。
Charissa Ty
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There's a lot of truth in the rules he's pointed out。 I may not agree on the marriage bit， or how much he's referencing the bible and how the word 'malevolence' might be slightly overused， but he made me think alot about life。 I appreciate his perspectives and from those I have identified mine。 There's a lot of truth in the rules he's pointed out。 I may not agree on the marriage bit， or how much he's referencing the bible and how the word 'malevolence' might be slightly overused， but he made me think alot about life。 I appreciate his perspectives and from those I have identified mine。 。。。more
Alexander Best
，
Not his best work。 The trials and tribulations that Jordan has experienced over past two years hasn't reflected with general theme of this book。 There is cognitive dissonance with claiming to take personal responsibility to ameliorate one's own suffering by someone who required medical induced coma to overcome a benzodiazepine addiction。 I like the general theme of sections however lacked conviction overall。 Not his best work。 The trials and tribulations that Jordan has experienced over past two years hasn't reflected with general theme of this book。 There is cognitive dissonance with claiming to take personal responsibility to ameliorate one's own suffering by someone who required medical induced coma to overcome a benzodiazepine addiction。 I like the general theme of sections however lacked conviction overall。 。。。more
Kunal
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Gave an extra star to balance out the politically motivated low ratings。
Julie
，
It’s so excessively wordy but contains many ideas worthy of consideration。
Semi-Academic Eric
，
This man's tendency to anxiety and anger concerned me， as I could see it on TV。 However， I found it very interesting to read his backstory。 Apparently， he was really going through something。 As I've tried to see more of the story， I've seen a few people mutually respectfully interacting with him。 And， most recently， I've seen an interview where he discussed what he might have done differently。 Maybe we see some humility combined with a brash and brazen personality。People have talked about this m This man's tendency to anxiety and anger concerned me， as I could see it on TV。 However， I found it very interesting to read his backstory。 Apparently， he was really going through something。 As I've tried to see more of the story， I've seen a few people mutually respectfully interacting with him。 And， most recently， I've seen an interview where he discussed what he might have done differently。 Maybe we see some humility combined with a brash and brazen personality。People have talked about this man quite a bit recently。 That's how I found out about him。 I have seen some of the coverage of the challenges he faced as I tried to keep up on some of the news this last year during Covid-19。 YouTube now recommends such a wide variety of content for me that I'll occasionally see him alongside such a one as Noam Chomsky。 Hopefully the algorithm has come to learn that I am willing to look at things from many angles。 To face and be able to play with principles applied to people problems， we might want to learn from a wide variety of people who have put in practice what they teach。This book， so says the introduction， comes out during the pandemic yet is not constrained by it。 Thankfully， Dr。 Peterson decided to only talk about the lockdown and the challenges it presented， briefly， in the introduction。 Instead， he seems to return to principles that he believes will help us through the larger life progression。 I like his passion。 I don't always understand， nor agree with， his reason。 Maybe those latter two go together。So far， as of Jun 5th of this year， I have read the introduction and the 12th Rule。 The book seems strange to me because on the one hand， in this book， he writes about not being too tightly held by order， suggesting that， as the title suggests， we may be wise to go "Beyond Order。" I find his approach strongly tainted by his own predilection to seeking and helping others to attain more order in their lives。 [Maybe I don't usually write this way。 One benefit of reading or listening to Peterson seems to me to expand one's vocabulary， in a sort of down to earth， practical intellectual sort of way。 That being written， it's obvious to me that I still have a lot to learn。]The passion this man has for learning seems to inspire many people to ponder， wonder， and write。 I'm not sure how much more of this book I'll be reading anytime soon， as I am also studying others who seem to be more skilled at calming。 Maybe we recognize in Peterson someone who， like Moses， according to history， was able to give rules to live by to those escaping from slavery。 But， I wonder， metaphorically meandering， if this tortured man， will make it， in this life， to the promised land。*Intent to review this review， perhaps edit it and add to it noted。 This was written in a freewriting manner， has been edited little so far as possible while engaging the flow of thought， and probably deserves a deeper and better treatment of the matter。 I just wanted to give some of my honest thoughts on this book and this subject a space to breathe for a bit。 。。。more
Sweeto Makiko
，
I like that JP leans conservative cos he thinks that it’s a more pragmatic way forward in life。 I’m a centrist with a slight libertarian-left tendency and I have been disappointed on several occasions by many conservative-leaning proponents。 However， I think he actually offers a lot of re-packaged time-honouring valuable advice on how to live life as best as you can。 I like pragmatism at the end of the day and I think he does offer a decent amount of it。I was hard-pressed between giving 2 stars I like that JP leans conservative cos he thinks that it’s a more pragmatic way forward in life。 I’m a centrist with a slight libertarian-left tendency and I have been disappointed on several occasions by many conservative-leaning proponents。 However， I think he actually offers a lot of re-packaged time-honouring valuable advice on how to live life as best as you can。 I like pragmatism at the end of the day and I think he does offer a decent amount of it。I was hard-pressed between giving 2 stars and 3 stars because he was too preachy。 Half the time I was wondering if he was a preacher or a psychologist because he vociferously advocates Christian values and went on loads of tangents on it thru the book。 I am an evangelical Christian yet it grates me that he doesn’t personally subscribe to whatever he preaches。 My gripe with the western world in general （especially in America） is the marriage between evangelicalism and conservatism。 It confuses me that he wouldn’t identify himself as a Christian yet hardsells it in a lot of his anecdotes and examples。 But hey to each their own and if it floats his boat， sure。 。。。more
Cliff Hanks
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Started weak， finished strong。 Almost as good as book 1。
Riley Thomas
，
This sequel did not disappoint。 Jordan Peterson delivered another 12 rules that can leaded us out of the chaos in our lives and into a， at least partially， ordered life。How to get the most out of this book:- Let yourself be challenged by the ideas- Reflect on how these rules can be applied to your life- Take just 1 rule to heart and live it out to the best of your ability - If can handle it， take on 2 rulesPutting your life in order is no simple task。 Not every rule will speak to every person， b This sequel did not disappoint。 Jordan Peterson delivered another 12 rules that can leaded us out of the chaos in our lives and into a， at least partially， ordered life。How to get the most out of this book:- Let yourself be challenged by the ideas- Reflect on how these rules can be applied to your life- Take just 1 rule to heart and live it out to the best of your ability - If can handle it， take on 2 rulesPutting your life in order is no simple task。 Not every rule will speak to every person， but JP understands that。 JP delves into biblical texts a bit less in this one， as he drove his point home in the original 12 Rules for Life that Genesis and early biblical texts are foundational to western culture and the archetypes we are built on。 Rule I: Do Not Carelessly Denigrate Social Institutions or Creative AchievementsRule II: Imagine Who You Could be， and Then Aim Single-Mindedly at ThatRule III: Do Not Hide Unwanted Things in the FogRule IV: Notice That Opportunity Lurks Where Responsiblity Has Been AdbicatedRule V: Do Not Do What You HateRule VI: Abandon IdealogyRule VII: Work as Hard as You Possible Can on at Least One Thing and See What HappensRule VIII: Try to ake One Room in Your Home as Beautiful as PossibleRule IX: If Old Memories Still Upset You， Write Them Down Carefully and CompletelyRule X: Plan and Work Diligently to Maintain the Romance in Your RelationshipRule XI: Do Not Allow Yourself to Become Resentful， Deceitful， or ArrogantRule XII: Be Grateful in Spite of Your Suffering 。。。more
Jared Reeder
，
Holy cow！ As a college student under the severe influence of culture， I loved every second of this book as a window into how life can look whenever you place your life in an orderly way。 I have recommended this book to many of my friends already， and I cannot wait for what else Jordan writes in the future！！
Ethan Nguyen
，
The world is a complex place and it can be difficult to find your psychological， emotional， and social grounding。 But， if you pay careful attention to your inner emotional state and the social structures around you， it’s possible to succeed without becoming lost or despondent。 It helps to follow a few simple rules， like commit yourself to a goal， avoid simple ideologies， look for beauty， and be careful about which stories you tell yourself。
Benoit Lelièvre
，
Well， that sure was。。。 a more accurate reflection of Jordan Peterson's media personality than his previous book。 When I read 12 Rules for Life， I couldn't reconcile what I was reading with the man who wanted to enforce marriage to appease incel rage。 But it makes a little bit more sense here。Jordan Peterson believes in structure more than anything else。 That's why he believes in the Bible and the rules it provided to Occidental society。 From personal living to established social order。 But this Well， that sure was。。。 a more accurate reflection of Jordan Peterson's media personality than his previous book。 When I read 12 Rules for Life， I couldn't reconcile what I was reading with the man who wanted to enforce marriage to appease incel rage。 But it makes a little bit more sense here。Jordan Peterson believes in structure more than anything else。 That's why he believes in the Bible and the rules it provided to Occidental society。 From personal living to established social order。 But this book is more of a manifesto for a partially misunderstood old grouch and the tenets of a personal philosophy。 It's about moving beyond structure， so sometimes it's appealing and sometimes it's utterly disastrous， like most people are。 There is great advice in this book like "do not hide unwanted things in the fog" （don't avoid thinking about unpleasant things） and "Try to make one room in your home as beautiful as possible" （try to create beauty outside the confines of art to establish your relationship to it）， but it's somewhat defined by the weirder and more noxious stuff。 Notably his weird fixation with living one's life like you were the hero of a myth。I get why he says that。 It allows you to keep a moral structure to how to live you life and to situate yourself。， but let's be real: it's terrible advice。 Not everyone is a dragon to slay。 Sometimes you have to compromise with the dragon or become the dragon's pal。 Some people have to figure a way to live with a fire breather。 Life does not resemble mythology most times and drilling people to think that is to drill a legion of corny assholes who think of themselves too seriously。 His hatred of ideology is very weird too since his though system is basically an ideology based on personal mythology。 That's why he's so rigid about it。 ANYWAY I have somewhat of a soft spot for the guy， so he can be corny on my watch and I'll still take the time to sort the good from the bad。 He's not an evil right wing nut。 He's just an old man who wants to do good， but feels overwhelmed by the shitload of social changes。 I think we can somewhat all relate。 。。。more
Moritz
，
Very similar style compared to the first one。 It is life advice from a clinical psychologist with strong leaning on mythical/religious， mostly Christian， symbolism。 His advice is interwoven with anecdotes from his personal life and psychological practice。This book （just like the one before） tackles the really big questions in life and manages to answer them in a quite convincing and logical way that is underpinned by practical considerations。 This is very ambitious， but it works。Compared to the Very similar style compared to the first one。 It is life advice from a clinical psychologist with strong leaning on mythical/religious， mostly Christian， symbolism。 His advice is interwoven with anecdotes from his personal life and psychological practice。This book （just like the one before） tackles the really big questions in life and manages to answer them in a quite convincing and logical way that is underpinned by practical considerations。 This is very ambitious， but it works。Compared to the first book the biblical excursions felt much shorter， more to the point and generally more tolerable， which was a major point of criticism for the first book。 But even though sometimes a little bit difficult， these excursions were always worth it。Probably there is not much surprise in this one for people who did read the first book。 It is more of similar ideas， more intriguing mythological stories with a moral and more concrete advice on how to have a healthy and balanced life。 Who enjoyed the first book， will also enjoy this one。For everyone else I would recommend to read '12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos' first and then come back to this one。 The surprising ideas are developed in the first book and this one just builds more on top of that。Generally these books are interesting for:- everyone who wants to understand the （sound） reasoning behind conservatism。 We （especially the reading folks） live in a mostly left wing， progressive bubble， and it can be hard to have a genuine insight into conservative values。 Jordan Peterson gives this kind of insight with these two books。- everyone who wants to read up on some ideas on strategic decisions and general values to live a healthy and balanced life。 This man worked with many broken people and can tell you how to not be one of them。 。。。more
Joseph L。
，
Watch a detailed review along with my favorite ideas and takeaways at:https://youtu。be/_o1mvLErRsQ Watch a detailed review along with my favorite ideas and takeaways at:https://youtu。be/_o1mvLErRsQ 。。。more
Kate Chance
，
No mention of the rock lobster argument and didn’t hear anything sexist until the middle so better than the last one。 The book has some decent life advice but nothing you wouldn’t find in your average self help book。 Where it gets weird is when he takes on political correctness as a hindrance to personal development？ I think that was his point？
Sean
，
Every bit as good as the first book， and in my opinion， even better。 I listened to a library copy of the audio book， will give it a 2nd listen and plan to get a hard copy to add to my "Best Books" shelf。 Every chapter is chock-full of valuable insights， life lessons and interesting anecdotes。 Peterson has one of the most brilliant minds of our day， and provides logical thoughts， claims and arguments that are both relevant and relatable。 Whether you agree or disagree with his ideas， I would still Every bit as good as the first book， and in my opinion， even better。 I listened to a library copy of the audio book， will give it a 2nd listen and plan to get a hard copy to add to my "Best Books" shelf。 Every chapter is chock-full of valuable insights， life lessons and interesting anecdotes。 Peterson has one of the most brilliant minds of our day， and provides logical thoughts， claims and arguments that are both relevant and relatable。 Whether you agree or disagree with his ideas， I would still highly recommended this book to any thoughtful reader。 If nothing else， you will find your old paradigms challenged and your mind expanded。 。。。more
Kevin
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I definitely needed this book right now and it let me find some peace and guidance through a difficult time。 Jordan truly has a gift in connecting through his words and I remain grateful for his well thought-out and realistic perspectives。
Daniel Sánchez
，
Nice book although I feel there are like 4 rules that are almost the same as the previous books from Peterson。 That's what I didn't like。 Nice book although I feel there are like 4 rules that are almost the same as the previous books from Peterson。 That's what I didn't like。 。。。more
Alexander
，
Jeg liker Peterson。 Han er interessant。 Men av en eller annen grunn synes jeg ikke han er så veldig engasjerende i bokform。 Likte best å lese om regel 3，9 og 10。
Michael Barrett
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Thank you， Jordan Peterson！
Michael
，
There are some good lessons in here about extending order beyond yourself and into your home and community。 However， the presentation of these lessons was sloppy。 This reads less like a book and more like a transcript of one of his lectures which are often full of tangents and seemingly unrelated ideas。
B。J。 Richardson
，
Sometimes Jordan Peterson is brilliant。 Sometimes he is insane。 I have never read 12 Rules for Life。 It is one of those books on my TBR that I never got around to。 It is still sitting on that wishlist buried under so many， many other books that I also want to read。I have， however， watched many of his famous youtube videos。 I strongly applaud his strong stance that your （or my） right to not be offended in no way supersedes my （or your） freedom of speech。 Jordan is at his best when in dialogue wit Sometimes Jordan Peterson is brilliant。 Sometimes he is insane。 I have never read 12 Rules for Life。 It is one of those books on my TBR that I never got around to。 It is still sitting on that wishlist buried under so many， many other books that I also want to read。I have， however， watched many of his famous youtube videos。 I strongly applaud his strong stance that your （or my） right to not be offended in no way supersedes my （or your） freedom of speech。 Jordan is at his best when in dialogue with liberal crazies who want to create a totalitarian society as a means of defending their political correctness。That said， what works brilliantly as a 30-minute dialog doesn't shine quite as well when stretched out into a 400-page book。 Jordan's 12 more rules are as follows:1。 Do not carelessly denigrate social institutions or creative achievement。2。 Imagine who you could be and then aim single-mindedly at that。3。 Do not hide unwanted things in the fog。4。 Notice that opportunity lurks where responsibility has been abdicated。5。 Do not do what you hate。6。 Abandon ideology。7。 Work as hard as you possibly can on at least one thing and see what happens。8。 Try to make one room in your home as beautiful as possible。9。 If old memories still upset you， write them down carefully and completely。10。 Plan and work diligently to maintain the romance in your relationship。11。 Do not allow yourself to become resentful， deceitful， or arrogant。12。 Be grateful in spite of your suffering。For the most part， these aren't very controversial and it is often quite clear exactly where he is going when he fleshed them out into a chapter each。 His conservative worldview is usually on display， but not overbearingly so and there are occasional moments when I find myself thinking， "That's brilliant。" There are other moments when I am thinking， "Are you kidding me？ That's insane。" These often come when he is trying to psychoanalyze some pop culture or Biblical reference。 I can imagine JK Rowling reading this book， coming to a Harry Potter allusion and thinking， "What on earth is he talking about？" 。。。more
Asif Shuvo
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Breathtaking！
Mary Rose
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Dr Jordan B。 Peterson （"JBP" in my household where I have two brothers who are devotees of the good doctor's lectures）， does a very dangerous and tricky thing that makes reading this book difficult for me: He dresses up what are his own opinions and perspectives as objective facts。 This makes discussing your disagreements with JBP very frustrating because he has positioned his beliefs as The Facts and therefore those who disagree must disagree with （or misunderstand， or wilfully ignore， or be re Dr Jordan B。 Peterson （"JBP" in my household where I have two brothers who are devotees of the good doctor's lectures）， does a very dangerous and tricky thing that makes reading this book difficult for me: He dresses up what are his own opinions and perspectives as objective facts。 This makes discussing your disagreements with JBP very frustrating because he has positioned his beliefs as The Facts and therefore those who disagree must disagree with （or misunderstand， or wilfully ignore， or be resentful of） The Facts。 But， as it turns out his assertions are not facts。 They are opinions。 Opinions informed by his reading and years of clinical practice and life experience， of course， but opinions nonetheless。 Let's be frank: this is a self-help book。 But any self-help book must begin with the question: What is a successful life？ If you are anything like me， you know many people who have achieved a happiness or satisfaction with their lives in an extraordinary variety of ways。 With kids， without kids， with one partner， with several partners （or alone）， with a career， or with a job that pays the bills and a calling outside of the workforce， with travel， with hobbies， with meaningful activism or community life。 And are they happy all the time？ Of course not， but no one is。 The shame is that JBP's reading， years of clinical practice， and life experience have apparently not been very broad or diverse， at least in terms of types of happiness that exist in the world。 If you exist in any type of identity outside of JBP's narrow and parochial view of a successful life （if you don't want to be married or have children， for example） he cannot see any way forward for you。 He assumes you will fall into resentment and nihilism。 He says this is inevitable because he sees it with his patients。 （Perhaps it has occurred to him that his patients skew towards the unhappy precisely because he encounter them in a therapeutic environment？ Unclear。）When it comes to solutions， his prescriptions are similarly narrow。 Some are certainly fine within certain therapeutic contexts （I have previously benefited from writing down traumatic events in full in order to better understand them， and I think we can all do with a little more gratitude） but the rest lacks imagination and flexibility regarding all of the possible ways one can be happy in the world。 When it comes to the big questions about finding meaning， he cannot offer solutions beyond "try hard at your job" and "get married， have a kid。" If you think these might not be right for you， don't worry， JBP has thought of that: You are wrong and will come to regret your decisions against the status quo （he is particularly scathing of women who say they do not want children in their 20s， a section which needs much more than this space to break down and discuss in full。） He remains uncurious about how taking charge of your personal circumstances cannot solve all of your problems， and that you might need to advocate for change on a broader level。 It is tragically ironic that one of the rules of this book is to "avoid ideology" when JBP is arguably one of the most persuasive idealogues of our time。 He is not a dumb man， so is he grifting or just lacking serious self-awareness？ PS。 I don't remember if JBP banged on about Harry Potter in 12 Rules， but he certainly seems to have revisited the Harry Potter books recently。 So if you want to be lectured about the metaphorical significance of Quidditch， look no further。 PPS。 As an art historian， I find JBP's beliefs about how art "works" and how it interacts with ideology ludicrous and ahistorical。 PPPS。 The discussion about his patient "Sleeping Beauty" was hilarious。 Good job on that bit， I will admit。 。。。more
Ryan
，