12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

Written by Jordan B. Peterson, Norman Doidge, M.D. and Ethan Van Sciver

Narrated by Jordan B. Peterson

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What are the most valuable things that everyone should know?

Acclaimed clinical psychologist Jordan B Peterson has influenced the modern understanding of personality, and now he has become one of the world's most popular public thinkers, with his lectures on topics from the Bible to romantic relationships to mythology drawing tens of millions of viewers. In an era of unprecedented change and polarizing politics, his frank and refreshing message about the value of individual responsibility and ancient wisdom has resonated around the world.

In this book, he provides twelve profound and practical principles for how to live a meaningful life, from setting your house in order before criticising others to comparing yourself to who you were yesterday, not someone else today. Happiness is a pointless goal, he shows us. Instead we must search for meaning, not for its own sake, but as a defence against the suffering that is intrinsic to our existence.

Drawing on vivid examples from the author's clinical practice and personal life, cutting-edge psychology and philosophy, and lessons from humanity's oldest myths and stories, 12 Rules for Life offers a deeply rewarding antidote to the chaos in our lives: eternal truths applied to our modern problems.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Canada
• Release date: Jan 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9780735275850

Jordan B. Peterson

Jordan B. Peterson is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Toronto. Peterson received his B.A. in political science at the University of Alberta and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from McGill University. He remained at McGill as a post-doctoral fellow from 1991 to 1993 before moving to Harvard University, where he became Associate Professor of Psychology and was nominated for the Levinson Teaching Prize. In 1998, he moved back to Canada as a faculty member in the psychology department at the University of Toronto.

Reviews for 12 Rules for Life

[verber_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I don't get way so many people love this book. I did a quick read, but I found nothing profound. Seems like a lot of self help books except that it is significantly longer with more "intellectual" language. I will re-read again to see if I missed something.

[Sak · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Look who's talking about unity someone who promotes division haha

[ltsmith-960847 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well worth the read, Peterson is good at using examples to explain complex ideas so the make sense to the lay person.
Read it, it will change how you view the world around you

[silva_44 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a Christian, I found the evolutionary biology sections quite a slog, but I did enjoy the "rules" he presented. Thoughtful writing - I especially appreciated the anecdotes.

[wechavez · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's a difficult book to recommend.

Its 12 rules put into practice are useful, but on the other hand, I feel that by addressing each of them, much of the practical essence of the rule is lost among many religious and philosophical questions that can divert us from the main message.

Personally, I think it's a good book, but it's not for everyone; in fact, I believe it's for very few people. Delving into religious, philosophical, and political topics over and over again can be dense for the reader, at least when what we seek is to take away the practical idea of the rules. (Translated from Spanish)

[Ernesto Capristo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had seen some of the talks by clinical psychologist Jordan B. Peterson and knew that he was an intelligent person from whom I could learn a lot, as well as understand something about myself and the problems I am going through.

Note: I will refer to certain rules without naming any.

Throughout the book, the author demonstrates extensive knowledge of biology, philosophy, theology, and of course psychology, listing a variety of rules that may sometimes not make sense, the same rules he describes through stories that happen within his personal life and that of his family and friends.

He shows us our great similarity to lobsters, so territorial and in a way that behave like us humans due to their need to find a place to live and hunt for food, defending themselves against invaders and possible strangers. But what is most curious is the similarity among humans; when a lobster wins a fight, its brain releases a chemical that causes its legs to extend and hardens its shell. Conversely, what happens to the loser is the opposite: the legs retract and the shell becomes thinner, causing a state in the brain that makes it feel fearful and defeated, the same case occurs with humans when someone loses a fight and hangs their head low.

It is impressive our similarity to animals; in the same way, he makes a comparison (in another rule) about how humans are the closest relatives to monkeys (generally all primates), explaining the great similarities in the need to socialize and to be leaders or to be led, belonging to a group in which we can climb ladders and become those who take the lead and create "order or chaos" (referring to another rule).

One of the rules that I consider most important is the one in which he mentions the BEING, and he refers to it in a way that for me does not address any type of religion or philosophy of life, but rather mentions it subjectively, making us understand that you can choose to do good or evil, showing in an impartial way how we achieve personal growth and satisfaction by being better people not because we are the best neighbors, siblings, or children, but we will be, and it will lead to greater personal satisfaction simply by not lying or, as he says, at least telling the truth and performing actions that have meaning, and not simply what is most convenient for us.

In general, it is a very good book that I recommend to everyone; it is a bit long and could be somewhat tedious due to making comparisons with animals, as well as the way he introduces many biblical passages and the psychological studies he discusses and relies on to explain some rules. (Translated from Spanish)

[alisony-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jordan B. Peterson can be controversial given his strong opinions on certain topics and the people he interviews for his podcast, but I find him an interesting character.

Given how hyper intelligent he is, it was no surprise that the 12 rules / chapters in this book could get pretty complex at times, and on occasions I had to circle back to make sure I was following the thread of his point, but heavy going as it was from time to time I enjoyed his philosophising and following the meandering path of this key point for each chapter.

The rules sound pretty random from the titles, but Peterson covers a lot of ground with each:

Stand up straight with your shoulders back
Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping
Make friends with people who want the best for you
Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today
Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them
Set your house in perfect order before you criticise the world
Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)
Tell the truth - or, at least, don't lie
Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don't
Be precise in your speech
Do not bother children when they are skateboarding
Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street

Do I agree with everything Peterson thinks? No (for instance, his thoughts on men and women can be quite stereotypical and black and white), but he's got an exceptional brain and I find his thought process incredibly interesting.

4 stars - thought provoking and insightful. I'll look out for the follow up (but will give my brain a rest first).

[david_fosco · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When faced with a piece of literature requiring so much intellectual capacity it can be quite humbling. Mr. Peterson is a man who takes his profession seriously and seeks to inform others. I wrestled with this book for quite some time as each rule requires significant thought and digestion. All readers should take their time when reading '12 rules for life: an antidote to chaos' so as to properly consume the text, and commit it to memory.

[drt_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

Why I picked this book up: I first hear of this author when he was getting backlash in Canada with freedom of speech and their demand to call a biological male “her or she” and he interacted with Ben Shapiro, another man that is very smart and conservative that I admire. I watched a lot of YouTubes with Jordan Peterson, PhD and I wanted to read one of his books so I picked it up.

Thoughts: I do not know this author, Dr. Peterson, and am commenting on what I know about him which is not a lot. Peterson is intelligent, well read, is a Psychologist, he has interesting stories from his upbringing in the cold and dark frontier in Canada, he talks with some humor, seems like a guy I could hang out with, loves his wife, has a Christian background and talks a lot in each chapter. I did not take this book as a self help book. It seemed like we were hanging out and chopping it up just talking. This book is is a 2018 self-help book by Canadian clinical psychologist and psychology professor Jordan Peterson. It provides life advice through essays in abstract ethical principles, psychology, mythology, religion, and personal anecdotes.

Why I finished this read: I pretty much liked the 12 topics he narrowed down and wanted to get all I could spending my rime reading this book. I also really liked the second chapter as it hit home with my struggling living with multiple sclerosis and did not want to miss any chapters if there was good like in chapter two.

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[dilip1kumar-572329 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An engaging book on some of life's lessons laid as 12 'rules'. Most of it is quite perceptive, but there is a tendency to prolixity and a certain denseness and dryness in the discourse that often lets the reader's attention wander. The frequent recourse to the somewhat gory stories of the Old Testament in the initial chapters somewhat detracts from its message: the Western psyche, in my assessment, has been too deeply seared by the inhuman demands made by its God, such as the wandering in the desert, the travails of Cain and the curse on his offspring (in some accounts, this curse was used to justify ill-treatment of Blacks in the age of slavery), the sacrifice of his son demanded of Abraham, mirrored later on by the sacrifice of God's own Son on the cross, and so on. The best parts are the last two chapters, where the author describes his own pain at his daughter's suffering from childhood arthritis, and the thoughts of compassion he would like to radiate into the world. A useful book for life guidance.

[wyclif-371215 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Since gallons of ink have been spilled reviewing this book, I won't belabour the obvious or test anyone's patience with a detailed review—there are far better specimens of that everywhere. Intelligently written Jungian self-help at its finest. There is quite a bit of overlap and shared philosophy with popular writers like Joseph Campbell ("The Hero with a Thousand Faces"). As a parent, of particular interest to me was Rule #5 ('Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.') It occurs to me that Peterson's advice on child-rearing is qualitatively better than 90% of all parenting advice books. That chapter alone, to me, was worth the price of the book.

[n7dr · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Utter codswallop.

Basically, the author's modus operandi seems to have been (more or less):

1. establish an idiosyncratic reading of a few biblical passages (roughly speaking: "Satan" is a code for "chaos"; "God" is a code for "order" and "evil" is a code for "chaos caused by humans").

2. cite some examples of a particular rule derived from his application of the code to some biblical event -- typically such examples come from his own life (although there's no independent evidence to establish that these are actual events described without bias -- nor that there weren't other events that refute the derived rule).

3. Generalise the rule to a universal truth in life -- or at least a rule that will help the reader live a happier and/or better -- or perhaps merely more ordered -- life.

I was pretty skeptical after reading the first rule, the thrust of which is to act so that people think highly of you -- because that will fill your system with seratonin, which will make you feel better and more confident, because of which you will accomplish more. Honestly, is one really expected to take this stuff seriously? Anyway, it all went downhill from there. I finally gave up partway through rule 8, and read a Wodehouse instead -- which I reckon did me far more good, as "laughter is the best medicine".

[alxless · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Truly an indispensable book for anyone. It contains basic rules to which we should adhere in order to lead a life with purpose, meaning, and value.

And what do you know about yourself? You are, on one hand, the most complex thing in the entire universe and, on the other, someone who can't even set the time on the microwave.

It is better to govern your own spirit than to govern a city. It is easier to subjugate the external enemy than the one we carry inside.

2021/september/16 (Translated from Spanish)

[alexamao · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

They are aspects that we seldom reflect on, but they have a very significant impact on our lives and our relationships. It is key to better overcoming difficulties, to gaining self-confidence, and to improving the way we communicate. (Translated from Spanish)

[cecruz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I met him in the debate with Slavoj Žižek, I researched Jordan Peterson, and I also think that writing a review of his book would be very long. I thought it would be like most motivational books, but I was wrong.
It's the best book I've read this year; he makes clinical, ideological, and religious psychology very accessible to the general public, and the 12 rules that Peterson highlights have made me try to see the truth, to observe my life.
I highly recommend it. (Translated from Spanish)

[Mariae15 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you are interested in improving your life, I recommend this book. It has aspects that could help provide a solution to every problem, improve every situation, and help you become the best version of yourself. It is not like the typical self-help books that promote being positive or focus on superficial matters; this one is more focused on the scientific, what is proven, what works for most people. However, here the writer and psychologist also shares opinions, expressing his point of view and experiences from his life. In these cases, not everyone will agree with him, but there will be a moral or reality behind each chapter. There are twelve rules: do not lie or at least do not deceive, stand up straight, if you see a cat, pet it, take care of yourself as if you were a person who depended on you—these are some of the rules from this book. (Translated from Spanish)

[juancruzvera · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is a great book, it touches on such universal themes and provides great insight, especially for the younger ones. I am 22 years old, and three years ago I met Dr. Peterson, and the truth is he helped me a lot to organize my life, develop good habits, take on the maximum responsibility I can, and above all, seek meaning. (Translated from Spanish)

[Mariolv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

No, it is not a simple self-help book.

With a complex style that seems to entangle you and divert you from the main argument to ultimately fit each idea (or at least most of them) in its place, the author goes much further than the minimum that someone going through a rough patch might need.

Simultaneously with the development of his theory of reality regarding order and chaos, Jordan Peterson manages to focus on a more philosophical vision of our day-to-day life, its meaning, what we can expect, and what we are interested in adopting.

It is a dense book, take your time with it, but be clear that amid all that density, there are diamonds that can help your being begin the journey to a fulfilling life. (Translated from Spanish)

[starkravingmad_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thoughtful and useful rules on life - mixing philosophy, religion and other aspects.

[sgtcat · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There's a little bit of food for thought here, but it's drowning in excess verbiage. I found it hard to follow the author's arguments or even train of thought as much of what he brought up seemed completely irrelevant to what each chapter was about. It read like stream of consciousness writing.

There are definitely things worth considering in the book but it's a hard slog to get from front to back.

[paul_s-289480 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An otherwise interesting if a bit longwinded set of meditations about life.

Trying to read so much meaning into the Bible is a bit like astrology. You learn nothing about the planets and there is nothing the planets can tell you about you but you learn a lot about whoever is doing the horoscope.

For the life of me I can't see what is controversial about this book. There is nothing in it that could be considered even remotely divisive.

A surprising amount dedicated to rearing children but parents can't help themselves I guess.

[adrian_smith-748725 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I understand the author wants to give as much foundation as possible to his rules but even so, this book is way too long.

[runningbeardbooks · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Peterson is a “Dostoevskian” using Nietzsche as a cautionary tale about the dangers of Atheism and nihilism. Although I found my impatience grow with each Rule, I realize this book was written for the 20something male who discovers Peterson by way of a Joe Rogan podcast and not me. Still, Peterson is an entertaining speaker if not so much a writer.

[Danielgpk7 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Some redeemable ideas. Like accepting realities that we don’t like. But his thinking is very conservative and classist.

There are narrative stories that demonstrate this, like that of his daughter and an older woman when they try to access a doctor, and for him it is okay to provide quality healthcare to his daughter because she is young, but the second one does not deserve it because she is old. She's about to die, right?

His thoughts on the law of the strongest and the locusts. We are no longer beings from the Stone Age. Things should be discussed, not imposed, and always highlighting that inequality is natural. Poverty, racism, xenophobia, etc. are not natural.

Similarly, he mentions communism quite often. Are we even talking about political systems? He is very biased with the discourse of freedom in the U.S. while selling weapons like they’re candy. It reminds me of the current conflict in Afghanistan and the groups he funded and can no longer control. To conclude, I would not read self-help from this author again. (Translated from Spanish)

[sebastianchadu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's interesting how Peterson from the start tries to provide small doses of help for different situations. It's a diverse cocktail of rules that moves towards a single path, the ability to live better and more connected. It's one of the self-help books that caught my attention due to the way it was presented at the beginning. His ideas convey what to think in order to be better. (Translated from Spanish)

[ichadwick-475335 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

A 60-page idea crammed into 400-plus pages dense with far too much Jordan Peterson's bloviation.

[Mandarino · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despite the conservative and Christian undertones that the author weaves into some of his arguments, it remains a fairly enriching book from which good reflections can be drawn. Recommended. (Translated from Spanish)

[anna_libb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh, what a pain! Excitement vanished when I finished the book.
I knew the idea of rules providing guidance on how to move from point A to point B in life, it’s a vague idea. Yet I gave it a try and I am not sorry. I do really like how smart and strong human beings are and the promise of a wonderful life awaiting everyone if we will take more responsibility for ourselves.
The problem, JBP is not discussing why people aren't taking the responsibilities. Something important to discuss before listing the rules.
Well, the reason is biological - people have to experience unconditional support before they will be able to make choices and to take responsibilities that are right for them. As we all were supposed to experience the first formative years of our lives. The sense of self is developing out of acceptance of our primal urges. When a person is ready to take responsibilities, when self is ready to give back? Certainly not before it's formed.
Attachment it’s a way more acute need for survival then self or authenticity. A person who feels safe in her attachment, who internalizes a voice that accepts her authentic desires and needs, is able to make choices and decisions that benefit her growth, her unique set of needs. And how many of us can brag having that kind of enlightenment?
Feeling alive, being aware of being alive it’s an experience of our inner world coming in touch with our environment. A close circuit of believing in something and testing it, time after time. This is how we connect the idea of self to the environment and therefore feel alive, rather than spirit wondering in space.
Authority giving the green light for experimenting in a safe box of 12 rules may be a relief but what kind of experiments will we choose if we are still afraid of being authentic? To invest precious life testing someone else's idea of what life should be like is depressing by itself.
There is no point to have rules or to take even more responsibilities. The point is to support the person in her desire to find what feels right for her, what she believes at and then help her to test it. It doesn't matter what good are beliefs, the process it's the one who provides meaning and fills the void. The point is to follow a person in the process of moving in this close circuit “belief - environment test”, to reassure that it’s not a ladder ending in the air when inner reality and environment don’t come along. And to keep from delusion of moving up in hierarchy when beliefs and environment are coming along.
The greatness of life is experienced when a person allows herself to live up to her inner desires, therefore inevitably making mistakes and failing. Following rules that other people find right for themselves and even partially supported by science, will not bring a person closer to herself. JBP is maybe smart but unable to give others the priceless, unique feeling of being alive.
He also judges the ones who aren't taking the responsibility on themselves by saying their core values are corrupted. They are corrupted only in light of 12 rules, those have little to do with particular human life.
I think people aren't trying because they can’t rely on other sources of support. Maybe their brains architecture lacks dopamine and serotonin, maybe their environment is too harsh and they are exhausted. Why otherwise would they deprive themselves from something as cool as fulfillment in a career or having friends and family?
The unconditional support groups on Facebook are a great testing platform to learn what it is at all and also shows how starved are people to this kind of communication, maybe even since their birth. It’s not intelligence we lack to make our lives better, neither responsibilities. We lack unconditional support.
So JBP is a peculiar person and interesting to read but his rules aren't for me and many others who have to meet their attachment needs first.
The only motivation the book gave me is to practice more self compassion, to support my least heard voices and to see how it works for me.

[Latour · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It has some very interesting insights, especially those related to psychology, which is the author's specialty. However, it tries to cover too much and sometimes falls into a somewhat insubstantial development. In other words, it is uneven. There are brilliant passages and others that are frankly skippable. (Translated from Spanish)

[RomeoGT · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Considered one of the most prominent thinkers of our time, Jordan B. Peterson presents us with two fundamental concepts to understand: chaos and order. Order is everything we are "used to" living or experiencing in our daily lives in any sphere, and therefore it is possible to predict what will happen. In contrast, chaos is breaking with that normality, that daily routine; it is when something happens that threatens the accepted and defended norms.

Chaos cannot be avoided; it is always present, always taking advantage of circumstances to train itself, provoke changes, threaten the normal, and push us to improve or to succumb.

Peterson shares his 12 rules for facing chaos, proposing, through his life experiences, professional practice, and the study, analysis, and interpretation of myths, religions, tales, and stories, the adoption of these rules to improve our reactions to the uncertainty produced by change driven by chaos.

A magnificent narrative and an excellent presentation of myths and legends, interpreted for the current moment. (Translated from Spanish)