12 Rules for Life (PDF): The Antidote to Chaos is this self-help book by Canadian clinical psychologist and psychology professor Jordan Peterson. This story-based and entertaining self-help manual for young people lays out a set of simple principles that can help us become more disciplined, learn integrity, and balance our lives.
The book talks about freedom and adventure while maintaining discipline and responsibility. Peterson does this by distilling down the world’s wisdom into twelve “rules”, or concepts that can be used to guide our daily activities. Each “rule” is demonstrated using an entertaining story combined with examples, ancient tradition, and science.
The 12 Rules for Life (pdf) argues that we must fight against the chaos and the noise to maintain balance in life. It argues that the pursuit of happiness is pointless. Instead, we must search to find meaning and purpose among the noise and the chaos.
This search for meaning should not be for its own sake but as a defense against the suffering intrinsic to our existence. When you experience this suffering, you can either withdraw or face it. Withdrawing will allow the darkness we all possess to overcome us. Facing it will help us challenge these dark impulses and adjust our aims. The 12 rules, or principles, given in this book, will help us search for meaning, face suffering, and overcome the noise and chaos.
