12 Rules For Life Book Summary (PDF) by Jordan B. Peterson

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Ready to learn the most important takeaways from 12 Rules For Life in less than two minutes? Keep reading!

Why This Book Matters:

In this #1 international bestselling book by clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson, the art of finding fulfillment in life is examined with humor, insight, scientific knowledge, and ancient truths, resulting in 12 rules designed to bring the struggle between personal order and chaos into balance.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Stand up straight with your shoulders back
    1. Correcting posture boosts confidence and self-esteem, which others notice as well.
  2. Treat yourself like someone you’re responsible for helping
    1. You would do anything for the people you love the most, and that should include you.
  3. Make friends with those who want the best for you
    1. Friends who truly support you will demand the best from you and tell you the truth, while toxic friends will just damage you.
  4. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday and not someone else today
    1. Comparing yourself to others damages your sense of self while working to improve on your past self will fulfill you.
  5. Don’t let your children do anything to make others dislike them
    1. If you allow your children to engage in behaviors you dislike, you’re setting them up for failure by becoming dislikeable adults.
  6. Put your house in perfect order before you start to criticize the world
    1. Find fulfillment by remedying your own faults and improving yourself daily.
  7. Do what is meaningful and not most expedient
    1. Our brains are wired to find meaning in life no matter how hard the road to get there is, which will give us the most fulfillment.
  8. Tell the truth, or at least don’t lie
    1. Corrupting your own perceptions with lies leads directly to a world of chaos where you cannot rely on yourself or your judgments.
  9. Assume the person you’re listening to knows something you don’t
    1. Living life constantly searching for knowledge from others can only help you achieve a life of meaning.
  10. Be precise in your speech
    1. The more exact you are about who you want to be and what you want, the more likely you are to be successful because you can visualize it with absolute clarity.
  11. Don’t bother children when they’re skateboarding
    1. Encourage your children to take measured risks as a way to practice confronting the chaos of life instead of overprotecting them and hiding from the chaos.
  12. Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street
    1. When chaos in your life is unavoidable, such as personal tragedy, focus on what’s right in front of you for as long as you need to until you have the strength to begin looking farther ahead again.

Want To Keep Reading?

  1. Read A Longer Form Summary on Blinkist
  2. Buy The Book on Amazon
  3. Listen To The Audiobook

Watch A Video Summary:

Additional Video From The Author:

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I started Two Minute Books to help people improve their lives and their businesses or careers. My work has been featured by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the U.S. & U.K. Governments. You can read my writing about digital nomading & life improvement at FreedomIsEverything.com.