12 RULES FOR LIFE BY JORDAN B. PETERSON

Key Concepts of the Book

• Stand Up Straight With Your Shoulders Back: Drawing from the biology of lobsters, Peterson explains how posture and serotonin are linked; adopting a physical stance of confidence tells your brain (and the world) that you are a person of status and competence.
• Treat Yourself Like Someone You Are Responsible for Helping: We are often kinder to our pets or strangers than to ourselves. This rule challenges you to take your own potential seriously and act as your own benevolent guardian.
• Make Friends With People Who Want the Best for You: Peterson warns that "saving" people who don't want to be saved will only pull you down. True growth requires a social circle that demands excellence from you.
• Compare Yourself to Who You Were Yesterday, Not to Who Someone Else Is Today: In the age of social media envy, this rule is a vital anchor; the only meaningful metric of success is your own incremental progress over time.
• Do Not Let Your Children Do Anything That Makes You Dislike Them: A controversial take on parenting that emphasizes setting clear boundaries to ensure children grow into socially capable, likable adults.
• Set Your House in Perfect Order Before You Criticize the World: Before trying to "fix" society or politics, you must first master your own life. Responsibility begins with the things you can actually control.
• Pursue What Is Meaningful (Not What Is Expedient): Expediency is the pursuit of instant gratification; meaning is the byproduct of taking on heavy responsibility and working toward a higher purpose.
• Tell the Truth—Or, at Least, Don’t Lie: Deception warps your perception of reality and eventually collapses your character. Truth is the only firm ground upon which a life can be built.
• Assume That the Person You Are Listening to Might Know Something You Don’t: A call for radical intellectual humility. Every conversation is an opportunity to "think again" and refine your own understanding of the world.
• Be Precise in Your Speech: Chaos often hides in vague language. By naming your problems and desires with surgical precision, you bring them into the light and make them manageable.
• Do Not Bother Children When They Are Skateboarding: A metaphor for the necessity of risk. We must allow ourselves and others to face danger to build the competence and courage required to survive in a difficult world.
• Pet a Cat When You Encounter One on the Street: A reminder to find moments of grace and beauty in the midst of inevitable suffering. Life is hard, but it is the small, spontaneous moments of joy that make the struggle worthwhile.