"Only do in life that which you can speak of with honor."
-Jordan Peterson, 12 Rules For Life
"12 Rules for Life" is a very successful book for many reasons but one of the most important reasons is this - simplicity. It is important to note here that I value simplicity in this book because I do not want to hurdle difficult language to understand difficult truths, in this vein Peterson is exceptional. It goes to show again that even the most intelligent ideas are lost to those who cannot communicate them to the people he or she is speaking to. Do not think of it as self-help for the needy, it is more like a person attempting to level with you.
In this book, at almost any stage of life, I can see myself consulting. Like anything, it is not a perfect document but it is a tremendous resource for those of us who are searching, exploring, building and growing.
This book can help anyone willing to pay attention.
The point of the book is not to ignore your problems or put on a false smile but instead to face them head on...to tell the truth about them and begin the process of betterment only one small step at a time and in effect, be in a better place than you were yesterday. In patient acceptance of the idea that one should simply try to be incremental and just a small bit better than one was yesterday, unlimited potential is excitedly available and in time...positive progress is almost certain.
I can only say that there was one other book in my life (thus far) that I felt could most often be picked up again in various points of life for guidance and answers and that book is definitively "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. In these two books, which is a THRILLING combination, you can learn methods of harnessing both persistent vision (Hill) and truthful patience (Peterson), a combination that is quite powerful in the lives of those who most seek their maximum or ever greater potential. Better yet...this book may just help you live a better life.
One of the best statements of this book or almost any other I have read is the following:
"Only do in life that which you can speak of with honor."
This is a profound statement that means much more upon careful inspection and it could be an ENTIRE way of life for those who learn its lesson deeply and synthesize it into their daily choices.
The 12 Rules For Life
2-Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping
3-Make friends with people who want the best for you
4-Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today
5-Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them
6-Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world
7-Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)
8-Tell the truth – or, at least, don't lie
9-Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don't
10-Be precise in your speech
11-Do not bother children when they are skateboarding
12-Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street