Back in August, I blogged about 12 Rules for Life and read seven of the 12 rules. Life happened, i.e. the new school year started. I started reading parenting books. I homeschooled the kids. Oh, yeah, homeschooling, remember homeschooling?
My own copy of this title
Four months went by and this book waited for me in a drawer, patiently. Once I decided to read 50 books in 2023, as part of my New Year’s Resolutions, I knew I wanted to finish Jordan Peterson’s masterpiece.
This first week of the year was a good way to get started on this reading challenge. It was about 200 pages, which is a lot to read in a week, I admit, but not as challenging as the entire book. This is not a book you can read in a week.
The book got better and better. Or did I understand it more and more as I went along? My favorite rule was No. 11 until I got to No. 12. Peterson is brilliant and quotes from many philosophers and sacred texts to make his points.
The first rule reads, “Stand up straight with your shoulders back” and it is about lobsters. I kid you not. Fascinating facts about how the male lobsters with the best posture get the best females. They produce the best baby lobsters out there, who continue the cycle, utilizing the posture advantage. Peterson makes many applications to humanity through these crustaceans.
From Lobsters to Pinocchio
Rule 11 says, “Do not bother children when they are skateboarding.” He makes a lot of excellent points about and against socialism in this chapter. That is why it was my favorite until I got to Rule 12, “Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.”
In this last rule, Peterson opens up about his daughter’s physical ailments, their family pet (a dog), and Ginger, a very calm and self-possessed cat. Throughout the chapter, he discusses Pinocchio, the fragility of life, and the failure to make proper sacrifices, among other things. Believe it or not, all these concepts are interconnected.
Fascinating read, which will touch, challenge, and change you. I highly recommend it. Just bring your A game, because Peterson is deep.
