I'd like to share something similar that I read recently and found especially insightful. At the end of Vox Day's Jordanetics, a critique of JBP's 12 Rules for Life, he offers his own set of rules for everyone who hasn't gotten on board with Peterson:
In light of my criticism and open contempt for Jordan Peterson’s 12 rules, on both the superficial and secret levels, I am occasionally asked to provide 12 alternative rules that would prove more effective for the individual seeking to improve his life. After a modicum of reflection, these are my suggestions drawn from 50 years of various successes and failures.
- Embrace the iron. Lifting weights will not only help you stand up straight, it will make you stronger, healthier, and more confident. The iron teaches the weak to be strong and it teaches the strong to be humble.
- Take the wheel. You are the ultimate architect of your own decisions and actions. Even if you were dealt a bad card by life, even if your genetics are inferior, your upbringing was terrible, and your instincts are suboptimal, you are the only one who can improve yourself. You are driving and only you can determine the destination.
- Be the friend that you want to have. Smiles are contagious. Loyalty inspires loyalty. Stand by those who stand by you. Give every friend who fails you a second chance. Only abandon those who have repeatedly proven they cannot be trusted and do not wish you well.
- Envision perfection and pursue excellence. You will never achieve perfection. But if you envision it and you strive for it, you may well achieve success, and perhaps even excellence.
- Put a ring on it. Marriage is the manifestation of love. Children are the manifestation of hope. Raising a family to serve as the foundation of future generations is how Man rebels against an uncaring universe, a fallen world, and the spirits of despair and destruction. Yes, there are real risks, especially in the current social and legal environment. But they are well worth taking nevertheless.
- Set your face against evil. You will encounter evil within and evil without on a daily basis. Stand against all of it, without fear, without hesitation, and without remorse. And when you fail, when you give into temptation, when you are defeated, regroup, repent, and rise again.
- Do what is right. Learn to listen to the still, small voice of conscience. Do what you know to be right, not what you can rationalize, justify, or excuse. If you have to talk yourself into something, then you probably already know in your heart of hearts that you are doing the wrong thing.
- Tell the truth in kindness. It is too hard and too exhausting to spend all your mental energies trying to keep track of an ever-growing multitude of exaggerations, false narratives, self-serving spins, and outright lies. Just tell the truth, as you best understand it, without taking pride in it or using it to hurt others.
- Learn the easy way. You will always encounter those who are stronger, smarter, and more successful than you are. Rather than envying them or attempting to tear them down to make yourself feel better, do your best to learn from them and apply those lessons to your own life. It is considerably easier and more efficient to learn from the mistakes of others than it is to make all of those same mistakes yourself.
- Believe the mirror. The most reliably self-destructive mistake you can make is to lie to yourself about who, what, and where you are, because doing so precludes any real self-improvement. Be ruthless with your self-assessments, without wallowing in self-pity or despair.
- Get back on the horse. Perseverance is one of the most important skills a man can develop. There is absolutely no substitute for the confidence and the courage that comes from the certain knowledge that you will get up again after an opponent, or life, knocks you down.
- Find a best friend. Dogs teach us many things, perhaps the most important of which is what unconditional love is. No matter how rich and successful a man may be, there is no life that the addition of a dog would not considerably improve. And yes, all dogs go to Heaven, obviously, because Heaven would not be paradise without them.
I'd like to share something similar that I read recently and found especially insightful. At the end of Vox Day's *Jordanetics*, a critique of JBP's *12 Rules for Life*, he offers his own set of rules for everyone who hasn't gotten on board with Peterson:
>In light of my criticism and open contempt for Jordan Peterson’s 12 rules,
on both the superficial and secret levels, I am occasionally asked to provide 12
alternative rules that would prove more effective for the individual seeking to
improve his life. After a modicum of reflection, these are my suggestions drawn
from 50 years of various successes and failures.
>1. **Embrace the iron.** Lifting weights will not only help you stand up
straight, it will make you stronger, healthier, and more confident. The
iron teaches the weak to be strong and it teaches the strong to be
humble.
2. **Take the wheel.** You are the ultimate architect of your own decisions
and actions. Even if you were dealt a bad card by life, even if your
genetics are inferior, your upbringing was terrible, and your instincts
are suboptimal, you are the only one who can improve yourself. You
are driving and only you can determine the destination.
3. **Be the friend that you want to have.** Smiles are contagious. Loyalty
inspires loyalty. Stand by those who stand by you. Give every friend
who fails you a second chance. Only abandon those who have
repeatedly proven they cannot be trusted and do not wish you well.
4. **Envision perfection and pursue excellence.** You will never achieve
perfection. But if you envision it and you strive for it, you may well
achieve success, and perhaps even excellence.
5. **Put a ring on it.** Marriage is the manifestation of love. Children are
the manifestation of hope. Raising a family to serve as the foundation
of future generations is how Man rebels against an uncaring universe,
a fallen world, and the spirits of despair and destruction. Yes, there are
real risks, especially in the current social and legal environment. But
they are well worth taking nevertheless.
6. **Set your face against evil.** You will encounter evil within and evil
without on a daily basis. Stand against all of it, without fear, without
hesitation, and without remorse. And when you fail, when you give
into temptation, when you are defeated, regroup, repent, and rise
again.
7. **Do what is right.** Learn to listen to the still, small voice of conscience.
Do what you know to be right, not what you can rationalize, justify, or
excuse. If you have to talk yourself into something, then you probably
already know in your heart of hearts that you are doing the wrong
thing.
8. **Tell the truth in kindness.** It is too hard and too exhausting to spend
all your mental energies trying to keep track of an ever-growing
multitude of exaggerations, false narratives, self-serving spins, and
outright lies. Just tell the truth, as you best understand it, without
taking pride in it or using it to hurt others.
9. **Learn the easy way.** You will always encounter those who are
stronger, smarter, and more successful than you are. Rather than
envying them or attempting to tear them down to make yourself feel
better, do your best to learn from them and apply those lessons to your
own life. It is considerably easier and more efficient to learn from the
mistakes of others than it is to make all of those same mistakes
yourself.
10. **Believe the mirror.** The most reliably self-destructive mistake you can
make is to lie to yourself about who, what, and where you are, because
doing so precludes any real self-improvement. Be ruthless with your
self-assessments, without wallowing in self-pity or despair.
11. **Get back on the horse.** Perseverance is one of the most important
skills a man can develop. There is absolutely no substitute for the
confidence and the courage that comes from the certain knowledge
that you will get up again after an opponent, or life, knocks you down.
12. **Find a best friend.** Dogs teach us many things, perhaps the most
important of which is what unconditional love is. No matter how rich
and successful a man may be, there is no life that the addition of a dog
would not considerably improve. And yes, all dogs go to Heaven,
obviously, because Heaven would not be paradise without them.
I would strongly suggest you make this a text post. It's very insightful.
I would strongly suggest you make this a text post. It's very insightful.
(post is archived)