Slowly but surely I’ve been trekking through Jordan Peterson’s Beyond Order – his follow up to 2018’s 12 Rules for Life – and slowly but surely I’ve been having my perspectives on life altered once again.
He’s got another 12 rules, and like the first 12 (see my review), they’re not only rules. As a psychologist well versed in the scientific literature, Peterson knows that the political polarization occurring in the West is far more than ideas battling for supremacy; it’s mass-scale psychological immaturity.
He knows that biology influences temperament influences political views. These manifest as social structures in order to help humans adapt to environments and maintain safety. He also knows that adults often remain children in different ways so as to avoid responsibility (like Peter Pan). For our own good and the good of those around us, we need to move beyond the false sense of order that remaining children makes us feel.
All of this Peterson exposits and turns into his Rules in order to make responsible members of society that respect the push and pull of change and stability, chaos and order.
In a nutshell, he wants us to move beyond the tribalism of liberalism and conservatism and become a mature person with an integrated personality. The world is, in fact, not black and white, and we owe it to each other to become adults and respect the grey of life.
Verdict: Beyond Good
Like 12 Rules of Life before it, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Your life will improve if you understand and follow the rules, but you’ll get a lot more if you understand the chapters, since each one seems to divulge secret truths from life. Not a secret in the sense that you never knew it, but secret in the sense that you always knew it. You just never knew how to put words to it.
And that’s perhaps the sign of a great writer or teacher. Their ideas are not new, but they help you understand and internalize ancient truths in fresh and clear ways.
Peterson is rambly and minimally edited, which will deter many from reading. Nonetheless, he is coherent. If you humour him, the dots of his stories and analogies will connect with the life-rules. I recommend reading chapters somewhat meditatively allowing for a slow digest.
Personally, I’m fine following Peterson’s ramblings. I find them fascinating and purposeful, even if they aren’t as edited as they could be. I love the gems and nuggets from therapy sessions, and psychological interpretations of Disney tales, religious stories, and so on.
Once More Into the Grey
I mentioned that my perspective and life had altered because of Peterson’s books. The first encouraged me to take control of key aspects of my life, and in some ways helped remind me of the goodness of life and my own potential. Beyond Order has helped me wade into the grey of life. That grey is scary; in many ways, I preferred the simplicity of childhood and my young adult years where everything seemed simple.
At 20 you think you know everything. In reality, you know next to nothing. Now that I’m in my 30’s, I’m starting to see how little I know, and finally starting to have the humility to act like it.
Maybe that’s what Peterson means by moving “beyond order.”
If you check out the book, consider buying from Amazon using the following link. It’s a free way to support this blog!
