Rule 4: Compare Yourself to Who You Were Yesterday, Not Who Someone Else is Today. No matter how good you are at something, or how you rank your accomplishments,there is someone out there who makes you look incompetent. In a million years, who's going to know the difference?
In 12 Rules for Life, Rule #4 is “Compare Yourself To Who You Were Yesterday, Not To Who Someone Else Is Today.” What does this mean? Why is it so bad to compare yourself to other people? According to Jordan Peterson's Rule 4, the only person you should compare yourself to is yourself.
Rule #4: Compare Yourself to who you Were Yesterday, not to who Someone Else is Today. To start off this chapter, Peterson states the harsh fact of reality which is, no matter how good you are at something, there is someone else out there who will make you look incompetent.
"12 Rules for Life Rule 5: Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them." LitCharts.
Rule # 7 Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient) We know that suffering is a big part of life, if not the only thing. Regardless of your level of success or fame, the suffering will attend to you. If suffering in life is inevitable, then what should be one's strategy to deal with this reality?
"12 Rules for Life Rule 3: Make friends with people who want the best for you." LitCharts.
In 12 Rules for Life, Rule #6 is “Set Your House In Perfect Order Before You Criticize The World.” What does this mean? Why would you need to care about your own affairs before you lash out at the world? In essence, the idea is that you need to take responsibility over your own misfortunes. Don't blame the world.
Rule 7: Do what is meaningful, not what is expedient.
The main idea is that pursuing pleasure is a reflection of a lack of purpose, meaning and direction. The way forward is to take responsibility, pay attention, and strive for humility and utility (adding value) in your life.
Rule 2: Treat Yourself Like Someone You Are Responsible For Helping.
Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.
The author describes the common scenario where individuals often fail to take care of themselves, while displaying an effective care for the state of others; be them their friends, family, strangers or pets.
Spiritual Meaning of Number 4
The number 4 connects mind-body-spirit with the structures of the physical world. It's the archetypical Father that provides for the safety and security of a physical home built on a solid foundation of beliefs, values, unconditional love, compassion, and joy.
Is 4 a powerful number? Many people agree that 4 is a powerful number in numerology because the number 4 has ties to leadership, stability, and power. People with number 4 personalities are confident individuals who truly are a force to be reckoned with as they are consistent, disciplined, and secure.
"Almost from prehistoric times, the number four was employed to signify what was solid, what could be touched and felt. Its relationship to the cross (four points) made it an outstanding symbol of wholeness and universality, a symbol which drew all to itself".
Rule 9: Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don't. The author describes the virtue in living your life by engaging with others through meaningful conversation. The main problem is that most conversations are one-sided, often with each expressing a fixed perspective.
Rule 11: Do not bother children when they are skateboarding.
The author describes the virtue in building competent, empowered individuals. The main problem is modern society's desire to shield people from the harsh realities of the world.
Rule 10: Be precise in your speech.
The consequence is that chaos emerges in complex situations, disrupting our sense of order and peace. The way forward is to think and express ourselves with careful and precise language.
Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules for Life Rule 8: Tell the Truth, or at Least Don't Lie. “If your life is not what it could be, try telling the truth. If you cling desperately to an ideology, or wallow in nihilism, try telling the truth. If you feel weak and rejected, and desperate, and confused, try telling the truth.”
RULE 1: STAND UP STRAIGHT WITH YOUR SHOULDERS BACK
So, attend carefully to your posture. Quit drooping and hunching around. Speak your mind. Put your desires forward, as if you had a right to them—at least the same right as others.
In 12 Rules for Life, Rule #11 is “Do Not Bother Children When They Are Skateboarding.” What does this mean? Why should you leave skateboarding kids alone? Like many of Jordan Peterson's rules, this goes deeper than literally leaving skateboarding kids alone. Learn the true meaning of Jordan Peterson's Rule 11.
They are: RULE 1 / Stand up straight with your shoulders back. RULE 2 / Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping. RULE 3 / Make friends with people who want the best for you.
Month of Focus: The 21 Rules of Life - Rule #1: Accept everything just the way it is.
The most familiar version of the Golden Rule says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Moral philosophy has barely taken notice of the golden rule in its own terms despite the rule's prominence in commonsense ethics.