Jordan B. Peterson has been gaining more and more popularity recently and for good reason. I listened to his 12 rules for life at least 10 times in the last few years (I listen to audio books when I work out and I work out a lot).
I’ve only experienced 12 rules for life and Beyond order so far. Maps of Meaning is on my ever growing reading list tho.
I think his books are like 50 shades of grey but for men. They invite, disarm, break down and empower. Each book is a rollercoaster of emotion – from crippling suffering to exhilarating freedom and self belief, you go on many journeys, some personal to the author, some taken from his wealth of clinical experience.
While reading I have laughed, I have cried, I stopped reading and just sat there thinking and internalising for like half an hour. Not many books make me do this.
These books redefined religion for me and I will always be grateful for that. The bible went from a book of the damned read by hopeless sheeple to an encyclopedia, a collection of essays about life, order and chaos.
I regret that I am still far too dumb to just read the bible outright and expect to understand the actual meaning, but I’ve been enjoying various retellings and explanations of different passages and am always fascinated by how much depth and wisdom is buried in the bible. I’m still not super cool with the whole religion as a tool for controlling the masses thing, but there are worse tools.
Beyond order is obligatory reading for anyone breathing. Especially men. We get so occupied with the life we have that we frequently fail to dream and work towards the life we want. We act without purpose and speak without thinking. We fail to meet the mark and live lives of quiet desperation turning away from the mirror every chance we get. This book helped me find my center and focus on what’s important to me.
I am much more resilient to outside influence and am truly starting to chart my own path, instead of just flowing down the stream as I used to for so many years.
I am a better person having read it. I will definitely come back to it again and again.