This is definitely a different blog from my usual, given that usually it’s about something related to training, gaming, art, music, mainly my focused platforms. I chose, instead, to do something I haven’t done in a while — reviews! Particularly in this case, 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson. I also decided to take an objective approach to this review, given that prior to my reading of this book, the reception, despite being a bestseller, had often been polarized. Usually upon my friends list on social media, when his name pops up, he emerges w/controversy. Given the curious person that I am & given my “not-so-privileged” background, I took on the task of reading the book. Two things happened — 1. it took me on & off 2 entire years to read it, 2. my takeaway from it may be a bit different from those that unquestionably adored it but also from those who absurdly screeched at it without having read the entire thing without inserting their bias.
Contextually, let’s remember this was written by a man who has a PHD in Psychology — not just a speaker but also clinical psychologist. Psychology is his primary vocation before anything else you (or any social media platform) claim to know about him. When looked upon this manner and removing anything other people have said or imposed about him, that’s the best way to engage this book. If your mind is already biased in one form or another, your experience with this book won’t be optimal. Given that this book was a long read, it may require multiple blog entries to dissect, as this book isn’t for surface level readers or people that want a simple & quick “this is how it is” fix.
Rule 1: Stand up straight with Your shoulders back. If you like knowledge about lobsters, wrens and chickens, this is how the book begins! Very nerdy & quirky but then goes into how bird diseases usually are spread by unhealthy birds and the ones that fall to it are usually the predisposed weak ones. This also applies to humans. We may not like it but let’s be real — those predisposed to cancer, heart & other diseases are usually those that are poor, in the ghetto, with minimal means to thrive. As someone that grew up poor in Brooklyn as a kid, this is very true and when copulated w/lack of access to knowledge and education like others in less rough neighborhoods, it’s even more pronounced. The growing pains of a lobster’s growth development can be very relatable to us humans. There’s a period where they’re shedding off old shell and for a time are exposed/vulnerable, thus occasionally hiding under rocks if threats are around. This isn’t different from some of us — when we’re going through divorce, losing a loved one, a breakup, a job loss, change of careers or even change of circle of friends. During those phases, a lot of us are exposed, a point to which we have to be picky on who we’re open to because we need to discern people’s intentions when they’re listening to us — to judge and hurt us or to listen, understand and possibly advise us in a better direction.
He also tackles the brutal reality of unequal distribution. Majority of scientific papers are written by a few scientists in the same vein that despite all the available access of freelance musical production, only a tiny portion of us artists/musicians end up in the commercial music realm. I spot no lies detected there. Talent isn’t what always gets you there but connections, networking and marketing seem to obviously do…with a good speckle of luck tossed in. Millions of books released but only about 500 sell more than 100,000 copies. Majority of modern orchestras predominantly interpret and perform from 4 composers. I would understand his point in this is that to make our statement in the human world, particularly in our own sense of existence, is to put the work in. From a training perspective, the best of your bench press will be from straightening your back, chest out, head in neutral position — otherwise your body will contract or retract in the proper form to produce optimal resistance & endurance/hypertrophy/power/strength production and also lacking full use of central nervous system stimulus.
I also like his bringing up that when it comes to lobsters fighting in rematches, the weak lobsters tend to just give up and run away somewhere, whereas a strong one will come back for more; not out of some addiction to suffering but rather in an instinctual pursuit to eventually defeat their nemesis. You can see this in the stories of DragonBall Z/Super — where Vegeta seethes in anger endlessly as a mere low class Saiyan like Goku beat him one on one (when not turning into an Oozaru) and through the course of their story, every time Vegeta has been about to be equal or surpass, Goku finds a way to one up him. If Vegeta were some pathetic weakling, he would’ve just moved on, thought nothing of it and either withered in his bitterness or pick on smaller fry to feel some sense of dominance. Of course, we viewers & manga readers know he turned into an Oozaru and then had Goku to the brink of defeat, only to lose to Gohan, Krillin and the unlikely Yajirobi. Vegeta also went on to train, to defeat not only defeat Zarbon, Kuey and others in the pursuit of showing how he was going to surpass his eternal rival Goku, he had the pursuit of fighting Frieza, for the sake of avenging his dying race of Saiyans but also to have some sense of redemption for having lost to Goku…only to lose and Goku pick up the win. We see this further in the Cell Games when Goku couldn’t beat Cell even w/a sacrificial attack but when Gohan was struggling to defeat Cell, it was Vegeta’s attack from behind that secured Gohan the win. In part Vegeta proved that he wouldn’t be another person defeated by Cell but yet one upped by another only because of his involvement. Eventually, Vegeta, in Majin form, defeated Goku one on one. Granted, it required teamwork to defeat Majin Buu in the end but he proved right then before his passing that Goku was not to surpass him forever because unlike a meager weakling, Vegeta had the resolve to push himself to them tackle his rival without ever needing the Oozaru form.
Just like that, we went from plain analysis of survival of the fittest to DragonBall! Peterson also goes on about accepting the challenges of life in order to see your mind (along w/your body) engage, be stimulated and grow. For those already in your “what about” questions of those physically inept or disabled, rest assured that Rule 12 is a chapter where he opens up about the pains of raising his kids — the joy but also the agonizing moments of their upbringing as they ended up developing tough problems physiologically that he had to engage in as their father with as much resolve as possible because when our kids are going through suffering and pain, one of the driving forces to help them develop in their personal growth is to see their parents in their corner and push them to succeed instead of throwing their arms up in defeat or start a diatribe of “why did I even have this kid”. Children catch onto that stuff better than many of us think!
He also addresses bullying as often times, bullying continues when we don’t fight back. As someone that experienced it, I can attest to this. Keep letting them say/do stuff unanswered, it sends a bully the message that they can do whatever they want and that they’ll get away with it but the second you retaliate, put your foot down and hit back, they’ll now know you’re not some submissive weakling that they can keep picking on without consequence. He also tackles evolution and how despite variables in change of appearance, capabilities and skill, the cores that keep life moving don’t change all that much. Many things may change but the very things that keep the universe stable will likely be unchanging for the sake of the fabric of reality itself. Survival of the fittest doesn’t rely on brute strength alone but also learning other skills and developing other traits in order to maintain dominance of things — whether it be your trade, business, skills or identity. Ryuuken from Fist Of The North Star said it best to King Raoh, “Power without perception is virtually useless”.
We also can’t avoid a dominance hierarchy. We can’t blame any one thing that has instinctually been prevalence since history itself. No matter the striving for equality & equity, eventually there will be something or someone at the helm of throne of dominance. How we navigate through our map of life is decidedly in our hands and we have to make the absolute best of it. There is a lot more to this chapter but these are the core things I got out of it. In the next entry, I’ll tap into Rule 2.
