Apr 22, 2020
Note from Brent:
I chose to share this book
with you because it offers truth - some very ancient truth, applied
to life’s very modern problems. We live in unique times; as we are
the first generation (at least as long as we can see) to have been
taught two contradictory ideas about morality. Postmodernist
theorists, having dominated the latest landscape with their voice,
have seemed to have succeeded in pushing that:
1) “Morality” is relative in their eyes. That there is no such
thing as right or wrong in anything. That it depends on the frame
of mind, culture, or situation..
AND
2) "Absolute Tolerance" of someone else's ways is of utmost
importance..
This emphasis on ‘tolerance’ is “so paramount that for many,
one of the worst character flaws to have now is to be (what we
call) ‘judgmental’. And since we don’t know right from wrong, or
what is good, just about the most inappropriate thing an adult can
do is give a young person advice on how to live.”
There are 12 Rules, but Brent covers the 4 he felt were most
relevant to millennials:
#1: Rule 1 of 12: Stand up Straight
with Your Shoulders Back
- Your posture is directly tied to your levels of serotonin
produced.
- This is part of a psychophysiological loop that is real and
proven in science.
- Leave it to one of our most ancient ancestors, the lobsters, to
show you just how innate this is.
- To stand up straight with your shoulders back will change your
biochemistry for the better. Inversely, to slouch over will produce
the opposite effect.
- Additionally, people and the world in general will treat you
according to the vibe you give off (expecting to handle situations,
or expecting to hide away. Expecting to be the victor, or expecting
to lose out.)
- To stand up straight with your shoulders back also means
standing up metaphysically; telling the world you are voluntarily
accepting your burden and missions. Being someone, they can look to
for strength, and not the other way around.
#2 Rule 2 of 12: Treat Yourself Like Someone You are
Responsible for Helping
- This is a call to treat yourself better. In all the ways that
you know you should.
- Unfortunately, data shows that we tend to treat ourselves with
less respect than we treat others. For example, did you know people
are better at administering prescriptions medication to their pets
than to themselves?
- The hard reality is that we the individual know all of our
details more than anyone else does. All of our faults and failings.
Every little thought. Because of this, it’s too easy to see others
as “good” and “worthy of respect and care”, while seeing ourselves
as “less worthy of care”.
- Change your framework. Detach from yourself. See and know that
from another’s perspective, you are just as needed and deserving of
true care.
- Use that detached view as a reminder that you should treat
yourself with respect. You are just as deserving. Just like you
feel your dog is, or your grandparent or child is. The truth is,
you are deserving of that love and care.
- This doesn’t mean an excuse to making yourself “feel good” all
the time. It means things you don’t want to do as well. For
example, you’d tell someone else; “grandpa, take your pills!”, or
“son, you have to get your workout in each day.”
#3 Rule 4 of 12: Compare Yourself to
Who You Were Yesterday, Not to Who Someone Else is
Today
- We are aiming creatures. We are built with an innate desire to
improve, to aim, to reach. And we tend to compare to someone
else.
- Each individual has an infinite number of dimensions taking
play into who they are, where they are, etc. So why do you
logically think it’s reasonable to compare one dimension of your
life to one dimension of theirs?
- The only logical true comparison for your improvement is to
YOU; to who you were yesterday. You are the only one with the same
number of exact factors that played into who you are.
- To improve and to achieve your aim, start simple if you must.
Stop tyrannizing yourself with “I shouldn’t have to make myself do
this, I should be motivated.” Or “This high achiever I know could
get 10 things done in the same amount of time.” Truly, who cares.
Do the thing you need to do. Give yourself a little pat on the
back, celebrate in a simple way, whatever. Then do another one.
Check a box as you track your improvement of who you were
yesterday.
- And best of all, STOP doing things you think you’re SUPPOSED to
do because that’s what some other guru said he is doing. Master the
art of asking yourself a simple question: “What could I do, that I
would do, that would make life better, or reach my goals, etc.” Go
quiet. Ask that. Get your answer and just do it and make your
moves.
#4: Rule 6 of 12: Set Your House in Perfect Order Before
You Criticize the World
- The hard reality of life is, that it can be hard. There are
hardships.
- This can unfortunately lead to resentment and hating of the
world, God the creator, society, etc. as a whole.
- This can also fortunately lead to Transformation.
Transformation of one’s self and ultimately of the world; for the
better.
- It truly is how you choose to slide one way or another.
- Jordan asks a simple ask before you slip into “criticizing the
world or being itself”; to take responsibility for your life (your
house, your setup) first, before you go criticizing the world for
all of your problems.
- Make this attempt one simple step at a time, and one will see
that his or her free will and choices are of utmost importance.
Yes, some things are uncontrollable, but even with those, one can
respond in a way that changes the world for the better.
- Hard examples to swallow, but true ones, yet very hidden
because life slips slowly at times, are ones like these: When New
Orleans flooded, we couldn’t have prevented the hurricane. But the
Flood Control Act of 1965 mandated improvements in the levee
system. The system was to be completed in 1978. 40 years later only
60% of the work had been done. Willful blindness and corruption
took the city down. Prevention of disasters was possible. We had
the foresight and attention at one time.
- We can relate this to: What slippery slope (that we could have
stopped with better actions) caused what ‘seemed’ like an acute
uncontrollable event? A filing for divorce, a diagnosis of a
disease, being fired. Let us first ask “Was there a trickle of work
or lack-there-of over 40 years that could have prevented
this?”
How to contact Brent:
brent.michael.vogel@gmail.com
Interested in reading the full book? Click here
to buy 12 Rules for Life, or visit
jordanbpeterson.com/12-rules-for-life