Jacqueline Hall's Key Ideas from 12 Rules for Life
by Jordan B. Peterson

• Associate with those aiming up who challenge you and themselves.
• Avoid friendships of convenience or mere proximity.
• Do not sacrifice progress for comfort.
• Help others shoulder burdens without fostering dependency.
• Share wisdom and advice reciprocally to elevate all.
• Align with colleagues pursuing purpose and meaning, not just wealth and status.
• Seek friends and romantic partners who lead by example to live nobly.
• Let the best in others inspire your own ascent.

Envy poisons you against peers and your own potential. Avoid resentment by focusing inward, not outward. Disregard relative status. 

Judge yourself against prior versions to measure progress. Let others inspire rather than intimidate. Compete for internal excellence over external validation.

Incremental gains compound to allow radical improvement over time. Refine your trajectory.

• You know your unruly children need discipline, yet avoid enforcing rules.
• But undisciplined children become unlikeable adults lacking self-control.
• Demand good behavior young to avoid future resentment.
• Parental guidance establishes order, justice and security for all.
• Spare the rod and spoil the child.

Enact necessary "tough love." Otherwise both child and society suffer long-term. Lead children toward inner discipline to govern themselves, not tyrannical laws.

Hypocrisy undermines valid protest. Correct your own faults before condemning others. How can you protest racism yet demean family?

• Attend to personal problems plaguing relationships, career, or health before critiquing society.
• Beyond credibility, it gives meaning to improve yourself rather than idly demanding others change.

Small daily steps compound to allow tackling larger injustices. Would your criticism withstand scrutiny if directed at you? If not, look inward and refine your own character first.

Temptation lurks to take the easy, convenient path. But pursuing meaning over expediency has deeper, longer-lasting rewards. Listen to your conscience.

• Ignore short-term gains for hollow victories. Protect time for family, friends and spiritual growth.
• Postpone pointless pleasures to study, work and improve. Sacrifice and discipline extract meaning from chaos.
• Staying on the straight, narrow path fortifies resolve. Seek purpose, wisdom and truth.
• These eternal values lend life significance, not transient pleasures. Delayed gratification brings substance to existence.

Lies propogate untruth for fleeting gain. But falsehoods pile up, requiring more deceit to sustain the facade.

• Truth strengthens while lies decay.
• Admit ignorance when appropriate.
• Deliver difficult news humanely. Discuss errors to address them.
• Tell yourself the truth rather than rationalizations.
• Embrace reality, although harsh, over comforting delusions. Speak precisely, intentionally and empathetically.

Mastering honesty makes relationships reliable and garners trust. Veracity breeds virtues. Integrity is your armor.

Arrogance blinds you to wisdom. Remain open to learning, especially from adversaries. Set aside ego and assumptions to comprehend foreign perspectives.

• Listening expands understanding and forges progress.
• The wise know their knowledge pales against the vast unknown.
• Each interaction offers a novel lesson.
• Ditch defensive reflex reactions.
• Let ideas challenge you.
• Change your mind fearlessly when appropriate.
• Never stop learning.

Careless misuse of speech breeds avoidable conflict. Select words advisedly.

• Master definitions to employ terms accurately.
• Clarify intent to avoid misunderstanding.
• Mean what you say to build trust.
• Avoid exaggerations and lies.
• Rely on literal meanings when possible.
• Minimize abstractions and generalizations open to subjective interpretation.
• Say no more than necessary.
• Brevity demonstrates respect for listeners’ time.

Overprotective parenting hinders skill development. Allow children space to learn through experience. Support reasonable, supervised risks to build competence. Let them ride skateboards, climb trees and explore within safe boundaries. Experience forges ability.

Don't hover anxiously. Allow them independence appropriate to age and temperament. Guide children to challenge themselves wisely.

Advice helps; control backfires. Enable children to gain confidence through facing fears and overcoming tribulations.

Spontaneous delight brightens your day and others'. Notice and appreciate small pleasures when they arise.

A child's laughter, a lover's affection, a cat crossing your path - these unplanned moments of joy revive the spirit. Set worthwhile goals, but don't ignore opportunities for happiness along the way.

• Embrace serendipity. Seize the day. Remain open to the abundant flashes of beauty amidst routine.
• Let randomness introduce adventure. Get lost occasionally to find yourself. Appreciate life's simple blessings.