Elevated Path's Key Ideas from 12 Rules for Life
by Jordan B. Peterson

Standing up straight exudes dominance, confidence, and the ability to accept responsibility.

Diversely, having a lousy posture with your head hunched over, displays negative self-image and subservience.

Peterson uses the society of lobsters as an analogy for the truth about posture.

The chemistry in a lobster's brain changes depending on their status in the community.

This is apparent in their posture

When a lobster loses a fight, their serotonin levels go down, and octopamine goes up.

The lower serotonin and higher octopamine levels are, the more their confidence is reduced which can be seen in their future posture

On the other hand, when a lobster wins a fight, then their serotonin levels go up, and octopamine levels go down.

They then walk around with even more confidence than before.

The lobster with a higher level of serotonin is much less likely to back down from a challenge

We, humans, are just like lobsters.

When suffering from a tragic defeat, humans lose confidence, thus displaying a stooped posture

However, the more wins a person has, the higher their faith, and the more prepared they are for future challenges

Why do you think medications given to people with depression are designed to boost the serotonin levels?

People with high serotonin levels and low octopamine are better prepared to prevail and remain unbeaten throughout the challenges that life has in store.

Everybody has heard the phrase, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Still, many people treat their loved ones better than they treat themselves.

The Art of Habits Guide + 15 Actionable Self-Improvement Templates (It's free)

Peterson (Author of book) compares a person taking care of their pet to how they should take care of themselves.

Peterson says, "people are better at filling and properly administering prescription medication to their pets than to themselves."

The thing is, people tend to have great care for their pets.

They make sure that they eat on time every day, get proper exercise, bath them on schedule, and will take them to the vet at the first sign of a problem

However, people don't treat themselves with the same respect

A person must maintain their health.

1. For that, it's crucial to, first of all, eat correctly
2. Second, never forget exercising your mind and body
3. And, lastly, take your medicine on time

Friends help to craft a person into who they will eventually become and how far they will go.

It goes without saying that everybody should pay close attention to the friends that they keep

The Art of Habits Guide + 15 Actionable Self-Improvement Templates (It's free)

A group of friends likely have similar personalities styles, morals, and goals.

If a person's morals and goals do not align with your own, it may be wise to limit the amount of time spent with this person

Everybody should strive to keep friends around who are uplifting and have an overall positive influence.

Peterson gives us examples of this in his own life. He spoke of a couple of childhood friends from his old neighborhood.

These friends turned out to be negative influences on him. The friends would gravitate to the same behaviors and the same kinds of people no matter how far away from home they were

Peterson said, "such people don't believe that they deserve better, so they don't go looking for it." Freud called this a "repetition compulsion.'

A person needs to choose friends that push them to be the best possible version of themselves and avoid those that wish to remain stagnant.

Many people are loyal to old friends despite their toxicity:

However, a person should strive to leave their comfort zones and find friends that want the best for them.

Of course, leaving your toxic friends takes courage, but is well worth it.

When better friends are found, both parties can support each other in achieving life goals.

Compare yourself to who you were yesterday.

Not to who someone else is today

The Art of Habits Guide + 15 Actionable Self-Improvement Templates (It's free)

Everybody is at different stages in their life.

A person cannot compare themselves at level 2, to someone else at their level 10.

However, do not be depressed.

No matter how successful or skilled a person may be, there will always be somebody more successful or competent than them.

Still, all of us bring value

So a person must not compare their progress to the progress of another person.

Individuals must work only to beat the person they were yesterday.

As Jordan Peterson put it, "The future is like the past But there's a crucial difference. The past is fixed. but the future - it could be better"

In other words, it's not how a person starts, but how they finish. Therefore, it is all about the individual finishing strong

Comparing your accomplishments to that of another person is incredibly self-destructive.

This builds self-loathing, resentment and anger towards yourself and the other person, which damages an individual's evaluation.

Everybody should strive to become a better version of themselves a little bit each day. (This is the core philosophy of our weekly newsletter)

The person can then understand their progress and shortcomings by where they were the day before.

Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.

The Art of Habits Guide + 15 Actionable Self-Improvement Templates (It's free)

Two of the most popular parenting styles of the world are authoritarian and permissive.

1. Authoritarian parents give their children many strict guidelines that they must follow.

If the child disobeys, then they will be brutally punished. This child may feel as though they have no freedom whatsoever.

2. Permissive parents are more like enablers, If their child does something wrong, they are comforted and thus given approval for what they have done, even if it is incredibly harmful.

Authoritarian and permissive parents are both emotionally stunting their children, and a child is then likely to become socially isolated and have a tough time surviving in the real world.

Children who are appropriately taught and given constructive criticism will turn into well-rounded adults.

That child is much more likely to thrive in the outside world.

Parents must also be mindful of their shortcomings. After all, nobody is perfect.

Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world

The concept of this rule is not to live perfectly but to examine your own life and choices before finding fault in the outside world.

Do not blame the world for your limitations.

Many people can be extremely cynical in their view of the world.

The Art of Habits Guide + 15 Actionable Self-Improvement Templates (It's free)

Many people end up in horrible situations

because of their own mistakes.

Therefore, much of the pain a person experiences throughout life is self- inflicted.

Many people become angry with the world when diagnosed with a chronic illness, but that person must take a personal inventory of their past actions.

This can be bad eating habits or smoking when they know it is terrible for them.

A person cannot speak ill of the world unless they have cleaned up their own life.

Once you have done this, you will become less bitter and be more confident about the future,

You must strive for your personal best, and the world will become a much simpler Place,

Life has no meaning besides the meaning you give it.

So you are, indeed, the author of your OWn destiny

The pursuit of happiness is a noble purpose to live for, but how one takes to reach that joy affects its meaningfulness.

Instant gratification can be poison

Therefore, Peterson says that everyone should practice delayed gratification

The Art of Habits Guide + 15 Actionable Self-Improvement Templates (It's free)

Sacrifice is a requirement for achieving a person's goals and solving their problems.

The higher the purpose or the more serious the problem, the bigger the sacrifice.

But the sacrifice will improve the future.

The difference between successful people and the unsuccessful is that the successful sacrifice

So decide what is meaningful and make sacrifices for that purpose

The goal is for a person to tell their truth.

However, the truth can be subjective. Still, even if the reality of another person differs, it is not a lie,

Most of all, a person should never lie to themselves

When a person continually lies to themselves, they become stuck in ideology and remain stagnant

The truth will set you free.

The Art of Habits Guide + 15 Actionable Self-Improvement Templates (It's free)

Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don't.

When involved in a conversation, a person should listen more than they speak

A person that talks too much and does not listen to the other person might be missing out on information that could be beneficial,

Additionally, the person speaking may need an open ear.

A person can likely find value in most conversations if they are willing

Many times, an individual will hear a person speak but not listen and retain the information.

Instead, they are thinking about what they will say next.

The Art of Habits (It's free)

Say what you mean and mean what you say

Always know your destination. If you don't know your destination, then you are on a path to nowhere.

If you are not aware of your finish line, you may as well be running on a treadmill.

This will likely lead to frustration, anxiety, and unhappiness.

So take inventory of your errors and work to correct them

After all, when you are not aware of the problem, then there is no way for you to fix it.

Many parents can be overprotective of their children.

This can lead to the child being unprepared for the rough nature of the outside world.

This is called "helicopter parenting"

As a child gets older, they spend much less time with their parents and much more time with their peers.

The child then needs to be able to find their way through challenging social situations and sometimes take a calculated risk.

Everybody experiences fear but a person should not be dominated by it.

The Art of Habits Guide + 15 Actionable Self-Improvement Templates (It's free)

Most of us have busy schedules and are always on the go, but there is more to life than the next task.

Take a moment to smell the roses. This step is about being present in the moment and enjoying the beauty of the world.

The world can be a hectic place, and often we hear all the negativity and get engulfed in it,

However, there is much beauty to be found in the world, as well.

The Art of Habits Guide + 15 Actionable Self-Improvement Templates (It's free)