Hey party people! This is Mark Manson, and now I want to talk about Dr. Jordan Peterson and his books, “12 Rules for Life” and “12 More Rules for Life.”
I had the pleasure of chatting with him on his podcast and even got a few F-bombs from him. But what really stuck with me was the idea of creating our own rules for life—guiding principles and codes that help define us as individuals.
So, without further ado, let me share my life rules.
Disclaimer: These are MY rules for life, not a prescription for everyone. Take them or leave them, but let’s dive in.
Rule #1: Radical Responsibility
The first rule is to take responsibility for everything in your own experience, even if it’s not your fault.
This concept comes from existentialism, especially Jean-Paul Sartre. He believes that in every moment, we make choices and that this constant choice can be a burden.
To avoid this responsibility, we often blame others or adopt their values. Sartre called it “living in bad faith,” when we avoid responsibility and live for others rather than ourselves.
On the other hand, living authentically means making conscious choices based on our own principles and values. This idea of personal responsibility is essential for self-improvement and emotional health.
It is important to understand that responsibility does not equal fault. Bad things happen, but it is our responsibility to deal with them and move on.
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Rule #2: No Bad Emotions, Only Bad Reactions
The second rule is that there is no such thing as a bad emotion – bad reactions to emotions. Emotions are normal human functions, and what makes them good or bad is how we respond to them.
Emotional intelligence or emotional skills are essential to managing our emotions, and we all have our strengths and weaknesses.
Being open to experiencing emotions without judgment is the first step to emotional health. The second step is to express these emotions in a healthy and harmless way.
A reminder: While it’s great that people in public are becoming more open about their emotions and mental health, we should avoid glorifying or judging them based on these emotions. Emotional vulnerability is important, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that we are all human.
Rule #3: Radical Development
The third rule is that every action and decision you make should be motivated to improve life, yours and others. It is about having value towards radical growth and always maintaining the intention of growth and development.
These three rules—radical responsibility, radical acceptance, and radical growth—are simple, straight to the point, and nearly impossible to live up to.
But that’s the point: good life rules should always require effort. Otherwise, they are not for life, are they?
