| Title | Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life |
| Author | Jordan Peterson |
| Publisher | Portfolio |
| Year | 2021 |
| Pages | 432 |
| Rating | ★★★★★ (5 stars) |
| Purchase Link | Buy Here |
Beyond Order is the name of the third book by Jordan Peterson, which talks about 12 rules so that the reader can improve in various aspects of life.
The book Beyond Order is, in fact, quite profound and at the same time manages to be practical. Read below for everything you need to know! If you want to read more book summaries, click here.
What is the summary of Beyond Order?
To read a summary of Beyond Order, read the paragraph below:
In this book, Jordan Peterson teaches, through real and fictional stories, psychology and philosophy, 12 important steps to improve as a person, deepen your personal relationships, avoid disgrace and accelerate the achievement of objectives. Keeping what is positive, running away from what spoils our lives, taking responsibility and reconciling with traumatic events are some of the lessons the book teaches.
The book addresses points such as the need to seek responsibilities and move forward with your goals, whether in personal relationships, professional relationships and projects in general (rules 2, 4 and 7). Check a summary about 12 Rules for Life here.
In addition, Peterson talks about the need not to hide our negative experiences, and to face them so that we know how to deal with things and, of course, overcome all of them (rules 3 and 9).
In fact, Peterson also talks about which paths to avoid:
- Ideology, which gives ready answers but diminishes people’s possibility of thinking (rule 6).
- Resentment, falsehood and arrogance, which destroy the human personality (rule 11).
- And doing what we hate, which kills our will to live (rule 5).
The book also talks about preserving things, such as:
- Institutions that are useful and must be renewed responsibly (rule 1)
- Love relationships, to be romantic and sustainable (rule 10).
- Your room, which is a reflection of your internal organization (rule 8).
Finally, he talks about the importance of being grateful for the things we have and people who have helped us (rule 12).
What is the review of Beyond Order?
I’m going to talk a little bit about what I thought of the book. Some points are very personal, it is worth mentioning.
Beyond Order is an excellent book that uses a lot of deep content as a foundation. I found it a little challenging to read at first, but I quickly got the hang of it. For those who don’t have the habit of reading, it can be difficult, but it’s still worth it. It’s deeper and more philosophical than the 12 Rules for Life, it’s also excellent, and a must-read!
Even though, like I said, the 12 Rules for Life is better, they are different. I would say Beyond Order is deeper and more philosophical than the previous one. Some may find this good, others bad. For me, that’s great!
Even though 12 Rules has meant a lot to me in the past, looking back on it from afar, Beyond Order is much more profound (even if I preffer the prior book).
In my opinion, it is a must read for everyone who wants to improve their lives, regardless of the area! Check a summary about Maps of Meaning clicking here.
Can I read Beyond Order without having read 12 Rules for Life?
A very common question people have is whether it is possible to read this book before 12 Rules for Life, Peterson’s first book in this more practical line.
It is possible to read Beyond Order before 12 Rules for Life, because, despite being written in similar ways, they are not direct continuations of each other, they are independent. You can read the two in any order without any problem: you will understand the book normally.
As the two books are independent, in fact, it’s not a problem to read this one before the first one. Check also a summary about 12 Rules for Life here.
What are the 12 Rules of Beyond Order?
The 12 rules of Beyond Order are:
1. Do not carelessly denigrate social institutions or creative achievement
This rule speaks to the social structures that exist in the world. There are many societies that have existed for decades or centuries, and there’s a reason for that.
These structures (church, state, companies, etc.) have a function in the world and, instead of people simply criticizing and wanting to destroy, they can try to understand them.
In addition, creative and interested people are needed to be willing to update these institutions without making everything fall apart.
2. Imagine who you could be and then aim single-mindedly at that
I really like this chapter because it talks a lot about alchemy. Basically he makes an analogy of the process of alchemy with our personality.
That is: you can visualize this transformation, think about how to carry it out and, of course, put into practice the measures to really become who you are.
This chapter, I confess, motivated me a lot to be someone better. It’s one of the best in the book.
3. Do not hide unwanted things in the fog
This chapter talks about things we are afraid to think about: pain and fear. Peterson tells us that they are fundamental to maturation.
So the ideal thing to do is to think about these situations of suffering in your life instead of hiding them under the cloth.
In addition, it is also good that we think about the possibility of things going wrong so that we know how to deal emotionally with it.
4. Notice that opportunity lurks where responsibility has been abdicated
In fact, in many places around the world, people set aside their responsibilities and seek only comfort and security. And it is in these situations that there are opportunities to take advantage of.
An important point of the chapter is when he talks about taking responsibility, independent of happiness.
The truth is that happiness comes and goes, and what made us happy yesterday may not matter tomorrow. The fundamental thing is to assume the responsibilities that life brings. Check a summary about Man and His Symbols here.
5. Do not do what you hate
This rule may seem strange when we compare it to the previous one, but they are not the opposite: there are things we need to do that are our responsibility and that, despite being difficult, give us satisfaction when we see everything fulfilled.
On the other hand, there are things that simply corrode us from the inside, such as taking unethical attitudes because the work requires it, or pushing your dreams away for fear of criticism.
This chapter is very moving, because Peterson talks about something he himself lived. It felt to me like this is a very personal chapter for him.
6. Abandon ideology
Ideology is one of the main evils that Jordan Peterson fights, because it can reduce people’s horizon of vision.
In other words: ideology delivers a set of ready-made solutions that often do not match what we see in reality.
Therefore, forget these ideological points based only on class struggle, difference in race, color, class and others. It just alienates you more and more.
7. Work as hard as you possibly can on at least one thing and see what happens
How many times have we thought “if only I did this”, “if only I did that” or “when the year is over, I’ll look for a better job ”. We planned a lot of things that we never put into practice.
But Peterson asks us to focus on a goal and see, over time, how everything progresses. If we don’t try, we don’t leave the place.
Projects made in a responsible way give much more resilience and make us more mature. I can say that myself, because I matured a lot with my projects here on the internet.
8. Try to make one room in your home as beautiful as possible
This chapter is an extension of that well-known Jordan Peterson motto: “clean your room”. Here, he tells you to do just that. It doesn’t have to be a bedroom, it can be another room too.
He says that the ideals of beauty and truth are what sustain the human experience and, therefore, our bedroom ends up being a reflection of our own nature.
After meeting Peterson, my room became much tidier =) It really changes you on a philosophical level. If you want to read more book summaries, click here.
9. If old memories still upset you, write them down carefully and completely
This is an extension of point 3, and I’d say it’s one of the best chapters in the book as well. It talks about putting your negative memories to rest.
Putting things down on paper can be literal, or it can be in a text document. But the truth is, regardless of the mode, it helps to clear your mind about the problem.
Thus, things can stop tormenting you and you can even see solutions to your problems. That’s why I have a personal diary.
10. Plan and work diligently to maintain the romance in your relationship
One of the worst things is when the couple ends up leaving romance aside and everything becomes a negative routine that separates the two over time.
Of course, routine is essential and part of life, unlike what many “romance” films show. But it is important to take care of your loved one in the right way.
One of the worst things is to become resentful over some bad event that happened to us. These feelings make us petty and ultimately make us a worse person.
The cool thing about this chapter is that Peterson shows the losses of both the resentful person, the fake person and even the arrogant person.
With this guide on how to avoid these common mistakes, it’s easier to go the right way. This chapter is the best in the book, in my humble opinion.
12. Be grateful in spite of your suffering
To finish with a golden key, the book talks about the importance of gratitude. This word ended up being a little distorted because of the coaches, but it is really important
In a world with so many difficulties and so many bad possibilities for life, we need to be grateful to the people and situations that put us where we are today.
So be grateful always! Never let go of the people who supported you. With that, more positive things come to you – it’s just a matter of time! Check a book summary about The Will to Meaning here.
What are the negative points of Beyond Order?
In fact, there is only one negative point of Beyond Order, which is what I’m going to talk about below:
The book, although very useful, talks about very deep subjects that a beginning reader may not be able to follow sometimes. However, if he pays attention and reads calmly, he can follow along with peace of mind.
Of course, it can be a challenge in the first few pages, but you can quickly get the hang of it and understand the richness behind the book.
Personally, I found the first book easier to understand. But of course, this one is very understandable! Read a summary about Man’s Search for Ultimate Meaning here.
What are the positive points of Beyond Order?
On the other hand, the positive points of Beyond Order are many and it would be difficult to talk about everything, but I tried to summarize it in a single paragraph:
The book uses philosophical and psychological principles that have existed for centuries to show us how to act in the right way in society. life. Using stories from his reality or telling popular narratives, he manages to show the consequences of taking the wrong path in life and how to avoid them, in addition to showing what positive attitudes we can take.
In other words, it is a must-read! As I said before, it was one of the best reads I’ve had in a while and you have to give it a chance. Read a summary about the famous book On the Shortness of Life.
Is Beyond Order worth reading?
After talking a lot about the book, here comes the final conclusion: after all, is it worth reading Beyond Order or is it better to look for other psychology and personal development books?
It is worth reading Beyond Order, because it is a book with deep reflections, but very practical ones. Therefore, it is really a book that can really help you to be a better person and have better relationships with people, in addition to achieving your goals in a better way.
If you want to buy the book Beyond Order, it’s really worth it! If you want to read more book summaries, click here.