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Rules, Rules, Rules!

 

I remember a friend who had a unique game he loved to play with kids—his neighbor’s children, his nieces and nephews, the children of our friends. The game was called “Fizzbin,” and he’d made it up himself. It always began with something simple: a roll of the dice, a random card, or a quick “pick a number between 1 and 10.” Naturally, the kids would ask how to play, but he’d only say, “You’ll figure it out as we go.” Some turns would result in “success,” while others ended with a casual “you can’t do that.” The same move might work one moment and fail the next. Victories and defeats came without clear rhyme or reason, leading to growing confusion. The real “win” in Fizzbin was realizing there weren’t any rules—my friend was making them up on the spot. Though it was lighthearted and had many laughs and giggles and high-fives, eventually the kids found it chaotic and frustrating!

 

What do you think about rules? Why do we have rules? Do you like rules? What do think about these quotes and clichés? 

 

• "Rules are meant to be broken." – Anonymous
• "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist." – Pablo Picasso
• "It is easier to ask for forgiveness than to get permission." – Grace Hopper
• "Rules are like fences. They protect those who obey from what they can't handle." – Anonymous
• "Rules serve as boundaries for focus, not limits on creativity." – Anonymous
• "All generalizations are false, including this one." – Mark Twain
• "If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun." – Katharine Hepburn

 

Some rules are meant to enforce control.  Some rules aren't dictated by anyone in particular, they're more like truisms, principles, generalizations, or facts and less like an arbitrary dictates. Think gravity versus the speed limit.

 

However, sometimes those specific rules are based on principles. Consider that we have specific speed limits with the intention to save lives and prevent injuries because high-velocity automobile accidents are more dangerous than lower-velocity accidents...and lower-velocity accidents are less frequent, as well.  It's not difficult to see that specific admonishments serve to fulfill the overarching principles.

 

Enter 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson. The 12 Rules are specific "things to do" in order to deal with the "chaos" that we can find ourselves in. Whether you’re a fan, a critic, or somewhere in between, Peterson has made a notable impact with his ideas and writing. My own encounter with his work wasn’t immediate; several years passed after its release before I finally picked up a copy. But once I started reading, I found it was worth the time. I enjoyed it so much that I bought a hardcopy to share with my family—something I rarely do.

 

Peterson offers perspectives on universal human experiences and needs, drawing from a broad base of psychology, philosophy, and his own life. 12 Rules for Life encourages readers to take on responsibility, build structure, and pursue meaning in a complex world. It’s not about “quick fixes” or “life hacks,” but rather a set of principles that he believes guide us toward a more balanced and fulfilling life.

 

In crafting these 12 Rules, Peterson spent years, apart from his clinical practice, engaging online, answering questions, and listening to concerns from people of all backgrounds. Through this dialogue, he identified recurring themes and challenges that most of us grapple with. His “rules” are intended to address these universal struggles, offering practical steps to help us live better lives.

 

This post marks the beginning of a 12-part series, each one exploring one of Peterson’s rules. I hope you’ll find them as thought-provoking and practical as I did. Whether you're looking for guidance, a fresh perspective, or even a bit of a challenge to your own ideas, my goal is to share insights from 12 Rules for Life that can add value to both your personal and professional growth.

 

Recently, I came across an image that captured what prompted me to start writing down some of my thoughts on paper and as a blog, and it struck a chord. The image was simple: two frames. In the first, hands are held under running water, labeled “My Thoughts.” In the second, a glass is overflowing, captioned “My Thoughts When I Write.” It's a fitting metaphor for what I hope to share here—a glimpse into that “overflowing glass” in the hopes it brings some clarity, insight, or value to you. Although I lost track of the original, with some AI assistance, I managed to recreate the essence of it...clearly fingers are still an AI issue :) 

 

Much like the image here, with only some of the water contained in the glass, I don’t intend to offer up everything in the book. Instead, I plan to provide an overview of each rule and share some of my own takeaways—the ideas I managed to catch in my own glass and have spent some time ruminating on.

 

While Peterson’s book isn’t for everyone, it offers some intuitive concepts grounded in his research and clinical experience. I’ll admit, though, that it can be a bit dense, with lengthy explanations and examples that make the print version a slower read—something my family also noticed. The audio version, however, has been perfect for long walks.  His dry humor and blunt callouts about human nature make for entertaining reading and listening.   The key thing to remember if you pick it up, and I would encourage you to do so, is that that the Rules are the actions or behaviors that will support the many outcomes and goals Peterson talks about in each chapter.

 

If you’re curious about Peterson’s approach to navigating life’s complexities, I invite you to join me in this series. Together, we’ll explore these rules and see what insights might come to light. Each of the rules is a tongue-in-cheek callout to something we can do to make our lives better.