Beyond the System

Author Name: Jordan Peterson

If order represents safety, then we need to keep one foot within the order while carefully extending the other beyond. Thus, we explore the deepest meanings by standing at the boundaries and confronting what we have not yet come to terms with or adapted to. This instinct for meaning—something far deeper than mere thought—guides us properly in life so that we are not corrupted and weakened by outdated, stifling, or boastful value and belief systems. In "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos," published by Enlightenment House, Dr. Peterson, a clinical psychologist and professor at Harvard and the University of Toronto, has helped millions of readers reorder their chaos. Now, in this bolder sequel, he offers 12 new rules to show us that, contrary to what some might think, a rigid adherence to order in our lives is just as dangerous as chaos. In a time when humans are increasingly imposing their will on every aspect of life, Peterson warns against the danger of over-secureness. He offers strategies for overcoming the cultural, scientific, and psychological forces that push us toward tyranny, and invites us instead to rely on our instincts for meaning and purpose, even—and especially—when we find ourselves powerless. While chaos, if it worsens, threatens us with instability and anxiety, the rigidity of order can paralyze us into submission. The book's appeal lies in its combination of philosophy, psychology, and self-improvement in a text that is both feisty and realistic.