Most discourse about atheism that I have heard comes from within a theistic paradigm. And a theistic paradigm that hasn’t yet engaged with atheism is incapable of understanding it. Think of the typical, impulsive set of questions that are raised when someone encounters atheism for the first time: So, what is the point of living [without God]? What is the meaning of life [without God]? Why be moral [without God]? These impulsive and defensive questions…
Rule 10: Plan and work diligently to maintain the romance in your relationship This chapter is about marriage and the work it takes to maintain a marriage. A relationship is like an organism: It is organized, it has its own distinct aims, and it can be helped or hurt by external forces. Married people find themselves busy with work, busy with kids, drawn to solitary hobbies, or drawn to friends outside of the marriage. They…
In his discussion of Rule 6 (“Abandon ideology”), Peterson talks about field-testing various topics during his live talks, monitoring how his audiences responded to different topics. He writes that the topic of responsibility consistently induced a quiet attentiveness in the audience. I think his observation is part of the reason why there is so much repetition across the chapters of this book, and why so much of that repetition is about work and responsibility. Out…
In this part, I will discuss Rules 4-6 of Jordan Peterson’s Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life. Rule 4 says, “Notice that opportunity lurks where responsibility has been abdicated.” In simple language, this rule is about being a good worker, taking the initiative, figuring out where others have failed to take care of something and then claiming responsibility for it. When I am employed in an organization, I can either see what is expected…
Events vs. States Rule 3 in Jordan Peterson’s Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life reads, “Do not hide unwanted things in the fog,” and it is about neglecting apparently small problems, the risks of living with and tolerating these problems for too long, and cumulative effect of doing so over time. A useful distinction here is between one’s general state and particular events one faces. Small, repetitive problems might not themselves count as significant…