Peterson's interest in writing the book grew out of a personal hobby of answering questions posted on Quora; one such question being "What are the most valuable things everyone should know? I hope that these rules and their accompanying essays will help people understand what they already know: thatthe soul of the individual eternally hungers for the heroism of genuine Being, and that the willingness to take on that responsibility is identical to the decision to live a meaningful life. If we start aiming at something different—something like “I want my life to be better”—our minds will start presenting us with new information, derived from the previously hidden world, to aid us in that pursuit. These things are bad enough in themselves, but they are chiefly perfidious because they form a sort of gateway drug to totalitarianism.

The New York Times 's David Brooks wrote, "The Peterson way is a harsh way, but it is an idealistic way – and for millions of young men, it turns out to be the perfect antidote to the cocktail of coddling and accusation in which they are raised". That he wrote it during the greatest crisis of his life is a testament to the power of what he preaches. I had motives for saying these things: I wanted to win arguments and gain status and impress people and get what I wanted. In May 2017 he started new project, titled "The psychological significance of the Biblical stories", a series of live theatre lectures in which he analyzes archetypal narratives in Genesis as patterns of behaviour vital for both personal, social and cultural stability. Summaries are not a substitute for reading the original works and we encourage users to support authors by purchasing their books from authorized sellers.It is simultaneously the will to dare set your sights at the unachievable, and to sacrifice everything, including (and most importantly) your life.

Andrew Anthony of The Guardian wrote: "Viewed in the most favourable light, Peterson's rules are an attempt to locate people within society, to acknowledge the systems and structures that have long existed and, instead of seeking to tear them down, encourage his readers to find their most functional position within them".There’s plenty here for his critics to get stuck into; he really hates the kind of group think which enforces deference to linguistic and ideological correctness. When things are no longer specified, with precision, the walls crumble, and chaos makes its presence known. They are also much more susceptible to non-infectious diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Carl Jung, John Layard and Jordan Peterson: Assessing Theories of Human Social Evolution and Their Implications for Analytical Psychology. When thinking about the Columbine school shootings, he is moved to wonder whether Eric Harris was not, in fact, an incarnation of Satan.In November 2020, shortly after the book's announcement, multiple staff at the Canadian division of Penguin Random House protested against the publication of the book.

Peterson went on a world tour to promote the book, receiving much attention following an interview with Channel 4 News. But Jordan Peterson is by profession a clinical psychologist and some of his most useful insights come from encounters with people. It doesn’t matter so much if they go to bed at the same time each evening, but waking up at a consistent hour is a necessity.Jordan B Peterson, raised and toughened in the frigid wastelands of Northern Alberta, has flown a hammerhead roll in a carbon fibre stunt plane, piloted a mahogany racing sailboat around Alcatraz Island, explored an Arizona meteorite crater with a group of astronauts, built a Native American longhouse on the upper floor of his Toronto home, and been inducted into the coastal Pacific Kwakwaka’wakw tribe. Following the complaints shared by Peterson's critics, the Society of Authors (SoA) published a statement about the misrepresentation of negative reviews on book covers. The paintings were not there because Jordan had any totalitarian sympathies, but because he wanted to remind himself of something he knew he and everyone would rather forget: that over a hundred million people were murdered in the name of utopia.