Rules of Life

The 12 Rules for Life Jordan Peterson’s best-selling book, has been a life changer for many people. Its message is right on time in a world where people believe that almost anything is okay, and what’s right and wrong is a matter of opinion. 

Apparently living a high-functioning, productive life requires following certain principles that can be called rules. Think of life as a game. Without rules, it’s chaos. In fact patterns of disorder and chaos are what we therapists see in the lives of many of our clients. That is, that the people receiving therapy deny the fact – not an opinion … the fact – that life  without rules just doesn’t work out. So, they live more like untrained kids than like mature adults. They make choices based on desire and impulse, seeking to satisfy an immediate appetite – for pleasure, revenge or sheer survival  rather than using the brains God gave them.

In fairness it must be said that too many people have been deprived of knowing the rules of life, due to having been raised by parents who shirked their responsibility. In some cases parents literally train their children to defy social standards and morals. Thus, in certain instances a person might not know how to conduct his life according to rules. They need education and understanding.

However, there are people who reject rules out of stubbornness, stupidity or the enjoyment of getting away with being bad, and are not concerned with the rights and welfare of others. Typically, these folks have a bone to pick with society, and will rarely seek help, unless something drastic happens or they inflict severe damage on themselves or others.

Have you ever experienced a bad outcome due to your refusal to follow  a rule of life? Have you had trouble learning from your mistakes? Are you able to learn from the experience of others? Are you humble enough to learn from the past? Or are you unable or unwilling to believe that others know something you don’t know? 

It may not always be easy to accept that things have to go a certain way, or that you don’t have endless options in any given circumstance. There seems to be a little rebel living in each of us that does not like to be told what to do. Maybe it’s up to us to train that little rebel to tell the difference between situations in which it’s okay to defy a rule, as opposed to those situations which require us to comply and cooperate.

If your life is not in order as much you would wish it to be, and if it’s affecting your happiness, it may be time to take a look at your choices and the consequences of those choices. If you are honest enough and ready to do so,  please do not hesitate to reach out. Sometimes it’s best to work things out with the help of a professional. In that case, it would be an honor to be of service. The phone number is (219) 309-3928.a

For more thoughts click Conflict # 66

Thanks for reading!