I recently read Jordan's 12 Laws. Frankly it’s the first thing I have read or even seen of Peterson's work. I decided that I better get up to speed with what all the "kids were talking about". I was not expecting much. I am not usually impressed when someone claims they have condensed everything I need to know into simplistic rules or laws, or whatever. There’s way too much synergy in life for it to be condensed into a simple set of guidelines. Yet when everyone on the internet started on the 12 laws/rules bandwagon I had to find out what this was.

At the bottom I listed JPs laws. I am not going to talk law by law as he does it. Each Law is a chapter with cute stories and anecdotes. Sometimes you wonder if he is going to make his point. What I am going to attempt here is give a general impression of the book.

The book has a lengthy intro. A lot of back patting and explaining how this came to be. I skipped it after a few pages. It could be titled humble brag. The first chapter was quite good. In fact it's the only thing worth reading. The chapter discusses dominance in nature and how our posture and physical presence sets the stage for many things. Including beginning stages of frame. his metaphor of choice is Lobsters. Being a simple creature he discusses the chemical changes in the brain and the resultant attitude adjustments when a lobster is defeated or is victorious. The same with men. Except that men can change that attitude and the first is your presence.

The first rule is about changing your demeanor and how that along can begin a path of confidence and assertiveness. Remember as a kid you parents telling you to stand up straight? That’s the idea. In fact it really aligns well. While I wouldn’t tell a newbie here to stand up straight vs lifting, the net effect of lifting is better posture. We are telling you to lift in order to build confidence, a look. To learn what hard work really is.

After that the rules are simply a homogenized breakdown of some very basic elements. It all becomes some sort of very soft purple pill at best description of what a man should do. I say men because that is whom his message has been targeted at, BUT this book is a wide audience target. These elements are then further simplified in how a man interacts with his world. Not much about mindset changing and how to be your point of origin and certainly nothing the basic tenant of Red Pill which is Rule Zero. Jordan doesn't even mention this basic drive only that a dominant male gets the mate he wants. Technically true but as we know even a dominant male can be made beta if he doesn't understand the feminine nature.

As the rules go on they tend to get fluffier until the last one, which even Peterson slightly admits was there for fun. Petting kitties? really? Some rules are even semi redundant.

He also makes a mention in dealing with Chaos men seek and create order. He makes soft statement using Traditional Chinese philosophy that Chaos is Female and Order is Male (Yin Yang), but that's where it stops. He does say that to hold back Chaos a man requires routine. Discipline. But again he stops there. This alone would make a fantastic book or post. BUT it would be largely masculine in nature. We are the ones that create routine and order within our homes. It is this alone that does it. This is the overall theme of the book. In fact it’s the core of Peterson’s philosophy. Men seek and creat order from Chaos. Trouble is Peterson doesn’t see it that way Red Pill does. While I am sure Peterson would avoid the topic my gut feeling is that his undeclared premise is that men must seek Order through harmony with his environment. This is the natural order of the philosophy he touches on. Balance. Yin Yang. Unlike Red Pill which essentially seeks each man finding his own path and masculinity. At a surface level these things seem similar but they a re vastly different.

If you really want to understand what Peterson is driving at learn more about Traditional Chinese theory on Yin Yang. It makes sense given what RP know, but it’s not in line. At all. You can derive something from it, but like so much we know. Take what’s useful throw away the rest.

If you need a simple set of anything it can be boiled to this:

1. Establish your frame
2. Be a Man of Value and seek Value
3. Be Attractive Don't be Unattractive
4. Have Abundance in All things (from women, to friends, to resources)

That's it. Do those things and you can then enter the next stage of understanding women and achieving your goals. IN fact this is a life long pursuit. You will alter and change. YOu may have setbacks. It’s all part of the process, yet these steps don't change. We chop them up into Dread levels so it's easier for a married man to implement but those 3 things are essential to a man to grow the right mindset.

here are Jordan's Rules against Chaos in case your are curious. I could go into a complete Red Pill refutation of each of these rules. Yet I don’t have the energy. Needless to say this book is a watered down version of a lot of what JP talks about. Of course, marketing to just men is half the potential of profit so as I said there’s a lot of fluff in here.

I would not read this with an eye towards red pill. I would pick it up as another book that may have a couple nuggets in it. Again, Chapter one is pretty good just from the biology discussion alone. So I am headed back to the store to return this.

JPs rules

Rule 1: Stand Up Straight With Your Shoulders Back

Rule 2: Treat Yourself Like Someone You Are Responsible for Helping

Rule 3: Make Friends with People Who Want the Best For You

Rule 4: Compare Yourself to Who You Were Yesterday, Not Who Someone Else is Today

Rule 5: Do Not Let Your Children Do Anything that Makes You Dislike Them

Rule 6: Set Your House in Perfect Order Before You Criticize the World

Rule 7: Pursue What is Meaningful (Not What is Expedient)

Rule 8: Tell the Truth, or at least Don’t Lie

Rule 9: Assume that the Person You Are Listening to Might Know Something You Don’t

Rule 10: Be Precise in Your Speech

Rule 11: Do Not Bother Children when they are Skateboarding

Rule 12: Pet a Cat When You Encounter One on the Street