The reviewer finds Jordan B. Peterson's '12 Rules for Life' to be a profound and meaningful book that addresses the struggles of young men in modern society. Peterson's insights are grounded in hard truths and personal experiences, offering a moral vision that emphasizes the reality of suffering and the importance of truth.
The reviewer highlights that '12 Rules for Life' by Jordan B. Peterson resonates deeply with young men who feel adrift in today's world. Peterson's book is not a typical self-help guide but a serious exploration of life's challenges, drawing from Western civilization's stories to provide meaningful guidance. The reviewer appreciates Peterson's ability to tackle complex issues with a mix of personal anecdotes, scientific insights, and historical examples. The book's moral vision, centered around the reality of suffering and the importance of truth, offers a stark but necessary perspective on life. Peterson's honest and unflinching approach makes the book particularly appealing to millennials who have faced disillusionment and hardship.
Quick quotes
No one had answered those questions, as far as I could tell. Like Descartes, I was plagued with doubt. I searched for one thing — anything — I could regard as indisputable. I wanted a rock upon which to build my house. It was doubt that led me to it.
What can I not doubt? The reality of suffering. It brooks no arguments. Nihilists cannot undermine it with skepticism. Totalitarians cannot banish it. Cynics cannot escape from its reality. Suffering is real, and the artful infliction of suffering on another, for its own sake, is wrong. That became the cornerstone of my belief.
If you pay attention to what you do and say, you can learn to feel a state of internal division and weakness when you are misbehaving and misspeaking. It’s an embodied sensation, not a thought.