Jordan Bernt Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. His main areas of study are the psychology of religious and ideological belief, and the assessment and improvement of personality and performance.
He earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 1991, and remained as a post-doctoral fellow at McGill's Douglas Hospital.
He remained at McGill University as a post-doctoral fellow for two years before moving to Massachusetts, where he worked as an assistant and associate professor in the psychology department at Harvard University. In 1997, he moved to the University of Toronto as a full professor.
Peterson was nominated for the position of Rector of the University of Glasgow in March 2017
He authored Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief in 1999.
Jordan Peterson on the most valuable things everyone should know:
- Tell the truth.
- Do not do things that you hate.
- Act so that you can tell the truth about how you act.
- Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient.
- If you have to choose, be the one who does things, instead of the one who is seen to do things.
- Pay attention.
- Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you need to know. Listen to them hard enough so that they will share it with you.
- Plan and work diligently to maintain the romance in your relationships.
- Be careful who you share good news with.
- Be careful who you share bad news with.
- Make at least one thing better every single place you go.
- Imagine who you could be, and then aim with a single-mind at that.
- Do not allow yourself to become arrogant or resentful.
- Try to make one room in your house as beautiful as possible.
- Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.
- Work as hard as you possibly can on at least one thing and see what happens.
- If old memories still make you cry, write them down carefully and completely.
- Maintain your connections with people.
- Do not carelessly denigrate social institutions or artistic achievement.
- Treat yourself as if you were someone that you are responsible for helping.
- Ask someone to do you a small favor, so that he or she can ask you to do one in the future.
- Make friends with people who want the best for you.
- Do not try to rescue someone who does not want to be rescued, and be very careful about rescuing someone who does.
- Nothing well done is insignificant.
- Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.
- Dress like the person you want to be.
- Be precise in your speech.
- Stand up straight with your shoulders back.
- Don’t avoid something frightening if it stands in your way — and don’t do unnecessarily dangerous things.
- Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.
- Do not transform your wife into a maid.
- Do not hide unwanted things in the fog.
- Notice that opportunity lurks where responsibility has been abdicated.
- Read something written by someone great.
- Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.
- Do not bother children when they are skateboarding.
- Don’t let bullies get away with it.
- Write a letter to the government if you see something that needs fixing — and propose a solution.
- Remember that what you do not yet know is more important than what you already know.
- Be grateful in spite of your suffering.
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Philosophy and Wisdom Traditions:
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Well-Being (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/well-being/) - Explores philosophical perspectives on what constitutes a good life and achieving well-being.
- The School of Life: https://www.theschooloflife.com/ - Offers articles and resources on various philosophical topics related to living a meaningful life.
- Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley - The Science of a Meaningful Life (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/) - Examines the concept of living a meaningful life and its potential impact on happiness.
Psychology and Positive Psychology:
- American Psychological Association (APA): Understanding Positive Psychology (apa.org) - Explores the field of positive psychology and its focus on human strengths and well-being.
- Action for Happiness: https://actionforhappiness.org/ - A global movement promoting well-being through practical exercises and resources based on positive psychology research.
Personal Growth and Self-Help:
- Harvard Business Review: 10 Rules for Living a More Fulfilling Life (hbr.org) by Charlotte Liedman and Jessica Tracy - Offers practical strategies based on research and psychology for living a more fulfilling life.
- TED: Talks that Inspire (https://www.ted.com/) - TED Talks on topics like happiness, resilience, and personal growth for inspiring life rules and insights.
- Book: The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt (ISBN 0307357728) - Examines the science of happiness and challenges some common misconceptions, offering insights for a happier life.
- Book: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl (ISBN 080701427X) - A classic book on finding meaning and purpose in life, even in the face of adversity.
