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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Beyond Order summary
12 More Rules for Life
37 mins
Brief summary
Beyond Order by Jordan B. Peterson is a self-help book that provides a guide to balance chaos with order and achieve personal transformation. It offers practical strategies for overcoming life's challenges and living a meaningful life.
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Beyond Order
Summary of 12 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 12
Social institutions are essential to an individual’s success.
Early psychologists like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung loved to take deep dives into an individual’s mind. They believed that hidden within each person were powerful psychological forces called the id, ego, and superego. These forces roughly corresponded to one’s base urges, personal identity, and higher social calling. And the way these forces interacted determined a person's mental state.
While this model surely provided important insights, it leaves out too much. Namely, it ignores all the outside elements which can shape your mind – things like your social status, educational background, and economic outlook. These exterior forces can also have a powerful effect on your mental state.
The truth is, people don’t grow, develop, or think in isolation. We are social creatures and the structures of our social world are essential for keeping us sane.
The key message here is: Social institutions are essential to an individual’s success.
The world that surrounds us is complex, chaotic, and filled with possibilities. Deciding how to interact with this diverse landscape is a daunting task. It’s so daunting that you probably rely on outside forces to help you decide your actions. You look to friends and family for guidance, you follow laws laid out by governments and schools, and often pick up on subtle social cues to determine how to behave in different situations and contexts.
By looking to these outside forces, you can reduce the complexity of the world and more easily find the best course of action. Consider this: Everyone needs food and shelter to survive. You can obtain these essentials in a myriad of ways – you can build a hut in the woods or try stealing food from a neighbor’s house. Yet, by looking to laws and social norms, you see the best way to survive is to have a job, earn money, and buy these items. In this way, the social world gives you a manageable path to follow.
You started learning how to read these social signposts from the very moment you were born. As you grow, you acquire more skills, knowledge, and experiences that help you better navigate the world. You learn what is valuable, how to solve problems, and how to act in ways that benefit yourself and those around you. You also learn when established social rules are inadequate and when to strategically challenge or break them.
If you continually apply yourself to this process you will gradually raise your status in the social hierarchy by acquiring many friends, making lots of money, or becoming distinguished in your chosen field. We’ll look at this process more in the next blink.
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What is Beyond Order about?
Beyond Order (2021) is a prescription for how to navigate the complexities of modern life. While Peterson’s previous work warned of the danger of excessive chaos, this new guide to living details the perils of too much rigid order.
Beyond Order Review
Beyond Order by Jordan B. Peterson (2021) delves into the complexities of life and offers a fresh perspective on individual responsibility and the pursuit of meaning. Here's what makes this book worth reading:
- With insightful analysis and meaningful anecdotes, it provides practical guidance for navigating the chaos of modern life and finding personal fulfillment.
- The book explores a wide range of topics, including psychology, philosophy, and culture, making it intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking.
- It challenges conventional thinking and encourages readers to reflect, explore, and develop their own unique perspectives on life's challenges.
Best quote from Beyond Order
People remain mentally healthy not merely because of the integrity of their own minds, but because they are constantly being reminded how to think, act, and speak by those around them.
—Jordan B. Peterson
Who should read Beyond Order?
- Disorganized thinkers looking to clean up their mental room
- Inactive dreamers in need of some motivation
- Anyone looking for a little direction in life
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Beyond Order FAQs
What is the main message of Beyond Order?
The main message of Beyond Order is a guide to finding balance and meaning in life by embracing chaos and order.
How long does it take to read Beyond Order?
The reading time for Beyond Order varies depending on the reader's pace. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Beyond Order a good book? Is it worth reading?
Beyond Order is worth reading for its insightful exploration of chaos, order, and personal growth.
Who is the author of Beyond Order?
Jordan B. Peterson is the author of Beyond Order.
What to read after Beyond Order?
If you're wondering what to read next after Beyond Order, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Maps of Meaning by Jordan B. Peterson
- 12 Rules For Life by Jordan B. Peterson
- How to Decide by Annie Duke
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
- The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
- Get Better at Anything by Scott H. Young
- Factfulness by Hans Rosling
- 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do by Amy Morin
- Less Doing, More Living by Ari Meisel
- Indistractable by Nir Eyal