Jordan Peterson Flashcards
1
Q
what is ment with order and chaos?
A
rder and chaos are 2 sides of the same coin. Neither is better than the other; they simply exist. In 12 Rules for Life, Peterson focused on how to cope with excessive chaos. In Beyond Order, he focuses on how to avoid excessive control and rigidity in times of upheavals.
- Order is “explored territory”, where things happen in accordance with what we know and the world makes sense. Our lives seem to be in order when we’re moving closer to our desired goals or outcomes. We treat this as a confirmation that our theory of the world is correct. However, the truth is we don’t know how much we don’t know, and the world can quickly change beyond our comprehension and control.
- Chaos is “unexplored territory”, where unexpected events or sudden changes can overwhelm and confuse us. Chaos represents uncertainty and disruption, but also novelty and renewal. Too much chaos is overwhelming, but too much order (e.g. totalitarianism) is also undesirable.
- To find renewal, you need to move beyond order and step into the domain of chaos. When confronted by chaos, we may try to restore order by rigidly clinging to what we “know”, which only backfires. The best way to move forward is to embrace chaos along with order. Peterson wrote and edited the bulk of this book during a time when various members of his family—including himself—were plagued by serious health problems. Peterson was even warded into intensive care. The situation was compounded further by the Covid-19 pandemic. Peterson had to accept the chaos in his life before he could recreate some semblance of order with the help of meaningful work and the love for/from his family and friends.
