This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by Jordan B. Peterson’s 12
Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018) series. One chapter, one
article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!
"To stand
up straight with your shoulders back is to accept the terrible responsibility
of life, with eyes wide open. It means deciding to voluntarily transform the
chaos of potential into the realities of habitable order. It means adopting the
burden of self-conscious vulnerability and accepting the end of the unconscious
paradise of childhood, where finitude and mortality are only dimly
comprehended. It means willingly undertaking the sacrifices necessary to generate
a productive and meaningful reality [it means acting to please God, in the
ancient language]"
(Jordan B. Peterson)
Some people have bad posture and that is much more meaningful than you may have
thought it would be. Peterson takes the behavior of lobsters as an example.
Lobsters can change their behavior according to their serotonin/octopamine
levels (Simply put, or maybe too simplistic, serotonin is a happy-hormone and
octopamine function as "mobilizing
the body and nervous system for action"). Lobsters fight all the time.
When a lobster wins, its serotonin levels go up in contrast with octopamine
levels. On the other hand, low serotonin/high octopamine lobsters are
characterized as losers and are very likely to vanish at the first hint of
challenge that would bring them trouble.
A similar effect applies
to people. Peterson writes, "This is
also true of lower ranking human beings. Low serotonin means decreased
confidence, means closed in body language, means you're not gonna stand up
straight with your shoulders back. Low serotonin means less happiness, more
pain, more anxiety, more illness, a shorter lifespan. High spots in the
dominance hierarchy and high serotonin levels are characterized by the opposite."
As soon as we meet someone, we size him up to see where they fit in the social
hierarchy. When serotonin levels fall, depression appears and also a tendency
to form a hump (bend, bow) as you walk become visible to others. Instinctively,
they are very likely to think low of you, making you one of the easiest targets
if they decide to take advantage of someone. Acting like a loser will make people think of you as a loser. Fixing
your posture may be very simple, but "very
important at the same time to help you get started back up again."
So, stand up straight with
your shoulders back and dare to express your thoughts and desires. You have at
least the same right as others, if not bigger sometimes.
Stand Up
Straight with Your Shoulders Back!
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