Allen Cheng, Author at Shortform Books

Rule 9: Assume That The Person You Are Listening To Might Know Something You Don’t

In 12 Rules for Life, Rule #9 is “Assume That The Person You Are Listening To Might Know Something You Don’t.” What does this mean? How should you behave so that you believe the other person knows something you don’t? In essence, Jordan Peterson’s Rule 9 instructs you to go into every conversation believing that you have something to learn. Let the other person talk. Don’t just spend your time waiting to respond – actually listen. We’ll cover 12 Rules for Life‘s Rule 9 in much more detail below.

Rob Strasser: Early Nike Employee, then Traitor

Rob Strasser was an attorney on a critical lawsuit between Nike and Onitsuka. He did such an impressive job that Phil Knight hired him to be in-house legal staff. Later, Strasser signs Jordan to Nike and creates the Air Jordan brand. But he gets a bit too ambitious and leaves Nike for their rival Adidas, a move that Nike founder Phil Knight never forgave.

Rule 3: Make Friends With People Who Want The Best For You

In 12 Rules for Life, Rule #3 is “Make Friends With People Who Want The Best For You.” What does this mean? Why would you ever friends with people who don’t want the best for you? Life isn’t that simple. Sometimes you attract friends who want to bring you down. Sometimes you find it hard to let go of friends you’ve had for a long time. Learn how to surround yourself with better friends who really care about you.

Penny Knight: Phil Knight’s Wife and Partner

Penny Knight is Nike founder Phil Knight’s first and only wife. They met in 1968, in the early days of Nike’s founding, married the same year, and have been together since. Learn the history of Penny Knight, Phil Knight, and Nike, in this excerpt from our summary of Shoe Dog.

Nike and Onitsuka’s Painful Relationship (Shoe Dog)

Before Nike, Phil Knight started his shoe career selling imported shoes from the Japanese company Onitsuka, not by manufacturing his own. He sold his first shoes at track meets out of the trunk of his car, and their design and quality become a hit. Over time, frictions with the Japanese company over distribution rights, slow shipments, and creating new shoe designs forced him to found Nike. If they’d kept their partnership amiable, Phil might have kept working with Onitsuka, and Nike might never have happened. Learn the history of Nike and Onitsuka’s painful business relationship, from the beginning of Nike.

Rule 10: Be Precise in Your Speech

In 12 Rules for Life, Rule #10 is “Be Precise In Your Speech.” What does this mean? In summary, Jordan Peterson’s Rule 10 instructs you to define problems exactly. Don’t just leave a problem as a vague, diffuse issue. This will keep you irritated and anxious. Instead, put your problem into specific words. Give form to your problem – only then will you be able to deal with it. Below, we’ll cover in much more detail Rule 10 in Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life.

Rule 4: Compare Yourself To Who You Were Yesterday, Not To Who Someone Else Is Today

In 12 Rules for Life, Rule #4 is “Compare Yourself To Who You Were Yesterday, Not To Who Someone Else Is Today.” What does this mean? Why is it so bad to compare yourself to other people? According to Jordan Peterson’s Rule 4, the only person you should compare yourself to is yourself. As long as you’re getting better day by day, then you should be happy with yourself. Learn more about Rule 4 below.

Rule 5: Do Not Let Your Children Do Anything That Makes You Dislike Them

In 12 Rules for Life, Rule #5 is “Do Not Let Your Children Do Anything That Makes You Dislike Them.” What does this mean? Why shouldn’t you let your children act like brats? The ultimate point is that you have a responsibility to teach your child the rules of society. If you don’t, society will, in a much meaner way. Learn more about Jordan Peterson’s Rule 5.

The Origin of Nike’s Name: Not What You Expect

How did Nike gets its name? It’s not what you expect. Founder Phil Knight didn’t come up with the name. In fact, when he first heard the name “Nike,” he didn’t like it! Learn the origin of Nike’s name here, as well as the names that came before.

Rule 6: Set Your House In Perfect Order Before You Criticize The World

In 12 Rules for Life, Rule #6 is “Set Your House In Perfect Order Before You Criticize The World.” What does this mean? Why would you need to care about your own affairs before you lash out at the world? In essence, the idea is that you need to take responsibility over your own misfortunes. Don’t blame the world. Always look first at what you can fix. Care about fixing that to the very best of your power.