Notes from the sixth session of our Lent Study Group.
Précis of Chapter 6 – “Set Your House in Perfect Order Before You Criticize the World”
In Chapter 6 of 12 Rules for Life, Jordan Peterson confronts the problem of suffering, resentment, and nihilism. He reflects on the temptation to blame the world—or God—for suffering, especially in the face of real tragedies such as illness, injustice, or death. He cites examples like the Columbine killers and totalitarian ideologues who used personal or social grievances as justification for hatred, destruction, or rebellion.
Peterson warns that the urge to “fix the world” without first fixing oneself leads to arrogance, hypocrisy, and often catastrophic consequences. He insists that before a person seeks to critique or reform society, they must first confront the disorder within their own lives, however painful that process may be.
Rather than succumbing to despair or revolution, Peterson encourages readers to begin with small, tangible acts of responsibility—cleaning their room, fixing broken relationships, acting justly, and telling the truth. Only when a person has put their own “house in order” can they see the world clearly and work to improve it in a meaningful way.
Key Themes:
- Suffering is part of life, but how we respond to it defines us.
- Before reforming the world, reform yourself—otherwise you contribute to the very disorder you oppose.
- Nihilism and resentment are moral poisons, not rational responses.
- Personal responsibility is the foundation for all legitimate critique or reform.
Resonance of Chapter 6 with the Penny Catechism
Jordan Peterson’s sixth rule, “Set Your House in Perfect Order Before You Criticize the World,” aligns with several core teachings of the Penny Catechism, especially on the nature of sin, personal responsibility, moral reform, and the Christian response to suffering.
1. The Call to Examine and Correct Oneself Before Judging Others
Peterson argues that before one critiques society or others, one must first confront and correct personal sin, disorder, and moral failure. The Penny Catechism teaches the same, affirming that the path to holiness begins with self-examination, confession, and amendment of life.
Penny Catechism: “Before Confession, we must examine our conscience.”
→ Moral reform begins with oneself, not with condemnation of others.
2. The Rejection of Blame and the Embrace of Responsibility
Peterson challenges the tendency to blame society, fate, or even God for life’s hardships. The Penny Catechism upholds that while suffering is a consequence of original sin, each person is still personally responsible for their actions, and must not use suffering as an excuse for evil.
Penny Catechism: “God is not the author of sin.”
→ We must not blame God or others for our choices, but seek repentance and reform.
3. The Necessity of Daily Moral Effort
Peterson’s practical advice—clean your room, take responsibility, do the next right thing—echoes the Penny Catechism’s emphasis on daily moral duty. Catholic life includes frequent self-examination, prayer, acts of charity, and spiritual discipline as part of one’s sanctification.
Penny Catechism: “We must keep God’s commandments and perform good works.”
→ Small daily acts of faithfulness build the foundation for spiritual order.
4. The Danger of Resentment and Rebellion Against God
Peterson warns that resentment leads to nihilism and even violence when people refuse to take responsibility for their suffering. The Penny Catechism calls this a failure of hope and a rebellion against God’s providence.
Penny Catechism: “Despair is a sin against the Holy Ghost.”
→ Choosing resentment over repentance risks spiritual ruin.
5. Suffering as a Path to Holiness
While Peterson writes from a psychological standpoint, his insight into the transformative potential of suffering parallels the Penny Catechism’s teaching that suffering can be redemptive when accepted with faith and humility.
Penny Catechism: “We must carry our cross and follow Christ.”
→ Responding to suffering with virtue transforms disorder into grace.
Conclusion
Peterson’s sixth rule strongly reflects the Penny Catechism’s Catholic anthropology:
- We are called to reform ourselves before judging others.
- Suffering is a test of virtue, not an excuse for bitterness.
- Daily moral effort, not grand ideology, builds true character.
- Personal responsibility is the starting point of all moral reform.
In essence, the Catechism and Peterson agree: the path to a better world begins with repentance, humility, and the hard work of putting one’s own house in order.
Resonance of Chapter 6 with the Catechism on Modernism (1907, Pius X)
Jordan Peterson’s sixth rule, “Set Your House in Perfect Order Before You Criticize the World,” stands in sharp contrast to the Modernist spirit condemned by Pope St. Pius X, especially regarding the rejection of personal moral responsibility, the embrace of social utopianism, and the denial of objective sin. Peterson’s insistence on self-reform before social critique directly opposes Modernism’s externalized, collectivist, and sentimentalist distortion of moral theology.
1. The Modernist Tendency to Externalize Blame
Modernism, as described by Pius X, seeks to relocate sin from the individual soul to external structures—society, history, or institutions. Peterson refutes this by asserting that before criticizing the world, one must confront the disorder in one’s own life.
Catechism on Modernism: “The Modernist sees evil not in the heart of man, but in social conditions.”
→ Peterson affirms classical moral teaching: sin is personal and reform must begin with the individual.
2. Rejection of Utopianism and Revolutionary Violence
Peterson critiques the nihilistic ideology that seeks to burn down society in pursuit of abstract justice, as seen in revolutionaries, mass shooters, and radical theorists. Pius X likewise condemns Modernism’s subversion of Christian hope into political utopianism and its false promises of social redemption without personal conversion.
Catechism on Modernism: “They substitute social evolution for personal salvation.”
→ Both Peterson and the Church warn that attempts to fix the world without personal reform lead to disaster.
3. Personal Responsibility vs. Sentimental Moralism
Peterson warns that many who claim to want to “change the world” are unwilling to do the hard work of changing themselves. The Modernist outlook encourages a vague humanitarianism disconnected from personal virtue or repentance.
Catechism on Modernism: “Religion becomes a mere feeling, devoid of moral obligation.”
→ Peterson restores moral gravity: real reform requires inner discipline, not abstract sympathy.
4. The Denial of Objective Sin and the Danger of Justifying Evil
Peterson analyzes how bitterness and resentment often lead people to justify wicked acts under the guise of protest or revolution. The Catechism on Modernism condemns this mentality, which replaces sin with grievance and excuses evil by blaming social forces.
Catechism on Modernism: “They deny the effects of original sin and make excuses for evil under the cloak of progress.”
→ Peterson echoes this by warning that nihilistic ideologies mask moral collapse as moral concern.
5. The Restoration of Order Through Humility
Peterson’s counsel to “clean your room” before condemning the world is, in essence, a call to humility and repentance—virtues Modernism neglects in its desire to remake man without grace. Pius X stresses that reform must flow from right doctrine, personal conversion, and fidelity to eternal truths.
Catechism on Modernism: “The true reformer is the saint, not the ideologue.”
→ Both the Church and Peterson point to personal virtue, not ideology, as the engine of real renewal.
Conclusion
Peterson’s sixth rule is a powerful rebuke to the Modernist mindset:
- Reform begins with the individual, not social structures.
- Sin is personal and cannot be explained away by circumstances.
- Revolution without repentance leads to greater disorder.
- True critique of society requires first confronting one’s own faults.
Peterson, like the Church, insists that moral clarity and personal order are the foundation for meaningful change, not emotionalism or utopian ideology.
Lent Study Group
Each week, we read a chapter of Dr. Jordan Peterson’s Twelve Rules for Life and compare and contrast his insights with perennial Catholic doctrine. Participants are encouraged to read the chapter ahead of the meeting, noting their initial thoughts, questions, and reflections. Afterward, they search the Catechisms—including the Penny Catechism, the Catechism against Modernism, and other traditional sources—for relevant teachings that either align with or challenge Peterson’s ideas.
During the meeting, we discuss these comparisons, examining how Catholic moral theology, hierarchy, and objective truth provide a deeper and more complete understanding of the principles Peterson explores. By engaging in critical reflection and theological analysis, participants strengthen their ability to articulate and defend the faith, apply practical wisdom to daily life, and prepare spiritually—especially in the context of the liturgical season.
If you’d like to join in the discussion and participate in our study group, we meet every Wednesday from 5.30pm at Mrs Reed’s home on Hartington Road, email for an invitation.
