These are my thoughts about Rule 4 from Jordan B. Peterson’s “40 Rules”. You can read them all here. In the case of the rules that made it into his “12 Rules for Life” book, I’m not going to repeat any of his explanations here. These are my own thoughts about each rule from my own life and experience.

4. Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient.

In order to understand what Peterson is suggesting here, I thought it best to define the three principal words in the sentence.

Pursue: to seek or strive to attain.

Meaningful: full of meaning, significance, purpose, or value; purposeful; significant.

Expedient: acting in accordance with expediency or what is advantageous; having a regard for what is politic or advantageous rather than for what is right or just.

To me, “pursue” is a stronger word than just to choose. I think there are plenty of times where I can choose things that are not meaningful, even if it’s just for downtime or entertainment. When I pursue something, I make it a goal, an aim, a strong desire. In other words, what am I aiming at overall in my life? I can achieve that by the small choices I make to match that desire.

It seems to me that “meaningful” activities are future-oriented or at least, when I choose “meaningful” as my guide, I’m looking further into the future than if I focus on activities that are “expedient”.

“Meaningful” is likely to be more difficult and less popular with fewer or no immediate returns.

“Expedient” may be what everyone else is doing or it may be the easy cop-out to avoid conflict or judgment.

I’m only on rule 4 and I can see a theme in Peterson’s maxims. Do the right thing simply because it’s the right thing.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

The Bible. Matthew 7:13-14.