Guidance for Graduates: JB Peterson: From 12 Rules for Life

Graduation is highly significant for young people because it is a death and a renewal at the same time. I mean, it's a good way of learning, too, about life because, you see, when you graduate, simultaneously, you have attained the pinnacle of something.

But by the same token, it instantly transforms you into a beginner at the next stage of your life. When people say, "What do you want to be when you grow up in our society," they usually mean: "What career are you going to pick?" It's really not the way the question should be asked or conceptualized.

You should really think about what sort of character you want to have. I would say you should surround yourself with people who are aiming up and who want the best for what's best in you. Unless you want people that will excuse your pathologies and make way for your weakness and lead you down the path of perdition.

So you're going to take care of yourself, you're going to take care of your family, you're going to take care of your community. You want to grow up and be a responsible, forthright, and honest person. It's the best way through life.

There could be a lot more to you than you know, highly probable, and you should act as if there is and then you should go out there and try to do, if not great things, at least honest, productive, meaningful, engaged, and positive things. That's what you should be aiming at. There's nothing in that except good.