Chris Character Analysis in 12 Rules for Life

Chris was a friend of Peterson’s while the two were growing up in rural Alberta, Canada. Peterson uses Chris as an example of someone who fails to take responsibility for Being, or existence. Angry and resentful in his youth, Chris drifted in and out of Peterson’s life and never seemed to pull his own life together successfully. Chris’s adult years were marked by guilt and self-loathing due to what he saw as his complicity in others’ suffering, and he ultimately committed suicide.

Chris Character Timeline in 12 Rules for Life

The timeline below shows where the character Chris appears in 12 Rules for Life. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Suffering, Evil, and Responsibility Theme Icon

...lasted for five long, dark months. Growing up, Peterson had a friend whom he’ll call Chris. For reasons that weren’t clear to Peterson, Chris was angry and resentful, and his relationship... (full context)

...of a new place. At 15, he’d visited the city of Edmonton with his friends Chris and Carl. They spent the whole weekend drinking and smoking marijuana, as if they’d never... (full context)

Eventually, Chris had a psychotic break and committed suicide. Peterson wondered why Chris continually sought out people... (full context)

Peterson brings up his friend Chris, whom he mentioned earlier. Chris was plagued by guilt. Growing up, he moved around Canada... (full context)

Peterson recalls Chris drifting in and out of his life in adulthood, sometimes coming to stay, sometimes temporarily... (full context)