[May 8, 2026] Find something worthwhile and difficult to do in your life. Why? Humans are not made for comfort or for pleasure. If those sorts of things come along in your life, then be grateful and enjoy those short-term pleasures, then move on. Your life should not be aimed at comfort or pleasure; doing so is reprehensible, and everyone knows it.
Leave the comfort of your surroundings and have the terrible adventures of your life. You can stay in the comfort zone we all like to create for ourselves and stagnate, or you can move toward the cutting edge, the zone of personal development. That movement is the instinct you feel as you move toward personal meaning. Simply put, you are much more than you think.
The adventure in your life is based on voluntarily taking on the greatest amount of responsibility you can possibly handle. Pick up your cross to bear, and carry it uphill, because that’s where all the meaning in your life will be found. It’s in the difficulty. It’s in the responsibility you carry. This is where you will make yourself more than you could ever think you could be. And now you can deal better with your life.
Everyone knows that if we point ourselves in an easy, short-term, pleasure-seeking direction, there is nothing in it but shame. Hedonism means you have nothing to strive for. If we give people everything they would want, after a while they will just break everything into pieces just to do something interesting. There is nothing new about this way of thinking.
Push yourself beyond your current limits, and encourage others to do the same. If you’re a parent who loves your children, you’ll be thrilled that they are going out, taking risks, having fun, getting to know others, and being playful in the neighborhood. You’ll be happy not because they’re safe, but because they are having the adventures of their lives and expanding what they could be.
We might at some point ask ourselves what’s the best solution to the discomfort of life and your family. You might say … well, it’s comfort. A better antidote is something like an adventure toward excellence, and that’s a far better solution to suffering than the mere absence of suffering. That’s the bravery of the good mother in allowing that to happen.
The good mother tells her children to go out and play. Yes, it’s dangerous out there. But it’s even more dangerous to stay inside. Your children might be badly hurt if they go outside. But if your kids stay inside because you are protecting them from the world, that is where they will lose their souls. And that is much worse.
The lesson here is not to let the comfortable person you are today stop you from becoming who you could be. Go into the unknown. Go where you have never been, where you don’t know. Don’t wall yourself off from the world; that doesn’t work because the demons have a tendency to sneak in anyway.
Go out and establish yourself in the world, and you can do so only by stepping out of your comfort zone. This is the real call to adventure; it is the mark of maturity in the person who pushes outward into the world and is brave enough to leave their comforts and pleasures behind.
We learn from the Bible that being too comfortable is a spiritual danger that leads to stagnation, false security, and judgment. “God punishes those ‘at ease’ and complacent.” – Zephaniah 1:12.
NOTE: Much of these ideas today are from Dr. Jordan Peterson.
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We surely are NOT built for comfort, but for struggle. That has always been the environment, the condition, of mankind. Spin it anyway you want, as the Gen Z’ers do, and it still means we will struggle. So many of those who have it “easy” today are mentally challenged. It seems that mental illness increases in direct proportion to decreasing struggles.
Good points Watson. Thanks man. Just a note to say I haven’t seen you on in a while. Good to have you back here on Gen. Satterfield’s blog.
👍👍👍👍👍 You too Tony!!!!! 🙏
Much of the source here is Dr. Jordan Peterson and thanks for crediting him here. What I do like what you have done, Gen. Satterfield, is to condense these lessons, or “rules”, into such a way that is easy to understand, and also to implement in our lives. I do appreciate the overview and long list of easy-to-read articles on your website. And, as others have suggested, perhaps you should consider updating or writing another book on “rules for life.”
But now we have “helicopter” parents who hover over their children like superhuman protectors in capes. Gen. Satterfield has a different view, much of like what he grew up with (just read his series Letters to my Granddaughter) https://www.theleadermaker.com/granddaughter-letters/. “If you’re a parent who loves your children, you’ll be thrilled that they are going out, taking risks, having fun, getting to know others, and being playful in the neighborhood. You’ll be happy not because they’re safe, but because they are having the adventures of their lives and expanding what they could be.’ – Gen. Doug Satterfield
Good reference.
🇺🇸 I’m back and I’m looking forward to reading much more in Gen. Satterfield’s continuing series on “rules for a good life.” 🇺🇸
Gen. Satterfield is right about not getting too comfortable in life. When we stay in our safe little bubble, we stop growing and start to get weak inside. Life is meant to have challenges that push us to become stronger and better people. If we only chase easy pleasures, we end up feeling empty and bored after a while. Taking on hard tasks and real responsibility gives our days real meaning. Staying too cozy can slowly steal our spirit without us even noticing. Kids need to go out and take risks instead of hiding at home all the time. The same goes for adults who want to live a full life. So listen to the general and step out of your comfort zone before it traps you forever.
**Spot on.** Comfort’s a cozy trap—feels nice till your soul starts collecting dust. Better to grab some hard shit on purpose than wake up wondering where your backbone went. Thanks for the kick in the pants, General. 🤠
The “cozy trap,” love it. Thanks Cowboy Bob … I’m sure that cowboys are not into cozy, that’s the way of the range.
This rule makes seven beyond the original 55. ❤️ Great!!!!!!!
Ah, Rule 62: the anti-couch potato manifesto. Comfort’s a seductive trap—stay there and you’re basically volunteering for soul stagnation. Better to chase “terrible adventures” than binge Netflix into oblivion. Voluntarily shouldering responsibility? That’s just fancy talk for adulting with purpose. As the good mother says, send the kids outside; better scraped knees than withered spirits. Solid Peterson remix—I’ll sip my coffee and ponder leaving the zone.
This article is what I look for whenever I log into Gen. Satterfield’s website. It was now nearly four years ago when he publsihed his book “55 Rules for a good life,” and I was an instant fan of his. Nothing like going to one small, inexpensive paperback book to get some of the most important pieces of advice that can he had. Gen. Satterfield draws upon many ancient, and a few modern sources for his “rules.” Actually not his rules, but his rules to publsih. I love it. And, we should all try to follow them. I am suggesting today that he consider writing about how our future death makes us a better person today. I don’t know how he can address the issue but it is worth it. Obviously tied to courage and honor, but I’ll let him work that out. Thank you, Gen. Satterfield for this great advice. Keep them coming our way. ✅
We’re on a roll. Gen. Satterfield pushing more “rules” for a good life. Be sure to get his book “55 Rules for a Good Life” and enjoy. But and this is a big “but,” follow all these proven rules and your life will be better; hard work but much much better. Don’t take my word for it, just do it. And you can thank me later.
Jason, good friend and insightful good man, you are absolutely correct.