Order, Chaos, and Legacy: What Jordan Peterson's "Maps of Meaning" Teaches Us About Estate Planning
Attorney Jordan McIntyre
What is the Meaning of Life?
It’s a question that has echoed through the ages, from ancient myths to modern psychology. In Maps of Meaning, psychologist and philosopher Jordan Peterson explores this question by tracing the timeless structure of a myth; a journey where we leave the known, confront the unknown, and return transformed. At the center of this process is the hero who confronts chaos, establishes order, and builds a better world.
In many ways, estate planning is this journey; the confrontation with mortality, the unknown, and the fear of loss. In order to leave behind order, not chaos for the people we love.
Chaos: The Unknown Future
Peterson writes that life consists of two primary domains; order and chaos. Order is the structure of our known world; our routines, our families, our laws. Chaos is what lies beyond; uncertainty, disruption, suffering, and the inevitability of death.
For many people, estate planning is a confrontation with chaos. It asks us to imagine a time when we’re not here. What happens to family? My property? My legacy?
Without a plan, that chaos wins. Probate can drag on. Family conflict brews. Assets disappear. And the burden on your loved ones multiplies.
But when we willingly step into that unknown, when we voluntarily face our fear of death and disorder, we become the hero.
The Hero's Task: Confronting the Dragon
In the myth, the dragon guards the treasure. You must confront it to bring back what matters most; wisdom, peace, or property. In estate planning, the dragon is procrastination, denial, or confusion about the law. The treasure is control, clarity, and peace of mind.
You don’t have to slay it alone.
Guides help the hero; just as attorneys help families navigate the legal and emotional complexities of planning for death and incapacity. We do this not to dwell in fear; but to prepare, predict, and empower.
When you create a solid estate plan, you’re turning chaos into order. You’re mapping meaning into the future. A solid estate plan includes:
- Will
- Powers of Attorney
- Living Will
- Trust
Meaning: The Legacy You Leave
Peterson argues that meaning is found in responsibility; in voluntarily shouldering the burden of existence and striving to leave something better behind.
Estate planning is one of the most concrete expressions of that principle.
It’s how you take care if your spouse when you’re gone. It’s how you protect a special-needs child. It’s how you ensure your values, not just your valuables, are passed on. It’s how you build something that lasts.
When you make your estate plan, you’re not just managing assets. You’re writing your story. You’re deciding what will endure.
The Path Forward
Life is not only about achieving success. It’s about ensuring that your success, your life, becomes a a part of a larger story.
In Peterson’s view, the hero doesn’t just conquer chaos for himself; he brings back order to his community. That’s what estate planning does. It’s not selfish, it’s selfless. It’s how you care for others even when you’re no longer here to speak.
So ask yourself: If something happened to me tomorrow, would my family be protected? Would my story be clear? Would the order I built survive the chaos of absence?
If not, maybe now is the time to take the first step; not just to plan, but to live meaningfully.
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Don’t wait until it’s too late—take control of your future today!
Attorney Jordan McIntyre
Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorney
McIntyre Elder Law
Shelby, NC
