The Courage to Be Disliked is a book written by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, first published in 2013. It’s a unique self-help book that blends philosophy, psychology, and narrative storytelling to explore the ideas of Alfred Adler, a renowned Austrian psychotherapist.
The idea that a life that is spent in the pursuit of pleasure and without the burden of the desire for other people’s approval is a life that is well lived is the core theme of the book. The authors use a conversational style throughout the book, which makes the philosophical and psychological ideas it discusses more approachable. These discussions help to bring a fresh perspective on how one should think about achieving success and finding contentment in one’s life.
Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga stand for the concept that each person is responsible for his or her own well-being, and that it is counterproductive to place blame on other people or on one’s own history for the conditions that one is experiencing in the present.
Most significantly, the book encourages those who read it to act in a manner that is contrary to the norms of society and prefer to opt for what is right in their own eyes, regardless of what others may think.
Furthermore, the various exercises and illustrations taken from real life that are included in the book provide the reader with the resources necessary to use Adlerian psychology in their own lives.
In general, reading The Courage to Be Disliked is an enlightening experience since it challenges conventional assumptions about what contributes to one’s level of happiness and what constitutes genuine acceptance of one’s own identity.
