“No matter what has occurred in your life up to this point, it should have no bearing at all on how you live from now on.’ That you, living in the here and now, are the one who determines your own life.”

― Ichiro Kishimi, The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness

 It's a Japanese phenomena that teaches us the basic yet important lessons needed to discover our true selves and lead happy lives.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

The Courage to Be Disliked shows you how to unlock the power within yourself to become your best and truest self, change your future and find lasting happiness. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of 19th-century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, the authors explain how we are all free to determine our own future free of the shackles of past experiences, doubts and the expectations of others. It’s a philosophy that’s profoundly liberating, allowing us to develop the courage to change, and to ignore the limitations that we and those around us can place on ourselves.

The result is a book that is both highly accessible and profound in its importance. Millions have already read and benefited from its wisdom. Now that The Courage to Be Disliked has been published for the first time in English, so can you.

My reaction to this book...

I just came across this book on Facebook Ads, and it is endorsed by one of my favorite actresses who has a beautiful way of thinking about life. This made me consider purchasing it. To be honest, I am not fond of reading self-help books as they can sometimes be disheartening, but since it seems to have good reviews, I decided to buy and read it.

To be honest, at first I was disappointed because the writing felt like a question and answer format or a dialogue exchange between a youth and a philosopher. I don’t really like that kind of writing, so I was pretty bummed out, but of course, I still read it because for me, that's not enough reason to judge the book. I just thought at least I’d be reading something with a modern style. Oh, by the way, a Japanese person wrote this book, so this book was already translated. I can say the translation is good because even though it's about the psychological aspect of a person, it's pretty easy to understand.

Honestly, I have learned a lot from this book, and two concepts have particularly resonated with me: those concerning anger and trauma. Previously, before I became a Christian, I was very short-tempered. I would become angry with my spouse over trivial matters; sometimes, I would even get upset when he had done nothing wrong. Moreover, there is a section here that discusses anger as something that seems fabricated. To be honest, when the philosopher explained what he meant by this, I found myself reflecting on why people react in such a manner when they are angry. In my view, the philosopher made a valid point regarding anger.

What I truly cannot accept is the matter concerning trauma. I have gone through a profound trauma, and for me, it is difficult to forget. It is hard to disregard the trauma, especially when faced with a situation similar to what you have endured. For me, if the philosopher's explanation about trauma is indeed true, I would be glad to overcome it based on his advice regarding this matter, but it is different when you are the one who has experienced it.

Anyway, this book is excellent because you can learn a lot from it. The author's perspective here is different as it seems to expand your knowledge and allows you to assess yourself as well as the reactions of the people around you. It is a good read if you need to understand what is happening within yourself as well as with others, as it will provide you with valuable insights. I recommend this to readers who wish to enhance their knowledge regarding the thoughts and behaviors of those around them.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨(3.5/5)