The Courage to Be Disliked

Agency grows when approval, responsibility and another person’s choices are distinguished.

Pragmatic review

This dialogue presents an accessible interpretation of Adlerian ideas through questions about relationships and personal freedom. It is useful for readers who habitually outsource a decision to anticipated approval. The conversational format invites reflection on responsibility and belonging; use it to articulate a boundary rather than to dismiss other people’s experience.

WTM Signal Review

WTM’s judgement: a provocative philosophical self-help lens, not a clinical protocol. Strong claims about personal responsibility can be misapplied to trauma, poverty or coercion. A constructive reading preserves compassion and structural context while asking what choice remains available in a particular situation.

ONE PRACTICAL NEXT STEP

Separate one decision into personal responsibility, another person’s responsibility and a shared obligation.

Reading basis and disclosure

Research-based reading note: publisher synopsis; no claim of a full-text review or therapeutic endorsement.

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Authors and contributors

Ichiro Kishimi

Ichiro Kishimi is a Japanese philosopher, writer and counselor who studies and teaches Adlerian psychology. Based in Kyoto, he has translated Alfred Adler's writings and co-authored The Courage to Be Disliked with Fumitake Koga.

Official biography or website ↗

Fumitake Koga

Fumitake Koga is a Japanese writer and the president of writers' company Batons. His work spans business and general nonfiction, including the international bestseller The Courage to Be Disliked, co-authored with philosopher Ichiro Kishimi.