Apr 7, 2025

8 reasons why Japanese bestseller 'The Courage to be Disliked' was a superhit

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Lessons to learn

'The Courage to be Disliked' by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi is a bestseller and remains relevant and timeless even today. A story of 5 nights, each with its teachings and lessons, inspired by Adlerian psychology, has remained a superhit for over a decade now.

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New idea about happiness

Unlike many self-help books that focus on external achievements, ‘The Courage to be Disliked’ tells people that happiness comes from within. It challenged the idea that our past experiences define us and encouraged readers to take control of their present and future.

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The conversational style

The book is written not as a monologue, but rather in a conversational style between a philosopher and a young man. And so the dialogue format makes people feel at ease with the lessons and messages.

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Removing past clutc​hes

Another topic the book frequently touches on is the past, the traumas, and how the past holds people. And as many people feel trapped by their past traumas and failures, the book restates that the past does not control the present, and we have the power to change any moment.

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Accept yourself

Another important lesson from the book is that before the world accepts you, flaws and all, you need to accept yourself, with the bad and good traits.

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Easy to follow lessons

There are ‘n’ number of self-help books all over the internet, both free and paid, but none explain things as well as this one, nor do they give any practical advice. But ‘The Courage to Be Disliked’ helps people improve their mindset altogether.

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Going against social norms

The book also questions conventional ideas about success, relationships, approval, traumas, and more. It asks people to rethink their beliefs and make choices based on what will make them happy, not the world.

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Free yourself and live

A major theme of the book is that true freedom comes from NOT worrying about what others think. It is about how you think and perceive yourself, how well you adore yourself, and how less what society says matters to you.

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The relatability

Though based on Adlerian psychology, the book's lessons are universal and relatable to people across the globe. They did not just help a person sitting in Japan, but also changed the mindset of a woman in Russia or maybe Greece.

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Thanks For Reading!

Next: 10 lessons to take from 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' by Stephen Covey