The Courage to be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi is about Adlerian psychology, written in the form of a dialogue between a student and a teacher. One of the key ideas is choosing to live happily in the present and without being a slave to your past.

Another key idea is the one expressed in the title, having the courage to be disliked. Being disliked doesn’t sound nice. But seeking to have everyone like you is not the path to peace and joy nor will it succeed anyways. It takes courage to live a life in accordance with your internal values, understanding you may face criticism from those that don’t share them.

Lastly the separation of tasks is a core concept, focused on being aware of what is your responsibility versus someone else’s (i.e your child or a coworker) and not mixing them, attempting to control what is not yours to control.

Let’s live in the present, courageously live out our values, and be mindful of what our tasks are.