Quick book reviews: The Courate to be Disliked, its follow-up, and some others

The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change your Life and Achieve Real Happiness and The Courage to Be Happy: Discover the Power of Positive Psychology and Choose Happiness Every Day are two of my favorite books. While it's been some time since I read these, I can still feel their impact. These came at a right time in my life. In the first book, there was emphasis on the feelings of inferiority and interpersonal relationships, stemming from Adlerian psychology and many influences. The second book delves deeper to explain the cliché, “Love yourself.” The messages of both books were delivered using the socratic method, where an old man and a young man are arguing about their perspectives. This, obviously, was influenced by Socrates. In turn, both books have concepts not far from Stoicism, which had similar influences. These two books changed my perspective -- my mind is the sole factor for how I feel. I shouldn't think of a hierarchy among myself and the people I interact with. The books say it well: we are all the same but different. (If I remember these books correctly. If I'm wrong, I'll correct myself.)

 

Speaking of Stoicism... The Courage books led me to buy and read Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, which was also a great experience. Some of his writings I don't fully understand, but the philosopher king's words are profound years later.  The mind is the ruler of the soul. Some passages of Meditations are mentioned in The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living with Ryan's (the author) interpretation. Although simplified, I think The Daily Stoic is a good enough supplement to Meditations.

I think that a similar concept to keeping a rational mind is present in The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure, another good read. In its first chapters, it quoted the old adage, “Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.” This, at least to me, meant that, again, having a strong, rational mind is good.