Embracing the courage to be disliked

Published: Jan. 14, 2020, 12:30 a.m.

Japanese philosopher holds the keys to a happy work life. Or does he? In the inaugural This Working Life Book Club we dissect a book that's a blockbusting best-seller in Asia, The Courage To Be Disliked by Japanese philosopher Ichiro Kishimi and writer Fumitake Koga. Billed as a self-help book, it is a Socratic dialogue between a philosopher and a lost, rather angry young man. In it they explore the ideas of the 19th and 20th century Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler in attempt to help the young man find direction in life. Philosopher Patrick Stokes and entrepreneur Catherine Robson help Lisa Leong sort the guff from the gems and hear how Adler's principles can help us perform better at work.