The Courage to be Happy: Discover the Power of Positive Psychology and Choose Happiness Every Day

After exploring the intersection between divine, animal, and human love, the authors posit that true, balanced love is an art form. The philosopher uses an example to teach the youth the difference between lust and love. The individual may greatly desire an object the same way they desire another person; this connection is based solely on desire and not on deep understanding. The individual must practice love in an active way to achieve true connection. Love is not easy, but it is possible to create love with care and intention.

Chapter Lessons

• Love is an art form that requires practice and genuine investment.
• Practice love in all of your relationships to cultivate true and lasting connection.
• Be patient with others, as love does not happen easily or without challenges along the way.

Reflection Questions

• Identify an example of a time when you desired a person without truly loving them. What steps could you have taken to evolve this “animal” love into a more balanced, “human” love? Why did the relationship evolve or fail to evolve, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on an intimate relationship in your current life. What three steps can you take to deepen this connection? What sorts of work, sacrifice, or care would these steps require of you, and how do imagine taking these steps will grow the relationship?

The authors argue in support of Adler’s claim that love can exist between any assortment of individuals. The youth takes issue with this notion, insisting that the individual cannot fall in love with anyone. The philosopher counters that if love is work, the individual can work to love anyone. Love allows a community to function and is an essential task each community member must respect if the community is to remain healthy and sustainable. Overall, the argumentation in this chapter extends the earlier claim that it is possible (and desirable) to befriend anyone, though this potentially oversimplifies the complexities of doing so in environments that are strongly hierarchical in structure (for example, many workplaces).

Chapter Lessons

• You are capable of loving anyone and everyone in your life if you remain open and authentic.
• Love others in your community to foster more effective relationships.
• Treat love as an essential task that you must prioritize in every area of your life; doing so will help you connect with others no matter the context of your relationships.

Reflection Questions

• Identify an area of your life where showing love feels difficult. How might treating love as an act of service to others alter your relationships with your peers in this environment?
• Have you ever seen a lack of love contribute to the unraveling of a community? What did that look like, and how could it have been averted?

The authors posit that if an individual chooses happiness, they will be better able to serve their community. The philosopher holds that the individual’s happiness can positively influence those around them. If the individual is happy, they will feel useful to others in turn. This voluntary happiness originates from the individual’s choice to love others. Love creates happiness, and happiness fuels selfless connection.

Chapter Lessons

• Choose happiness, as this choice will positively influence your self-regard and your relationships with others.
• Begin by loving others, as love breeds happiness and healthy connection with others.
• You have the power to achieve contentment if you can derive meaning and purpose from loving others.

Reflection Questions

• Adler holds that happiness is a choice. Do you agree or disagree, and why? Which aspects of the experience feel more or less active? Identify examples from your own life.
• List three ways you can pursue happiness in your personal life and your community. How can this reorientation toward active happiness facilitate love and connection?

The authors uphold Adler’s notions of self-reliance, maintaining that letting go of one’s selfish desires and devoting oneself to personal growth are the best ways to pursue happiness and love. The philosopher explains Adler’s idea of “pampered children” to the youth; such individuals behave like children and use emotional outbursts to manipulate others and get their way. Only when the individual becomes more self-reliant can they achieve and participate in community feeling.

The chapter’s emphasis on transcending selfish desires echoes several philosophical and psychological traditions. Given the work’s Japanese cultural context, Buddhism’s teachings about the problematic nature of selfish attachment to oneself, one’s goals, etc., are particularly relevant. However, The Courage to Be Happy does so in the service of individual growth, not self-transcendence per se—a tension common in works of personal development that draw on Buddhist ideas.  

Chapter Lessons

• According to Adler, self-reliance, community feeling, and love are interconnected; practicing them in tandem allows for a healthy lifestyle.
• Avoid blaming your hurt and trauma on others, as doing so precludes personal growth and connection with others.
• Let go of childishness and rely on yourself to foster love with those in your community.

Reflection Questions

• Identify three ways you may exhibit “pampered” behavior in your life. Create a list of action steps you might take to overcome these habits. How do you imagine altering your behaviors will change your relationships?
• Identify three ways you can be more self-reliant. How do you imagine taking more control of your life and behavior will encourage your personal growth?

According to Adler, becoming self-reliant is the first step toward learning and practicing the art of love. The philosopher explores how children’s self-regard evolves as they develop into adults. In the early developmental stages, children are not self-reliant because they must rely on others for their survival. As they grow up, they learn about the world and themselves and must orient themselves away from others and take initiative for their lives. If the individual continues to regard themselves as someone else’s child for the rest of their lives, they preclude their own development. This emphasis on self-reliance as an internal state renders the book’s arguments broadly applicable—one can be self-reliant yet still depend on others to meet various physical needs—though it may not be equally accessible to people with certain mental illnesses, developmental disorders, or other neuropsychiatric conditions.

Chapter Lessons

• Take responsibility for yourself to develop self-empowerment.
• Relying on yourself is an important facet of loving others; if you are self-reliant, you can be of use to others and can choose love and happiness.
• Self-reliance is a skill you can learn over time with care, intention, and hard work.

Reflection Questions

• In what ways and in which realms do you still exhibit childish qualities? Explore the origin of your behaviors and identify two action steps you might take to behave with more maturity and self-reliance.
• In your home and family life, identify three ways you can foster self-reliance in others. Which of your own behaviors might you change to enable your loved ones?

After examining the relationship between birth order and family life, the authors maintain Adler’s notion that loving oneself is the first step to loving others. The philosopher asks the youth about his upbringing and his relationships with his parents and brother. He suggests that the youth still doesn’t love himself, which is why he still longs for approval from his family members and his students. If the individual is confident in themselves, they will not need others’ approval to feel or show love. While this message empowers readers to take responsibility for their relationships, it may understate the extent to which humans are “wired” to seek one another’s approval.

Chapter Lessons

• Rely on your own self-confidence and self-love to maintain a centered way of being.
• Loving yourself will allow you to love others in more authentic and lasting ways.
• Avoid blaming your upbringing for the way you see yourself; instead, accept how you were raised and the person you have become.

Reflection Questions

• How do your relationships with your family members influence your self-regard? How might letting go of your family’s perceptions of you help you love yourself better?
• Choose three ways you might practice self-love. How do you imagine these action steps will change how you see yourself and how you interact with others?

The authors hold that loving others requires confidence in oneself and in others. The philosopher explains to the youth that self-love is only possible if the individual respects and has confidence in themselves. He urges the youth toward this perspective. The individual cannot wait for others to show them love without first practicing self-love.

Chapter Lessons

• Avoid waiting for others to love you before you have taken the steps to love others; love does not happen to you without action, intention, and care.
• Treat yourself with respect and gentleness to foster self-love.
• Be confident in your abilities and character traits, as this is a vital facet of self-love.

Reflection Questions

• List three aspects of your character that you feel insecure about. How might taking pride in these aspects of yourself orient you toward love for yourself and others?
• What steps could you take to show yourself grace and respect? How do you imagine these steps will change your relationships?

The authors argue that soul mates do not exist and that a person can love anyone they encounter in their life. If the individual devotes themselves to any one of their relationships, these connections can blossom into deep and lasting affection. The philosopher upholds this notion, but the youth takes issue with the idea that destiny is unrelated to romantic connection. 

Chapter Lessons

• Destiny is unrelated to love, as love is an active choice and art form.
• Remain open to everyone in your life, as an open mindset allows room for authentic connection and loving relationships.
• Avoid thinking about love as a magical force; instead, focus on the voluntary and active elements of the phenomenon.

Reflection Questions

• Identify someone in your own life whom you might love more effectively. What steps might you take to choose love in this relationship? How do you imagine working harder at this relationship will alter its parameters?
• Do you believe in destiny (in love or anything else)? How comfortable are you with focusing on individual choice and effort instead?

The authors compare love to a fluid dance, arguing that love requires effort and care from all participants. The philosopher uses his own marriage as an example. He reiterates Adler’s point that love requires work, practice, and care. Adler also used the metaphor of the dance to describe love as collaborative work. Love is beautiful but does not come about without investment.

The chapter’s (and section’s) emphasis on love as an action reflects broader 21st-century trends in the self-help genre; for instance, Yung Pueblo’s How to Love Better frames love similarly while also insisting that healthy relationships require self-love. Thus, what distinguishes The Courage to Be Happy is its contextualization of this idea within Adler’s comprehensive psychological/philosophical framework. 

Chapter Lessons

• Love is like a dance, as it is most sustainable when both parties are working together and performing their steps with care and intention.
• Make the choice to love others, and you will receive love in return.
• Choosing love opens you to the possibility of experiencing real and lasting happiness.

Reflection Questions

• Imagine you are dancing with your current partner (or, if you are single, someone to whom you are close in a platonic or familial sense). Would the dance go well or poorly? How does your vision of the dance inform your experience of this relationship?
• Identify two ways you can change your intimate relationships by regarding them in a more collaborative sense. How do you imagine taking these steps will improve the relationships?

Love and happiness, according to the authors, are inextricable. The philosopher argues that if a person wants to feel love, they should show love to others; if a person wants to be happy, they should engage happily in their life. The youth initially challenges these ideas but accepts that loving others, self-reliance, and enjoying life are essential aspects of achieving contentment.

Chapter Lessons

• Happiness is a choice you can make by simply taking responsibility for yourself and your actions.
• Love others in order to receive love.
• If you show love to others and receive love in return, you will achieve happiness.

Reflection Questions

• Reflect on one of your intimate relationships. How does the love you show and receive in this dynamic relate to your own sense of happiness?
• In your experience, does showing love to others always inspire love in return?

The authors maintain Adler’s notion that life is made up of banal days within which the individual can still find happiness. The philosopher reiterates to the youth the importance of remaining open in all aspects of life. If the individual is open to love and beauty and shows respect and concern for others, their life will be rich.

Chapter Lessons

• Seek beauty and truth even amid predictability.
• Happiness is possible if you maintain an open heart and mind.
• Avoid disparaging banality, as meaning and purpose exist here, too.

Reflection Questions

• How do you respond to routine? Do you take comfort in predictability, or do you crave excitement and change?
• Identify three ordinary things you might take joy in. How does reframing the ordinary as something beautiful alter your outlook on life?