The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga
About the Authors and Book The Courage to Be Disliked is the work of two Japanese authors: Ichiro Kishimi, a
Ichiro Kishimi
Ichiro Kishimi: Adlerian Psychology, Relationships, and the Courage to Choose
Ichiro Kishimi is a Japanese author, lecturer, translator, and counselor associated with Adlerian psychology. Born in Kyoto, he has written extensively about Alfred Adler’s ideas and translated selected works by Adler into Japanese, including The Science of Living and Problems of Neurosis.
Kishimi is widely known for The Courage to Be Disliked, coauthored with Fumitake Koga, and its follow-up, The Courage to Be Happy. Presented as philosophical dialogues, the books explore interpersonal relationships, the desire for recognition, and the possibility of making different choices about how to live.
His work connects psychological concepts with questions about freedom, responsibility, and participation in a community. The conversations in his books ask readers to look closely at the assumptions behind their difficulties and the meaning they give to past experience. Kishimi’s writing offers an invitation to consider how personal change and a concern for others can develop together.