One evening, his old friend Mara visited. She listened as Eli spoke, again, of the book he would write someday — about a man who transforms his life.
“Then why don’t you start?” she asked simply.
Eli laughed. “You don’t understand. My childhood was strict. My parents never believed in me. I can’t just—”
Mara smiled gently. “You’re not your parents, Eli. You’re your choices.”
That night, her words kept echoing. You’re your choices.
He realised something unsettling — he wasn’t avoiding writing because of the past. He was afraid of the present. Afraid that if he tried and failed, he’d lose the comforting illusion that he could have been great. His “busy job” was his excuse, his shield against disappointment.
So he made a quiet decision. He turned off the TV, opened his laptop, and began typing. The words were clumsy, hesitant — but they were his.
For the first time, Eli felt something he hadn’t in years: freedom. Not from his past, but from the belief that his past defined him.
At dawn, he looked out the window again. The city was the same, but he was not.
He whispered to himself, “Happiness isn’t found. It’s chosen.”
1. Thematic Alignment with Adlerian Psychology
Strengths:
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The story illustrates teleology (future-driven motivation) clearly.Eli’s turning point isn’t caused by resolving childhood trauma but by reinterpreting it — seeing his limitations as choices rather than determinants.
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It reflects “lifestyle” as a chosen worldview.Eli’s excuse-making and self-limiting beliefs are portrayed as part of his unconscious lifestyle, which he then consciously re-chooses when he decides to write.
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The moment of change (“He opened his laptop and began typing”) embodies the courage to change, a hallmark of Adlerian philosophy: action in the present moment, not waiting for circumstances or healing from the past.
Limitations:
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While the story demonstrates Adlerian ideas well, it simplifies them. Real change, in Adler’s view, involves consistent action, social interest (community feeling), and purpose beyond the self. Eli’s transformation is very individualistic — it ends at self-liberation, not contribution to others.
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The story omits the social dimension of Adlerian thought (Gemeinschaftsgefühl). Adler would argue that true happiness comes from connection and contribution, not merely personal self-realisation.
2. Psychological Realism
Strengths:
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Eli’s fear of failure — choosing the safety of a dream over the risk of action — is psychologically authentic. It mirrors Adler’s insight that people “choose” unhappiness because it offers security and avoidance of pain.
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The dialogue with Mara serves as the philosopher’s role in The Courage to Be Disliked: a catalyst for self-reflection, not a rescuer.
Weaknesses:
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The emotional shift happens too abruptly. In reality, shifting from etiology to teleology (from past-determinism to goal-orientation) requires deep internal work and repeated courage. The “one-night change” might seem inspirational, but it lacks psychological nuance.
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The story’s resolution — Eli feeling “free” after typing a few words — risks romanticising change as a single act of will, whereas Adlerian psychology views it as a lifelong process of choice and courage.
3. Literary Technique and Symbolism
Strengths:
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The window is an apt metaphor: it separates Eli from the world he observes but doesn’t participate in — until he acts. When he writes, he symbolically steps through that window into life.
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The story’s economy of language and quiet tone reflect introspection, fitting its philosophical theme.
Weaknesses:
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The symbolic shift (darkness to dawn) is predictable. The story might benefit from more complexity — for instance, showing Eli facing discomfort or resistance after the initial act of courage, to deepen realism and tension.
4. Philosophical Critique
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The story effectively rejects Freudian etiology — Eli’s past is acknowledged but not treated as causal. However, it could explore more critically why humans cling to causal narratives.
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The conclusion — “Happiness isn’t found. It’s chosen.” — encapsulates Adler’s teleology but oversimplifies it into a motivational aphorism. Adler’s philosophy also emphasises responsibility and contribution, not just personal choice.
