Read And Lead Saturday book-reading session from the book The Courage To Be Disliked, by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi
The philosopher draws an analogy between human freedom and a tumbling stone. A stone rolling downhill remains powerless until it is shaped into a small, round ball. Similarly, in our pursuit of recognition and approval from others, we gradually lose our true selves, shrinking into a diminished version of 'who we are'.
I especially resonated with the idea that when we refuse to fall into the vicious cycle of validation-seeking, we are often disliked—simply because we no longer play to others’ expectations. Yet this discomfort is acceptable if it allows us to remain authentic. It grants us the freedom to hold our ground—to neither change ourselves nor attempt to change others. If people evolve, it should be on their own accord, perhaps influenced by our behaviour, but never driven by our need for approval.
Shalini Gupta
