Strugglecore, Inc.: The Optimization Trap

The book "The Courage to Be Disliked" by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga has taken the world of self-improvement by storm, selling over 10 million copies worldwide and becoming a TikTok sensation. But what makes this book so appealing to high achievers, despite its promise of instant transformation? Is it liberation they're seeking, or just a more sophisticated form of optimization?

The answer lies in the way the book repackages century-old psychology insights from Alfred Adler, alongside Greek stoicism and Japanese self-restraint. The result is a distilled remix that promises transformation in just one day, with a dash of universal human struggles repackaged as revealed secrets for success.

The formula of self-improvement bestsellers has become a familiar script: taking complex problems and turning them into actionable guides. From "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne to James Clear's "Atomic Habits", even ancient wisdom traditions have been reduced to bite-sized, productivity-oriented frameworks.

But what makes "The Courage to Be Disliked" different is its rejection of trauma as a revolutionary breakthrough. Instead, it suggests that our problems aren't complex at all – we're just thinking about them wrong. This approach resonates with high achievers who crave simplicity and instant transformation.

However, this simplicity creates its own anxiety. If the solution is really this straightforward, what does it mean when people still struggle? The book's promise reveals itself: problems are simple – make better choices.

This simplicity becomes a competitive strategy in the most viciously competitive spaces imaginable. Content creators, startup founders, and consultants all devour the book, using its framework to deny competition while actively circling the same prey. "I'm not competing with you," says the YouTuber who checks their analytics every hour.

The market is hungry for this kind of simplicity, with 80% of Americans believing in the idea of self-improvement and willing to spend time and money on it. The self-improvement industry is expected to hit $90 billion by 2033, making monetized anxiety a major player.

So what's behind the success of "The Courage to Be Disliked"? Is it a revolutionary breakthrough in psychological thinking, or just a spiritual shortcut wearing its revolutionist robes? The answer lies in the book's ultimate life hack: the idea that your problems aren't complex at all – you're just thinking about them wrong.

This approach offers what high achievers desperately need: permission to stop managing everyone's emotional responses and create without exhausting themselves. But it also reveals a darker truth – that monetized anxiety is not just a side effect, but the product of an industry expected to hit $90 billion by 2033.