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Happiness is an aspect of life that is most pursued and most elusive. It is simultaneously complex and simple. It is complex because it is hard to define, obtain and sustain, but simple because it is universally recognized, cherished and sought. As representatives of the psychoanalytic ethos, we are wary of simplicity and strive for complexity but for human beings complexity becomes exhausting. In Towards Happiness, well known New York City psychiatrist Ahron Friedberg uses storytelling—rich clinical vignettes—to show how individuals achieve happiness.
This book is not about theoretical or conceptual discourse on happiness. It is about stories. The stories of patients who struggle with unhappiness and who try to find their own way towards happiness. It is also what makes this book accessible to any kind of reader, mental health professionals or the general public. Patients, who want to help themselves, can benefit from this book in a direct way as each story is quite concise, engaging and teaches us something about happiness.
The book starts with outlining some of the authors' perspectives on happiness. Although the road to happiness for each person is unique, there are some general observations that might be helpful. Contrary to Albert Camus, who thought that “just searching for happiness keeps you from being happy” (p. 1), Friedberg sees self-awareness as crucial for achieving happiness. Emphasis is also put not on general happiness as such but rather happiness in specific areas of life, such as work, wellness, sex and love, family and friends, and aging. These five areas also serve as the main five chapters of the book.
Each story has a particular moral to teach but there also are some common principles that can be summarized as follows. Although happiness can be contingent and transitory, we should try to deliberately work towards it. In fact, one of the main theses in the book is that happiness comes from self-awareness, hard work, “grit, resilience, determination