Contents
The book unfolds across five late-night conversations — “nights” — between a youth who believes happiness is impossible and a philosopher who insists it is always available. Each night advances the argument by one stage.
| Night | Theme |
|---|---|
| The First Night | Deny Trauma — behavior is purposive, not caused by the past |
| The Second Night | All Problems Are Interpersonal — self-esteem, inferiority, and the drive for superiority |
| The Third Night | Discard Other People’s Tasks — task separation as the key to freedom |
| The Fourth Night | Where the Centre of the World Is — community feeling and horizontal relationships |
| The Fifth Night | To Live in Earnest in the Here and Now — self-acceptance, contribution, and ordinary courage |
See the book overview for a full narrative guide to the book’s argument.
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