A dead Austrian psychologist known for his study of the inferiority complex is the darling of local publishers today. 

A quick search for Alfred Adler (1870-1937) at Kyobo Bookstore, the country’s largest bookseller, returns a list of at least 40 titles containing his name. If books about his theories but with no direct mention of his name in the title are included, the list would well cross 100.

Adler, although considered one of the greatest founding influences of modern psychology along with Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, was little known among the general public in Korea until late last year when a book titled “Courage to Be Disliked” hit local shelves.

The book, released by a minuscule publishing house called Influential, rose to the No. 1 spot in Kyobo’s bestseller list in the second week of February and has never slipped from the top spot. It is the longest-running No. 1 bestseller at Kyobo, holding the top spot for 36 consecutive weeks now. The previous record was 34 weeks set by professor Kim Nan-do’s 2011 essay “Hurting is Youth.”

Originally written in Japanese by Kishimi Ichiro and Koga Fumitake, the book is basically a self-help guide to a happier life based on Adler’s psychotherapy ideas.

At 336 pages, it is a fascinating, virtual dialogue between a philosopher versed in the Adlerian psychology and a young man struggling with inferiority complex.

“You are unhappy not because of your past, nor because you lack competence. It’s because you don’t have the courage to become happy,” the philosopher tells the young man in the book.

In summary, it tells readers that all human anxieties come from relationships with others and that, to be truly free and happy, one has to develop a positive self-image, irrespective of what others think of them.

The message, aptly summarized by the simple but strong title, has struck a chord with Koreans who toil for social status and recognition in a super-competitive society, sparking a rush to study Adler and his theory -- now known as Individual Psychology.

The posthumous fame of Adler is also in line with a broader trend in Korea’s book scene in which humanities and self-help books are elbowing out novels as bestsellers. 

As the golden days of the economic miracle are over, Koreans are busy soul-searching. Work, social status and recognition -- once the driving forces in many Koreans’ life and reinforced through peer pressure -- are losing ground. Instead, people’s desire for inner satisfaction and peace is growing, which is reflected in the recent book trend.

Adler’s ideas, particularly his emphasis on the inferiority issue, seem to resonate with Korean readers who are, from early childhood throughout their social life, constantly compared, evaluated and judged by others and asked to at least keep up with friends, colleagues and relatives.

There have been a plethora of self-help books that teach Koreans skills to better prepare themselves to achieve what society deems as success in education, employment, marriage, child-rearing and retirement.

But “Courage” and other books on Adler differ in that they tell readers to have the courage to just be themselves -- as “ordinary persons” -- and live every moment of their life for their own happiness. In short, it says: what others think of you is none of your business. It’s theirs.

What’s being less highlighted in Adler’s theory in Korea now -- which I believe deserves more attention -- is that the scholar believed that just as all worries come from human links, happiness also comes from one’s interactions with other human beings and the community.

In fact, Adler is called the first community psychologist for his work that pioneered attention to community life, prevention and population health.

Adler once wrote: “True happiness is inseparable from the feeling of giving. ... This sense of belonging ... can only be won by being involved, by cooperating, and experiencing, and by being useful to others. Out of this emerges a lasting, genuine feeling of worthiness.”

By Lee Sun-young

Lee Sun-young is the lifestyle desk editor of The Korea Herald. She can be reached at milaya@heraldcorp.com