[News Culture] Winning does not always bring relief. Even after coming out ahead, people can remain haunted by the thought that they may lose the next time. Ichiro Kishimi’s ‘Breaking Free from Comparison’ examines the shadow cast by a society that treats competition as inevitable, tracing displays of superiority back to buried feelings of inadequacy and the anxiety of living under other people’s gaze.
Kishimi asks readers to reconsider what it means to be “ordinary.” The word does not imply giving up or settling for less. It means stepping away from the pressure to become exceptional and choosing a life shaped by one’s own values. A life may look impressive from the outside, but when it is built primarily to satisfy parents or society, it becomes an imitation of someone else’s idea of success.
The need to appear more capable or accomplished than others often grows from uncertainty about one’s own worth. Kishimi identifies this as the mechanism behind a superiority complex: the less secure people feel, the more urgently they try to prove they are special. Comparison then becomes a trap, leaving them dependent on recognition and afraid of losing the status they have gained.
The book also examines the fear of failure. A reluctance to try something new may stem from being criticized too early in childhood. Kishimi stresses that no one performs perfectly from the beginning. Mistakes are not proof of inadequacy but part of learning, while confidence develops through continued effort rather than avoidance.
Born in Kyoto in 1956, Kishimi is a Japanese philosopher whose academic background lies in ancient Greek philosophy, particularly Plato. He began studying Adlerian psychology in 1989 and became widely known through ‘The Courage to Be Disliked,’ co-written with Fumitake Koga.
The book was first published in Japan in May 2025 under the title ‘“Futsū” ni Tsukeru Kusuri.’ Wiseberry released the Korean edition under the title ‘Breaking Free from Comparison.’
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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