Invulnerability: On Securing Happiness

by Steven Luper

Steven Luper analyzes the nature of happiness and compares two strategies of the western approach known as 'optimizing', in which we try to bring about the satisfaction of our desires, and the eastern method known as 'adapting', in which we transform our desires so that nothing can hurt us.
"Luper's clearly written, yet heartfelt, book will serve to widen the narrow horizons of contemporary moral debate, and not just within academia". -- David E. Cooper University of Durham

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 1999

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

It talked about how there are basically two ways to approach life's issues: You can attempt to change the situation, or attempt to change attitude towards the situation. You can either optimize or adapt. Most people in the West optimize, or at least try to, and most people in the East take the perspective that adapting to situations is the way to go. What the author concludes is that the best approach is to combine the two: in situations that are beyond your control or very hard to change, you should attempt to adapt to the situation or else face much frustration and unhappiness... and in situations that you can most likely control and change you should attempt to change it (optimize). For if all you try to do is optimize and change your world you will be beset with constant failures, and if you simply adapt to everything you will then become indifferent to the world and dull, dwelling in mediocrity and never feeling really good or really bad.

[Josh Stickler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a great premise: consider an Eastern approach of "adapting" ones' desires to circumstances as an alternative to the Western approach of shaping ones' environment to suit ones' desires, but quickly becomes esoteric and pedantic. Nevertheless, there are some valuable takeaways.