How to Be Perfectly Unhappy, by The Oatmeal

I didn't know I was going to be so challenged by a silly little cartoon book.  Actually, silly isn't a good word to describe Matthew Inman's (a.k.a. The Oatmeal) How to Be Perfectly Unhappy.  Inman offers an alternative view to the common perspective on happiness.  Like most parents, I want my kids to be happy.  I want to be happy.  But what do we really mean by "happy"?

Inman says he is not happy, but that doesn't mean his in unhappy.  His life isn't necessarily "rich with smiles and fun and laughter."  He says "I'm not 'happy' because our definition of happy isn't very good."  The word fails to recognize and capture the full range of human emotion.

He recognizes that he's different from many people in society.  But he says "I'm busy.  I'm interested.  I'm fascinated."  When he's running an ultramarathon or working long, hard hours, he's not happy, and may even be suffering.  But he does these things "because I find them meaningful.  I find them compelling. . . . I want to be tormented and challenged and interested."

I tend to be a happy person.  Inman forces me to acknowledge that many people interact with the world in very different ways, and achieve satisfaction, meaning, and fascination in a variety of ways and moods.  How to Be Perfectly Unhappy features the simple, eye-catching style of Inman's art familiar to his fans, but doesn't have the characteristic humor that his other books have.   This is a thought-provoking book that will stick with you.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!